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Right On!

Moonlight and Jericho were 2 shows that brought my attention back to CBS. CSI was being done to death! Ratings low? Let’s add a new city to the CSI line-up!

I thought that CBS might be getting a hint that they needed to update the shows. You can’t walk in a bookstore or movie house now without seeing vampires all over the place. Moonlight had already gotten through a very rocky first season what with the writer’s strike and still had a great fan base. So, since it’s a popular subject, CBS did what it does best. Cancel the show and alienate the audience to boot.

I know what I like to watch and don’t need CBS to tell me. Nina Tassler says we only watched Moonlight because of the lead actor, Alex O’Loughlin. While he is a fine actor and good-looking to boot, I was not watching the show because of him. I was watching the show because of the characters and story-line.

I’m tired of CBS and won’t be bothering to watch any of their new shows. Why should I invest my time in getting involved with a show only to have CBS cancel it.

Hurrah to those creative forces that refuse to do business with CBS. Without fresh minds and stories I’ll bet you can tune into CBS anytime in the next 10 years and find they have over a hundred cities listed as new CSI shows. So go enjoy…only the names have been changed-the stories remain the same.

So long CBS! Moonlight and Jericho are gone from my TV listings and so is your network.

I totally agree with this article. CBS doesn’t know what it’s audience wants and it really doesn’t care. I have not watched CBS since the last episode of Moonlight aired and I won’t go back. Even though I love Survivor and Amazing Race, I won’t watch.

Moonlight was the best show I have seen in a long, long time. Yes, I do think that Alex is gorgeous but the story line between Mick & Beth was so awesome. There is so much more that we fans wanted to find out about all the characters on this show.

CBS YOU SUCK!!!!!

Haven’t watched CBS since the last Moonlight episode. I did peek at their fall schedule to see what I’d be missing and realize I’d be missing NOTHING! I will make it a point to watch for and tune in anything with Diane Ruggerio involved. Just a click of the remote and CBS is dismissed as quickly as CBS dismissed the loyal viewers of Moonlight.

All my congratulations to Diane Ruggiero for her guts and wisdom. In the past two years, the network in question was sent its way two shows that could have become huge hits (yes, I do believe that, both of them; genre shows too can be huge hits). They messed up both opportunities, killing Jericho’s stride by putting it on hiatus for months, and trying to force Moonlight into a crime procedural despite the vast amount of evidence that it already had huge appeal to the lucky few who had somehow found out about its existence, and that this appeal laid elsewhere entirely. These people think of themselves as running a business, nothing more. Well ok, sure, but guess what: in any business, you had better understand what you’re selling, when people like it, why they like it, and then invest in that. But these guys are clueless what they’re airing, why millions of people went crazy about these shows, and the thought it might be a wise decision to promote them given that fact (Moonlight at any rate) never even crossed their mind.

The show that shall remain nameless is out of touch with reality. I’m not a big TV watcher, but when I find a show that I really like, I stick with it, and I’m there every week cheering on the sideline for my favorite characters.

Losing touch with viewers equals negative publicity and lost revenue. When loyal fans are screwed over, it’s no wonder they’ll tune the network out.

If TPTB really listened to their viewers, we’d be watching Moonlight’s second season right about now. Instead they want to insult our intelligence with lame programs that have no sense of morality and substance.

I hope for the network’s sake they finally wake up and smell the coffee. As for me, I’m taking my hard earned money elsewhere.

Fred, I strongly agree with everything you wrote in your article. Moonlight won my heart the very first episode. The chemistry between the characters was riveting, the story line lived up to being a giant thrill ride fans just didn’t want to ever give up. I found myself actually looking forward to a television program for the first time since Firefly was cancelled. I had not watched network TV in years-I just happened upon a free viewing for Moonlight on Amazon.com, thought its description sounded interesting enough to watch and was hooked. Since they couldn’t force it into a CSI mold they cancelled it. So, long story short, in this household-CBS really stands for CSI Being Shown (pick a city).

Thank you for this article.
I agree with everything you said.
Maybe this is the only way CBS will learn……if no projects are brought to them.
But will they ever really SEE the mistakes they have made? It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks! ;)

Fred, once again, thanks for your comments. The big black eye only knows one thing and that is procedural shows. Fortunately for the eye most viewers pick shows based on things they can relate to such as policemen and doctors. It is a proven fact that if storylines are conducted around these types of professions, viewers will watch and the show will most likely be a success. There is a segment of the population, however, that is bored to death with procedural and reality shows and wants something new and refreshing. Moonlight fits the bill. How many people who watch CSI, for example, can figure out what is going on in, let’s say, about 5 minutes? Whereas with Moonlight, you never know what will happen until it happens. This is what stimulates and captivates my viewing experience with Moonlight.

It is time that viewers unit to let stations know what THEY want to watch, not what is dished up for them. It is my opinion that stations should offer a variety of shows that appeal to a vast majority of viewers and not cater to one segment. For this reason, I do not tune into anything that is on the “channel that shall not be named” for lack of knowing what else to do since none of my correspondence with them has been acknowledged. They simply ignore and probably don’t care about what fans want to watch.

There’s a good man, Fred, you continue to keep the network’s problems in the spotlight. Your article is exactly on point. I am continually amazed by the lack of insight, and therefore, respect and understanding from them, especially, CBS. Obviously, they need to reconsider what they THINK they know about us, the viewers and consumers of public television.
It bears repeating that the MAJORITY of us, who watch TV even if only occasionally, no longer fit into their prime-time demographics; consequently, they are pitching their stories, and the advertisers are pitching their products to a misrepresented audience.
“Jericho” and “Moonlight” are excellent examples of shows that certainly appeal to the ACTUAL evening viewers. By cancelling these remarkable series (there certainly have been others, too,) CBS managed not only to communicate to us that it really doesn’t matter if we have become invested in a show, but also that we really don’t matter at all, because we are not the intended audience; however, the new shows are not more successful attracting a larger, younger audience, and we, the already disenfranchised, are not returning to shore up those sagging ratings, either.
So, what’s really going on here?
It seems to be a blantant, arrogant, and ignorant, disregard for directors, producers, writers, actors, and everyone else involved in television production. Correct these assumptions, if they are erroneous, by becoming less CBScentric (Yes, I still resent the actorcentric remark.) and respond to your viewers. Respect the abilities and ideas, by allowing creative feedom, of the staff that you assembled because of their talents and gifts. Process the deluge of responses that are freely (the only cost to you is the time to read) given, and act on the recommendations, thus solving the problem!
Yes, that would mean assembling cast and crew of canceled shows, so that they may resume the creation of their intriguing, magnetic, stories they began– “Jericho” and “Moonlight” specifically; otherwise, you are doomed to continue your random selections (costly, and time consuming, indeed!) in hopes that at least one of them will achieve astounding success.
I applaud NBC and ABC for giving last season’s new shows more time to find their footings. CBS, you especially, made the classic mistake of attempting to fix something that wasn’t broken.
CBS, you need to be reminded that politics and egos are not reliable, sober, decision makers, and by allowing them to dominate the process of negotions, you have managed to offend and hurt millions, as well as yourself. If your intention was to start a long, bitter, conflict, you have been wildly successful!!! Millions now disregard you and support other sources of entertainment. We are unenthusiastic about your new offerings and lack of variety in the old (CSI/CBS.) We are especially tired of being the quiet, faceless, MISREPRESENTED “product” that you deliver to the advertisers.

Sorry, man, I didn’t mean to cause you pain. I didn’t realize that “Chuck” had been treated so poorly. I was too generous to NBC. At least we can say that CBS didn’t give “Moonlight” a fair shake because of its time slot on Fridays, or a break due to the writer’s strike, or adequate promotion, and they could have given it another chance, because they didn’t have anything to fill their schedule, but no. . . put some mindless piece of ridiculous, woman must find man crap, instead. That’s such an insult to everyone!
I hope we can also agree, mon ami, that television has certainly lost its variety. Where are the sci-fi, western, family comedy/drama, or just clever, interesting shows? TV has become a vast wasteland.
Silverchex, I certainly agree with you and Fred about “Terminator” and the PCA award. After all, the award ONLY indicates what the people want to watch, so it’s not too important. We don’t really know what we want to watch. We’re not capable of making those decisions, so we must rely on the networks, in their infinite wisdom, to spoon feed us their banal, mind-numbing, garbage.

David I love your point of view as much as Fred’s! ;)

And Ol Wolf, I feel ya. Pull weeds in the dark indeed. Have you written Nina lately and gave her your opinion? I think CBS is the one who is in the dark. They ran off ALOT of fans due to their ineptness in handling Moonlight and Jericho. So much for trying to gain new fans!

I just recently began watching Moonlight on Itunes. I paid for the 1st season and have yet to finish it. Although I intend to,the show ,in my opinion, is awesome. CSI is overrated and Moonlight is what brought me back to CBS. I vow to boycott CBS until they bring back Moonlight and if they don’t, they lose my viewing altogether!! There are so many shows on CBS that are not worth 2 cents and they are still running. Makes no sense…CBS doesn’t know a good show if it slapped them in the face!!!
One pissed off Moonlight Fan

You make great points, OlWolf! I certainly loved the Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer link to Moonlight; it is a classy and classic detective style. If CBS was so dead set to have a CSI link to Moonlight, why couldn’t THEY create a CSI/Vampire? Then, they would have been happy controlling another show, and we would have been happy to have our original, cool, engaging, vamps! CBS would have two shows to fill their time slots and one would be another procedural backbone! Now, that’s something to sink your teeth into!

CBS seems to have a new hit called “The Mentalist.” I see it as another procedural show which fits in perfectly with the rest of their lineup. Again, I would like to comment that CBS is putting all of it’s eggs in one basket. They need to air shows that appeal to more than one group of viewers, i.e. the ones who like cop and doctor shows because they are safe and can be related to. There will come a time when even the mainstream viewer will grow tired of what is being fed to them and want something new. Hence my request to CBS to put shows such as Moonlight and Jerico back on the air. These cult shows develop addicted fans who are not just viewers. Fans are very loyal to their shows, even watching the commercials because they do not want to miss one minute of the show’s precious one hour per week. Guess who will buy the most products from these commercials aired? Yes, of course, the avid fan. What network would not want this type of viewer? Apparently not CBS.

Ol Wolf, I totally agree with you about the childhood spat with the guys in charge at CBS concerning Moonlight. They try to say it was ratings that got Moonlight canceled but I just read that CBS shopped ‘Swingtown’ around to another network because it was failing dismally in the ratings and landed them at Bravo network. Lo and behold I’m channel surfing on my DirecTV and there’s Swingtown on what else? The Bravo network. CBS shut Moonlight down from going to any other network including the CW. Nina made that statement when it was canceled. So I have to agree, because they had a ’spat’ Moonlight suffered for it along with the cast and crew. Didn’t matter that it had 8 million fans that would have followed it anywhere it went…
Another fan not happy with CBS and their politcs

Sandy - that’s an extremely sharp point you mention there… over 8 million US fans, and several million more globally - have suffered as well - because of the Guys-in-Charge’s scrapping of this wonderful and potentially classic show. While it looks to me that CBS has done everything they can to side-step admitting a mistake and returning Moonlight - CBS’s Fridays@9 slot had been in the ditch. The tactics CBS has attempted by trying to bait the ‘Lost Viewers’ back to the “CBS-barn”, hasn’t worked up until now, because the viewers really ARE smarter than cattle! Most of us have seen through the evasive maneuvers - and declined returning to CBS. The network is hoping we all forget the pain and suffering they’ve caused us over the past half-year - and will come back for more. More what? More pain?
Many are anxiously awaiting Alex’s “New and Original Idea” for a show he’s presenting to CBS. THIS IS MY OPINION: I’m afraid he’s being used as another ‘carrot’ by CBS. His idea is new and original - but they had new and original Moonlight last Fall - and what did they do? I love Alex’s talent and personality - but this is CBS we’re dealing with here. (shakes head) That doesn’t give me much faith here. Whatever folks are hoping will happen? I’ll believe it when I see it.