#I've sometimes watched a tv series for several seasons without being able to say what I even feel about it.

[mcrmadness]

Seeing so many posts about the strike and whatnot, and posts shaming those who are bitching about the strike.

Meanwhile I sit here like: you guys actively watch new films and series?

It's so bizarre to me. This year there's 2-3 new films I want to see (and all have already been filmed etc). But about this year's series I have absolutely no clue. I mostly just spend my time watching old classics aka films and series I've been watching a lot in my childhood or teenage years and keep watching for nostalgia reasons, or simply because those films/series ARE good still after all those years. Some of them being better than most stuff that gets released today.

I know I like to recycle medias a lot and constantly need something new, but when time has passed, I have forgotten enough so I'm again able to watch some old favorite of mine and be all hyped about it as if it was the first time ever watching it, but with a hint of nostalgia on top of it.

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

I don’t really understand how TV ratings work in the US but is the show still doing well? I saw some tweets and got a little worried.

I don't think there's any reason to be worried. A couple weeks ago, Tim said on facebook that Lone Star is doing basically the same as it's always done. It can seem a little concerning seeing reports that episodes this season are getting the lowest ratings of any episode of the series. However, you have to put that in perspective.

First, I think as time goes on, people watch network TV as it airs less and less. Just because Lone Star is being watched less as each episode initially airs doesn't mean it's being watched much less overall. They don't only look at the ratings for the night it airs because there are other ways to watch, like on hulu.

Also, when Fox moved Lone Star to Tuesdays, they understood that it was going up against several other similar type shows. It really shows great confidence in Lone Star for Fox to move it to that time slot without the lead in of 911, and from what I've seen, it looks like Lone Star is holding its own. Lone Star has consistently been doing well in the key demographic. I don't know a lot about ratings, but I know that the most important indicator is how well a show is doing in the 18-49 demographic (as in what adults ages 18-49 are watching). Lone Star has won the demographic multiple times this season. I just now checked the ratings for this past Tuesday, and it once again says Lone Star "hit an audience low," however, it "was steady in the demo." This week, there was a four-way tie for the demo win, and Lone Star was one of those four.

Another consideration is the fact that Fox doesn't really have many scripted shows that do as well as or better than Lone Star. It's not like if Lone Star starts doing badly on Tuesday nights Fox has all sorts of other shows to put in its place. I don't think there's really anything else Fox could run in that time slot that would do much better.

Finally, a very important element in all this is that Lone Star isn't an isolated show out there on its own--Fox sees it as part of the 911 franchise. Lone Star and 911 combined are pretty much one of the best things Fox has going for it, at least when it comes to scripted shows. This is a big reason why the rivalry that sometimes arises between OG and Lone Star fans is so ridiculous: both shows benefit when both shows do well. An interview from a couple weeks ago with the Fox Entertainment president had some very comforting lines. He said, "Lone Star came back gangbusters and we love the franchise; they are big successes. Around those kinds of series, there’s always lots to discuss, but right now we foresee having the 911 franchise on our air for as long as we can have it." I think that right there tells us we don't need to be worried right now.

Is it possible that Lone Star might not be renewed for a 5th season? Yeah, it's possible. Anything can happen. Fox could go bankrupt and not be able to afford making the 911 shows anymore, Fox could decide to completely restructure and quit putting any focus on scripted shows, or other things I don't understand about the television industry could happen and cause Fox to decide not to renew. But I think these are pretty remote possibilities, at least in the short term. I feel fairly confident that we can expect a renewal for at least one more season.