Networked Insights: NBC’s Fall Shows

NEW YORK: NBC’s The Blacklist with James Spader is expected to do well when it premieres this fall according to Sean Reckwerdt, lead analyst at Networked Insights, which tracks social media to see which shows are resonating with audiences.

"James Spader is pulling people in," Reckwerdt says of the new Monday 10 p.m. show, which was being described by social-media users as a "darker-sounding White Collar." Indeed, 68 percent of conversations tracked referenced a similarity to the USA Network series.

Believe, with J.J. Abrams on board as an executive producer, also gained some social-media traction. According to Networked Insights, 27 percent of the conversation was driven by Abrams. It is, however, delivering less social engagement than Abrams’ other new show, Almost Human on FOX.

The midseason replacement Crisis, meanwhile, was resonating with social-media users for its strong premise.

On the other side of the spectrum, Ironside was among the shows with the weakest social engagement. "It was more of a joke," said Reckwerdt of social-media conversations about the show, largely with people unaware of the original series with Raymond Burr.

Of the batch of new NBC comedies, "The Michael J. Fox Show had a lot of good positive buzz going into the upfronts," Reckwerdt says. "People reacted really well to the teaser trailer NBC released." Meanwhile, "the one that sunk," Reckwerdt notes, was Sean Saves the World. "People are concerned that [Sean Hayes] can’t carry a show and the plot isn’t particularly inspiring."

Reckwerdt also notes some positive buzz around Undateable because of showrunner Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Cougar Town). "But the cast is so-so. They have more hope in the showrunner to create something that’s cool, but the cast and the plot seem questionable."