Ratings debate: Why is NBC’s ‘Revolution’ dropping so fast?

For the first few weeks, it felt as though NBC had a consistent hit on their hands in “Revolution”; but now, we are starting to have our doubts. The much-heralded new series, which got off to a huge start earlier this fall with a 4.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic, has now sunk down to a 2.6. Basically, it has gone from being the most-popular drama series on network television to one on par with “Person of Interest” or “Revenge” and below “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Once Upon a Time,” “NCIS,” or “Criminal Minds.”

So why has this show dropped by such a large margin? Let’s start off here by giving what is the simple answer: the quality has not always lived up to the hype. Charlie is not a likable-enough lead character to get invested into her story, and for too many weeks, it feels like we are watching the same thing with the characters either getting kidnapped, fighting the militia, or rescuing someone. There’s just not that sort of depth you really need to succeed. Compare these first seven episodes to the first seven of “Lost,” where within that span (if you combine the two parts of the pilot as one episode) we already had a clear picture about Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, and many of the other characters.

Could “Revolution” turn it around? It’s possible, but it is much harder for a serial to regain viewership after it loses it than, say, a crime drama like “Castle” where you can watch one week, miss the next two, and then come back and very little has changed. Shows like “FlashForward” or even “Pan Am” last year started to get really strong near the end of their run, but by that time not enough people are watching. There’s no need to overreact about “Revolution” just yet, though: it’s still NBC’s #1 drama series by a large margin, and it is possible that this is just a temporary blip before the show rises back up closer to a 3.0.

Why do you think “Revolution” is losing viewers: is this an issue with quality, people DVRing the show at an increased rare, or are these shows just too much of commitment now with everything else going on in the world?