Senior editor for AdAge, Jeanine Poggi, discusses why this year's Super Bowl advertisers are different than previous years and how that will impact the ads' content. (Feb. 4) AP Entertainment
Queen Latifah is getting the royal treatment for the premiere of her CBS series, "The Equalizer":the time slot right after theSuper Bowl, TV's perennially top-rated program.
The reboot of the 1980s CBS retribution drama, which alsoinspired a 2014 Denzel Washington film and a sequel, is the latest new series to land that coveted time slot, which also has featured other new dramas, established hits andreality showsover the years.
However, that spot is no guarantee of success for a newcomer.For every "The Wonder Years" (1988) or "Homicide: Life on the Street" (1993), there's "MacGruder and Loud" (1985), one of Aaron Spelling's few failures,or the 2019 CBS competition dud "The World's Best", which clearly wasn't. The cushy slot gets a show sampled, but sometimes that just means more people reject it faster.
Like the big game itself, which took a few years to become a ratings bonanza and unofficial national holiday, the post-game slot started modestly, with episodes of family show "Lassie," "G.E. College Bowl" and even golf tournaments getting the not-yet-marquee spot in the early years.
The Super Bowl LV matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers is scheduled to kick off Sunday (6:40 EST/3:40 PST), with "The Equalizer" likely to begin sometime after 10 EST/7 EST.
In a sporting spirit, here are the 10 most noteworthy post-Super Bowl, in chronological order:
Carroll O'Connor, left, and Jean Stapleton starred in "All in the Family," which began the trend of high-profile post-Super Bowl programming when it ran after the big game in 1978.(Photo: NICKELODEON)
Norman Lear's politically charged, TV-altering comedy was wellpast its ratings peak, although still a hit, when the "Super Bowl Sunday" episodeaired. The greater significance is that the episode, in which Archie's bar is robbed on the day of the big game, marks the first time a network scheduled a marquee show after the Super Bowl, which moved to an evening slot that year.
Fred Savage always will be Kevin Arnold from 'The Wonder Years' for many TV fans.(Photo: ABC)
The wistful coming-of-age 1960s comedy is one of the big series-premiere successes, earning critical acclaim and solid ratings over six seasons after its pilot episode attracted almost 29 million viewers. The story ofKevin Arnold (Fred Savage, now a busy TV director), who starts the series at 12,and his suburban family influenced many future comedies with its youthful protagonist ("Freaks and Geeks," "My So-Called Life");that character as older, wisernarrator ("How I Met Your Mother"); and period setting.
This shortened episode of the groundbreaking newsmagazine, which featured Steve Kroft interviewing Bill and Hillary Clinton,is the most significant Super Bowl companion. It's memorable for many things: Bill Clinton denied having an affair with Gennifer Flowers (he later admitted under oath to a sexual encounter), a scandal that threatened his ultimately successful presidential campaign; Hillary Clinton uttered the much-replayed, much-criticized Im not sittin'here, some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette";and the eventual first couple barely escaped severe injury when a light crashed down mid-interview.
Baltimore detectives Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher), left, and Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor) formed one of TV's best cop pairings ever on NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street," which premiered after the Super Bowl in 1993.(Photo: NBC)
Five years after "The Wonder Years" premiere, another TV classic got its start after the Super Bowl. This grittydrama about Baltimore police detectives wasbased on a book by then-newspaper reporter David Simon ("The Wire"). Like every post-Super Bowl premiere, theaudience of 28 million viewers, whichmet the great pairing of Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher) and Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor),proved a ratings high for theshow, which had a brilliant seven-season run without ever becoming a hit.
Not that hugely popular "Friends" needed much help, but Julia Roberts, right, seen with series star Matthew Perry, provided guest-star luster to a 1996 episode that drew more than 52 million viewers, the biggest audience for a post-Super Bowl program.(Photo: AP Photo/BPI Digital Photo from Warner Bros.)
After networks spent years trying to use the Super Bowl's huge audience tolaunch new (but quickly forgotten) shows like "Grand Slam," "Davis Rules" and "Extreme," a one-hour "Friends" episode midway through the smash hit comedy's secondseason satisfied beer-soaked fans with a familiar presence.In "The One After the Super Bowl," Ross' monkey Marcel wins a movie role, so Ross(David Schwimmer) tries to get cast in the same movie as a ploy to reunite with him; Monica and Rachel fight over Jean-Claude Van Damme; and Julia Roberts provides an A-list guest-star turn. The episode averaged nearly 53million viewers, a series high that also marked the most-watched show to ever follow the big game.
One "Survivor" constant, going back to beginning of the groundbreaking competition, is host Jeff Probst, who was on hand for two post-Super Bowl episodes.(Photo: CBS)
Thisextreme test of physical skill and psychological intrigue set in exotic exile led the early reality TV wave and became a ratings tsunamiwhen it premiered in 2000. Interest remained sky-high for the Season 2 premiere, which attracted 45 million viewers, second in series history and a smashing opening forthe most-watched of the show's40 seasons.
Chameleonic super-spy Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) came out from undercover when "Alias" got the high-profile 2003 post-Super Bowl slot.(Photo: BYRON J. COHEN/TOUCHSTONE)
The combination of high-quality spy drama, talentedwriter-producer J.J. Abramsand appealing star Jennifer Garnerdisappointingly added up to the least-watched show (17 million viewers) since high-profileprogramming became a post-game staple four decades ago. The late starting time (after 11 p.m. EST) didn't help.
A cast shot from the early years of "Grey's Anatomy" features Isaiah Washington, left, Chandra Wilson, Sandra Oh, James Pickens, Jr., Ellen Pompeo and T.R. Knight at the rear and Katherine Heigl, left, Justin Chambers and Patrick Dempsey in front.(Photo: FRANK OCKENFELS, ABC)
"Grey's Anatomy" was just revving up for its amazing run 17 seasons and counting when this Season 2 episode, the first of a two-parter,grabbed 38 million viewers with a "Grey's"-worthy emergency: a patient with unexploded ammunition in his chest. Besides the plot, which includesthe sad demise of a bomb squad officer played by Kyle Chandler, the episode also features a steamy shower scene featuringMeredith (Ellen Pompeo), Cristina (Sandra Oh), Izzie (Katherine Heigl) andGeorge (T.R. Knight) that is ultimately revealed to be George's dream. It's a far cry, tonally, from Meredith's recent COVID-fireddreams, one of which featured a philosophical reunion with George, whodied in Season 5.
The episode title says it all: "Prince." The music superstar blew up a transformer with the guest-star wattage he brought to the entertaining Zooey Deschanel comedy. Prince, said to be a fan of the show, not only appeared in the episode, which featured friends Jess (Deschanel) and Cece (Hannah Simone) getting invited toa party at his house, but he performed a new song, "Fallinlove2nite," with Deschanel. Sadly, Prince died just two years later.
Thispivotal Season 2 episode, appropriately titled "Super Bowl Sunday," answered the time-jumping, critically praisedfamily drama's most pressing question: How did Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) die?The patriarch's demise occurred in the aftermath of a late-night house fire after the football-loving familyhadjust watched the 1998 Super Bowl. Jack survived the fire, heroically helping to save his family, before a surprise heart attack triggered by smoke inhalation later took his life. "This Is Us," already a ratings hit, drew 27 million viewers, the most for a scripted post-Super Bowl series since "House" in 2008.
Autoplay
Show Thumbnails
Show Captions
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/02/05/post-super-bowl-shows-friends-greys-anatomy-hits-flops/4362044001/
The rest is here:
10 key shows after the Super Bowl, from 'Friends' to 'Survivor' to Prince on 'New Girl' - USA TODAY
- The Magic Behind 'Grey's Anatomy': CGI, Medical Expertise, and Hollywood Tricks - Collider - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Canadians and Wayne Gretzky: Anatomy of a Relationship on Thin Ice - The New York Times - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Spits & Suds: The Anatomy of how trade deadline deals get done in the NHL - 105.3 The Fan - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Kate Walsh Shares Healthy Habits for Cancer Prevention - Healthline - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- The Anatomy of Fear: Tips on Scoring a Body Horror Movie - No Film School - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Go-to anatomy atlas featuring corpses of Nazi victims revamped by UCLA cardiologist - The Times of Israel - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo Reveals Which Viral Scene from Greys Anatomy Made Her Oldest Daughter Cry (Exclusive) - PEOPLE - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- In Karnataka, the anatomy of three riot-like situations - The Hindu - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo Reveals The Grey's Anatomy's Episode That Made Her Oldest Daughter Cry - Screen Rant - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Heres Whats New on TV This Week Including Grey's Anatomy American Idol, The Righteous Gemstones, and More - Collider - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy cast members who have spoken out about their own serious health conditions - Tyla - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy Returns: Everything You Need to Know Ahead of the Midseason Premiere - TVLine - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- All the Lingering Questions We Need Answered When Greys Anatomy Comes Back - Shondaland.com - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy star Kate Walsh shares important message after being diagnosed with brain tumour - Tyla - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- 'I Couldn't Hold It Together': Ellen Pompeo Recalls Grey's Anatomy Moment That Brought Her and Her Daughter to Tears - CBR - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy star Kate Walsh reveals very subtle warning sign ahead of brain tumour diagnosis - Tyla - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy season 21 part 1 recap: All to remember before part 2 arrives - Sportskeeda - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Season 21 Episode 9: Release date & time, what to expect, and more - Sportskeeda - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- The Splendour of Life, Starring Anatomy of a Fall Actor Camille Rutherford, Picked Up by H264 (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy Sneak Peek: Its Tears for Fears in Your First Look at the Midseason Premiere - TVLine - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Can a Longtime Greys Anatomy Stan Learn to Love the Grim Medical Reality of The Pitt? - Vogue - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy Is Coming Back Next MonthHeres What We Know About That Cliff-Hanger - Glamour - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- New Extremity Box Set Collects 'High Tension,' 'Anatomy of Hell,' 'Frontier(s),' 'Martyrs' on Blu-ray - Bloody Disgusting - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- When Does 'Grey's Anatomy' Return With New Episodes? - TV Insider - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Books of Discovery Expands Access to Premier Anatomy and Physiology Textbooks for Educators and Students - EIN News - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- 10 Scenes That Made Grey's Anatomy Fans Quit the Show (& Never Look Back) - CBR - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Leonardo da Vincis incredible studies of human anatomy still dont get the recognition they deserve - The Conversation - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- The anatomy of a transfer as told by those who make a deal happen - The Athletic - The Athletic - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Nvidia plunge on DeepSeek news illustrates the anatomy of a bubble bursting - Axios - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- How Sarah Drew Turned Her 'Grey's Anatomy' Firing Into a Teachable Moment for Her Kids (Exclusive) - Entertainment Tonight - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Anatomy of a retraction: When cleaning up the literature takes six years - Retraction Watch - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- 2024s Most-Streamed Series Revealed: Bluey, Greys Anatomy, Family Guy and More - Variety - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Sarah Drew Explains How Her Son Micah, 13, Helped Her Get Over the 'Pain' of Leaving Grey's Anatomy - PEOPLE - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Who is Henry in Grey's Anatomy? - Soap Central - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Who is the Director of Grey's Anatomy? - Soap Central - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Is Grey's Anatomy over? - Soap Central - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Beaten by Beloved Animated Series as 2024's Most-Streamed TV Show - CBR - February 3rd, 2025 [February 3rd, 2025]
- Here's When Grey's Anatomy Will Return In 2025 (Confirmed) - The Direct - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- 10 Greys Anatomy Episodes to Revisit While We Wait for Season 21 to Return - Shondaland.com - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Charlies Beat: Learning the Anatomy of a Song - Madison Courier - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Anatomy of a Thriller: The Story of UMass 3OT Win Over Fordham - A10Talk - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Anatomy of a Wrestler: What Makes J'den Cox a Powerhouse on the Matt? - Olympics - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Former Grey's Anatomy writer Elisabeth Finch, who faked cancer, slammed for soliciting donations during L.A. fires - Entertainment Weekly News - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Bitwig Connect 4/12, audio/MIDI interface makes a bridge between software and external gear - Synth Anatomy - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Anatomy of a fall: How Bangladesh's local government was left crippled - The Business Standard - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Meredith's Grey's Anatomy Season 21 Dilemma Exposed 1 Original Character's Overlooked Flaw - Screen Rant - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- KV331 Audio Synthmaster 3, new update 3.1.1 with drum part layer and more for NAMM 2025 - Synth Anatomy - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy writer who faked cancer accused of new scam - NJ.com - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Former Grey's Anatomy writer slammed for soliciting donations during LA fires - Daily Express US - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Melbourne Instruments will showcase a motorized MIDI controller at NAMM 2025 - Synth Anatomy - January 23rd, 2025 [January 23rd, 2025]
- Achieve 17/20 On This Anatomy Quiz And Prove You're No Skeletal Simpleton - BuzzFeed - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Insane MRI images: How one couple redefined anatomy with science - New Zealand Herald - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Season 21 Bringing Back 1 Forgotten Doctor Can Give A Proper Ending To An Unfair Plot - Screen Rant - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- ABC's Big Thursday Night Change Hasn't Been Good For Grey's Anatomy, So What Does The Ratings Dip Mean For 2025? - CinemaBlend - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- The complex anatomy of the bronchial arteries: a meta-analysis with potential implications for thoracic surgery and hemoptysis treatment - Nature.com - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Is Throwing Back To Derek And Meredith's First Meeting To Celebrate The New Year, And I'm McDreaming Of How It All Began - CinemaBlend - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Jim Harbaugh provides anatomy lesson during preview of cold-weather New England game - Awful Announcing - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Season 21 Nailed The Darkest Reality Of Working At Grey Sloan - Screen Rant - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Is 1 Step Closer to Landing an Owen Hunt Replacement Thanks to a Star Who Left the Show 7 Years Ago - CBR - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- 'Grey's Anatomy' Stars Share Mystery Drone Theories - Newsweek - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Yasuda's Grey's Anatomy Ending Revealed Just How Badly The Show Has Wasted 1 Major Character Return - Screen Rant - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- The anatomy of a scoring run for the ages - Peachtree Hoops - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy's Biggest 2024 Exit Is The Worst I've Felt Since George's Death 15 Year Ago - Screen Rant - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Jesse Williams And His Ex-Wife Ordered To Mediate Their Custody Battle - Yahoo Entertainment - January 1st, 2025 [January 1st, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Star Addresses Potential Return Future After Quietly Exiting The Series 7 Years Ago - Screen Rant - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Martin Henderson Would Return To Greys Anatomy If There Is Really Clear Plan For Nathan - Deadline - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Anatomy of the Bank Runs in March 2023 - Liberty Street Economics - - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- The Room Next Door | Anatomy of a Scene - The New York Times - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Greys Anatomy Star Adelaide Kane on Jules Heartbreak, Breaking Down Her Icy Exterior, and Whats to Come for the Rest of the Season - Shondaland.com - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Reveals Show Storyline That 'Stuck With' Her - Newsweek - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Greys Anatomy Cast Changes Amid Mid-Season Finale Revealed: 3 Actors Left the Show, But Multiple Stars Recently Joined! - Just Jared - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Anatomy Raises $19 Million Series A to Scale Their AI Healthcare Lockbox - Business Wire - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Virgin River Star Martin Henderson Is Open to Returning to Greys Anatomy - TV Insider - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Katherine Heigl handles unfiltered anatomy talk with Poise - Campaign US - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Reveals Surprising 'Rule' on Set - Newsweek - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Katherine Heigl references 'Grey's Anatomy' in new ad for taboo product - Newsweek - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Katherine Heigl cracks Greys Anatomy joke in bladder leak ad: I used to be a doctor - New York Post - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Virgin River Star Martin Henderson Is Open to Returning to Greys Anatomy - Black Hills Pioneer - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- FBI recordings show the anatomy of an alleged Chinatown corruption scheme - WBEZ Chicago - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]
- Anatomy of a comeback: Arkansas State rallies from 25 down to beat UAB - KSL.com - December 23rd, 2024 [December 23rd, 2024]