DeathWatch Watch

November Sweeps

November 01, 2006

Tomorrow begins the 2006 November sweeps. And we all know what that means. Break out your Nielsen boxes, your diaries, and your popcorn -- things are going to get nutty.

Here’s a quick run-down: "Sweeps" are named because Nielsen Media used to mail out "viewing diaries" to all of the Nielsen families starting from the east coast to the west coast. (In effect, "sweeping" the nation.) But in the present day, there is a whole host of ways that Nielsen collects their data. Sweeps seasons happen four times a year, and they exist primarily to collect HUGE amounts of viewing data, into a centralized analysis. Who's watching? For how long? What products do they buy? That analysis is what sets the advertising rates. And those rates mean bottom line dollars for the networks.

Okay, but what does that mean for you?

Well, that means that for the month of November, the networks trot out things like special guest stars, outrageous plot twists, and big specials. Notable sweep stunts include the episode of “Ally McBeal” with the close-up makeout of Calista Flockhart and Lucy Liu. Most huge character revelations (births, deaths, weddings) take place during Sweeps. Got a big concert you want to show in primetime? Now's your chance.

We open the floor up to you, Deathwatchers. What outrageous things would YOU like to see this November sweeps?

Comments

Thomas wrote:

Actually, I would like nothing better than to END sweeps. Sweeps Month made sense back in the Sixties, when crunching the data was done slowly, by bee-hived ladies with adding machines. Sweeps were done only a few months a year way-back-when, because that's as fast as the data could be crunched. Now, with overnight ratings commonplace, Sweeps has outlived its usefulness.

Here's the flip side of Sweeps Periods in November, February, and May (assuming 22 episodes per season): guaranteed reruns in December, January, March, April, June, July, and August.

If NBC wants to get out of the ratings cellar, then do away with Sweeps, and order more episodes than just 22 or 26 per season. NBC should bill advertisers for each and every episode based on its overnight ratings, not based on ratings back in November. The advantage: while CBS, ABC, and the CW are serving warmed-over hash in January, NBC would be showing new eppies and people would be watching.

posted at November 1, 2006 08:51 PM

George wrote:

I'd like to se the survivors on "Survivor:Cook Island", actually have to survive! This crew is eating better than Pac-Man on your fifth quarter. I wanna see ribs... and not on their plates. It should be renamed, "Survivor:Club FED"

posted at November 2, 2006 02:25 PM

Edgeoforever wrote:

The entire Nielsen system is flawed - NBC ought to know that since the cancellation of Star Trek (it turned out the Nielsen families were watching it but as a guilty pleasure amd faked their entries in the journal). Thomas is right - do away with sweeps and very short seasons! Do away with dooming a show to a certain amount of advertising and hype before it airs because of the preset cost of the advertising time.
I can't believe that in this day and age there's not a more precise system of measuring popularity then a bunch of people willing to be lab rats. That fact in it of itself ought to disqualify them from being average viewers.

posted at November 4, 2006 09:54 AM

Rick wrote:

For Sweeps, I'd like to see on "Lost" an asteroid destroys the entire earth EXCEPT for their island ....

I also agree with most of the above comments: in the days of instant polling, cable access, etc., it seems nonsensical to put so much value on a couple weeks in the year when the networks put on shows/episodes people actually want to see, and then revert to the same old manure for the rest of the year.

posted at November 6, 2006 04:18 PM

funkychick wrote:

I think I'd like to see Sweeps end as well and get rid of all the hype & guest stars. Nielsen sent me that diary several years ago and I couldn't believe how antiquated their system was; they didn't even have space to write in if you recorded a show while you watched something else. I'd also like to see more new eps instead of Sweeps & guest stars; there'd be more money for more eps is they didn't have to pay the guest stars. I am so sick of re-runs during the regular season. TV actors are working about as much as the last Congress - 97 days in the last session!

posted at November 7, 2006 10:11 PM

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