ADDED NOTE TO THE BLOG BELOW: I just finished watching the "Fringe" that will air tonight (9 p.m. Friday, March 25) and it's extremely good. Please read the blog below and see the hour; sometimes, good things have to good TV shows.
Now the previous blog:
This has been a whip-saw week for fans of well-made TV.
First came the good news -- "Onion News Network" and "Southland" are being renewed by IFC (Independent Film Channel) and TNT. Then the bad -- "Lights Out" won't be back; it wraps up during the next two Tuesdays on FX.
Now comes the best -- and most surprising -- news: "Fringe" has a full-season renewal for next season.
This is a terrific show, with complex plots (at 9 p.m. today, we see the pregnant Olivia hostage in the alternate world, while Walter takes desperate steps to save her) and fine actors. Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson are just right as Olivia and Peter; John Noble is an Emmy-worthy revelation as Walter.
Still, ratings have seemed so-so. Last week, "Fringe" was seen by 3.8 million people, Fox said, putting it at No. 71 among 95 shows. In its Friday slot, it was beaten by NBC's "Dateline" (seven million), ABC's "What Would You Do?" (five million) and CBS' basketball (3.8 million), beating only CW's "Supernatural" rerun (1.3 million).
Then why renew it? The audience is the one advertisers want the most and reach the least -- young and (often) male. Fox says the show leads its time slot in ages 18-49.
There are times when I might grumble about that age bias. Today, it seems like a great idea.