You’ve been put on Burn Notice
When thinking about top rated television programs, shows like Lost, 24, and The Office come to mind. Television stations ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox have been putting out top-notch television programs for many years. One might be surprised to find out that none of the stations mentioned are leading the pack for the highest rated television programs. In actuality, it is cable station USA.
It turns out that the USA Network produces more television shows that are appealing to people between 18 and 49 years old. The network’s top show is called Burn Notice, which is watched in over three and a half million households.
Burn Notice stars Jeffery Donovan as super spy Michael Weston. Unbeknownst to him, Weston has been fired, rather burned, from the spy business for being an unreliable agent. He takes up refuge in Miami, FL where he is unable to leave due to the government freezing his assets. He now takes on small investigation jobs while he searches for answers on who burned him and why.
That’s the premise, which is not too complicated. The episodes are generally one-story shows that do not expanded on the overall story arc that Weston has set out for himself. Why then is this show so popular?
The most logical answer is that USA puts out new and original programming during the summer. This is generally when the other networks are on hiatus and working on programming for the upcoming fall season. So Burn Notice is competing against reruns and reality programming. As popular as we are made to believe reality television is, most viewers still prefer to be entertained by stories. This works in USA’s favor. Since there is a real lack of competition, there is no need to have complex written scripts. Viewers can check their brains at the door and be entertained. It is simply good summer fun.
Then there is the show’s accessibility. The USA network often has all day marathons of their shows. This includes Burn Notice. Viewers can cuddle up on the couch and spend a good part of the day getting to know Weston and company, or get caught up on any episodes they might have missed.
It also doesn’t hurt that Burn Notice was able to lock down cult-favorite Bruce Campbell as the show’s co-star and often comic relief. Campbell rose to cult-fandom by playing Ash in the Evil Dead and Army of Darkness movies.
With a likeable cast, non-complex scripts, and an almost perfect time slot Burn Notice has made it’s way to the top of the television food chain.