CTV is standing behind Hiccups and Dan For Mayor but are viewers? The two freshmen comedies, officially renewed for a second season last week along with several other Canadian-produced CTV shows, sank to series lows Monday night. Hiccups drew an overnight, estimated national audience of 297,000 at 8 p.m., with Dan For Mayor getting 309,000 at 8:30.
CTV’s plan to sit both comedies during the May sweeps and hold fresh episodes for the less competitive month of June doesn’t seem to have worked. A month away may have translated into out of sight, out of mind, or viewers may have just assumed both shows were also in reruns. Not helping was a last minute decision to delay the return of the shows one extra week.
CBC provided some stiff competition Monday at 8 with ever popular Dragon’s Den drawing an overnight, estimated 1,242,000. Global boasted a new (and excellent) episode of Fox’s returning drama Lie To Me at 8, winning the hour in Canada with 1,306,000 viewers nationally. The new Fox buddy cop show The Good Guys drew a further 715,000 in Canada on Global.
CTV saw viewing levels jump back up at 9 with reruns of popular CBS comedies Two and a Half Men (1,341,000) and The Big Bang Theory (1,644,000).
With a night off from hockey and the Stanley Cup final games all on CBC anyway, the sports network ratings were not a factor. TSN, for example, drew 87,000 at 8 for poker.
Hiccups star and executive producer Brent Butt, who attended last week’s CTV upfront in Toronto, says he expects his series to resume production in September.
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If you have seen the trailers CTV is running for both Hiccups and Dan (always coupled together), it’s no wonder audiences are staying away. The mini-clips are beyond lame. They say nothing about either series other than imply the comedy is dull and juvenile. Mind you, I’ve given up watching both shows because the comedy tends to be… well, somewhat dull and juvenile.