Just got my little survey booklet in the mail; I’m going to be a Nielsen household for the next week: Thursday July 25 to Wednesday July 31. My new status as a powerbroker in the critical mid-summer ratings period may get my favorite actors an extra cup of coffee in their next contract.
Feel free to give your suggestions for what TV shows I should watch. Sorry, broadcast only, no cable.
My neighbers were a Nielsen family for an entire season. Nice people, but you can blame them for Hee Haw and the ilk…they had an odd sense of humor and used to watch that kind of crap all the time.
I would pick the shows that I normally like/watch during the regular season and mark those down. Believe it or or not, there are teams of odd little people gathered in network offices who pour over your response. If, even as a joke, you put down some show about South American Polo, next season you will see Jane Pauly up to her elbows in Argentine pony poop, interviewing stable boys as the networks try to tap in to the “new-hip” interest in Polo.
My one request…please NO reality shows…please…pretty please!
Flip to the first 2 minutes each of SpyTV and Invasion of the Hidden Cameras, then turn to an infomercial for the rest of the hour. Write in the little book that “anything is better than that crap.”
Wow, I was skeptical that there actually were Nielson households. Power to the people! I offer a third vote for Farscape. That, or the Telemundo show with that guy in the bee suit.
I second this. It’s the complete opposite of every other reality game show, and that’s a good thing. The contestants are real and interesting people, not media whores using the show to springboard their career. The game takes smarts, savvy, and deception to win, not popularity.
And the play-along-at-home factor is incredibly high
They are picked entirely by random. I think the most common way now is to send a little booklet (as they did with us) and you write down what shows you watched, at what times, what station, and who watched it (as you must record all family members and all the TVs in the house).
Another way I’ve heard about is they put a box on top of the TV sets in your house and record it that way.
Kill reality TV. All reality TV. Kill it now.
I like the infomercial idea. If they’re going to give you power, why not be wantonly destructive with it.
Seriously though, squeeze in some PBS. They could use the ratings.
I would like to add another vote for The Mole 2. They only have two episodes left. They are now down to two contestants and “The Mole”.
I would also suggest watching the finale the following week. In case you missed the entire season you can see the brain work that goes into the clues. I believe MENSA is involed to some extent.