Chicago the go-to city for series TV
CBS seems to be forever chasing the idea of developing triple threats. Not in that actor-singer-dancer kind of way, although I like the thought of Survivor’s Jeff Probst and Big Brother’s Julie Chen soft-shoeing their way through a La La Land tribute.
No, the network seems instead to be building franchises that are three shows strong. Think NCIS — the original, NCIS: Los Angeles and the fresh-faced young ’un, NCIS: New Orleans with Scott Bakula.
CBS also tried to build the enduring Criminal Minds into a threesome. Undaunted by one-season-wonder Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour, it launched Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders last year. And anyone remember CSI, with its buddies CSI: Miami, CSI: NY and, once CSI: NY ended, CSI: Cyber?
NBC execs are going for a quadruple-threat: Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med and the newly launched Chicago Justice.
When you have a reliable format, it makes financial sense to clone it. Plus you can hype crossover episodes and build the cannon for superfans.
In this week’s ratings report, all three NCIS shows are revelling in the top 10 in Canada, with Criminal Minds doing groundwork for Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders’ return on March 8. And Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med made the top 20, prepping viewers for Chicago Justice, which debuted this past Sunday. But for all their efforts, they were no match for The Big Bang Theory, No. 1 in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal and the Greater Toronto Area.
Here are the top programs in Canada for the week of Feb. 13-19, the most recent ratings available, courtesy of audience measurement organization Numeris:
1. The Big Bang Theory (Thurs.), CTV
2. NCIS, Global
3. Bull, Global
4. NCIS: New Orleans, Global
5. Blue Bloods, CTV
6. CTV Evening News, CTV
7. Criminal Minds, CTV
8. NCIS: Los Angeles, Global
9. Hawaii Five-0, Global
10. Grey’s Anatomy, CTV