Leading up to the premiere of Fringe, Fox seemed to put nearly all of its fall marketing dollars into J.J. Abrams‘ risky sci-fi show. Along with The CW’s 90210 (also airing on Tuesday nights), it was one of the season’s most-hyped new bows. So did it pay off in the ratings last night? Well…sorta. Over its 90-minute premiere, Fringe averaged 9 million viewers, according to overnight ratings. Not too shabby, for sure, but the suits over at Fox probably aren’t dancing in their offices today, either. A double-digit premiere would have been much more stir-worthy. To the show’s credit, though, it did improve on its audience every half hour, which is a good sign (because it means viewers weren’t getting bored and tuning out), but the real test is still yet to come. Will fans be compelled to come back for the next installment? Will Fox juggernaut House give it a boost? What happens in two weeks when ABC’s Dancing With the Stars results show and CBS’s The Mentalist debut? (To weigh in on the Fringe series premiere, head over to PopWatch.
Tuesday night’s other big story brings us back to 90210. The second episode drew just 3.3 million viewers — down a startling 30 percent from its 4.7 million debut last week. Most shows drop off a bit after their premieres, but anything beyond 10 or 15 percent is cause for serious concern. Maybe fans weren’t as excited by the return of Jackie Taylor (Ann Gillespie) this week as they were by Brenda Walsh (Shannon Doherty) last week?
Last night, The CW also premiered another series focused on the young, rich, and fabulous: Privileged, starring Reba cutie JoAnna Garcia as the new tutor to two Palm Beach snobs. The debut drew a CW-appropriate 2.9 million viewers, shedding just 12 percent of 90210’s diminishing audience. Looking back at last year, though, Privileged’s numbers are an improvement on the former holder of the Tuesday-at-9 p.m. timeslot, Reaper, which averaged only 2.3 million viewers. (Reaper returns midseason in a TBD spot.) However, as the rest of the networks premiere their full slates and certain shows break out or fizzle, we’ll be looking at a vastly different landscape in the next few weeks. So the moral of this story? Stay tuned.
Tuesday night’s other big story brings us back to 90210. The second episode drew just 3.3 million viewers — down a startling 30 percent from its 4.7 million debut last week. Most shows drop off a bit after their premieres, but anything beyond 10 or 15 percent is cause for serious concern. Maybe fans weren’t as excited by the return of Jackie Taylor (Ann Gillespie) this week as they were by Brenda Walsh (Shannon Doherty) last week?
Last night, The CW also premiered another series focused on the young, rich, and fabulous: Privileged, starring Reba cutie JoAnna Garcia as the new tutor to two Palm Beach snobs. The debut drew a CW-appropriate 2.9 million viewers, shedding just 12 percent of 90210’s diminishing audience. Looking back at last year, though, Privileged’s numbers are an improvement on the former holder of the Tuesday-at-9 p.m. timeslot, Reaper, which averaged only 2.3 million viewers. (Reaper returns midseason in a TBD spot.) However, as the rest of the networks premiere their full slates and certain shows break out or fizzle, we’ll be looking at a vastly different landscape in the next few weeks. So the moral of this story? Stay tuned.
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I kinda liked the Privileged premiere. I read the book when it was announced that the CW was doing a series on it and Rina is doing the source material justice. It’s not too much like the book and the pacing is nice. I hope this show does well.
The way in which the TV networks are rolling out shows this season is, IMHO, partly to blame for lower than expected numbers. (I’m not even going to get into the outdated Nielsen system, “time-shifting,” etc.)
When I saw this headline, I was surprised — I was really looking forward to watching Fringe, and despite all of the promotion, I missed it! That sucks because, sure, it may be legally available online (and is most certainly being passed around in pirated form), but I probably won’t bother trying to find and view it. The same happened with Terminator and the new 90210.
I still have “appointment” TV shows such as Heroes and The Shield, but there are a ton of new and returning series that could go on my must-watch list — if I could remember to watch them in the first place! Hopefully I’ll remember all of this stuff next week…
Back to my main point: Does anyone else remember when the fall TV season had a definitive starting point?
Priveledged was surprisingly good. I’d seen The Nanny Diaries (and was not a fan), so I wasn’t even planning on tuning in. When Fringe ended, I watched about 5 minutes of the lame Hole In The Wall, before catching the end of Priveledged. I enjoyed it so much I caught the entire show later.
I can’t believe that Fringe built audience over the hour and a half. I turned it off because it was boring! popculturecurmudgeon.blogspot.com
90210 reairs tonight and Fringe reairs on Sunday. I don’t think it’s really that hard to keep track of stuff if you’re actually interested in watching it–especially since so many people have DVRs with a season pass option now.
And I’d rather have premieres all spread out than have everything starting all at once.
For those that endured the long premiere it PAYED OFF AT THE END!!!
As a guy, 90210 just isn’t by thing (neither was the original), and Fringe is just a re-hash of X-Files, Terminator, Supernatural and any other sci-fi show on any network. Privileged was a nice change, even for this guy. And what guy doesn’t want to see JoAnna Garcia again. Lucious!
90210, Fringe and Privileged were all really good last night!!! I will watch all 3.
P.S J.J Abrams YOU ROCK!
I liked “Fringe” and will tune in again. I thought it was uneven but promised to be good, and like somebody else said, the ending paid off for a lot.
I enjoyed Privileged last night. It was excellent, fresh and new compared to some ot the other shows on television. On the other hand “90210″ was OK, not great but OK. I was about 12 when the show went off and didn’t really watch it that much and I kind of feel the same way about the remake. It’s seemingly boring and dragging with the feeling that I can’t wait for the commercials to come on. I give the show Privileged eight out of ten stars. Keep up the goo work Garcia.
Privileged was good. I liked it alot and it takes my time on my slot for the season. I can’t say the same about 90210. Sorry. It’s just that I tired of the same plotted storylines which are predictable to say the least. FRINGE!!! was awsome. wow awsome. Can’t wait till HEROES come back in two weeks!!!
Only saw the first 30 mins of Fringe…wasn’t interested after that point. But I did enjoy seeing Josh Jackson and the guy that played Bobby’s brother on Third Watch
FRINGE!I loved it! it’s got an X-file vibe..but sexier!I loved it!GO JJ
The only good story line on 90210 is anything involving Jennie Garth, other than that, I don’t really care. But that’s probably because I used to watch the original. When I watch it, every time a scandel is shown I find a teen show where is already happened. I know there is only so much you can do for a teen soap, but try to be a little more original.
I didn’t watch the new 90210 as I had started watching it last week and it was horrible. The only reason I would watch it is for Jennie Garth, but aside from that, it’s old already. This is one of those shows that should NOT have been redone…The original had done everything already. Just adding more sex and controversy into the mix is not an absolute “sell”…Sorry.
I’m not that shocked about the huge drop off in the 90210 audience. I was one of the millions who gave it a two-hour chance last week and then took it off my DVR in disgust. It’s stale and tired. The leads are weak. Annie is very annoying and Naomi is just not as fun as the Blair character on Gossip Girl. I wish they had cast someone with the charisma of JoAnna Garcia on Privileged. Then we might have a show!
Truthfully i though 90210 came on on Mondays and is a much better match with Gossip Girl than Old Tree Hill. I like it and think its a good show but that time slot bums and especially when American Idol comes on it will obliterated.
90210h-no! I was one of the suckers who tuned in last night for more torture and man was I sorry I did! But Privileged was a delight! Charming, funny, and sweet, it’s my new “feel good show” now that Men in Trees is gone.
I’m not a 90210 fan whatsoever. Fringe has my attention so far.
I liked seeing Joshua Jackson back on tv and Anna Torv is a great lead.
Quirky cast.
for all of you non-dvr’ers an encore of the Fringe premiere will be on Sunday, September 14th.
i personally loved it! yay for joshua jackson back on tv!!!
Fringe was monstrously bad. I wanted to like it, but it’s a weak knockoff of X-Files. The lead actress has real trouble with the American accent, and it really stifles her performance. Jackson was good. I don’t think it will last.
I don’t think series premieres are ever as good as the rest of the show. I personally thought last night was much better the the first week and I will continue watching. I don’t think you can watch one episode and base a show off of that. Everyone keeps forgetting this is not based just off of the old crew,the old crew is secondary characters to the new crew. I think you have to give it a couple more episodes before deciding, one episode doesn’t say much about a show. I am a One Tree Hill fan too and when ever they have a two part show, the first episode is never as good as the second episode.
They should cancel 90210 and give Jennie Garth her own show!
Fringe was sweet. I dug it a lot. It reminds me of an updated version of “X-Files.” And to be honest, Terminator is a letdown.
I really liked “Fringe.” I’ll definitely watch next week.
I will be a regular viewer of Fringe.
I will not be a regular viewer of 90210.
From 90210 numbers, neither will too many others.
It really is a crappy show.
Are kids really like this?
Fringe was horrible… a wannabe X-files. I miss X-files..now that was a good show!
The new 90210 will be canceled very quickly. I’ll be surprised if it comes back for next fall, but I think after one season, we won’t remember that this show existed.
Everyone liked the original Beverly Hills 90210 with Brenda, Jennie, Dylan and all the other characters.
Only Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth (and the Peach Pit actor Joe Tata) agreed to be in the new 90210. But the original actors like Jason Priestly and Luke Perry chose not to reprise their roles; in hindsight, I think they can see that the new 90210 is not going to do well and not going to last very long on the CW.
Man I thought Fringe really stunk and I was excited to see it. I know some of you like it, but it isn’t half as compelling as Lost or Heroes. I’m betting money it will have a 90210 like drop off week two.
Pilots are hard, especially one as complex as Fringe, which started with a bang and rode the action train for the full 90 minutes. I personally loved it, and know JJ felt the follow-ups to the pilot were stronger. I guess you can mark me down as a solid “Team JJ”!
PS. Denethor as the crazy Dr. Wackadoo was genius casting, btw