Most TiVo'd shows
 

Top 10 “Timeshifted” Primetime TV Programs - 2006
% Increase
Rank Programs Network in Viewership
1 STUDIO 60 NBC 10.9
2 HEROES NBC 9.1
3 GILMORE GIRLS CW 7.9
4 AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL CW 7.7
5 30 ROCK NBC 7.5
5 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS NBC 7.5
7 NINE, THE ABC 6.7
7 SUPERNATURAL CW 6.7
9 KIDNAPPED NBC 6.6
9 ONE TREE HILL CW 6.6
9 SMALLVILLE CW 6.6

So Studio 60 is close to cancellation, Heroes is doing strong. Don't know anything about the CW shows. Who knows how long 30 Rock will last, FNL is close to cancellation, The Nine is cancelled, and Kidnapped is cancelled.

So what does this tell you?

Perhaps a lot of people tape these shows with the intention to watch but never find the motivation?

I have like the last 3 or 4 Studio 60's sitting on the backburner on my DVR... guilty.

I only TIVO'd Studio 60 because Heroes sometimes ran long.

Makes sense that the CW makes the list so much - people would rather watch the other network shows first, then go back and pick up the taped shows later.

We Tivo #2, 5. And I've watched all of them.

It tells me that if viewers want a show to remain on the air, they better not rely on Tivo'ing it to make it happen ;)

It tells me in the age of TiVo (and television DVD sales) networks might take into account more than just their traditional methods.

Not gonna happen until the networks & the buyers can reach agreement on a method of measuring those viewers and when the program is viewed. And until there's either a way to prevent viewers from scanning past the commercials or until some standard can be developed that accounts for those who do. So far, no luck.

And I'm not holding my breath.

Well, considering that usually when people watch a DVR or Tivo'ed show, they skip the commericals, it may tell them to put more product placement in a show or change the timeslot (if the live numbers aren't so hot) so it isn't too late or up against another big show. If that doesn't work, I guess it tells the networks to cancel the show, no matter how big Tivo numbers look because advertisers aren't going to be happy with the fact that their ads are seen by so few, even if the show is a high quality one so that people will record it and watch it later.

Yeah, that's definitely a big one, and we know the networks need the $$. Still, I'm not sure if Nielsen is as complete as it might have once been.

(fwiw, my post wasn't directly a response to yours, didn't see it when I posted. But, I had a feeling you'd be in here. ;) )

Agreed, and nice point about the timeslot.

That hasn't stopped NBC from acting stupid and dropping their comedy lineup on Thursdays against the ABC and CBS monsters.

This timeslot thing is interesting. For me, I TIVO stuff because I'm at work a lot - its much easier to catch it at my preference, as opposed to TIVO'ing scrubs because "Grey's Anatomy" is on. In that sense, aren't people like me (and this may be more of a JIMGA question) a "bonus" audience that wouldn't be possible without TIVO?

Somehow, I never thought of that. Would be interested to hear about this as well.

But if the bonus audience skips commericals, the only alterative aside from cancelation would be far more product placement.

Not true. Here's an idea: Craft commercials that need only a few frames to entice a viewer to watch.

TiVo doesn't make those commercials go away; you have to hit either the fast forward or the super-duper-secret 30 second skip button as you're skipping. And if a viewer sees a one second clip that can immediately suck them in with amazing visuals, it's very possible that they'll watch the commercial.

A hot woman in a swimsuit. A gorilla paddling a canoe. A million superballs bouncing down Lombard Avenue. Two hot women in swimsuits. Parliament exploding.

Show me something that makes me go, "What is THAT?!?!?" and I've got a decent chance of stopping to find out what that is.

TiVo ups the difficulty level for advertisers, that's true. But it doesn't completely remove commercials. For example, if I'm engrossed in a show I'm TiVoing, I might forget to hit the advance button for a little bit while I catch my breath. Hence, the first ad spot in a commercial break has more ad value for TiVo households than the second. Likewise, when you overshoot the 30 second advance, you miss some of the next segment of your show, meaning you have to back up. TV stations should therefore bump their local ads, news breaks, and programming blurbs closer to the middle of ad breaks than at the end, saving that for a 5 second bumper by the program's primary sponsor.

Sponsor the show, like Philips did with the news. Hell, sponsor the DVD. Shoot the pilot in widescreen for 60 minutes instead of 42 and run product logos in the black space. As obnoxious as the on-air car placement in Heroes has been, I'm just fine with the use of the ads on the first pages of the graphic novel each week.

The one thing TV programmers shouldn't do is ignore time shifters as part of the audience. It's much harder to create a television series that people care enough about that they'll make arrangements to watch it when they want than it is to figure out how to brand that experience.

What is THAT?!?!?