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Magna: Buzzed-about Shows Tend to Tank

The upcoming television shows that generate big buzz bomb just as often as non-buzz worthy shows, according to a new study from Magna.

Magna tracked shows for the past 10 seasons and found that only 11 of the 39 shows that got the most preseason chatter became hits - just about an average hit rate for all new shows, writes Media Life.

Shows that get little buzz, including ABC’s Lost and Fox’s House, become hits anyway.

Buzz gets people to watch the show’s first episode but, unless the show appeals to them immediately, they won’t come back in such large numbers. “All the buzz and promotion in the world is only designed to get viewers to tune in once,” says Steve Sternberg, executive vice president of audience analysis at Magna. “After that, a show lives or dies on its own merits.”