Thank you for your explanations, being Canadian I see different channels then Americans do. 7th Heaven was on a prime time channel and so was Touched By an Angel. I never thought of the fact that WB was struggling so much in the US to get large amounts of viewers.
I must say the whole US dependance thing is very foolish for television companies to do. One of the biggest television shows to come out of Canada "Little Mosque on the prarie" actually didn't perform amazing so to speak in Canada. But gained global celebrity status so popular that almost every major network in the Middle East wanted to run it. It ended up being viewed across the EU and ME. The show remains on the air due to its global success.
If a television show is bringing in that many viewers around the globe then those views should be profitting the creators. Royalties and income come in every time an episode is aired around the globe. So if a show does amazing globally but doesn't do amazing in the US it should most definatly not be cancelled.
Are American companies the only ones who care soully about the US market? It seems Canadian firms care more about the global market then domestic. I know other countries care a lot about global market capabilities as well. Its extremely dangerous to only care about your home market if your product is wildly successful in other regions.
What do I think the networks should do? If a show isn't successful much in the US but huge globally change the air time and dates the program airs in the US to a time when it has the least competition. If the series is bleeding money and foreign numbers while amazing aren't enough to justify keeping the series on the air in the US, out source it to another company. I'm sure another company would see potential in the series. Maybe even consider partnering up with a network from another country to finance the show, if it is successful else where around the globe the series is probably very valuable to a foreign partner.
Cancelling a show that has millions of viewers should be a last resort. If the show flops and by that I mean under 3 million viewers in the US and has no success globally then it should be terminated. But their is money to be made and investments have been made. What harm can come out of selling or liscensing a program out to a smaller firm or even competitor? If your going to cancel the program anyways you might as well make money on royalties or the sale of the series to a competitor.
I actually think you're forgetting the fact that your country is quite small compared to the US (in terms of population of course). 3 million viewers in Canada is the equivalent of 30 million viewers in the US. That show you mentioned is considered a huge ratings hit in your country.
In the US networks get their money from sponsors. If a show isn't doing well the sponsors pull out, and there will be no more money to make the show. Selling the show to another network usually doesn't work because most networks hesitate to buy shows that failed.
BTW, what kind of nale is Little Mosque on the Prarie? Sounds so funny. It's the funniest one I've heard since Good Christian Bitches (can't wait 'till that show starts next year).
Umm not once in this thread have I actually mentioned 3-million Canadian viewers in fact I don't think I used Canadian numbers once mentioning an actual number. The number for 7th Heaven was the one the company gave a while ago and the stats for Touched By an Angel I am pretty sure were American as well.
I understand networks get their money from sponsors. Big sponsors may pull out but give it a different time slot that is less important. There are plenty of television shows that perform lower then Simpsons that are on the air, they have sponsors. Now if Simpsons is so bad that it becomes one of the worst performing shows on the network, there are other networks with lower amounts of viewers for their programming. Simpsons would be a catch for a smaller network as would a program like Play Boy Club, of course cutting costs and staff would be necessary. Meaning pay cuts like we saw with Simpsons but the series is still feasible and profitable.
As long as a product is profitable and competitive at all then it shouldn't be dropped at least that's my opinion. If a business has a successful product sure when they create more successful products shift focus to those but don't abandon a successful product just because it is no longer your golden goose. I a strong believer in expanding to accommodate new products rather then remaining still, if a product is successful but not enough to maintain support hand it off to another company for royalties or a lump sum. There is no reason a viable profitable product should be dropped.
As for Little Mosque on the Prairie
-JC7
"In God We Trust - In Games We Play " - Joel Reimer
