What's in a TV title? Intrigue, a tease, and perhaps a number.
CBS seemingly puts value in the word "two," adding two programs to the likes of "Two and a Half Men": the
comedy "2 Broke Girls," and mid-season drama "The 2-2". All of which could be too
much for some .
CBS also doubles up on "How..." shows : "How I Met Your
Mother" is joined by the new sitcom "How To Be a Gentleman" -- CBS as an educator, community college, or a page in Esquire.
Networks also go for the simple one-word moniker to make impact or develop intrigue: NBC's
"Smash"; ABC's "Revenge" and "Scandal"; and CW's "Ringer". Easy to digest concepts, and more importantly easier reference in tweets. Our new 140
character world needs all the savings it can get.
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Titles also tout familiar brand associations: "Charlie's Angels" at ABC. "Wonder Woman" almost got the nod at NBC.
Both have nice variations of the colorful spandex outfits. "Angels" is "pure candy," according to ABC. Look for an M&M sponsorship there.
NBC also had the
intriguing "Awake" -- a show that seems almost too complex for the NBC promo producer to make into a clear promo clip. The show offers up a man who alternatively sees his dead wife and then
dead son in different realities. And there are two therapists treating him! "Awake and Confused" would be a more honest nameplate.
A couple of years ago, former NBC entertainment
chief Ben Silverman said that the fact there were two shows about the same subject -- a "Saturday Night Live" type of show -- wasn't the problem. He said it was there were too many
numbers in those titles: "30 Rock" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."
"Good Christian Belles" evolved from the working title of "Good Christian
Bitches" at ABC. In this fragmented world, TV titles carries a lot of the marketing pull, hopefully with little pull-back.