Midseason Watch: Which New Shows Are Looking Good? Which Ones Aren't?

A TV ratings report card on Kiefer Sutherland's Touch, Alcatraz, The Firm and more

By Joal Ryan Jan 31, 2012 7:01 PMTags
Kiefer SutherlandBrian Bowen Smith/FOX

Is Keifer Sutherland back? Is Alcatraz for real? Does Josh Lucas have any future with The Firm?

One month into the launches of primetime's winter wave, here's where the key new shows stand:

LOOKING GREAT

1. Luck: Maybe Sunday's premiere numbers won't blow you away (1.1 million viewers), but HBO liked it, and that's what's important. The Dustin Hoffman series got renewed today for a second season. 

LOOKING GOOD

2. Rob : The Big Bang Theory may have finally found a suitable match. The Rob Schneider comedy is winter's most-watched new show (12.5 million viewers, 3.9 demo 18-to-49 demo rating, per Nielsen). 

3. Touch: The Sutherland show's one-shot, American Idol-powered premiere was a strong one (12 million viewers, 3.9 demo rating). The jury reconvenes in March.

4. Alcatraz: On Monday night, J.J. Abrams' latest was solid, if down from last week (8.3 million viewers, 2.7 demo rating). Overall, it's the new Terra Nova, which, as more and more shows outright sink, is a pretty good thing to be.       

HARD TO TELL WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING LIKE

5. Napoleon Dynamite: The Fox toon started out great, but on Sunday it was a weak link between The Simpsons and Family Guy, with a 2.1 demo rating.

6. The Finder: This quirky Fox hourlong started out not-so good, but then turned it around. Last Thursday was its most impressive outing yet: It was up (to 8.4 milion viewers and a 2.8 demo rating) even as its American Idol lead-in was down.

LOOKING BAD

6. Are You There, Chelsea? The least-watched new comedy or drama series on the Big Four networks, averaging 5.1 million viewers.   

7. Remodeled: The least-watched new show in perhaps the universe averaging about 750,000 viewers, a stat that, as low as it is, is arguably inflated because the CW reality show was the only English-language broadcast alternative last week to President Obama's State of the Union speech.  

8. The Firm: Maybe the biggest disappointment of all for NBC. In the demo, the Lucas-led drama has been even weaker than Prime Suspect, which it replaced on Thursday. 

LOOKING WORST

9. Work It: It offended TV critics, as well as social critics, on its way to a pink slip after two episodes. 

Elsewhere, here's a quick look at some of the ratings highlights from the latest broadcast and cable weekly rankings:

Kourtney & Kim Take New York: The season finale was the series' most-watched ever, with about 5 million viewers, good for seventh place among all cable shows.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Sunday's South African adventure finshed 13th in the cable-rankings, with a season-high 4 million viewers.

Jersey Shore: Slipped in the cable standings from No. 1 to No. 2, but moved up to 6.5 million viewers.

Once Upon a Time: Up from last week, to 10.9 million viewers (14th place in the broadcast standings).

Chuck: Went out as big as Chuck could on a Friday night, averaging 4.3 million viewers (64th place).

CSI: Back to the Top 10 thanks to the Marg Helgenberger farewell.

Here's a complete look at the TV week's top 10 most-watched broadcast shows:

  1. American Idol (Wednesday), 19.7 million viewers
  2. American Idol (Thursday), 17.1 million viewers
  3. The Big Bang Theory, 16.1 million viewers
  4. CSI, 14.3 million viewers
  5. Criminal Minds, 13.8 million viewers
  6. Undercover Boss, 13.2 million viewers
  7. NCIS (rerun), 12.5 million viewers
  8. NFL Pro Bowl, 12.499 million viewers
  9. Touch, 12 million viewers
  10. Rob, 11.5 million viewers