CBS and Fox Lead Week of July 12

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THE PROGRAMMING INSIDER

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

 

Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:

NBC Inches Past CBS; Fox the Network to Beat Among Adults 18-49

 
National Ratings in Prime-Time:

Week of July 12, 2010

 

Ratings Box:

What’s Hot/What’s Not

 

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options 

 

TV Tidbits:

Notes of Interest

 

TV Trivia Time:

A Clean Question
________________________________________________________________________________

Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:
NBC Inches Past CBS; Fox the Network to Beat Among Adults 18-49

 

Tuesday 7/20/10

 

              HH
          Rtg/Shr

NBC 5.4/ 9
CBS   5.3/ 9
Fox    4.5/ 7
ABC 3.1/ 6
CW    0.6/ 1
 
———-
 

-Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Tuesday, July 21, 2009):

CBS: +29, ABC: +24, Fox: +15, CW: no change, NBC: – 8
  
———-
 

-Yesterday’s Winners:

NCIS R (CBS), Wipeout (ABC), Hell’s Kitchen (Fox), America’s Got Talent (NBC)

 

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):

Losing it With Jillian (NBC), Downfall (ABC), Primetime: Family Secrets (ABC)

 
———-
 

-Ratings Breakdown:

NBC inched past CBS for overnight Tuesday dominance, with a 0.1 rating point advantage. Third overall was a night of Hell’s Kitchen on Fox, which is poised for nightly victory among adults 18-49, followed by ABC and more repeats on The CW.

 

A repeat of older-skewing CBS powerhouse NCIS opened the evening with a dominant 6.8 rating/12 share in the overnights at 8 p.m. Second in the time period was ABC summer favorite Wipeout (4.9/ 8), followed by the first hour of Hell’s Kitchen on Fox (4.4/ 7), the season (or series) finale of NBC clinker Losing it With Jillian (2.8/ 5), and a repeat of tired One Tree Hill on The CW (0.7/ 1). Dominance among adults 18-49 should be neck-and-neck between Wipeout and Hell’s Kitchen. Note to Jillian Michaels: stick to The Biggest Loser and avoid any future summer series. 

 

NBC moved into the overnight winner’s circle at 9 p.m. care of the first half of a two-hour installment of America’s Got Talent, which scored a very healthy 6.7/11. Comparably, that outdelivered the 8:30 p.m. portion of lead-in Losing it With Jillian (2.9/ 5) by a whopping 131 percent. In the No. 2 spot was a repeat of CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles (5.2/ 8), followed by the second hour of Hell’s Kitchen on Fox (4.6/ 7), failing ABC game show Downfall (2.1/ 3), and a repeat of Life Unexpected on The CW (0.5/ 1). The dominant player among adults 18-49 in this time period will either be America’s Got Talent or Hell’s Kitchen.

 

First at 10 p.m. remained America’s Got Talent on NBC with a 6.8/11. Overall America’s Got Talent averaged a 6.7/11 in the overnights from 9-11 p.m., with the half-hour breakdown as follows:

 
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
 9:00 p.m.: 6.5/10 (#1)
 9:30 p.m.: 6.8/11 (#1)

10:00 p.m.: 6.9/11 (#1)

10:30 p.m.: 6.6/11 (#1)

 

Second at 10 p.m. was a repeat of CBS’ multi Emmy-nominated The Good Wife (4.0/ 7), followed by Primetime: Family Secrets on ABC at a mere 2.4/ 4. Too many summer newsmagazines have not been beneficial to ABC. As for The Good Wife, if I were Julianna Margulies I would have the Emmy acceptance speech ready.

 

As a reminder, here is what you will be seeing on the broadcast networks on Tuesdays this fall (with new shows in caps and bolded.). ABC would benefit if it flipped the time periods for upcoming No Ordinary Family and Dancing With the Stars, giving the new drama proven lead-in support. And while new ensemble crime solver Detroit 1-8-7 might not have an easy time opposite returning The Good Wife and Parenthood, chances of new Fox comedies Raising Hope and Running Wilde finding an audience are slim to none. 

 
ABC
 8:00 p.m.: NO ORDINARY FAMILY
 9:00 p.m.: Dancing With the Stars (new time)
10:00 p.m.: DETROIT 1-8-7
 
CBS
 8:00 p.m.: NCIS
 9:00 p.m.: NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00 p.m.: The Good Wife
 
NBC
 8:00 p.m.: The Biggest Loser (two hours)
10:00 p.m.: Parenthood
 
Fox
 8:00 p.m. Glee (new time)
 9:00 p.m.: RAISING HOPE
 9:30 p.m.: RUNNING WILDE
 
CW
 8:00 p.m.: One Tree Hill (new day)
 9:00 p.m. Life Unexpected (new day)
 

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

 
 

National Ratings in Prime-Time:

Week of July 12, 2010

 

It was another week of split summer leadership, with CBS first in households and total viewers for the fourth consecutive week, and the home of The Baseball All-Star Game, Fox, No. 1 in the three key demos — adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34. Both networks, and NBC, were close to year-ago levels. 

 

Elsewhere, ABC was on the plus side from one year earlier, finishing second in adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 (tied with NBC), with growth of as much as 21 percent in total viewers. Last-place The CW grew one-tenth of a rating point in each of the demos, which translated into a 33 percent increase. There is something to be said sometimes for low ratings!

 

In specials news, The 2010 Major League Baseball Game on Fox topped the charts at 12.12 million viewers and a 3.8 rating/12 share among adults 18-49 on Tuesday. But one year earlier, the results were noticeably stronger at 14.59 million viewers and a 4.7/14 in the demo on Tuesday, July 13, 2009. Over at NBC, made-for movie (and failed pilot) The Jensen Project has no shot of making it to a series order, with just 3.58 million viewers (#64 overall) and a 0.8/ 3 in the demo (tied for No. 71) in the Friday 8-10 p.m. block. 

 

In the halls of CBS are three weekly hours of summer addiction Big Brother, which continue to trend upwards from one year earlier with a top 20 ranking in total viewers and top 10 ranking among adults 18-49. Take a look:

 

Big Brother (CBS)

Wednesday 8 p.m. – Viewers: 6.38 million (#20), A18-49: 2.3/ 8 (#10t)

Thursday 8 p.m. – Viewers: 7.10 million (#14), A18-49: 2.4/ 9 (#8t)

Sunday 8 p.m. – Viewers: 6.92 million (#15), A18-49: 2.3/ 8 (#10t)

 

What follows are the final national ratings for the week of July 12, 2010 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago week in parentheses), followed by the freshman summer series scorecard (in order of total viewers), the top 30 rated programs of the week and the top rated networks on basic cable.  

 
Freshman Summer Series Scorecard
 
Rookie Blue (ABC): Thursday 9 p.m.
Viewers: 6.38 million (#2), A18-49: 1.7/ 6 (#19t)
 
Losing it With Jillian (NBC): Tuesday 8 p.m.
Viewers: 3.94 million (#54), A18-49: 1.4/ 5 (#34t))
 
Downfall (ABC): Tuesday 9 p.m.

Viewers: 3.66 million (#61), A18-49: 1.3/ 4 (#38t)

 
The Good Guys (Fox): Monday 9 p.m.

Viewers: 3.42 million (#66), A18-49: 1.0/ 3 (#56t)

 
Scoundrels (ABC): Sunday 9 p.m.

Viewers: 3.15 million (#72), A18-49: 0.7/ 2 (#78t)

 
The Gates (ABC): Sunday 10 p.m.

Viewers: 3.00 million (#73), A18-49: 0.9/ 3 (#64t)

 
The Bridge (CBS): Saturday 8 p.m.

Viewers: 2.84 million (#75), A18-49: 0.3/ 1 (#92t)

 
Persons Unknown (NBC): Saturday 8 p.m.

Viewers: 1.74 million (#85), A18-49: 0.5/ 2 (#84t)

 

What follows are the final national ratings for the week of July 12, 2010 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago week in parentheses), followed by the top 30 rated programs of the week and the top rated networks on basic cable.  

 

CBS: 3.9 rating/7 share (- 5), Fox: 3.5/ 6 (-10), ABC: 3.2/ 6 (+19), NBC: 3.2/ 6 (- 6), CW: 0.6/ 1 (no change)

-Total Viewers:

CBS: 6.03 million (- 3), Fox: 5.60 (-10), NBC: 5.13 (- 3), ABC: 5.02 (+21), CW: 980,000 (+ 7)

 

-Adults 18-49:

Fox: 1.9 rating/6 share (-10), ABC: 1.5/ 5 (+15), NBC: 1.4/ 5 (no change), CBS: 1.3/ 4 (- 7), CW: 0.4/ 1 (+33)

 

-Adults 25-54:

Fox: 2.1/ 6 (- 9), CBS: 1.9/ 6 (- 5), ABC: 1.8/ 5 (+20), NBC: 1.8/ 5 (no change), CW: 0.4/ 1 (+33)

 

-Adults 18-34:

Fox: 1.7/ 7 (- 6), ABC and NBC: 1.1/ 4 (+10 each), CBS: 0.9/ 3 (no change), CW: 0.4/ 1 (+33)

 
——————–
 
 Top 30 Rankings
 

-Total Viewers:

2010 MLB All-Star Game (Fox): 12.12 million, America’s Got Talent – Tuesday (NBC): 11.63, America’s Got Talent – Wednesday (NBC): 11.44, NCIS R (CBS): 10.21, The Bachelorette (ABC): 9.64, MLB All-Star Game Pre-Game (Fox): 9.18, NCIS: Los Angeles R (CBS): 8.15, 60 Minutes (CBS): 7.84, The Big Bang Theory R (CBS) and Wipeout – Thursday (ABC): 7.82 each, Two and a Half Men R (CBS): 7.77, The Mentalist R (CBS): 7.46, Big Brother – Thursday (CBS): 7.10, Big Brother – Sunday (CBS): 6.92, 20/20 (ABC): 6.90, Minute to Win It (NBC): 6.73, CSI R (CBS): 6.66, CSI: Miami R (CBS): 6.46, Big Brother – Wednesday (CBS) and Rookie Blue (ABC): 6.38 each, Criminal Minds R (CBS): 6.27, So You Think You Can Dance – Wednesday (Fox): 6.02, Law & Order: SVU R (NBC): 5.98, Cold Case R (CBS): 5.81, Flashpoint (CBS) and Lie to Me (Fox): 5.71 each, America’s Funniest Home Videos R (ABC): 5.69, So You Think You Can Dance – Thursday (Fox): 5.67, Primetime: What Would You Do? R (ABC): 5.61

 
 -Adults 18-49:

2010 MLB All-Star Game (Fox): 3.8 rating/12 share, America’s Got Talent – Tuesday (NBC): 3.3/10, America’s Got Talent – Wednesday (NBC): 3.1/10, The Bachelorette (ABC): 3.1/ 9, 2010 MLB All-Star Game Pre-Game (Fox): 2.7/10, Wipeout – Tuesday (ABC): 2.7/ 9, Wipeout – Thursday (ABC): 2.5/ 9, Big Brother – Thursday (CBS): 2.4/ 9, The Big Bang Theory R (CBS): 2.4/ 7, So You Think You Can Dance – Wednesday (Fox) and Big Brother – Sunday (CBS): 2.3/ 8 each, Two and a Half Men R (CBS): 2.3/ 7, Family Guy R (Fox, Sunday 9:30 p.m.): 2.1/ 6, Minute to Win It (NBC): 2.0/ 7, So You Think You Can Dance – Thursday (Fox) and Family Guy R (Fox, Sun. 9 p.m.): 2.0/ 6 each, Lie to Me (Fox): 1.8/ 6, Rookie Blue (ABC): 1.7/ 6, Last Comic Standing (NBC), Rules of Engagement R (CBS) and The Cleveland Show R (Fox): 1.7/ 5 each, True Beauty (ABC), NCIS R (CBS) and Law & Order: SVU (NBC): 1.6/ 5 each, Primetime: What Would You Do? R (ABC) and America’s Funniest Home Videos R (ABC): 1.5/ 6 each, 20/20 (ABC), How I Met Your Mother R (CBS), The Mentalist R (CBS) and The Simpsons R (Fox): 1.5/ 5 each

 

——————–

 
CABLE
 

What follows are the top 10 rated networks on cable in prime-time for the week of July 12 based on total viewers and the three key demos:

 

Total Viewers:

USA: 3.25 million, TNT: 2.63, Fox News: 1.96, TBS: 1.89, ESPN: 1.86, Discovery: 1.67, History: 1.52, ABC Family: 1.46, Nick at Nite: 1.45, Cartoon Network: 1.37

 

Adults 18-49:

USA: 1.24 million, TBS: 1.02 million, Discovery: 945,000, ESPN: 941,000, TNT: 917,000, History: 673,000, ABC Family: 668,000, Comedy Central: 653,000, FX: 646,000, Food Network: 605,000

 

Adults 25-54:

USA: 1.37 million, TNT: 1.11 million, Discovery: 1.00 million, TBS: 941,000, ESPN: 914,000, History: 735,000, A&E: 653,000, Food Network: 644,000, FX: 611,000, Syfy: 593,000

 

Adults 18-34:

USA: 571,000, TBS: 538,000, ESPN: 476,000, Comedy Central: 447,000, MTV: 413,000, Discovery: 385,000, ABC Family: 382,000, TNT: 329,000, FX: 310,000, History: 301,000

 

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

 
 

Ratings Box:

What’s Hot/What’s Not

 

-Network News Ratings Update:

Based on the final national ratings for the week of July 12, The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams remained the dominant player at 7.55 million viewers and a 1.8 rating/8 share among target adults 25-54. Second was the ABC World News with Diane Sawyer (Viewers: 6.64 million; A125-54: 1.4/ 6), followed CBS’ Evening News with Katie Couric at 5.09 million viewers and a 1.3/ 5 in the demo. Given CBS’ ongoing disadvantage, Katie Couric really should consider replacing Larry King on CNN. 

 

-Disney Channel Highlights:

Also based on results for the week of July 12, Sunday’s all new telecast of Sonny With a Chance on Disney Channel rose to a series-high in total viewers (6.1 million), kids 6-11 (2.6 million) and tweens 9-14 (2.6 million) at 8:30 p.m. On Friday, Wizards of Waverly Place at 8:30 p.m., a Morgan Berman favorite, scored its largest audience (3.6 million) since Feb. 26, and best in tweens 9-14 (1.4 million) since April 16.

 
Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)
 
 

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

 

Wednesday 7/21/10

 

 8:00 p.m. The Middle (R)

 8:30 p.m. The Middle (R)
 9:00 p.m. Modern Family (R)
 9:30 p.m. Cougar Town (R)

10:00 p.m. Castle (R)

 
CBS:
 8:00 p.m. Big Brother
 9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds (R)

10:00 p.m. CSI: NY (R)

 
NBC:
 8:00 p.m. Minute to Win It
 9:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent

10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R)

 
Fox:

 8:00 p.m. So You Think You Can Dance (two hours, 150th episode)

 
CW
 8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (R)
 9:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (R)
 

Of Note on Cable:

-Confessions: Animal Hoarding (Animal Planet), 9 p.m. ET (series premiere)

-I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant (TLC), 9 p.m. ET (season finale)

 
______________________________________________________________________
 

TV Tidbits:

Notes of Interest

 

-Cartoon Network to Revive Hole in the Wall:

Cartoon Network has ordered 10 episodes of half-hour game show Hole in the Wall, which briefly aired on Fox two years ago and features two teams of families in competition as they face down a series of moving barriers with ever-changing cut-out shapes. Hole in the Wall will join Dude, What Would Happen and Destroy Build Destroy in the cable net’s growing inventory of original game shows. 

 

-HFO Fall Series Premiere Dates:

HBO half-hours Bored to Death and Eastbound & Down will open their second seasons in the Sunday 10 p.m. hour on Sept. 26, following the series-premiere of drama Boardwalk Empire. Bored to Death follows a struggling young Brooklyn writer (Jason Schwartzman) who pretends to be a private eye. And Eastbound & Down focuses on a former major league baseball pitcher (Danny McBride) who is desperate to return to the spotlight. 

______________________________________________________________________________
 
TV Trivia Time:
A Clean Question
 

Which one of the following TV characters was asked to appear in a commercial for a laundry detergent called Sunny Suds?

 

a)      Norma Arnold

b)      Peg Bundy

c)      Edith Bunker

d)      Florida Evans

e)      Shirley Partridge

 

The answer to yesterday’s question…

 

Which one of the following series did not continue in first-run syndication after it was canceled by the network?

 

a)      Alf

b)      Fame

c)      Mama’s Family

d)      Silver Spoons

e)      Sirens

 

Is: a) Alf, which aired on NBC from 1986-90. 

 

-Current kudos goes to:
Dave Aiken, Mark Amato, Barbara Bloomfield,
Calvin Caltvedt,
Steve Clements, Harold Cooper, Reid Davis, Andy Ehlen, John Ferlazzo, Michael Holland, Ken Hommel, Kerry Hughes, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Tom Kilgallon, Debbie Mirr, Aaron Paquette, Alan Perris, Alex Petrilli, Jr., Gordon Purcell, Joe Rubi, Neal Sabin, David Shearer, Ronnie Tallant