It is the season of the endless premiere, writes Eric Deggans: "Once upon a time, the rhythm of network TV was simple: a flood of new shows in the fall, followed by a smattering of reality series and
reruns to replace canceled shows until a new batch of programs arrived in January for the midseason." No more.
Even after stretching the fall premiere season from late August to
mid-October, the networks now plug prime-time holes with new shows, replacing series you've never seen with fresh programs you've never heard of.
"I told somebody I knew that 'Kidnapped'
was canceled, and they said, 'What's Kidnapped?'" notes Steve Sternberg, an analyst for media buyer Magna Global. The show was NBC's heavily promoted hostage drama yanked from the schedule last week
after a handful of low-rated airings. "It takes people so long to become aware of a new show, they're gone before people even know they're on," he adds.
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