Fox's "Almost Human" Gimmick Proves Just How Good TV Has Become

Quality programming has become so easy to find that desperate networks are turning to gimmicks in order to get viewers to tune in live, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video.

Consider 21st Century Fox , which moved the pilot for sci-fi cop show Almost Human from Nov. 4 to Nov. 17 and then added a second episode a day later. Doubling down like that was bound to draw in curious browsers, Tim says.

Now we know the strategy worked. Sunday's pilot drew 9.18 million viewers, according to Nielsen. Episode two added 6.76 million more in a tough matchup with CBS' How I Met Your Mother and ABC's Dancing With the Stars. Presuming the numbers hold, Fox could end up vying for the No. 2 spot in Monday night's broadcast-ratings battle.

For broadcast TV viewers, this back-to-back episode stunt is as close as they'll get to the "batch viewing" experience that's become common on Netflix. Did it make a difference? Do you plan to keep tuning into Almost Human? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take and then leave a comment to let us know where you stand.

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The article Fox's "Almost Human" Gimmick Proves Just How Good TV Has Become originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the Motley Fool Rule Breakers stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Netflix at the time of publication. Check out Tim's web home and portfolio holdings or connect with him on Google+, Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.The Motley Fool recommends Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of Netflix. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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