How Dead is Cable TV? Part II

Which groups do we target next? Cable television still has its perks but it's not always in a good spot. How about some Disney and NBCUniversal channels? All of this courtesy of ctv.kwayisi.com by the way.

Disney has a lot of stuff given their acquisition of Fox a couple of years ago. Fox News has dropped a bit at 31 percent for a year's span, but is still a leading channel in ratings. They don't bow to the same things CNN does. Fox Sports 1 has had a one year drop of 26 percent. Eventually, Skip Bayless and Colin Cowherd get tiring for some and the sports aren't all that interesting when they do get them. The rest of that brand are very small, though Business has had struggles.

The FX brand is one of the more interesting ones. But title name for the channel has dropped in average views in years. While a 14 percent decline compared to last year is small, it's nearing an average 200 thousand. Too many of the same movies airing all the time if I had to guess. No syndicated stuff other than Mike and Molly (and even that gets monotonous) and not enough original stuff. A 13 percent decline for FXX and an average of nearly 100 thousand. Kind of the same situation, but with a few other shows for syndication. Their idea from eight years ago is slowly dropping real badly. And FX Movie Channel is really small, but suffering a bit at the moment. Can't comment too much on it.

It'll be hard to determine what Disney's number have that are truthful. But their Channel and Junior channels have not suffered greatly at 7 and 1 percent compared to where they were last year. XD has dropped a bit at 23 percent. Outside of Christmas stuff, Freeform keeps struggling. A 17 percent decline is not horrible, but not good. Maybe less Shrek airings (lots of other films, too) and having a few other shows in syndication would be beneficial.  I'm surprised they have National Geographic. It's at a 24 percent decline, but it fluctuates wildly. This could rebound just a little. It's Wild channel hasn't struggled at only 2 percent.

The sports ain't doing good. ESPN has done better, but a 300 plus percent increase isn't spectacular if they can't hold on to their audience. Fluctuation the key factor. Same with ESPN 2. Even for as small as the College Sports channel is, it's done better. I'd imagine it will do even stronger numbers this upcoming fall.

NBCUniversal has a bit of channels. CNBC had a huge boost last year, probably because of the pandemic. Compared to last year, it's at a 26 percent decline. Still, people will watch it for the stocks. MSNBC's decline is like Fox News, though numbers are just behind Fox. They must be doing something grand if they aren't reaching CNN's low numbers. In terms of entertainment, Bravo has seen fluctuation, but a downward slope now. Same with the E! channel. They both roughly air the same films and not enough original stuff they re-air (though less Kardashian crap is good. Need more Modern Family reruns and other syndicated shows.)

I didn't know they had Oxygen. Whatever the case,  an 18 percent decline with some fluctuation. That can also be applied to SyFy. I know standards are low for the channel in recent years, but if Harry Potter can't save them, what can?  USA Network does better than most cable channels, but has a 10 percent decline. They have stepped up in movies aired, something I haven't seen to this extent in at least 15 years or more. But they are very much the Dick Wolf network with Law and Order and whatever Chicago show they have airing constantly. Eventually, you burn out.

NBC Sports Network will be gone after this year. The 700 plus percent increase does not save the problems it had from last year. With ups and downs, Golf Channel has been getting an interest for now with over 60 percent of an uptick. As it stands, Disney has a lot more at stake with what they got from Fox. I know the Internet is used more, but the channels are suffering the most from them compared to NBCUniversal. Speaking of them, they can recover at any point. But I don't expect viewers to stick with them consistently. Who do you think would survive longer? 

Delaying Always Sunny in Philadelphia

If you haven't been in the loop the last few weeks regarding It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, here's a move that really isn't surprising. Season thirteen of probably the most underappreciated comedy has been delayed to 2019. For some, it will be a total shocker. Others, however, will understand this. This is coming at a time when most of the cast is looking beyond the show's future and doing other shows and films.

This came as NBC green lit a new high school show, AP Bio, not too long ago. It is going to star Glenn Howerton as a teacher who acts a bit like Dennis on Always Sunny,  but not that extreme given it's not a cable television show. That being said, this is where people have had their concerns as it was announced just as the season finale of Always Sunny was around the corner. Spoilers for this, but anyone that watched the episode, Dennis decides he is leaving Philadelphia for good and deciding to go to I think North Dakota with a woman he impregnated and the child they had. Other than the end bit where the Gang destroys his Jeep, it's almost a somber ending but in the style that Sunny is always known for. There's a reason why critics have called it Seinfeld on crack.

Howerton isn't the only one that is doing stuff beyond the show. Although he had done some small stuff like Reno 911!, Charlie Day has put up a career as Sunny has been on the air. Films like Horrible Bosses and Pacific Rim, he is probably the only one of the main cast that has made a name for himself in Hollywood, yet gets big laughs as Charlie. Even his wife, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, who plays The Waitress in guest starring spots, has tried television with The Grinder last year before it got canned last May.

I'm sure whatever Rob McElhenney does, he will do fine. His wife, Kaitlin Olson, who plays Sweet Dee, has her own show, The Mick. It has been on the air since the start of this year and Fox is going to give it a second season, so her and Howerton will have their hands full of doing shows that don't film in a month's span. You can't blame these guys for wanting to build careers. I view it as what ifs for the actors. I'm sure they love doing the show, but they want to expand. Last thing anyone wants to have is regrets in not doing certain things. Look at the actress who is the title character in Grey's Anatomy. Being dedicated to a show is great, but you're missing out on doing movies and other stuff.

Does it mean Dennis is gone for good? I don't know. It'll be a matter of seeing what happens. There is time to create possibly a season where he may or may not be in Philadelphia again. The biggest concern they should have is the health of Danny DeVito. He is in his 70s and its only a matter of time before it's too much for him. Last year's season finale saw him almost die from being in the water for so long to get some shots as if The Gang was in a sinking ship. Nevertheless, everybody is just looking to make names for themselves. Even with all the other projects they will do, there will always be It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. People should really appreciate the show before it disappears off the cable world for good.

The Future of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

FX didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they started airing It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in August 2005. The network was being known for airing some very serious shows like The Shield and Rescue Me. A concept about four idiots running a bar didn't wow viewers, but it did garner a decent reception. With a few changes, the second season flew by and the show has continued in stride to be the show that beats to its own tune.

After running for eight seasons, it made the move to FXX when the new network launched in 2013. I have watched these last four seasons and it shows how crazy the cast can get and the stuff they are able to get away with. Yet, it's still funny. The dynamic has not changed. Whether it's pointless arguments to getting revenge on a guest star or themselves, the original intentions have not gotten away from creator Rob McElhenney. Despite these last four years, it has not been huge with ratings. However, there hasn't been any concern for Fox. Last year, It's Always Sunny was renewed for at least two more seasons following this season. Despite 130 plus episodes, it will be one of the longest running live action comedies in the United States.

In the realm of cable, a few million viewers is good enough to keep continuing. Always Sunny doesn't have the numbers despite its ratings being pretty consistent now these days, but it has that cult following and people looking to keep watching through streaming. Netflix has had the show on there for a long time. Hulu has it as well. The FXNow app lets you watch their latest episodes along with the FX Networks website. The fact it's still going without much concern as mentioned earlier shows they have strong faith in a show that really doesn't get accolades compared to awful stuff like The Big Bang Theory. Odds are there are probably still people who have not heard of Always Sunny. It slips through the cracks and is considered by some one of television's underrated programs.

That being said, eventually those ratings are not going to be enough or the episodes may not be put in high regard. I'm not wishing for the show to be cancelled, but most shows start to struggle late in their runs. Always Sunny is one of the few exceptions. It has managed to push the envelope even further and does so in a manner where it keeps it fresh without going overboard. You can see the evolution of it since it's first episode. The first few seasons feel like they were deranged but able to handle themselves somewhat in society. These last few years go towards the crazier route to where all bets are off.

As long as the quality is still there and no real changes are made, Always Sunny is going to keep airing until they feel it's time to give it the curtain call. That might come up quicker because of the age of Danny DeVito, who joined in its second season. Not to mention some of the other cast members doing their own films and appearances on television. Either way, they still have quite a bit of time before filming a new season whenever that comes. Even though they are signed on for a few more year, anything could happen.

Down the road years from now, Always Sunny will be held in high regard compared to some of the mainstream shows of today. It has the checklist marked with the all stuff that is needed to run for a long time and become a modern classic. May this show continue to get all the respect it deserves.