The 17 Kinds of Shows on Network Television (TVbythenumbers)

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Fun little posting by "TV By The Numbers". I encourage you to check out the original as the cut and paste doesn't work well.

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Cop shows and family comedies have existed practically since the beginning of commercial television. So it comes as no surprise that in the 2016-17 season, there will be loads of both across the broadcast networks.

But a kind of show that basically didn’t exist on network TV in the late 20th century, and another one that as recently as five years ago was all but gone, will take up a sizable chunk of TV real estate this season. And a kind of show viewers could scarcely escape in the late 1990s is on a serious downswing.

TV by the Numbers has identified and classified 17 different types of shows that ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX and NBC put on the air during the regular September-to-May TV season, their average ratings and whether their footprint is growing or shrinking. Here is the taxonomy of broadcast TV in fall 2016.

What’s on

In slicing the drama-comedy-unscripted pie thinner, here are the 17 kinds of shows TVBTN identified, along with the number of such shows on the air this season vs. last:

Types of broadcast TV shows

The 17 kinds of shows on ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX and NBC in 2016-17 vs. 2015-16

Number in 2016-17Number in 2015-16


20
Crime dramas

17
Family comedies

12
Sci fi/fantasy, not comic-based

11
Non-procedural dramas

10
Comic-book shows

10
Concept comedies

10
Competitions

10
Mystery/puzzle shows

8
Unscripted, non-competition

5
News programs

5
Live sports

5
Workplace comedies

4
Medical dramas

4
Legal dramas

3
Hangout comedies

3
Animated shows

2
Anthologies


 
In descending order based on the number of shows on the air this season, they are crime dramas; family comedies; sci fi or fantasy shows not based on comics; non-procedural dramas; comic-book shows; concept comedies; competitions; non-competitive unscripted shows; mystery/puzzle shows; news programs; live sports; workplace comedies; medical dramas; legal dramas; hangout comedies; animated shows; and anthologies. (Go here to see the list of shows in each category.)

Crime shows and family comedies are among the things network TV does best — or at least, does in ways that have been proven to draw viewers. That’s reflected in their sheer numbers: Those two kinds of shows make up more than a quarter of all series currently scheduled for 2016-17.

Slightly more surprising is the relatively high position of sci fi or fantasy shows — a dozen this season. NBC in particular is making a push into the genre with three new series, “Timeless,” “Emerald City” and “Midnight, Texas.” For a genre that long seemed like a forgotten child, that’s a pretty big rise.

Then there are comic-book shows, which have gone from non-existent five years ago — in 2011-12, between the end of “Smallville” and the debut of “Arrow,” no network had a comic-based show on the air — to 10 shows on four of the five networks this season (including “Powerless,” NBC’s comedy set in the DC universe).

Reality TV as we know it took hold on the broadcast networks in 2000 with “Survivor” and “Big Brother.” Years of distressed hand-wringing followed on its heels, but the genre is just part of TV now — although competition-based series are at a low ebb now.

Fifteen such shows aired last season, but only nine are currently set for this one. Long-time franchises “American Idol” and “America’s Next Top Model” are gone (the latter decamping to VH1), and four other shows — “The Great Christmas Light Fight” and “My Diet Is Better Than Yours” on ABC and “The Biggest Loser” and “Strong” on NBC — are currently in limbo. Still, together with their non-competitive brethren (“Undercover Boss,” “Caught on Camera” and the like), unscripted shows are as plentiful as family comedies.

What you watch

As prevalent as cop shows are, it would seem to follow that their ratings must be pretty strong. But in fact, crime dramas as a whole finish in the middle of the pack among the 17 kinds of shows.


Ratings by show type




3.83
Live sports

1.73
Competitions

1.71
Hangout comedies

1.65
Non-procedural dramas

1.64
Medical dramas

1.5
Family comedies

1.38
Mystery/puzzle shows

1.37
Crime dramas

1.35
Workplace comedies

1.31
Animated shows

1.15
Comic-book shows

1.14
Unscripted, non-competition

1.14
News programs

1.05
Legal dramas

0.97
Anthologies

0.83
Sci fi/fantasy, not comic-based

0.65
Concept comedies

Family comedies fare somewhat better, finishing sixth overall. Unsurprisingly, live sports is at the front of the pack thanks to the NFL. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” and CBS’ “Thursday Night Football” were the Top 2 shows on network TV last season in same-day ratings, and with NBC adding a Thursday NFL package this fall football will likely occupy the first three spots.

What crime shows do have going for them is relative consistency: 16 of the 21 that aired last season averaged above a 1.0 in adults 18-49. Two of the categories that rate higher, non-procedural dramas and hangout comedies, have their averages skewed by a single big hit (“Empire” and “The Big Bang Theory”).

Family comedies and competitions are similarly reliable. In each category, 11 of the 15 shows that aired in 2015-16 kept their numbers above the 1.0 mark. (A 1.0 on the Big 4 networks used to mean instant cancellation, but no more. That, however, is a conversation for another day.) Three of the four medical dramas that aired last year also managed that feat, albeit with a much smaller sample size.

A couple other categories — notably sci fi/fantasy and concept comedies — are skewed by several CW shows, along with their lower ratings, as part of their number. Even removing CW shows, however, they still rank near the bottom — which raises a question about why there are so many of each type.

What networks are doing

By and large, the networks seem to be steering into what has worked for them and others.

Character-driven, non-procedural dramas are on the rise, possibly in the wake of “Empire’s” success. ABC’s now well-established success with family shows has led to more on other networks as well.

Hangout comedies, ubiquitous 10 or 15 years ago thanks to “Seinfeld,” “Friends” and their many imitators, are waning as shows without the words “Big Bang” in the title have failed to catch on very well. Anthology shows, all the rage on cable, haven’t really caught on with network viewers.

And the types of shows in the middle of the ratings pack, the mystery shows and crime dramas and workplace comedies? Their numbers, as you might expect of middling players, remain fairly stable.

The ratings picture may be changing rapidly for broadcasters, but until it’s proven otherwise Over the next few days, TVBTN will dive deeper into the numbers for several types of shows and look at the reasons for their current prevalence (or lack thereof).

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TV by the numbers link


Here is the list of where every series on ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX and NBC fall into the 17 kinds of network shows.

Crime dramas

Total in 2015-16: 21 – “Blue Bloods,” “Bones,” “Castle,” “Chicago PD,” “Criminal Minds,” “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders,” “CSI: Cyber,” “Elementary,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Houdini & Doyle,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Limitless,” “The Mysteries of Laura,” “NCIS,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Person of Interest,” “Rosewood,” “Rush Hour,” “Scorpion,” “Shades of Blue.”

Average same-day rating in adults 18-49: 1.37
High: “NCIS,” 2.21
Low: “Houdini & Doyle,” 0.64

Renewed: 14
Canceled: 7 – “Castle,” “CSI: Cyber,” “Houdini & Doyle,” “Limitless,” “The Mysteries of Laura,” “Person of Interest,” “Rush Hour.”

Total in 2016-17: 20. The newcomers are CBS’ “Training Day” and “MacGyver,” FOX’s “APB” and “Lethal Weapon,” The CW’s “Frequency” and NBC’s “Taken.”

Family comedies

Total in 2015-16: 15 – “Black-ish,” “The Carmichael Show,” “Crowded,” “Dr. Ken,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” “The Goldbergs,” “Grandfathered,” “The Grinder,” “Last Man Standing,” “Life in Pieces,” “The Middle,” “Mike & Molly,” “Modern Family,” “Mom,” “The Real O’Neals.”

Average same-day rating: 1.5
High: “Modern Family,” 2.55
Low: “The Grinder,” 0.75

Renewed: 11
Canceled: 4 – “Crowded,” “Grandfathered,” “The Grinder,” “Mike & Molly.”

Total 2016-17: 17. The newcomers are ABC’s “American Housewife” and “Speechless,” CBS’ “Kevin Can Wait” and “Man with a Plan,” FOX’s “The Mick” and NBC’s “Marlon.”

Competitions

Total in 2015-16: 16 – “The Amazing Race,” “American Grit,” “American Idol,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “The Bachelor,” “The Biggest Loser,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” “The Great Holiday Baking Show,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Hollywood Game Night,” “Masterchef Junior,” “My Diet Is Better Than Yours,” “Strong,” “Survivor,” “The Voice.”

Average same-day rating: 1.69
High: “The Voice,” 2.64
Low: “America’s Next Top Model,” 0.37

Renewed: 10
Canceled: 2 – “American Idol” and “America’s Next Top Model.” “Top Model” is moving to VH1.
In limbo: 4 – “The Biggest Loser,” “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” “My Diet Is Better Than Yours,” “Strong.”

Total in 2016-17: 10, pending the status of the four in-limbo shows.

Sci-fi/fantasy not based on comics

Total in 2015-16: 13 – “The 100,” “Containment,” “Grimm,” “Heroes Reborn,” “Minority Report,” “Once Upon a Time,” “The Originals,” “Second Chance,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Supernatural,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “The X-Files,” “You, Me and the Apocalypse.”

Average same-day rating: 0.83
High: “The X-Files,” 3.19
Low: “The Originals,” 0.39

Renewed: 7
Canceled: 5 – “Containment,” “Heroes Reborn,” “Minority Report,” “Second Chance,” “You, Me and the Apocalypse.”
In limbo: 1 – “The X-Files.” FOX, creator Chris Carter and stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny have all said they want to do more episodes but nothing has been greenlit yet.

Total n 2016-17: 12. The newcomers are ABC’s “Time After Time,” FOX’s “The Exorcist” and NBC’s “Emerald City,” “Midnight, Texas” and “Timeless.”

Comic book shows

Total in 2015-16: 9 – “Agent Carter,” “Agents of SHIELD,” “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Gotham,” “iZombie,” “Legends of Tomorrow,” “Lucifer,” “Supergirl.”

Average same-day rating: 1.15
High: “Supergirl,” 1.7
Low: “iZombie,” 0.5

Renewed: 8
Canceled: 1 – “Agent Carter”

Total in 2016-17: 10. The CW’s “Riverdale,” based on the Archie comics, and NBC’s comedy “Powerless,” set in the DC universe, join the eight renewed shows.

Non-procedural dramas

Total in 2015-16: 9 – “Blood & Oil,” “Chicago Fire,” “Empire,” “Game of Silence,” “Madam Secretary,” “Nashville,” “Of Kings and Prophets,” “Reign,” “Scandal.”

Average same-day rating: 1.65
High: “Empire,” 4.42
Low: “Reign,” 0.3

Renewed: 5
Canceled: 4 – “Blood & Oil,” “Game of Silence,” “Nashville” – moving to CMT, “Of Kings and Prophets.”

Total in 2016-17: 11. The newbies are ABC’s “Notorious” and “Still Star-Crossed”; FOX’s “Pitch,” “Shots Fired” and “Star”; and NBC’s “This Is Us.”

Unscripted, non-competition shows

Total in 2015-16: 8 – “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris,” “Beyond the Tank,” “Caught on Camera,” “Little Big Shots,” “Shark Tank,” “Undercover Boss,” “World’s Funniest.”

Average same-day rating: 1.15
High: “Little Big Shots,” 2.09
Low: “World’s Funniest,” 0.65

Renewed: 6
Canceled: 1 – “Best Time Ever”
In limbo: 1 – “World’s Funniest”

Total in 2016-17: 6, pending the status of “World’s Funniest.”

Mystery/puzzle shows

Total in 2015-16: 7 – “The Blacklist,” “Blindspot,” “The Catch,” “The Family,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “The Player,” “Quantico.”

Average same-day rating: 1.38
High: “How to Get Away with Murder,” 1.87
Low: “The Player,” 0.83

Renewed: 5
Canceled: 2 – “The Family,” “The Player”

Total in 2016-17: 10. The newcomers are “Designated Survivor” on NBC, “24: Legacy” on FOX and “The Blacklist: Redemption” on NBC. “Secrets and Lies” is also returning to ABC after taking 2015-16 off, and FOX is bringing back “Prison Break” after an eight-year break.

Hangout comedies

Total in 2015-16: 6 – “The Big Bang Theory,” “Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life,” “New Girl,” “The Odd Couple,” “Truth Be Told,” “Undateable.”

Average same-day rating: 1.71
High: “The Big Bang Theory,” 3.73
Low: “Truth Be Told,” 0.59

Renewed: 3
Canceled: 3 – “Cooper Barrett,” “Truth Be Told,” “Undateable.”

Total in 2016-17: 3.

News programs

Total in 2015-16: 6 – “20/20,” “48 Hours,” “60 Minutes,” “Dateline,” “Dateline: On Assignment,” “What Would You Do?”

Average same-day rating: 1.14
High: “60 Minutes,” 1.8
Low: “Dateline: On Assignment,” 0.6

Renewed: 5
Canceled: 0
In limbo: 1 – “Dateline: On Assignment”

Total in 2016-17: 5, pending the status of “Dateline: On Assignment.”

Live sports

Total in 2015-16: 5 – “FOX College Football,” “NBA Saturday Primetime,” “Saturday Night College Football,” “Sunday Night Football,” “Thursday Night Football.”

Average same-day rating: 3.83
High: “Sunday Night Football,” 7.5
Low: “FOX College Football,” 1.0

Renewed: 5
Canceled: 0

Total in 2016-17: 5. “Thursday Night Football” will be split between CBS (September-October) and NBC (late November-December).

Concept comedies

Total in 2015-16: 5 – “Angel from Hell,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Galavant,” “Jane the Virgin,” “The Last Man on Earth.”

Average same-day rating: 0.65
High: “Angel from Hell,” 1.42
Low: “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” 0.29

Renewed: 3
Canceled: 2 – “Angel from Hell,” “Galavant”

Total in 2016-17: 10. The bevy of freshmen are “Downward Dog” and “Imaginary Mary” on ABC; “No Tomorrow” on The CW; “Making History” and “Son of Zorn” on FOX; and “The Good Place” and “Trial & Error” on NBC.

Workplace comedies

Total in 2015-16: 5 – “2 Broke Girls,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Muppets,” “Superstore,” “Telenovela.”

Average same-day rating: 1.35
High: “2 Broke Girls,” 1.61
Low: “Telenovela,” 0.99

Renewed: 3
Canceled: 2 – “The Muppets,” “Telenovela.”

Total in 2016-17: 5. CBS’ “The Great Indoors” and NBC’s “Great News” will hope to do great in the ratings.

Animated shows

Total in 2015-16: 4 – “Bob’s Burgers,” “Bordertown,” “Family Guy,” “The Simpsons.”

Average same-day rating: 1.31
High: “The Simpsons,” 1.74
Low: “Bordertown,” 0.7

Renewed: 3
Canceled: 1 – “Bordertown”

Total in 2016-17: 3

Medical dramas

Total in 2015-16: 4 – “Chicago Med,” “Code Black,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Heartbeat.”

Average same-day rating: 1.64
High: “Grey’s Anatomy,” 2.22
Low: “Heartbeat,” 0.82

Renewed: 3
Canceled: 1 – “Heartbeat”

Total in 2016-17: 4. CBS adds “Pure Genius” to its roster in late October.

Anthologies

Total in 2015-16: 3 – “American Crime,” “Scream Queens,” “Wicked City.”

Average same-day rating: 0.97
High: “Scream Queens,” 1.06
Low: “Wicked City,” 0.67

Renewed: 2
Canceled: 1 – “Wicked City”

Total in 2016-17: 2

Legal dramas

Total in 2015-16: 1 – “The Good Wife”

Average same-day rating: 1.05

Renewed: 0
Canceled: 1

Total in 2016-17: 4. The all-new batch of lawyer shows features ABC’s “Conviction,” CBS’ “Bull” and “Doubt” and NBC’s “Chicago Justice.”