no more kings

Well, as some of you have no doubt heard, NBC pulled Kings from Sunday night and will air the remaining eight eps on Saturday nights at 8pm starting April 18th. It will be replaced by another hour of Dateline.

I've talked here before about NBC's "strategy" for prime time and daytime, such as it is, and I have to say I was more surprised that Silverman and Zucker picked it up in the first place than that they're canceling it now. A 1.1 rating for A18-49 is dismal—that's a mediocre cable rating, and nothing that prime time network TV can support. Yes, it's the top download on iTunes—and I bet its Hulu stats are great, and I'm sure NBC took that into consideration. (That said, I'd be interested to see the live+7 numbers.) But the economics do not allow network television to continue to air a show with 3.6 million viewers.

We're not at narrowcasting yet folks—not by a long shot—and I'm not sure how this is really going to evolve, which is half the reason I left advertising. And eventually, when I have access to the numbers, I'll do the big "no, fandom is not enough of an audience" post. But yeah, 3.6 million viewers? Is pretty much nothing, for NBC.

My own beliefs are in my song

dreamerren should be pleased that they didn't do the silly judge thing, but then, we got baby pictures. And thank goodness, we got little buck-toothed chubby-cheeked Ryan, and Simon mysteriously holding a plastic gun.

ETA: Saw it! See below.

( Idol, I just can't seem to drink you off my mind. )

[Poll #1379877]

I voted for Allison and Matt, mostly because Adam really, really doesn't need me. Then I checked DialIdol and started voting for Kris too.