now that Glee's ratings are falling

I wonder is SMASH will do anything. Seemingly people are already tired of musical theater.
LAst years premiere had 13.2 million viewers, this years was 8.2. huge drop off. Thats the same number top shows on the USA network get.

Two largely different audiences. Glee should move to ABC Family where it belongs.

---

I don't think it looks terrible at all, and this is coming from a person with a previously inviolable anti-Debra Messing perspective.

---

Smash has incredibly good word of mouth going for it right now. But, of course, it's based on a pilot that the public hasn't seen yet.

---

Glee is doing worse because it decided of using clever situational comedy and good song choices (with decent performance) during the first season, the show is now preachy, self righteous, not funny, with terrible performances and HORRIBLE writing. I loved the show when it came out but season 2 was embarassing

That's true, frontrow, but per ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, the networks were crowing about how well broadcast shows did during premiere week and how few viewers were lost relative to last season.

As I implied, I don't think GLEE is in danger of cancellation, but a nearly 40% drop in viewers has to be disappointing (particularly after the movie tanked).

Updated On: 10/3/11 at 02:36 PM

"Glee"s ratings drop will have nothing to with whether or not "Smash" will succeed. The producers of "Smash" are saying that the show is very different from "Glee." "Glee"s ratings dropped because the second season was BAD and many parents found it to be too inappropriate for younger audiences.

Lots of talk about the 18-49 demo, but nobody has provided numbers. This season Glee has posted:

Episode 1: 4.0/11 - 9.21M
Episode 2: 3.7/10 - 8.60M

in the 18-49, which is about where it was at the end of last season. At the beginning of last season, Glee was posting

Episode 1: 5.6/16 - 12.45M
Episode 2: 5.9/17 - 13.508M

and then tumbled for the Grilled Cheesus episode, and settled down in the 4s. Keep in mind the show saw a typical bump because of the Super Bowl, but if you would like a laugh you can look at the 15 minute drop-offs in viewers as that episode went on.

The thing to look for now is that Glee is no longer winning its timeslot. More people have generally always watched NCIS on CBS on Tuesdays, but Glee was ahead in the 18-49 demo, but that hasn't been the case this season. At this time last year Glee was up in the mid-4s, and here we are in the high 3s.

OK, all non-disputable facts aside, the show is losing viewers because it sucks. If people are sick of musical theatre, it is the "musical theatre" that Glee is shoving down our throats, which doesn't look the be the same musical theatre Smash is bringing to the table. But of course, you can never be too sure with the general US viewing audience.

We'll see.

With the possible exception of the Super Bowl, I think every TV audience nowadays is basically a "niche" audience. There are simply too many channels for it to be otherwise.

Aside from the creators of Glee being stereotypical middle aged gay men (and it shows in EVERY episode), the show is now just a total joke. It's impossible to care about a character you are so incredibly annoyed by. That's Glee's main issue.

That, and, the fact that they're autotuned within an inch of their lives. The songs make no sense anymore within the context of the show. What I have seen of the last two seasons, I'm totally bored with. Smash, I hope, fares better. God knows it's a better cast.



BN

I said it from the moment it premiered that it wouldn't last. I was shocked at all the hype it got but you know, the tweens will bring in that revenue. I predict ratings will continue to fall until this season finale when, presumably, the original cast members graduate. Next season will be its last. People may watch the Glee Project because it's a reality show and for some reason beyond my comprehension people go crazy over reality TV drama. But any actual fan of the show, is a fan of the cast more than the show itself.

I mean it's no accident that this show is continually snubbed during award season. How much more of the Mr. Burns-esque weekly villainy of Jane Lynch can we take? And how much more of the jocks vs. unpopular kid angles can they come up with? The club is on the verge of breaking up almost every damn week, it's a tired storyline and the fact that they've only had 2 seasons does not bode well for the future of the show beyond the original cast. The cast is what holds the show together and without them, I really don't think it will last.

"Smash will last it's one season and that will be it."

It's a little too soon to be making guesses like that. "30 Rock" has never been a hit with ratings and look at how long it has lasted.

I've yet to see the new season. But I'm surprised that no network has bothered to create a variety show. It was a great format in the 70's (recalling Sonny and Cher)...sort of like a modern day version of the Ed Sullivan Show. Just wondering.... from RC in Austin, Texas

---