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Frigid weather drove up the number of people watching television during February sweeps, but some syndie TV shows are feeling the chill of cancellation.
As viewers stayed home in February, HUT levels (households using television) went up 6% compared with last February during daytime and up 3% during access, according to Nielsen. Rookies and magazines appeared to benefit the most from the extra eyeballs, generally posting growth over their fall debuts and the prior year, respectively.
Still, NBC Enterprises has decided not to renew its sophomores "The Other Half," which was actually down 17% year-to-year for the sweep to a 1.0 national household rating, and "Weakest Link," which was up 6% to 1.8. Several other shows -- such as Warner's "The Caroline Rhea Show," down 17% from its Sept. debut to 1.0 -- remain firmly on the bubble.
Veteran "Jenny Jones" (down 5% to 1.8) and rookies "Beyond With James Van Praagh," from Tribune Entertainment, and "The Rob Nelson Show," from Twentieth Television, were canceled earlier this season.
Shows waiting to hear about renewals include: Warners' rookie "Celebrity Justice" (even with its Sept. debut at 1.3) and vets "Street Smarts" (down 13% for the year to 1.4) and "Change of Heart" (down 14% to 1.2). Paramount's "Life Moments" (down 25% from its debut to 0.6), which lost some key time periods on NBC O&Os to "Other Half" and "Weakest Link" earlier this year, looks unlikely to return this fall. Same goes for Sony sophomore "Shipmates" (down 27% to 0.8).
Some of the best news of the sweep was won by "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," which posted the biggest improvement of a rookie strip over its debut. The daytime version of the franchise, which is expected to get a greenlight for a second season, earned a 3.5 for the sweep, marking a 46% jump from its September debut rating.
Fellow rookie gamer "Pyramid" grew 18% to a 2.0.
Rookie talk leader "Dr. Phil" shot up 25% from its monstrous debut to a 5.5. Fellow rookie talker "The John Walsh Show" was up 36% to a 1.5.
All four mag strips were up over February 2002, led by "Entertainment Tonight" (up 6% to 6.6). "Inside Edition," up 12% to 3.7, was next. "Access Hollywood" and "Extra" were both up 7%, to 3.0 and 2.9, respectively.
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