Sun Blogs: The Pop Culture Pill
The Emmys Highlight Talent, But All Lights Go Out in Television
September 23, 2009 - 11:00pmWhile last Sunday’s 61st Primetime Emmy Awards delivered both surprises and givens, the awards’ ultimate effect on volume of television viewers and Nielsen Ratings is yet to be seen. Shows like NBC’s 30 Rock have taken strides in the awards (Alec Baldwin for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and the show itself for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series), yet the advent of online television has forced the show out of high ratings. They’re getting better every season, and you’re watching, but they’re destined for cancellation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTj47rcuM-4
Click for Clip of Winner, Alec Baldwin as “Jack Donaghy”
But…I watch 30 Rock…and so do tons of other people! We talk about it every week in my Gov. section! How can that be?
Watching television online counts against your favorite shows, even if you buy them from servers like iTunes. Nielsen Ratings, the system of statistics used to determine how popular a particular show is with a certain demographic, gauge how many television sets per home are tuned in to one show – to be overly simple (an American Studies and English major like myself couldn’t even begin to comprehend them further). Shows that prevail on the Internet, like 30 Rock and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, often flounder in these ratings, even though they have countless die-hard fans.
The Emmys (and Ernst and Young accountants who tabulate the votes), however, aren’t concerned with popularity. For one shining Sunday every year, cinematography, acting, sound quality, and directing are held above the ratings, and therefore longevity of programming. Perhaps, then, the Emmys are instead a homage to an older age of television – one that wasn’t complicated by sites like Hulu.com and digital media sent straight to your Blackberry or iPhone.
It’s early fall again, and that means we’re about to be inundated with new series and season premieres. You can love ‘em, you can hate ‘em, but you should watch ‘em on your television if you want them to stay alive. And yes, DVR counts towards the Nielsens.