The next few weeks are going to be a bloodbath on the major television networks.
TV Line reports that TV shows are gearing up for lots of major moments as they try to pull in extra viewers during May sweeps. “Sweeps” is the period in which TV networks convince brands they should advertise on their programs next year by showing off how many viewers a show can get in the current year.
And to pull in extra viewers, there’s one very important thing they have to do: Create big TV moments.
The biggest way to draw in viewers is to kill someone, and there are apparently many deaths in the pipeline as TV shows wrap up their spring seasons. TV Line says 21 deaths will occur between Thursday, April 28, and Wednesday, May 25.
With a number that high, no television show is safe. TV Line says that “most” of the deaths occur to “series regulars or recurring characters” on the big five broadcast networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, CW).
As if that weren’t enough, TV Line says the following twists will be occurring in the same shows and to the same high-level people:
- 3 characters are giving birth
- 4 couples will have sex, kiss, or say “I Love You” for the first time
- 3 characters will get pregnant
- 4 weddings
- 5 couples will reunite
- 7 breakups/divorces
- 11 characters may be dead, but we won’t know until next season (these will be cliffhangers)
- 6 characters will be leaving town
- 10 characters will be resurrected / return
- 17 characters will experience “onscreen firings/resignations/major job changes”
- 2 couples will experience engagements or the question will be popped
- 1 time warp/jump
- 1 “cliffhanger involving witness protection”
These deaths and death cliffhangers come on an already very bloody season — we at Hypable have had to deal with big deaths on shows like The Walking Dead, Arrow, Doctor Who, and Teen Wolf.
Who do you think is doomed on your favorite TV show?
Buckle in for a bumpy month, everyone.