CBS Wins Wednesday Overnights, ABC Slides Week-to-Week

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERThursday, October 8, 2009 Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:CBS Wins, Noticeable Week-to-Week Deterioration on ABC Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time: Don’t Be a Bird Brain ______________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:CBS Wins, Noticeable Week-to-Week Deterioration on ABC Wednesday 10/07/09 HH Rtg/Shr CBS 7.3/12NBC 4.7/ 8Fox 4.4/ 7ABC 4.1/ 7CW 1.6/ 3 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Wednesday, October 8, 2008):NBC: +21, ABC: - 9, Fox: -10, CBS: -13, CW: -33 ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI: NY (CBS) -Better Than Anticipated:Mercy (NBC) -Consistent:Glee (Fox) -Fading Fast:America’s Next Top Model (CW) -Stick to the Summer, Please:So You Think You Can Dance (Fox) -Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):Hank (ABC), The Middle (ABC), Eastwick (ABC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown: Ignited by mainstays Criminal Minds and CSI: NY, CBS got over the Wednesday “hump” in winning overnight fashion, with a 55 percent advantage over distant second-place NBC. Third overall was Fox, followed by a diluted ABC and The CW. Week three of NBC medical drama Mercy dominated the 8 p.m. hour, but just a 4.7 rating/8 share in the overnights makes the Wednesday 8-9 p.m. time period one of the weakest in all of primetime. Even so, Mercy built by nine percent from both it’s week-ago performance (4.3/ 7 on Sept. 30) and year-ago occupant Knight Rider (4.3/ 7 on Oct. 8, 2008). In the battle of the marginally rated ABC and CBS sitcoms, CBS had the advantage as follows: Wednesday 8:00 p.m.The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS): 4.6/ 8 (#1)Hank (ABC): 4.2/ 7 (#3) Wednesday 8:30 p.m.Gary Unmarried (CBS): 4.4/ 7 (#2)The Middle (ABC): 4.0/ 7 (#4) Compared to their week-ago debuts (Hank: 5.3/ 9, The Middle: 5.4/ 9 on Sept. 30), erosion was 21 percent for Hank and 26 percent for The Middle. Considering both were only on par with year-ago failed occupant Pushing Daisies (4.1/ 7 on Oct. 8, 2008), this is very discouraging. And that is truly a shame because I personally think The Middle is very reminiscent of Malcolm in the Middle. Also airing in the 8 p.m. hour was the first fall edition of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance (#3t, 4.1/ 7), which was down by 39 percent from year-ago occupant Bones (6.7/11 on Oct. 8, 2008) and depressed America’s Next Top Model on the CW (2.4/ 4), which was down by 31 percent year-to-year. CBS moved into the overnight winners circle at 9 p.m., care of Criminal Minds at an 8.8/14 -- 100 percent above lead-in Gary Unmarried (but down 15 percent year-to-year). NBC’s relocated Law & Order: SVU finished second overall, with a so-so 5.2/ 9, while week three of ABC’s competing Modern Family (#2: 5.1/ 8) and Cougar Town (#3t: 4.7/ 7) continued to lose steam. Take a look at the three week overnight track for both comedies: Modern Family (ABC)9/23/09: 7.8/129/30/09: 5.8/ 910/06/09: 5.1/ 8 Cougar Town (ABC)9/23/09: 6.8/109/30/09: 5.5/ 910/06/09: 4.7/ 7 While erosion in weeks two and three is not unusual for a new series, both comedies need to settle in by next week. Over at Fox, full season-renewed Glee remained consistent at a forth-place 4.7/ 7. A repeat of The CW’s Melrose Place (in place of canceled freshman drama The Beautiful Life) was barely visible, meanwhile, with a 0.9/ 2. Tops in the overnights at 10 p.m. was CBS’ veteran CSI: NY at an 8.5/14 -- 17 percent below the 10.2/17 it scored on Oct. 8, 2008. Next was NBC’s The Jay Leno Show (4.4/ 7), which was 29 percent above year-ago failed occupant Lipstick Jungle (3.4/ 6 on Oct. 8, 2008), followed by failing ABC freshman drama Eastwick at a 3.4/ 6 – 17 percent below its week-ago performance. Take a look at the three week overnight track: Eastwick (ABC)9/23/09: 5.6/109/30/09: 4.1/ 710/06/09: 3.4/ 6 Considering theatrical The Witches of Eastwick was released 22 years ago, was there any real reason to air a series based on the movie now? Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)_____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Stellar Opening for The Mo’Nique Show on BET:New late night talker The Mo’Nique Show, hosted by comedian and actress Mo’Nique, debuted on cable net BET with 1.5 million viewers on Monday, Oct. 5 at 11 p.m. ET. Comparably, The Mo’Nique Show rose to BET’s highest rated show of the season, with growth over the year-ago time period of a significant 184 percent. -Star Wars: The Clone Wars Scores on Cartoon Network:Season two of Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars (a one-hour episode) opened on Friday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. ET with growth over the year-ago time period average of 14 percent in kids 2-11 (1.28 million), 19 percent in kids 6-11 (969,000) and 19 percent in kids 9-14 (798,000). Results among boys were particularly impressive, with gains of as much as 33 percent among boys 6-11 (873,000). -Ratings Homerun for TBS:Tuesday night’s telecast of the Major League Baseball match-up between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins averaged 6.54 million viewers -- the most-watched MLB tie-breaker game since 1998 and most-watched regular season game on broadcast or cable in 2009. Comparably, this was up by 57 percent from last year’s tiebreaker game between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox, with growth of as much as 50 among adults 25-54 (2.97 million). Source: Nielsen Media Research data_______________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Thursday 10/08/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. FlashForward 9:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy 10:00 p.m. Private Practice CBS: 8:00 p.m. Survivor: Samoa 9:00 p.m. CSI10:00 p.m. The Mentalist NBC: 8:00 p.m. Community (new time period) 8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation 9:00 p.m. The Office (one hour)10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show Fox: 8:00 p.m. Bones 9:00 p.m. Fringe CW 8:00 p.m. The Vampire Diaries 9:00 p.m. Supernatural ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -More NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife:As expected, CBS has renewed recently introduced Tuesday dramas NCIS: Los Angeles and The Good Wife for the remainder of the season, with a backend order for nine additional episodes. Three freshman series to-date have now been picked-up for the full season, with Fox’s Glee the first. Fox’s The Cleveland Show was initially ordered for two seasons. Waiting in the wings for their full season stripes: ABC’s FlashForward, Modern Family and Cougar Town; and CW keeper The Vampire Diaries. Chances are NBC will also give sitcom Community a vote of confidence despite the modest ratings. -In Other Renewal News:HBO has renewed recently introduced sitcom Bored To Death, with production on a second season set to begin in 2010. To-date, the premiere episode of Bored to Death has been seen by 4.1 million viewers on both HBO and HBO on Demand. -Sunday Tryout for Fox’s Floundering Brothers:Fox freshman sitcom Brothers, which dipped to a miniscule 2.26 million viewers and a 0.8 rating/3 share anchoring Friday last week, is being given a shot on Sunday. Fox will air an original episode of Brothers Sunday at 7 p.m. this weekend instead of the planned Cleveland Show encore. Brothers will also air an original episode in its regularly scheduled Friday 8 p.m. time period. -Sneak Peak:Well, folks, I had the early opportunity to sample upcoming TNT drama Men of a Certain Age, a buddy relationship drama about three aging men played by Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula. TNT is known, of course, for some stylish original crime dramas like The Closer and Saving Grace. And Ray Romano is remembered, naturally, as the affable Ray Barone on long running comedy Everybody Loves Raymond. So, it is never easy to “break the mold,” so to speak. But five minutes into Men of a Certain Age, the most potentially addictive relationship drama since thirtysomething, and you will forget that Ray was even in a sitcom. And you will be thankful that TNT is wisely spreading its wings for this satisfying look at men hovering around the half century mark. While I personally can relate to the subject matter, you do not have to be an aging male to enjoy this universally looking drama. Men of a Certain Age premieres on TNT out of The Closer on Monday, Dec. 7 at 10 p.m. ET. ________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:Don’t Be a Bird Brain What was the name of Baretta’s cockatoo? a) Dwayneb) Fredc) Lanced) Mickeye) Polly The answer to yesterday’s question… What state is NBC drama Friday Night Lights set in? a) Georgiab) Louisianac) Missourid) South Carolinae) Texas Is: e) Texas. Dillon, Texas to be exact. -Current kudos goes to:Steve Albright, Mark Amato, Mary Bancroft, Bert Benoliel, Barbara Berman, Carolyn Bisson, Gerry Bixenspan, Kimay Bloch, Marshall Boone, Jordan Breslow, John Brooker, Michael Campellone, Paul Certo, Larry Collins, Shelia Collins, Tom Condosta, Audrey Davis, Sue Doron, Deborah Duncan, John Ferlazzo (2x), Sara Foster, Michael Fruchtman, Adam Giagni, Jason Gold, Maureen Goldman, Todd Goldsbie, Scott Groneman, Joslyn Hansen, Michelle Harrington, Carolyn Becker Hayes, Barb Hemberger, Melissa Hodgdon, Heidi Hoffmeister, Michael Holland, Mark Howorth, Kerry Hughes (2x), Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Shelly Johnson, Deb Kainer, Karen Kavanagh, Tom Kilgallon, Mary Kinoshita, Kristopher Koller, Mark Krause, Steven Kurtzer, Valerie Langan, Stephen LaRue, Michael Lehman, Rick Locke, Patty Lynch, Kerri Madden, Keith Marder, Michael McCray, Tricia McKee, Kathy McClung, James Moore, Michael Murphy, Stephen Narissi, Mashawn Nix, Bill Nuss, Aaron Paquette, Joe Pedri, Jimmy Pennington, Alex Petrilli, Jr., Greg Phelan, Marianne Seye Precetti,Con Rigg, Bruce Robinson, Tina Rolon, Jay Rossi, Colleen Roth, Harley David Rubin, Russell Schwartz, Allan Schwegmann, Marni Setless, Mark Simmons, Jenny Smith, Kim Smith, Karen Soots, Robbie Sosna, Lonnie Staley, Jeff Stuewe, David Williams, Joel Wolk, Ged Young

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CBS Wins Wednesday Overnights, ABC Slides Week-to-Week

Marc Berman

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