Summer Sensations
These shows won the ratings ‘Game’
IT’S been a particularly strong summer for traditional television — somewhat unusual for a landscape populated by burnoffs and repeats and increasingly infringed-upon by digital networks. With a few exceptions (“The Gong
Show,” “I’m Dying Up Here”), network TV (broadcast and cable) hasn’t suffered from viewer malaise since the regular season ended in mid-May — with both returning shows and newcomers fueling the ratings fire.
(Not included here are streaming shows, since Netflix, Hulu, Amazon et al. don’t release ratings — so it’s difficult to tell what’s striking a chord.)
Here’s a look at some of the more notable summer 2017 success stories.
“The Sinner” (USA): This thriller stars Jessica Biel as a troubled wife and mother who kills a fellow beachgoer in the very first episode has been the summer’s toprated new cable drama with an average of 3.5 million viewers.
“American Ninja Warrior” (NBC). Not too surprising, since “ANW” has been a ratings-grabber since its 2012 NBC premiere (it’s in its ninth season overall).
“Big Brother” (CBS): The reality show warhorse continues to be a dependable performer for CBS. It’s been pulling in around 6.5 million viewers.
“America’s Got Talent” (NBC): The contest is having one of its most-watched seasons ever — 13 million viewers a week.
“Game of Thrones” (HBO): Expectations for Season 7 were high — and “GoT” hasn’t disappointed, hitting a series’ high of 10.7 million viewers for its Aug. 13 episode.
“The Night Shift” (NBC): The Texasbased medical drama has been a dependable performer, likely earning a fifth season. Most of ABC’s game- show lineup: “The
$100,000 Pyramid,” “Match Game” and “Celebrity Family Feud” earned third seasons. ABC’s reboot of “The Gong Show,” hosted by Mike Myers (in the guise of comedian Tommy Maitland), hasn’t lived up to expectations. Its future is undecided, but the network’s silence is deafening.