Image Credit: Fox; CBS; NBC
Welcome back to Death Watch, 2012 edition! Ah, we’ve missed sounding the death knell on low-rated members of the freshman crop. Fortunately, there’s a whole new batch to pick over — or pay respects to — before the season ends in May. Without further ado…
FOX
Alcatraz: 3.3 adults 18-49 rating, 10 million viewers. Status: The J.J. Abrams drama dropped 9 percent from its two-hour premiere but still has a good number. It’s unlikely the net will interrupt this prison break before season’s end.
The Finder: 1.9 rating, 6 million. Status: First two episodes of this Bones spin-off disappointed. The Finder needs to locate an audience soon.
New Girl: 4.1 rating, 8.2 million. Status: Fox was the first network to pick up a new show for a full season. After the hiatus, the gal returned fairly strong.
The X Factor: Wednesday, 4.4 rating, 12.6 million; Thursday, 4.2 rating, 12.5 million. Status: Out of sight, out of mind, eh? No worries, it got a second season.
Terra Nova: 3.6 rating, 10 million. Status: The network has yet to decide whether the dino drama will get a second season.
I Hate My Teenage Daughter: 2.5 rating, 6.3 million. Status: As much as we crush on Jaime Pressley, this show just isn’t keeping the critics — or viewers — in stitches.
Napoleon Dynamite: 4.4 rating, 8.7 million. Status: Great opening for this recognizable franchise, thanks to football. Let’s hope this goober sticks around for a while.
Allen Gregory: 4.5 million
Touch: Previews Jan. 25. Status: Kiefer Sutherland returns in this drama from Heroes’ creator Tim Kring about a widower who learns that his autistic son’s obsession with numbers has the power to change the lives of people all over the world. The return of Sutherland to Fox is just too good to miss so we’re expecting a solid turnout — at least in the beginning.
CBS
Rob: 3.8 rating, 12.4 million. Status: Critics couldn’t tolerate this comedy about a middle-aged schlub (Rob Schneider) who marries a young and hot Latina — and the large family that comes with her. But Schneider had the last laugh. We think this show will survive its first-season run.
A Gifted Man: 1.3 rating, 8.2 million. Status: Stunted 16-episode season. We’re not feeling upbeat about its chances for a second season, no matter how hot Patrick Wilson is.
2 Broke Girls: 5.1 rating, 13 million. Status: Full season pickup. Despite those, er, questionable jokes about minority characters, this remains the highest rated new show of the 2011-12 season.
Person of Interest: 3.1 ratings, 13.2 million. Status: Full season pickup and a sure thing for a second season.
Unforgettable: 2.8 rating, 12.9 million. Status: Full season pickup, but is Poppy Montgomery ready for a second year? The show remains inconsistent so only time will tell.
How to be a Gentleman (CBS): 2.7, 8.4 million
NEXT: ABC, NBC and The CW
