When you think no one's watching, someone's watching

I've heard it from just about everyone who worked weekends. Especially when referring to Saturday night. "Nobody's watching."

And I've said it myself as a manager, when referring to a noon newscast. "Let's break her in anchoring on the noon. Nobody's watching."

Yes, we may be conditioned into thinking everyone on the planet is out on a date on Saturday night and the only people watching noon shows are agoraphobes who don't like soap operas.

We all couldn't be more wrong.

Check the prime time ratings for the past week. The number one show, and by a longshot, aired on, get this, Saturday night. Granted, it was a NFL playoff game, but still... the number one show aired on a Saturday night. A lot of "someones" were watching.

Back in the 80's the top prime time show aired on Friday night. Dallas was number one for years, and for a time Miami Vice was right on its heels... also airing on Friday night. And this was when a lot of people couldn't even afford a VCR.

Point is, someone out there is always watching. Maybe not in the numbers that usually top the ratings charts, but they're out there. Yet another reason not to phone it in.

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