We’ve all heard the term, May Sweeps, but here’s what it actually means in terms of the Network and the Viewer. BTW – I’m not trying to educate anyone rather than get people hyped for what is to come.
We are currently in the period where networks decide whether or not to order another season of a particular show. They go over various numbers of viewers, time slots, how the show had tested, where the stories are going and even the life of a show on DVD. When all is said and done, a show’s broadcast life is dependent on the viewers for major networks. This is what networks refer to as May Sweeps – it’s a time to gather research and make a decision.
For us the viewer, this is like the sweetest time of the year to watch television. Most of the regular shows are coming up on their season finales and because the networks are going to be looking into the success of each show, the creative people behind the shows have saved the most twists and turns and general awesomeness of the season for these last few weeks. Expect cliffhangers, Shamalan-like twists, gratuitous guest appearances and cameos and some things straight out of the blue.
Here’s a list of 5 shows to look out for during May Sweeps. Some are fighting for their existence, while others are just taking advantage of the time:
Lost - We know that after this season there will only be ONE more season of Lost… forever. If you follow the show you would have noticed that some of the mysterious are beginning to unravel, while others are still completely unsolved. Look for the this season’s finale to not only make you want to come back next year, but also leave your mouth hanging open like it usually does at the end of a Lost season.
Bones - Not a hugely popular show, but definitely taking advantage of May Sweeps. It has been announced that the Fox crime drama will include a cross-over episode with none other than Family Guy…
Fringe - This season’s Sci-Fi Runaway hit (similar to the way Heroes made a big splash in its first season), will twist and turn and reveal and ask even more Pattern-related questions as the inaugural season comes to an end. Look out for the reveal of William Bell in the form of none other than Leonard Nemoy himself.
How I Met Your Mother – Sitcoms are reliant on May Sweeps because their are so short in literal time. Running at an average of about 22 minutes per episode it is difficult for creators to get viewers to stick with the story lines let alone get them to TIVO their brains out. For How I Met Your Mother, look for the story to start to take form as Ted starts to reveal some more information about how he actually did meet his wife, as well as some developments in the hilarious relationship between Barney (NPH) and Robin.
Smallville - The show was basically re-invented this season after the departure of long time Lex Luthor actor Michael Rosenbaum and comic book fans are just going to have to accept the fact that Smallville is not Superman. The CW series borrows characters and concepts from the comics, but the overall story really has nothing to do with the traditional DC narrative. This has worked both for and against the show in that it allows the writers to create their own back stories without being hinged to the original concepts, but it also works against them in that they have lost a lot of the tradition with the lore that is Superman. May Sweeps brings the TV version of the clash between Superman and Doomsday, but because the series is not the comic, I wouldn’t expect a Death of Superman story line anytime soon.
That was just a short list of how May Sweeps will push TV shows to the brink in the next few weeks. Pretty much any show you watch will have something interesting occur in the next little while.
