TPiR Feburary 9th ratings (top 25 markets)

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'MizzouRah!\' post=\'208635\' date=\'Feb 22 2009, 10:57 PM\'] It's not like they could be asked back to play again on a future episode.[/quote]If the shows are unaired, how would anyone know if someone got called down a second time?

They could simply 'pick' one of them, and no one would be the wiser.

[chris319]

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'208645\' date=\'Feb 23 2009, 04:10 AM\']
[quote name=\'MizzouRah!\' post=\'208635\' date=\'Feb 22 2009, 10:57 PM\'] It's not like they could be asked back to play again on a future episode.[/quote]If the shows are unaired, how would anyone know if someone got called down a second time?

They could simply 'pick' one of them, and no one would be the wiser.
[/quote]
It won't work.

Suppose they won a car on their first show but failed to win One Bid on the second? That doesn't make them good.

Suppose they live in Florida? Who's going to pick up their travel expenses the second time around?

[CarShark]

Looking at the ratings again, it kind of explains something I've complained about before: the front-loading of line-ups, so that the more interesting (and often longer) games show up as games 1-4, while the quicker games get stuck in the back to make up time. During this season, that got to be magnified several times over to the point that I almost never expected a car or cash game in the second half. Recently, the line-ups have been better balanced.

Looking back on it, I don't know if it was the worst thing to do. Since the show's second-half ratings are higher than it's first-half's, and I don't think it loses too many viewers at the halfway point, it seems to me like the best thing to do is to get as many eyeballs during the first half as you can and let the surfers wander in during IUFB 5.

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'CarShark\' post=\'208674\' date=\'Feb 23 2009, 05:13 PM\']Looking at the ratings again, it kind of explains something I've complained about before: the front-loading of line-ups, so that the more interesting (and often longer) games show up as games 1-4, while the quicker games get stuck in the back to make up time. During this season, that got to be magnified several times over to the point that I almost never expected a car or cash game in the second half. Recently, the line-ups have been better balanced.

Looking back on it, I don't know if it was the worst thing to do. Since the show's second-half ratings are higher than it's first-half's, and I don't think it loses too many viewers at the halfway point, it seems to me like the best thing to do is to get as many eyeballs during the first half as you can and let the surfers wander in during IUFB 5.[/quote]
...and then wander right back out because they never play anything interesting that late in the show anymore.

And I'm not sure how things have been "better balanced" lately -- there hasn't been a car game sixth since January 15, and there hasn't been a regular grocery item or small prize game sixth since December 11.

[Joe Mello]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'208688\' date=\'Feb 23 2009, 08:53 PM\']
...and then wander right back out because they never play anything interesting that late in the show anymore.
[/quote]
Except for the Showcases and the news, both of which probably are more interesting to the general public than the rest of the show.

[CarShark]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'208688\' date=\'Feb 23 2009, 08:53 PM\']...and then wander right back out because they never play anything interesting that late in the show anymore.

And I'm not sure how things have been "better balanced" lately -- there hasn't been a car game sixth since January 15, and there hasn't been a regular grocery item or small prize game sixth since December 11.
[/quote]Well, Steve, they may not be playing car games sixth anymore, but they are showing up fifth with some regularity again, and with good reason. If someone is wandering in at IUFB 5 at 11:30, the best way to keep them there is with a major prize game. I think Plinko has shown up fifth more times than I can remember. Plus, since most of those segments are 5 minutes long (which I believe is the shortest time you can watch and still have the program register in a Neilsen box), it makes it more likely that they get counted, even if the person turns away later. The sixth game isn't quite as important for maintaining viewers as much as keeping the show from running long. Double Prices shows up in the six-hole almost every week.

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'CarShark\' post=\'208726\' date=\'Feb 24 2009, 05:27 PM\']If someone is wandering in at IUFB 5 at 11:30, the best way to keep them there is with a major prize game.[/quote]
Really?  Seems to me that the best way to keep them around is having someone hosting who actually understands how to host, regardless of what the prizes are.

I guess I just feel like the show is ignoring its real problems if this is the one they're attempting to "fix."

[NickintheATL]

Allow me to interject a fresh, new take on all of this.  I have long been withdrawn of posting my opinion about Drew Carey here on these internets, but feel as if I must chime in with some analysis here regarding his hosting and the ratings.

I don't think he's cutting it.  I never have thought he's cut it.  And, he's going to have to do a lot in my book to improve.

Let me do an aside here.  In my opinion, a good host should know his show backwards and forwards.  That means just about every nuance of it.  Second, you have to have the art of contestant interaction down to a science.  Finally, you must realize that you have to take the show seriously, but not too seriously otherwise the show won't be fun.

Applying my above analysis to Mr. Carey, he's good at contestant interaction.  He takes the show seriously at times, but other times he's sorely lacking.  But, as some fans will tell you, he doesn't explain the rules of pricing games properly sometimes, and that is a problem in and of itself.

What does this have to do with declining viewership?  When Drew first came on board, everyday people at my college were giving me opinions to the effect of, "I just can't get into him."  And this was when he started.  First impressions mean a lot apparently.  If viewers tuned out in the beginning, are they going to tune back in now?  I say not, but you never know.  I'm very convinced the ratings ARE a problem, no matter what data you're looking at.