CBC's new comedy 18 to Life premiered to 779,000 viewers Monday, topping schedule mate Little Mosque on the Prairie, which managed 605,000 (all figures BBM Canada overnight estimates). The two sitcoms managed to hold their own against Law & Order on CTV (1,118,000) and Heroes on Global (599,000) as well as a strong season premiere of The Bachelor over on City (1,012,000, with 505,000 of those in the 25-54-year-old demo).
If you missed the show, it's available as an Itunes free Download (Canada only) right now.
[And good for CBC & the show's producers for finally getting hip to THAT promo tactic! Are you listening, CRTC?]
That's how I saw it this afternoon (I'm still away.) I thought the premiere was a great intro to the cast and the leads, and zipped along at a great pace, but was smiley funny not guffaw funny -- which is where the show soon proceeds. The show definitely gets better as it goes along, but I did think it starts from a solid, witty and warm place, and earned that solid number. I think it will probably build.
I do think, by the way, that 2010 might see a resurgence in shows like this -- now that Network TV's not as dead as everyone thought, and PPM's are redefining what gets sampled heavily, I think a few shows that capture multi-generational audiences are not out of the question.
For instance, I think that's a big part of the ongoing story of CBC's Heartland -- which is a solid hit in the family bracket because teens watch as well as older viewers.
18 to Life is sweet, and deserves the eyeballs to find that out for themselves. Congrats to all involved.
4 rumbles:
I actually first saw "Being Erica" as a free iTunes download too, so it's not the first time the CBC has done it - but I think it is the formation of a pattern. A good idea for sure.
Stand corrected.
I remember WISHING TO GOD they'd do it with The Border when we premiered.
I think this is such a savvy strategy.
(not to beat the proverbial dead horse) But they also - which I thought was a brilliant idea - put a "season end pack" up for free at the beginning of intro season in September - including Being Erica, the Border, The Tudors, Little Mosque and Heartland.
And, thankfully, a few of the animation nets have been doing it here for a while - now we just pray for the iTunes TV offer to come here (ever the optimist, am I)
And while I know it's not the same thing, I'm glad CBC streams as many of its shows online as it does ....
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