Medium jumping ship to CBS makes so much sense it’s scary. As CBS chief Nina Tassler suggested, the show is practically the spiritual lovechild to the Eye’s own Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs. NBC offered the somewhat dubious reasoning that the network wants to go younger, and just didn’t think people cared enough about Medium. Even though, you know, it gets higher ratings than Chuck. (Surprising, right? Chuck fans must be just very vocal. And also hungry.) With Medium switching networks, and folks rallying for My Name Is Earl to find a new home somewhere not run by Ben Silverman, loyalty seems to lie with the shows, not the networks. Of course, whether fans follow the Patricia Arquette whodunit to CBS remains to be seen, but I bet it’ll be just as popular, if not more so.
Confession time: The only show I watch on CBS is The Amazing Race. That’s all. I’ve caught a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother, but have yet to fully commit. Yet, out of all the networks, CBS seems to be the most focused, offering procedurals, traditional sitcoms and reality shows for the masses. As Time magazine put it, the network’s audience is "sometimes older, sometimes not, but generally more conservative in its taste." There’s certainly nothing wrong with that. The network has some of the highest-rated shows on TV in The Mentalist, NCIS and CSI and its brood of stepchildren. But does liking CBS make you less cool? And, uh, boring?
PopWatchers: What is YOUR network? Given NBC’s identity crisis and ABC’s propensity to cancel shows in their first or second seasons, do you even hold any loyalty to one network in particular anymore? Which channel is home to most of your favorites? Sharing is caring, so speak up!
I probably watch the most shows on NBC (Thursday nights!), but I follow the good shows: Monday I spent an hour on CBS for HIMYM and Big Bang, then an hour on NBC for Heroes, and finally an hour on ABC for Castle. I probably watch the least on ABC (evil canceler of my beloved Pushing Daisies), and FOX (evil canceler of Arrested Development – and others – although I did enjoy Glee). I really don’t watch “reality” shows, so it limits my options.
It is funny that you are writing this because I have been keeping track all week which of my shows have been renewed for next season. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I watch more shows on CBS than any other network. I watch a few of their reality shows, a few comedies and a few procedurals so I suppose CBS is the one network to give me that kind of variety.
With their “quick to cancel” moronic moves and “why did they pick this crap?” choices for new shows, I have no loyalty to one network. They don’t seem to show much respect to their viewers, so why should I to them?
I am, though, loving cable more and more…TNT for The Closer and Leverage, USA for Burn Notice, Lifetime for Army Wives and AMC for Mad Men. Cable networks are much more willing to allow their shows to grow.
The only show I watch on ABC is Desperate Housewives and the Bachelor. On CBS, I watch Big Bang Theory and HIMYM. Every other show I watch is on NBC. (Or VH1 Celebreality
)
I am so sick of NBC canceling great shows after I’m hooked (Life,Medium, Journeyman to name a few). And, almost canceling Chuck! I will follow Medium to CBS!
CBS is a good move for Medium, great show happy they picked it up. CBS has a smaller amount of stupid reality TV shows then some of the networks, ABC sucks they cancel every good show before giving it a chance, Men in Trees, October Road, Pushing Daises and so on. ABC moves the shows times and nights around too much too, makes it hard for shows to develop a solid fan base. CBS has The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, CSI and now Medium
I agree. I dont like ABC. I’m old school, so I havent like ABC since it was ABC and not ABCDisney as alot of ppl I know call it. I stopped watching NBC since it canceled the only show I watched:Medium. And havent liked that network since Cheers and the Cosby show were still new episodes. The only regular network I like is CBS because of all the drama from cold case to the csi shows to the ncis shows to my fave night: fridays with ghost whisperer and numb3rs and now my other fave show medium is going to be on that night,i am too happy. those three shows then i am done for the night. nothing else worth watching. in fact the only comedy i used to watch was two and a half men on cbs but i didnt care for the last season. and i love cable shows. monk on usa(even though this is its 8th and final season) law and order ci on usa. true blood on hbo,being human on the bbc..i rather watch cable network even though i watch all my favorite programs on the internet anyway.
NBC is my network, hands down. Chuck, 30 Rock, The Office, Parks and Rec, Kings, I love all of those shows. And Conan, I loved Conan. Those are only the shows that I love currently, I find that NBC always has the shows that interest me most every year.
ABC and Fox tie for second with me I guess, I really enjoy Bones, Dollhouse, Fringe, Lost and Better Off Ted…but those are all pretty recent developments, there isn’t much history there for me.
The only thing I watch on CBS are a couple reality shows and Criminal Minds (and that’s just for nights where there is nothing else on that we like)….and the reality shows are the lady’s choice, not mine. I listen to them while watching playing videogames.
I recently made a list of the shows I series record (mostly as a precautionary measure in case my DVR crashes) and was surprised to learn that the network I watch the most shows on is…Bravo! Huh! Followed by ABC and NBC.
that is so true, CBS seems very stable, but I hardly watch anything on the network, ABC is the network I think I watch the most, I prefer continuing dramedys than cop shows, I only watch CSI and Old Christine on CBS, but I will for sure be watching (or DVRing) on Friday nights in the fall as I LOVE Medium, Bad NBC, but I still love your Thursday nights (have since the 90s)
ABC and Fox are probably closest to being ‘my networks’ because I watch the most shows on them (on ABC Lost, Greys, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice) and on Fox (Dollhouse, Idol, SYTYCD, Glee, and the cancelled Terminator)…but they’re both trigger happy so I feel no particular loyalty to them either. When I was younger it was def the WB but the only thing I watch on the CW is Gossip Girl. I think the cable networks are taking over…Showtime in particular, but also Bravo, HBO, AMC.
Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The only network TV I watch is Lost on ABC and Fox on Sunday nights, and any network during the the playoffs.
I would have to say ABC. ABC always seems to have the best shows. Even when the cancel them after only half a season, they replace them with more shows that I’m intrigued by and have to watch.
My second favorite would have to be Fox. Like ABC they come up with Shows I just want to watch. Actually I watch more shows on Fox than any other network.
Then third would be NBC. I’m still a fan of Heroes, and I have to watch their comedies on Thursday (though I watch 30 Rock and The Office online because I can’t miss Grey’s).
I hate CBS. I’ve never EVER EVER liked ANYTHING on that network. NOTHING they have EVER made has EVER intrigued me. I don’t know why! They just completely FAIL at making watchable shows.
And then I watch AMC and FX, especially FX. I love Rescue Me, I loved The Shield, I love Damages. And Breaking Bad isn’t bad at all.
half of the shows I watch are on CBS, the other half are spread out over ABC, NBC & Fox. I don’t think it makes me less cool. CBS just has better shows. NBC does admitedly have great comedies (Chuck, Office & HIMYM) & Fox is sticking with shows & giving them a chance to grow like Dollhouse & Fringe I’m afraid to watch anything on ABC since they cancel quality tv in the first season (RIP Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone), but keep utter crap (Private Practice I’m looking at you). The only shows I watch on ABC are Lost & Gray’s. When their runs end I wont watch the channel again.
Starting soon, the answer will be….Hulu. Once ABC joins the fold, the only shows I’ll be missing on Hulu will be HIMYM and CSI (honestly, CBS, get with the program)….plus they have the old Arrested Development episodes, etc….
GO HULU!
I haven’t been “loyal” to ABC since they cancelled ‘Sports Night’ and kept ‘Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place.’ Since then they’ve cancelled several of my favorite shows, so, no love lost there. I guess I’m more partial to CBS since they at least gave ‘Jericho’ a second chance ( and they kept HIMYM around, which makes me happy) even though I don’t watch much on their network. NBC I like only a little more than ABC and FOX a little more than NBC. And The CW has been canceling excellent programs to make room for unoriginal crap since it started. It’s hard to like networks when they keep canceling all of your favorite shows.