The Resurgence of NBC

By far the biggest surprise this year is NBC's dominance on broadcast television. It is the only network to increase it's viewership (up 14%)  while all the other networks are seeing double digit drops. It has finished at #1 (or tied for #1) of all the networks for all eight weeks of this TV season so far. Last year (and for about half a decade before that) NBC was a solid 4th among the networks,  so what is responsible for this jarring and abrupt change?

The Voice. It's all about The Voice. In the spring of 2011, NBC hit gold with the Voice, and nurtured it as it became a monster last spring. NBC took a gamble by organizing a second cycle of the show in the fall, similar to what ABC does with "Dancing With The Stars", but it's clear the move has payed off. The Voice is providing an anchor for NBC's Monday and Tuesday nights, and has helped launch Revolution as the to new drama this fall.

NBC's weak spot ironically was it's best night last year. The NBC Thursday night comedies have gone from NBC's shining hope to unwanted step child. With both 30 Rock and The Office in their final seasons, Up All Night de-facto cancelled, and Community being banished to February, NBC seems to be gearing up for a clean slate of their comedy lineup, likely led by The New Normal.

NBC has gotten off to a great start this year, and seem to be finally moving past the mess that was started when the old regime thought it was a good idea to put Jay Leno at 10pm and set this whole fiasco into motion.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings/2012/11/20/nbc-finishes-number-1-or-tied-for-number-1-during-seven-of-the-seasons-first-eight-weeks-for-the-first-time-in-10-years-999204/20121120nbc02/