January 26, 2008
The buzz on 'Gossip Girl'
Gossip Girls is the most downloaded television program on iTunes. But despite the program's online popularity, the network hasn't been able to translate the Web buzz into substantial TV ratings. LA Times reports.
"Even after a marketing push, just 2.6 million viewers on average tuned in to watch the show's first 13 episodes -- about 500,000 of them teens, its target demographic.
"It's sort of become the first show that has managed to achieve some level of cultural permeation and success in the new world order where ratings don't really seem to apply," said executive producer Josh Schwartz.
That the CW is still trying to boost interest in a program originally regarded as one of the hottest new entrants of the season speaks to the difficulty in gauging how new media are reshaping television watching.
"The disconnect seems to be with teens who love to speculate and comment online but rarely turn it into direct viewing," added Cole, who advises networks and advertisers on the changing landscape. "Teens, while still interested in television, are less interested in television than any generation that has come before them."
... One of the major hurdles the show faced was its Wednesday night competition: two of the most anticipated new shows of the new season, ABC's "Private Practice" and NBC's "Bionic Woman," along with CBS' highly rated "Criminal Minds"."
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