Ratings… We all hate them. They’re the things that keep programs like American Idol on the air but shut out shows like Lone Star. It’s no secret that the system is out-dated. When the Nielsen Ratings were first established, the only way to watch television was through, well, a television. There was no on-demand cable, no internet, no laptops… you get the point. Because of the archaic nature of the current system, many eye-balls are not counted, and thus, fan favorite shows get cancelled (I’m still shedding a tear for CHASE). It’s not that the networks have a vendetta against fan-favorite programming, they just need it to be profitable. And if the data says “this works, but this doesn’t” that’s what they’ll follow. In other words: Don’t hate the playa, hate the game. But thanks to CBS, it looks like that game might be changing sooner, rather than later.