ABC Renews ‘Lost,’ ‘Alias,’ ‘Housewives’
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) As April began last year, ABC had fallen into a distance fourth place in most ratings measurements and had become the subject of jokes and mockery. Just 12 months later, ABC is second to only CBS in total viewers for the season and the network is a strong third place behind FOX and CBS in the key adults 18-49 demographic. In little surprise, then, that on Tuesday (April 5), ABC gave early pick-ups to four of the shows responsible for that turn-around.
ABC has ordered second seasons of “Desperate Housewives,” “Lost” and “Boston Legal,” while lining up a fifth season of “Alias.”
“Desperate Housewives” and “Lost” were two of the most buzz-worthy pilots of the last development season and became out-of-the-box hits for ABC.
“Housewives,” created by Marc Cherry, has become a genuine phenomenon, averaging 22.8 million viewers per week and partnering with “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” to turn Sunday from a liability into a strength for ABC. In addition delivering to boosting ABC’s time period audience by an amazing 180 percent and stirring up countless stories in major press outlets, “Housewives” has become an awards magnet, picking up Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild trophies for outstanding comedy series.
A Golden Globe nominee for best drama, “Lost” has developed one of television’s most intense fan bases in less than a season. The J.J. Abrams-produced series has averaged 15.9 million viewers per episode, anchoring ABC’s Wednesday line-up.
After several seasons as a critical darling and cult favorite, “Alias” received a major boost when it was paired with “Lost” this winter. Although the drama has been battered by “American Idol” in recent weeks, its viewership of 11.2 million viewers is up by 2.8 million from last season.
Thanks to its “Desperate Housewives” lead-in, “Boston Legal” has averaged 12.5 million viewers. The “Practice” spin-off has been competitive in a tough time slot, though another of ABC’s new dramas, “Grey’s Anatomy,” has performed far better in the same period, which could lead to a new time for “Legal” next season.
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