NBC’s ''The Contender'' takes a beating
by Jay M.
Last Night’s premiere of NBC’s boxing-based reality show “The Contender” failed to K.O. audiences. High ratings were expected for the new reality show due to the controversy of one of the show’s participants committing suicide this past Valentine’s Day in the presence of his girlfriend and mother of his 2-year-old daughter. CBS’ tactic to throw heavy punches in the form of new shows in an effort to thwart the expected high ratings of “The Contender” seems to have worked. However, thanks to "American Idol," FOX finished on top Monday with an 11.0 rating. CBS was a competitive second at 10.4, and then the big drop to third-place as NBC earned a 5.4. Only time will tell if “The Contender” should throw in the towel.
