By beginning to think they can influence the decisions of industry players, "You end up writing to a tiny audience of five people, five decision makers, and you've lost the readers," he added.
But if a side-effect of pointing readers toward worthy shows is that networks pay attention to some degree, the reverse does not seem to be true. If negative reviews had similar influence on decision makers, we'd see fewer reality shows.
"I don't think you can break a show, because people are going to watch what they're going to watch," said Gillian Flynn of Entertainment Weekly, pointing out that an audience's relationship with television is far different from movies, where the decision to go out and pay for the entertainment means critical opinion is more valued.
Carter, also the author of Desperate Networks, agreed. "If critics really love a movie, if they really love a book, if they really love a play, they're speaking to a somewhat narrow audience and they can really drive that audience." For television, he believes, "The impact is so minimal. There's a massive amount of people to influence."
But can positive critical opinion actually hurt a show? Carter has heard a network executive say, "If the critics love it, it's going to bomb." He explained, "That becomes a niche show. Critics are a niche audience."
However, as Doyle added, with the proliferation of cable and specialty channels and the fragmentation of the audience, critics may actually be able to influence those niche audiences.
"I do worry sometimes when critics are so behind certain shows that it becomes a collective 'eat your vegetables' sort of thing," EW's Flynn cautioned, pointing to her advocacy of The Wire, which she's afraid will make people tune her out, while the Canadian Press's Bill Brioux gave the example of Arrested Development, the show critics tried to say was "too smart" for people who didn't watch –- not a surefire way to get those people onside.
Denis McGrath, a blogger and TV writer, mentioned that critics often review the pilot episode, but what he appreciates is the reconsidered review, when the show has found its footing. It works both ways: sometimes a praised pilot turns into a mess of a series half way through the season (Studio 60, I'm looking at you), or a weak pilot finds its way as the series progresses, as some critics felt about Heroes, for example.
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