Fall TV Survey: The Most Anticipated New Shows and More
We know you can't wait for fall TV to arrive… and we've got the numbers to prove it. We here at Yahoo! TV partnered up with Entertainment Weekly to conduct a poll of 2,000 people to see which new shows you're planning to watch this fall. We also learned what returning shows you're dying to see come back, along with all kinds of interesting tidbits about how you watch TV these days. Here, we run down the highlights from our wide-ranging TV survey.
New Shows: 'X' Marks the Spot
With its familiar format and judging panel, it's almost unfair to list Fox's singing competition "The X Factor" along with the other new shows. But respondents indeed picked "Factor" as the new fall show they're most excited to see, with 18% showing interest. Next on your to-do lists are ABC's sexy "Charlie's Angels" reboot (15%) and NBC's "Prime Suspect" remake (12%). Just so we're clear: An "American Idol" clone, a '70s reboot, and a British remake are the most anticipated new shows? Hmmm… looks like originality is overrated.
[Related: See Which New Shows Are Our Editors' Picks]
Returning Shows: Viewers Salute 'NCIS'
No surprise to anyone who follows TV ratings, but CBS's military drama "NCIS" leads the list of most anticipated returning shows; 32% of respondents will be tuning into the show's September 20 season premiere. Fans are also planning to catch CBS's geeky comedy "The Big Bang Theory" (22%) and ABC's dance competition "Dancing With the Stars" (21%) when they return in September. Two sitcoms -- CBS's "How I Met Your Mother" (18%) and ABC's "Modern Family" (17%) -- round out the top five.
[Photos: Meet This Fall's 'Dancing With the Stars' Cast]
'The X Factor': Simon and Paula, Together Again
The reunion of former "Idol" judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul on "The X Factor" has generated plenty of press, but viewer interest seems to be lagging a bit behind the hype. Only 24% of those surveyed described themselves as either "extremely excited" (9%) or "very excited" (15%) to see Simon and Paula on the same panel again. 21% were "somewhat excited," and a majority were either "not excited at all" (31%) or had no opinion (25%). Well, those numbers aren't going to get Simon to stop scowling anytime soon.
[Video: Simon Cowell Tells Us What to Expect From 'The X Factor']
'Two and a Half Men': Sorry, Charlie… Ashton's In
At the risk of igniting a Twitter war, we're finding that viewers are mostly happy with the decision to replace Charlie Sheen with Ashton Kutcher on CBS's "Two and a Half Men." Only 26% of those surveyed said it was a bad move, with 42% saying either that it's an even swap (22%) or that they actually prefer Kutcher (20%). Women were even more likely to favor Kutcher, with 23% siding with the "That '70s Show" alum. So don't be surprised if an influx of female Kutcher fans picks up the ratings slack for any Sheen loyalists who bail on "Men" this season.
[Related: 'Two and a Half Men' Season Premiere Details Leak]
'The Office': Who's the Boss?
Bad news for Dunder Mifflin: Only 11% of those surveyed said they would "definitely" tune into the new season of NBC's "The Office" now that series star Steve Carell has left. 29% of respondents said they probably wouldn't watch the new season, while 24% said it would depend on who's named the new "Office" boss. And as of now, that's no one: James Spader joins the cast this fall, but his character will be climbing the Sabre corporate ladder, not managing the Scranton branch. Better update that résumé of yours, Dwight.
[Video: Watch Full Episodes of 'The Office' Right Here]
Viewing Habits: A Nation of Multi-Taskers
These days, very few of us just sit and watch TV anymore; we have all kinds of high-tech gizmos to play with while we're watching. 47% of those surveyed check their email while in front of the tube, while 34% post on Facebook and 28% text or call their friends. A mere 12% of respondents said they "just watch the show." (What, are their laptops charging?)
A trio of bloodthirsty series tops the list of shows during which viewers post to Facebook or tweet the most: HBO's "True Blood" (29%), Showtime's "Dexter" (29%), and The CW's "The Vampire Diaries" (24%). But some shows are worth switching off all our gadgets for: "True Blood" (58%), along with HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" (57%) and AMC's "The Walking Dead" (57%), were the shows most often cited as ones viewers need to focus on, without doing anything else. Isn't it nice to know that there's still some TV out there that demands our full attention?
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