Things we learned from summer TV
As the school year begins, it's time for a tried-and-true essay assignment with a slight twist: What We Watched on Our Summer TV Non-Vacation. Here are a few things we learned:
Donald Trump went to the head of the (unscripted) class. The New York billionaire's presidential campaign chomped a bigger bite out of news coverage than any run-of-the-mill summer shark attack. Trump took the small screen by storm, giving Fox News Channel a jaw-dropping 24 million viewers for a Republican presidential debate; creating an addictive fix for cable news channels; and providing the hair that launched 1,000 comedic monologues.
Caitlyn Jenner gave Trump a run for his money – for a little while. Jenner's gender transition has been a huge story this year, but it may have reached its TV peak when she accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at July's ESPYs. The awards show, which moved from ESPN to ABC, drew 7.7 million viewers, more than doubling its previous ratings high. Despite interest in Jenner's story, viewers' appetite is declining for her new E! series, I Am Cait, a zigzag mix of serious social-issue discussion and Kardashian cameos. It drew a so-so 2.7 million viewers for its much-hyped premiere but barely topped 1 million viewers on Aug. 30.
Freshman honors lead to high sophomore expectations. HBO's dark True Detective dazzled critics and viewers during its first season. It didn't hurt that its run coincided with Matthew McConaughey's path to Oscar victory. But the weight of expectations likely proved too heavy for the second season, which was panned by many critics.
Summer is still a place where networks can take chances. Cyber-thriller Mr. Robot, arguably the summer's most buzzworthy show, has been lauded for a darkness and complexity that's new for USA, once known for stolid, less challenging fare. CBS has plumbed the sci-fi realm in recent summers, enjoying success this season with Zoo, summer's No. 2 show.CBS is ending Under the Dome after three seasons (finale Sept. 10), with the 2013 freshman phenom experiencing declining but still solid ratings. CBS' second-season Extant has hit bumps and ABC's The Whispers faded over its first (and likely last) season.
Viewers like familiar pleasures as much as a day by the pool. Once again, NBC's America's Got Talent is the summer's most-watched series, and ABC's Celebrity Family Feud, featuring the ubiquitous Steve Harvey, is No. 3. TNT's Rizzoli & Isles and Major Crimes rank at the top of cable, bookended by huge tune-ins for HBO's Game of Thrones season finale and AMC's Fear the Walking Dead series premiere. Fan favorites, including ABC's The Bachelorette and ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars sparked plenty of social-media chatter, too.
What's the fun of staying up late if your favorite show is missing? That's what many fans of Comedy Central's The Daily Show are wondering after Jon Stewart's Aug. 6 exit, a departure that received a presidential level of coverage in today's media-obsessed world. Fans can either find other shows or wait until successor Trevor Noah arrives Sept. 28; Stewart's already moved on to pro wrestling. If that's too long a wait, Stewart's former Comedy Central partner Stephen Colbert makes his debut on CBS' The Late Show Tuesday. He'll probably make a reference or two to Trump. How's that for for bringing an essay back to its start?