Swept Away

"Guess what? I have flaws. What are they? Oh I donno, I sing in the shower? Sometimes I spend too much time volunteering. Occasionally I'll hit somebody with my car. So sue me-- no, don't sue me. That is opposite the point I'm trying to make." — Michael Scott, "The Office"

We are in the midst of May Sweeps. This is one of three times a year (November, February, and May) where the networks compete to see who has the bigger audience. For NBC, this has been a year of highs and lows.

For the first time in a long time, and I do mean a long time, NBC was on the top of the heap in the key demographic (18-49 year olds) in the fall. It was an incredible stroke of good fortune. Then in February, NBC was fifth. There are only four major networks — NBC, ABC, FOX, and CBS — so that's not good. NBC actually finished below Univision, which is not a great sign.

Based on these May numbers, things aren't looking a ton better for NBC in the spring. With upfronts next week — a time when we learn about the new fall schedule — the focus is already on next year. Much like summer for Kansas City Royals fans, when you're in the mire and muck, all you can do is hope in the future.

But what will that future hold? NBC hasn't had a lot of hits the past few years. It's two best new shows this season — "Revolution" and "Hannibal" — are struggling in the spring. "Revolution" will return, but it looks like "Hannibal" is dying a slow death on the vine. Thursday nights on NBC used to be Must-See TV, now it's hard to find the audience that tuned in. And that's likely only to get worse now that "The Office," one of NBC's best rated shows and signature comedy the past few years, is signing off for good this month.

Of course, the case of "The Office" is an example of the long-term problems for NBC. "The Office" should have ended two years ago, instead it limped forward because NBC didn't have any other options. The same happened for "30 Rock," which signed off earlier this winter.

Aside from "The Voice," the past few years have produced only a couple successful shows for NBC. "Revolution" was a hot property in the fall, but it's numbers have been "Smash"-like this spring, leading to some concern about next year. "Grimm" has been a pleasant surprise on Fridays and has put up decent numbers since moving to Tuesdays. Then there's "Chicago Fire," a show no one talks about, that has been a reliable ratings grabber on Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

While Monday's announcement of new shows and the new fall schedule might yield some hope, it remains to be seen if next season will be any better than the one that is fading out of sight as we speak. My guess is it won't.