• by Wayne Friedman , June 24, 2005

Sticking to what works in the summer, broadcast networks are finding success again with reality shows, while cable networks are finding that scripted shows do the trick.

Scripted shows like the TNT drama "The Closer" and miniseries "Into the West" are performing well. This follows the success of last summer's cable shows such as the USA Network's "The 4400" and FX's "Rescue Me." Over at the broadcast networks, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and NBC's "Hit Me Baby One More Time" have scored well.

But the two competing TV venues don't do well the other way around. Scripted programs generally are not the area where broadcast networks flourish in the summer, although Fox scored two years ago, with an August launch of "The O.C." Last year, Fox attempted two comedies and two dramas--"Method & Red, "Quintuplets," "North Shore," and "The Jury"--and none of these lasted into the fall. Generally, the broadcasters do better in launching reality shows such as CBS' "Survivor" and Fox's "American Idol."

This leaves cable an open field.

"With cable you don't have to do as high a rating as with the broadcast networks," said Brad Adgate, senior vp and corporate research director for Horizon Media, New York. "Cable shows do well for cable networks, and as counterprogramming, because broadcast networks are offering reality shows and repeats and news magazines."

The economics work to cable's advantage here. Because cable networks generally run an episode of an original series two, three, and four times during a given week, cable can sell a high cumulative viewership to summertime advertisers. Cable doesn't generally do that well with reality shows--especially in the summer, say program analysts, because they tend to get lost in the sea of broadcast network reality fare--shows that have more marketing muscle behind them.

Television viewing generally declines in the summer, which is why the broadcast networks re-run shows. Higher viewing does occur later in the evening in the summer--that's an advantage to cable programs.

"Most of those new summer cable shows start at 10 p.m. and they go up against re-runs on the networks," said Shari Anne Brill, vice president and director of programming for Carat USA. "People are coming back to TV later in the evening. Even repeats of CBS's procedural dramas such as 'CSI' do well."

New reality shows tend to get the lighter TV viewer, and reality is scheduled earlier in the evening to take advantage of this. Shows like "Dancing with the Stars," a nice hit on ABC, air at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. "Hit Me Baby One More Time," now a modest performer on NBC, also runs at 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Also benefiting the light TV viewer is that most network reality series are closed-end affairs--just six episodes, in most cases. That means that viewers don't need to commit every week--or for long periods of time.

"You shift into beach brain in the summer," said Brill. "That's why the lighter fare such as "Dancing with the Stars" makes it versus something that is more intense--that requires cerebral activity." In the weeks to come, more reality efforts include CBS' "Rock Star: INXS;" NBC's "Tommy Lee Goes to College" and "The Law Firm;" ABC's "Brat Camp" and "Hooking Up;" and "Fox's "The Princes of Malibu" and "So You Think You Can Dance?"

New upcoming cable scripted series include: Lifetime's "Beach Girls;" TNT's "Wanted," MTV's "The Andy Milonakis Show;" FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia;" and "Over There."