# Zeldar's Nielsen Ratings Help **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755 "2011-06-24T20:32:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/1 "2011-06-24T20:32:41Z")
I want to try to predict which of my regular TV shows have a good chance of staying alive at least into first half of the next season. I’m not counting new shows that will be premiering this next year, just the ones I have already built up a liking for. Using an honor system of 5 shows in a “public poll” help me get a feel for how the Viewing Public will support my shows. (poll on the way) ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/2 "2011-06-24T20:35:46Z")
Don’t need a poll – all of them. It’s extremely rare (unthinkable?) that a show with a second-or-greater season count will not have at least half a season before the network cancels it. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/3 "2011-06-24T20:39:41Z")
> [@infinitii](#): > > Don’t need a poll – all of them. > > It’s extremely rare (unthinkable?) that a show with a second-or-greater season count will not have at least half a season before the network cancels it. Very good point. Even so, please help me identify the shows that (in your opinion) have the best chance of remaining on the air (or cable). ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/4 "2011-06-24T20:45:15Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Very good point. Even so, please help me identify the shows that (in your opinion) have the best chance of remaining on the air (or cable). Heh…OK ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/5 "2011-06-24T20:54:04Z")
> [@infinitii](#): > > Heh…OK Thanks. Looks as if we have some common likes and/or tastes. If it’s not obvious, I am refraining from voting because I want them all to stay around. The way the votes are falling is valuable even at this early stage. In case anybody else want to do a similar poll on their own faves, I will vote there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/6 "2011-06-24T20:56:40Z")
**Survivor.** None of the others are worth my time. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/7 "2011-06-24T21:34:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Survivor.** None of the others are worth my time. Well, at least we can swap contempt for some of the dregs of humanity that wind up on that show! The SDMB threads on it are always at least as much fun as the shows are. I realize 8 voters’ choices are a little early to panic, but it would appear that I like some doggies! I won’t miss _Grey’s Anatomy_ all that much, but I was liking the new shows that are getting no votes yet. ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/8 "2011-06-24T21:52:13Z")
If Sons of Anarchy gets cancelled, I’ll be forced to sit and write my own story line! ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/9 "2011-06-24T22:05:51Z")
I picked two: _Mad Men_ because I’ve enjoyed the seasons so far and want more, and _Dexter_, because even though I haven’t seen it at all, I hear it’s really good and if I ever get around to watching it I will thus probably want to have as many episodes as possible to watch. Was I supposed to pick exactly 5? If so, sorry… ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/10 "2011-06-24T22:08:53Z")
> [@feppytweed](#): > > If Sons of Anarchy gets cancelled, I’ll be forced to sit and write my own story line! That’s an idea! Write to the show’s producers and volunteer your talents and services. As much as I love the show and the main characters, some of the story lines and arcs could be tweaked to better drama and action. They’ve managed to get some great villains along the way. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/11 "2011-06-25T02:06:38Z")
It’s way too early for this summary to mean much, but here it is as a snapshot of how things looked after 15 Voters: ```auto Which five shows do you want to stay alive most? Breaking Bad 8 53.33% Dexter 8 53.33% House 6 40.00% Mad Men 6 40.00% The Mentalist 6 40.00% Justified 5 33.33% Survivor 5 33.33% Bones 3 20.00% Sons of Anarchy 3 20.00% Fringe 2 13.33% The Good Wife 2 13.33% Blue Bloods 0 0% Body of Proof 0 0% Grey's Anatomy 0 0% Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 15 ``` I would like to suggest that somebody else list their favorite shows in another similar poll so the same sort of SDMB Popular Opinion can give clues as to how Nielsen and other such powers may differ in their feedback from SDMB viewers. What may really prove fun, if not truly useful, wil be how these opinions differ from Real Life as shows come up for renewal and cancellation later this year and next. At the very least I feel better about some of my real favorites with just this much support from you people. Thanks for the help! ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/12 "2011-06-25T02:32:26Z")
I voted Breaking Bad, Dexter, Fringe, House, and Survivor, because those are the only ones on your list that I watch. I think I read that this next season is intended to be the final season of **House**. **Breaking Bad** is awesome–one of my favorite shows ever–but they’ve got such a tight arc going, they’re going to have to wrap it up either this season or the following if they don’t want to squander the momentum they’ve built up. I could see \*\*Dexter \*\*going for several more seasons, if the writers stay on their toes and keep shaking things up. I would love to see **Fringe** go on and on for a long time, but the full-season renewal they got for next year was actually pretty surprising, considering the show’s low ratings. If it gets decent numbers on Friday nights, it could stick around–but I’m not going to hold my breath. \*\*Survivor \*\* still gets pretty solid ratings and has a loyal, core audience. It’ll be around for a good while longer, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/13 "2011-06-25T02:48:27Z")
Survivor and Fringe. Everything else I don’t watch. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/14 "2011-06-25T02:49:08Z")
Good points all, **Tangent** , and as we know from bitter experience, audience love for a show is not all it takes to keep one alive. Justice and TV show survival rates are written in separate languages. I fully expect to get caught up in some of the new shows this next year and, as you point out, the writing is already on the wall for some of my current favorites, but I would just like to have a “heads up” on the ones I think are doing well but which others are at best neutral on. The networks as just as likely to kill an audience favorite as leave trash on the air for an extra year or two for no apparent reason. Maybe somebody else can produce a list of shows that we ALL would like to see go away! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/15 "2011-06-25T16:07:59Z")
Here’s how things are changing with 10 more Voters’ input: ```auto Which five shows do you want to stay alive most? Breaking Bad 8 53.33% Breaking Bad 12 48.00% Dexter 8 53.33% Dexter 13 52.00% House 6 40.00% House 8 32.00% Mad Men 6 40.00% Mad Men 13 52.00% The Mentalist 6 40.00% The Mentalist 8 32.00% Justified 5 33.33% Justified 8 32.00% Survivor 5 33.33% Survivor 9 36.00% Bones 3 20.00% Bones 3 12.00% Sons of Anarchy 3 20.00% Sons of Anarchy 4 16.00% Fringe 2 13.33% Fringe 9 36.00% The Good Wife 2 13.33% The Good Wife 2 8.00% Blue Bloods 0 0% Blue Bloods 1 4.00% Body of Proof 0 0% Body of Proof 0 0% Grey's Anatomy 0 0% Grey's Anatomy 0 0% Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 15 Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 25 ``` – Note the big moves of _Fringe_ and _Mad Men_ ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/16 "2011-06-26T02:10:55Z")
House only has one season left. As in, they are intentionally ending it because the actors are leaving. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/17 "2011-06-26T15:29:17Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > House only has one season left. As in, they are intentionally ending it because the actors are leaving. Well, at least there’s a good chance it won’t be killed off mid-season unless Laurie gets bored with where it’s headed. Being an Executive Producer makes that unlikely in my opinion. That said, it’s in the bottom half of this grouping: ```auto Which five shows do you want to stay alive most? Dexter 15 53.57% Mad Men 14 50.00% Breaking Bad 13 46.43% Justified 10 35.71% Survivor 9 32.14% Fringe 9 32.14% The Mentalist 9 32.14% House 8 28.57% Sons of Anarchy 5 17.86% Bones 4 14.29% The Good Wife 2 7.14% Blue Bloods 1 3.57% Body of Proof 1 3.57% Grey's Anatomy 0 0% Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 28 ``` ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/18 "2011-06-26T21:46:03Z")
Praise the Lord! Somebody else likes _Grey’s Anatomy_ enough to say so! Thanks. Now there are no zeroes on the poll’s counts. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/19 "2011-06-26T23:56:57Z")
Gotta be honest : if they all disappeared, I wouldn’t care. I just don’t care for the hour-long drama, never have. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755/20 "2011-06-27T14:58:31Z")
Another summary (ranked by the early returns standings) after 10 more Voters: ```auto Which five shows do you want to stay alive most? Breaking Bad 8 53.33% Breaking Bad 12 48.00% Breaking Bad 16 45.71% (2) Dexter 8 53.33% Dexter 13 52.00% Dexter 19 54.29% (1) House 6 40.00% House 8 32.00% House 9 25.71% (7) Mad Men 6 40.00% Mad Men 13 52.00% Mad Men 16 45.71% (2) The Mentalist 6 40.00% The Mentalist 8 32.00% The Mentalist 11 31.43% (5) Justified 5 33.33% Justified 8 32.00% Justified 12 34.29% (4) Survivor 5 33.33% Survivor 9 36.00% Survivor 9 25.71% (7) Bones 3 20.00% Bones 3 12.00% Bones 6 17.14% (9) Sons of Anarchy 3 20.00% Sons of Anarchy 4 16.00% Sons of Anarchy 6 17.14% (9) Fringe 2 13.33% Fringe 9 36.00% Fringe 11 31.43% (5) The Good Wife 2 13.33% The Good Wife 2 8.00% The Good Wife 4 11.43% (11) Blue Bloods 0 0% Blue Bloods 1 4.00% Blue Bloods 1 2.86% (13) Body of Proof 0 0% Body of Proof 0 0% Body of Proof 1 2.86% (13) Grey's Anatomy 0 0% Grey's Anatomy 0 0% Grey's Anatomy 2 5.71% (12) Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 15 Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 25 Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 35 ``` [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zeldars-nielsen-ratings-help/586755.md?page=2)