Ever wonder why some great shows go off the air after a season or less? Blame it on the Nielsen company, which has for more than 60 years been the almost exclusive decider of what goes and what stays on TV.
AI Summary
Join Josh and Chuck as they dive into the surprisingly complex world of television ratings and discover how a system created in the 1920s still controls what shows live or die today. They explore Nielsen's monopoly on TV ratings, from audio eavesdropping devices to those $5 diary mailings, and reveal how outdated measurement methods might be unfairly canceling shows while missing millions of viewers who watch online, on DVRs, or on mobile devices. The hosts also share their own experience with TV ratings when their short-lived sitcom got the axe, making this both an educational deep-dive and a personal journey through the weird world of broadcast television.
Arrested Development
2003
★ 7.9
"Do you remember in the rest of development where Henry Winkler jumps over a shark? — Referenced as a callback to the Happy Days shark-jumping moment."
— Josh
"18 to 49 year olds, they spend a ton of money and they're watching community — Used as an example of demographic targeting in TV ratings and advertising decisions."
— Chuck
"Ellen used to have a sitcom based on her life, and she came out on that show during sweeps week — Example of major television moments that occurred during sweeps week for ratings."
— Chuck
Freaks and Geeks
1999
★ 8.2
"We might still have freaks and geeks — Example of a critically acclaimed show that was canceled despite having devoted fans."
— Josh
"oh, well, they're watching Good Times right now — Used as an example of how Nielsen boxes identify TV shows through audio fingerprints."
— Josh
"thrice part happy days where Fonzie jumps a shark on water skis — Referenced as the origin of the phrase 'jumping the shark' and an example of sweeps week programming."
— Chuck
"stars of the cult classic show, Hey Dude — Referenced in promotional content for a podcast hosted by former stars of the show."
Murder, She Wrote
1984
★ 7.5
"not everybody's sitting down at eight o'clock on a Monday night and watching murder she wrote — Used as an example of traditional TV viewing habits that are changing."
— Josh
Poltergeist
1982
1h 54m
★ 7.2
"and the dial-up sound like poltergeist — Referenced in promotional content comparing AOL dial-up sounds to the movie."
Romancing the Stone
1984
1h 46m
★ 6.8
"My last name is Cartagena, like the city in the Romancing the Stone — Referenced in listener mail to help with pronunciation of the listener's name."
Saturday Night Live
1975
★ 7.0
"we're watching the same classic episode of Saturday Night Live — Used as an example of targeted advertising on streaming platforms."
— Josh
Stuff You Should Know
2013
★ 6.0
"We had a television show once. It was called Stuff You Should Know. — Josh mentions their own short-lived TV adaptation that was canceled due to poor ratings."
— Josh
Three's Company
1977
★ 7.6
"I was like, no, I should say Three's Company instead — Josh considered using this as an alternative example when explaining Nielsen ratings."
— Josh
"who binged watch season two of True Blood this week — Example of modern binge-watching behavior that Nielsen tries to track."
— Josh
What's Happening!!
1976
★ 7.4
"Henry Mancini did the, what's happening theme song — Referenced when discussing TV theme songs and Henry Mancini's work."
— Josh
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