“Studio 60”: Tops in Time-Shifting

My favorite TV show, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, has finally come in No. 1 in some category: Time-Shifted Primetime TV Programs, as measured by Nielsen Media Research. This means shows that are watched, typically via a DVR, after they are broadcast live. I am not sure if it includes sales via iTunes (if anyone knows, please shout), which is how I buy Studio 60, commercial-free, for $1.99 per episode. Here is the complete list:

1. Studio 60

2. Heroes

3. Gilmore Girls

4. America’s Next Top Model

5. 30 Rock

5. Friday Night Lights

7. The Nine

7. Supernatural

9. Kidnapped

9. One Tree Hill

9. Smallville

I have never seen most of these shows but from what I know, they all seem geared toward younger viewers. In this respect, I am guessing that Studio 60 is an outlier. Its No. 1 standing in the time-shifting category suggests to me that a) NBC may currently be broadcasting it in the wrong time-slot; and/or b) it is particularly popular among the sort of viewers likely to have DVR’s or a video iPod; and/or c) given the age appeal of most shows on this list, it may really be time for networks to start aggressively selling a la carte TV programming without having to rely on commercial advertising. This scenario was very well laid out in the book Why Not?