Media Life Magazine - For media buyers and Planners

TV This Week

At USA, shedding a stalwart in ‘Royal Pains’

Dramedy draws to an end at a time when the network is casting about

By Louisa Ada Seltzer

July 6, 2016

Share |

When it bowed seven years ago, “Royal Pains” was the quintessential USA program. It had a quirky story—two brothers launch a medical concierge service in the Hamptons—and funny characters of the sort USA treasured years ago when its tagline was “Characters Welcome.”

But it’s been a while since the network used that tagline. It’s been trying to evolve from the oddball dramedy model, albeit without much success.

And so it’s little surprise the network has canceled “Pains,” which will air its season finale tonight at 10 p.m.

USA is still figuring out what that new identity will be. It’s tried out some new things during “Pains’” eight-season run.

Casting for a fresh focus for USA

It made a brief foray into comedy that didn’t last, bidding millions on “Modern Family” repeats, and while reality show “Chrisley Knows Best” has posted decent numbers, that’s a tough genre to own on cable. Too many networks already do it and do it better.

Of course, USA also has the unique problem of how to blend wrestling, its top-rated show, into whatever identity it chooses. The program just doesn’t fit into a cohesive programming strategy.

“Pains” probably won’t draw huge numbers tonight, even for nostalgia’s sake. At its peak, the program averaged more than 5 million viewers a week, according to Nielsen, but last week’s managed just 1.3 million.

A look at this week’s top TV draws
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	NBC	“America’s Got Talent” (T)	NBC doubles up on “AGT” as it premieres a second night of auditions on Wednesday night.
8 p.m.	PBS	“SuperNature – Wild Flyers” (N)	Second of three episodes in PBS’s nature series exploring animals and mankind’s ability to master the ability to fly.
9 p.m.	A&E	“Duck Dynasty” (R)	For the show’s 10^th-season premiere, the Robertson clan throws Willie and Korie a 25^th-anniversary party.
10 p.m.	Discovery	“American Tarzan” (R)	Series premiere. Seven physically fit competitors take on a naturally made obstacle course on a Caribbean Island.
10 p.m.	Sundance	“Cleverman” (D)	Season finale. As the Containment Authority closes in, Koen must embrace his Cleverman persona and take a stand.
10 p.m.	USA	“Royal Pains” (D)	Series finale. Boris asks Hank to join him in leaving the Hamptons forever while Evan and Paige consider their own life-altering decision.
THURSDAY, JULY 7
Time	Network	Program	Description
9 a.m. (check local listings)	Syndication	“Live with Kelly” (T)	The cover model for this year’s ESPN The Magazine Body Issue, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, sits alongside Kelly Ripa as designated co-host. An audition for bigger/better things to come?
8 p.m.	Reelz	“Princess Diana: Case Closed” (N)	This retrospective about the events surrounding the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997 kicks off an evening of Diana-related programming.
8 p.m.	USA	“WWE SmackDown!” (T)	On a slow summer night, USA’s perennial magnet for young male viewers should suplex the competition.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Greatest Hits: 1995-2000” (T)	Hanson goes acoustic, John Legend performs and artists team up (Coolio/CeeLo Green, Jewel/Tori Kelly, LL Cool J/Wiz Khalifa, etc.).
10 p.m.	WE	“Match Made In Heaven” (R)	Stevie pulls a ring at the end of this second-season finale. Which of the three finalists in this reality dating show gets to wear it?
10 p.m.	Food Network	“Beat Bobby Flay” (R)	A prominent L.A. chef and a lifelong vegetarian chef take a shot at dressing Bobby down. New time slot for Food Network’s veteran series.
FRIDAY, JULY 8
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	NBC	“U.S. Olympic Trials” (S)	Three hours of live competition in track and field and women’s gymnastics continues to build anticipation for the upcoming Rio Olympics.
8 p.m.	Unimas	“Futbol MLS” (S)	It’s no Copa America Centenario, but a double-header in primetime between competitive MLS soccer teams should boost UniMas’ ratings on a slow night.
9 p.m.	History	“Ancient Aliens” (N)	The theory of an intergalactic council of nine celestial beings guiding humanity through their advice to ancient pharaohs, kings and emperors is discussed by experts.
10 p.m.	TLC	“Killer Women” (N)	Series premiere. Piers Morgan travels to American locales to interview notorious female criminals, their families and survivors of their crime sprees. First up: Erin Caffey, from Gatesville, Texas.
10 p.m.	Lifetime Movie Network	“Blue: A Secret Life” (M)	This short-form web series, starring Julia Stiles as a single mother hiding her escort side job from everyone she loves, is presented in its entirety as a two-hour movie. Eric Stoltz, Kathleen Quinlan and Jeanne Tripplehorn co-star.
11 p.m.	VH1	“The Amber Rose Show” (T)	Series premiere. Half-hour talk show hosted by model and outspoken personality Amber Rose. Expect, in Amber’s own words, “half Conan O’Brien, half a female version of Howard Stern.”
SATURDAY, JULY 9
Time	Network	Program	Description
9 a.m.	ESPN	“2016 Wimbledon Championship” (S)	The women’s final match, live from the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in (where else?) Wimbledon, England.
7 p.m.	Fox	“MLB Baseball Night in America” (S)	It’s either Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Diego Padres taking a short drive over to the Los Angeles Dodgers or the New York Mets welcoming the Washington Nationals for this evening’s game of the week on Fox.
8 p.m.	Lifetime	“Hidden Truth” (M)	A woman tries to prove her brother wasn’t responsible for the death of a teenager, and in the process learns the true mettle of the people in the town where they live.
9 p.m.	Nickelodeon	“Legendary Dudas” (K)	Series premiere. On his first day in middle school, Sam discovers he’s moving up a grade and into his older brother’s homeroom.
9 p.m.	Starz	“Outlander” (D)	Season finale. Claire comes clean with daughter Brianna in the present while Jamie, still in the 18th century, gets sucked into the Battle of Culloden.
9 p.m.	OWN	“Flex & Shanice” (R)	Season premiere. Flex surprises Elijah with special VIP tickets; Crystal feels the urge to resurrect her old R&B group, Crystal Penny.
10 p.m.	AMC	“The American West” (D)	Billy the Kid shooting, Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse debating and Wyatt Earp’s zeal for the law are profiled (and re-enacted) in this installment of the Robert Redford-produced series.
SUNDAY, JULY 10
Time	Network	Program	Description
9 a.m.	ESPN	“2016 Wimbledon Championship” (S)	The men’s final match. Repeats at 3 p.m. on ABC.
3 p.m.	Fox	“U.S. Women’s Open” (S)	Four hours of final-round golf coverage, live from CordeValle in San Martin, CA.
6 p.m.	Univision	“Futbol Mexicano” (S)	Back-to-back championship matches for Liga MX’s Supercopa (Guadalajara vs. Veracruz) and Champion of Champions titles (Tigres vs. Pachuca) should make Univision competitive in primetime.
8 p.m.	Bravo	“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (R)	During the show’s seventh-season premiere, Teresa returns from a stint in prison in time to celebrate the holidays while Melissa breaks ground on her new boutique, Envy.
9 p.m.	History	“D.B. Cooper: Case Closed?” (N)	Premiere of a four-hour documentary, airing over two consecutive nights, that purports to have new clues to the whereabouts and identity of the mysterious hijacker who disappeared in 1971 with a $200,000 heist loot.
9 p.m.	NatGeo	“Original Sin: Sex” (N)	Series premiere of new docu-drama exploring how technology has revolutionized the way people experience sex and/or relate to one another sexually. Because sex sells the more you mention sex, right? So yep, s-e-x … sex!
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.