The CW: A Case of Promotion; Or Lack Thereof

The CW: A Case of Promotion; Or Lack Thereof
By Gabriela

You know, when Smallville’s 100th episode “Reckoning” aired on 2006 near of 6.3 million people watched it. When the 150th aired (now 3 years later) only 3.81 million did. Granted, we are talking about different times and most important different networks. At the time the 100th episode aired Smallville was part of the WB, now its part of the CW which is the result of the WB and UPN merging. According with analysis when these two networks merged at least 1 million of viewers was lost. Mostly because The CW didn’t “inherit” the entire WB market. Example: If the WB was watched in five states the CW is now showing in 4, hence the audience for all shows will be lower cause not all the people has access to them anymore.

The CW started already with an obstacle: fewer markets = Less audience. They basically had two things to depend on: the already established audience that shows like Smallville. Gilmore Girls, Supernatural among others had it and Promotion.

Let’s go back to the Smallville case with its Milestones episodes. Besides the already pointed differences between both of them, there is another, one that it’s so important that the lack of it could sink a show in no time, once again Promotion.

“Reckoning” was started to be promoted before the 2005 Christmas Hiatus, the episode aired on January 26th 2006.

“Apocalypse” (150th) was started to be promoted, less than 2 weeks before.

Ok; we could argue that the Writers Strike that started on November 2007 and ended on February 2008 could have been one of the reasons why this episode was overlooked and almost null promoted by the network, it was not even written by that time. So with less time to write less time to promote.

“Apocalypse” was promoted on TV Guide: Magazine and on a TV Special about the returning shows after the WGA Strike. Both were released/aired less than 2 weeks before the airing of the episode.

The network? Well The CW only released the usual episode stills, the “Director’s Cut” (that it will be proper to point out that even when this is only for USA residents no all people in this country are able to see it) the trailer after the April 24th episode, and that was it, not even a Promotional Poster a printed Ad, nothing.

You’d say, well the trailer is important, what’s on it and how many times this is showed on TV. The trailer was a “normal” one; this episode was in no way in shape promoted as a milestone, just another regular new episode. And this added to the fact that the trailer was aired also as many time as a regular new episode would be promoted.

Thing that it’s not much help either.

This is not a new thing with The CW; another victim of the constant overlooking by the network is Smallville’s escort of 9pm, Supernatural. If Smallville is only a beep on the radar for the Promotion Department of the CW, Supernatural basically doesn’t exist then.

Supernatural is the kind of show that well promoted and pushed to the front would be a huge success. Smallville is most likely ending next year and who better than Supernatural to become the #1 scripted show of the network?

Is The CW taking the fandom of these two shows for granted? That since both shows have already an established audience it’s not worthy the promotion?

Some facts:

Top CW Primetime Shows, April 28 - May 4

1 AMERICA’S TOP MODEL………..4,195
2 SMALLVILLE …………………….3,812
3 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN….3,762
4 SUPERNATURAL………………. 2,629
5 REAPER …………………………2,581

Top CW Primetime Shows, April 21-27

1 AMERICA’S TOP MODEL-4 …….4,353
2 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN ….4,296
3 SMALLVILLE……………………..3,620
4 ONE TREE HILL…………………..2,925
5 GOSSIP GIRL……………………..2,504

Top CW Primetime Shows, April 14-20

1 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN……….3,706
2 SMALLVILLE…………………………3,608
3 ONE TREE HILL-MON ………………2,802
4 SUPERNATURAL (R)…………………2,120
5 PUSSYCAT DOLLS: GIRLICIOUS……1,850

Top CW Primetime Shows, April 7-13

1 FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN……4,304
2 AMERICA’S TOP MODEL-4…………..2,376
3 SMALLVILLE (R)…………………..……2,035*
4 PUSSYCAT DOLLS: GIRLICIOUS….1,923
5. BEAUTY AND THE GEEK-3………..1,913

(*) Even with repeats Smallville maintains its leadership in the ratings on The CW.

Source: Nielsen TV Ratings Data

Smallville is the #1 scripted show on the network and its audience keeps it always on the top 3 of most watched CW Shows, and it could have yet more viewers if only is promoted as it should.

I get that Gossip Girl is a new hot show and it needs to be promoted, especially with an audience of 2,55 million aver. But shouldn’t be the other shows promoted as Gossip Girls is?

Supernatural viewers in average are slightly higher than Gossip Girl’s, yet next to this show Supernatural is not getting any promotion, not at all.

It would be a good for a change that the CW dedicates the same attention that they give to Gossip Girl to Smallville and Supernatural. In fact, half of this attention would have a great impact on both shows.

Smallville is the kid on a family that is brilliant, a straight A student but he is never recognized nor rewarded for it.

Supernatural is the brother that could be on the top of the class always but the parents don’t pay attention to him nor gave him the tools for him to make it to the top, but at the same time they favor the other daughter Gossip Girl, who has the same performance as Supernatural but yet she is given all what she needs to succeed.

It’s sad that the “old” shows, the ones that in first place gave the network the basic tools to start with the right foot like Name and an Established Audience are being overlooked and ignored not giving them the proper promotion.

So far for The CW at least Thursdays are not part of the Week.