Why TV dramas aren't working

This article is a little old—Blogger went down last week, and only now are unpublished pieces returning from the black hole into which they disappeared. So we know more now about the number of shows that will survive into next season, beyond the estimate in this piece that, according to the L.A. Times, only 5 of the 22 new shows that premiered this year are likely to survive for next season. However close that has proven to be, that's a pretty bad hit rate. What's going on? Is it the shows themselves? The answer isn't simple.

Joe Flint of the L.A Times offers some food for thought. "Part of the problem, explain producers, is that digital-age audiences don't just focus solely on their screens these days. Like traffic cops dealing with distracted drivers who text and blab on the phone while sailing down the freeway, networks executives are facing viewers who are often fiddling with their computers, phones or iPads. 'Most people are watching TV with a laptop on their legs,' said Laurie Zaks, executive producer of the ABC mystery 'Castle.' 'If you don't capture the audience in the first two episodes, you don't have a chance.' "


Read the article, A dramatic decline for network dramas.