Lackluster Early Summer Results

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERMonday, June 8, 2009 Prime-Time Ratings:Weekend Highlights Ratings Box:What's Hot/What's Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time:The Temperature is Rising ___________________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Ratings:Weekend Highlights Friday 6/05/09Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr NBC 3.9/ 8CBS 3.7/ 7ABC 2.4/ 5Fox 2.0/ 4CW 0.7/ 1 -Total Viewers:NBC: 5.77 million, CBS: 5.58, ABC: 3.41, Fox: 3.17, CW: 1.03 -Adults 18-49: NBC: 1.4 rating/5 share, CBS: 1.1/ 4, ABC and Fox: 1.0/ 4 each, CW: 0.4/ 2 -------------------- Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 20 percent at this same point last year to approximately 28 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted. ---------- -Friday’s Winners:Nothing -Friday’s Losers (excluding repeats):Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Fox) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:There is not much to say on this first Friday in June, with the top-rated network, NBC, averaging only 5.77 million viewers and a 1.4 rating/5 share among adults 18-49. NBC’s “victory” comes as a result of a repeat of news special Inside the Obama White House (Viewers: #1, 5.59 million; A18-49: #1, 1.4/ 5 from 8-10 p.m.) and a 10 p.m. edition of Dateline (Viewers: #1, 6.13 million; A18-49: #1, 1.6/ 6), which is all over the schedule this summer. Next fall, look for relocated Law & Order and Southland from 8-10 p.m., followed by talker The Jay Leno Show. Personally, speaking 8 p.m. is too early for Law & Order. CBS finished second overall with its encore line-up of Ghost Whisperer (Viewers: #1, 5.42 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.1/ 5), Flashpoint (Viewers: #2, 5.53 million; A18-49: #2, 1.0/ 4) and Numb3rs (Viewers: #2, 5.78 million; A18-49: #3, 1.2/ 4). As a reminder, former NBC drama Medium steps into the 9 p.m. hour on CBS on Friday in place of Flashpoint in September, which is scheduled to return in midseason. Third-place ABC (which tied Fox in the demo) aired a repeat of Wife Swap at 8 p.m. (Viewers: #4, 3.08 million; A18-49: #4, 1.0. 4), two repeats of canceled Samantha Who? from 9-10 p.m. (Viewers: #4, avg. 2.32 million; A18-49: #4, avg. 0.7/ 3), and veteran newsmagazine 20/20 (Viewers: #4, 4.83 million; A18-49: #2, 1.3/ 5), which is no longer the powerhouse it once was. Next fall, Supernanny anchors Friday for ABC, followed by relocated Ugly Betty and 20/20. Next up was Fox care of game show Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Viewers: #3, 3.55 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.1/ 5), which forgot the audience, followed by a repeat of recently introduced drama Mental at 2.77 million viewers (#3) and a third-place 0.9/ 3 in the demo at 9 p.m. Fox will open up Friday next fall with sure-to-fail new comedy Brothers, followed by returning ‘Til Death and Dollhouse. No…this will not be a positive night for Fox. Last, and very least in every half hour, were repeats of The CW’s canceled Privileged (Viewers: 1.07 million; A18-49: 0.4/ 2), Everybody Hates Chris (Viewers: 888,000; Viewers: 0.4/ 1) and The Game (Viewers: 1.10 million; A18-49: 0.5/ 2). Look for relocated Smallville on The CW at 8 p.m. on Friday next season, followed by unnecessary repeats of America’s Next Top Model. In a nutshell: Fall 2009 – Friday ABC 8:00 p.m. Supernanny (new time) 9:00 p.m. Ugly Betty (new day and time)10:00 p.m. 20/20 CBS 8:00 p.m. Ghost Whisperer 9:00 p.m. Medium (new network, new day and time)10:00 p.m. Numbr3s NBC 8:00 p.m. Law & Order (new day and time) 9:00 p.m. Southland (new day and time)10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show (new) Fox 8:00 p.m. Brothers (new) 8:30 p.m. ‘Til Death (return) 9:00 p.m. Dollhouse The CW 8:00 p.m. Smallville (new day) 9:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (R) Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Saturday 6/06/09Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr CBS 2.9/ 6Fox 2.5/ 5NBC 2.4/ 5ABC 1.7/ 3 -Total Viewers:NBC: 4.28 million, CBS: 4.15, Fox: 4.07, ABC: 2.76 -Adults 18-49: NBC: 1.6 rating/6 share, Fox: 1.2/ 5, ABC and CBS: 0.9/ 3 each ---------- Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 20 percent at this same point last year to approximately 28 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted. ---------- -Saturday’s Winners:Nothing -Saturday’s Losers (excluding repeats):Worst Week (CBS), Harper’s Island (CBS), Pushing Daisies (ABC) and the night overall ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:NBC led the typically lackluster Saturday troops, with a mere 4.28 million viewers and a 1.6 rating/6 share among adults 18-49. And that was the top-rated network! NBC’s embarrassing win comes from game five of The Stanley Cup Finals (Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Redwings), which performed by half-hour as follows: Stanley Cup Finals (NBC) 8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 3.45 million (#2), A18-49: 1.2/ 5 (#1) 8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.33 million (#1), A18-49: 1.7/ 7 (#1) 9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.52 million (#1), A18-49: 1.8/ 7 (#1) 9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.56 million (#2), A18-49: 1.7/ 6 (#1)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.47 million (#2), A18-49: 1.7/ 6 (#1)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.36 million (#2), A18-49: 1.6/ 5 (#1t) Sad, isn’t it, when the top-rated option scores under a 2-rating in the demo? CBS opened the evening with a repeat of The New Adventures of Old Christine (Viewers: #4, 2.21 million; A18-49: #4, 0.5/ 2), followed by the final episode of canceled Worst Week at a miniscule 1.91 million viewers and a 0.5/ 2 among adults 18-49 at 8:30 p.m. -- last in both categories, of course. That led into another burn-off episode of canceled Harper’s Island (Viewers: ##, 3.61 million; A18-49: #3, 0.9/ 3 at 9 p.m.), followed by at repeat of 48 Hours Mystery at 6.78 million viewers (the most-watched show of the evening) and a second-place 1.4/ 5 in the demo at 10 p.m. Fox, of course, aired its perennial combination of Cops (repeat and original – Viewers: #3, avg. 3.38 million; A18-49: #3, avg. 1.0/ 4), which is not what it used to be, and America’s Most Wanted (Viewers: #1, 4.76 million; A18-49: #2, 1.4/ 5). And ABC capped off this abysmal evening with repeats of Wipeout (Viewers: #2, 3.73 million; A18-49: #2, 1.2/ 5) and Here Comes the Newlyweds (Viewers: #4, 2.27 million; A18-49: #4, 0.8/ 3) from 8-10 p.m., followed by another burn-off installment of ABC’s Pushing Daisies (Viewers: #3, 2.29 million; A18-49: #3, 0.8/ 3 at 10 p.m.). Truth be known, I never understood what all the creative hoopla was about Pushing Daisies to begin with. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Note: The metered market (overnight) results for Sunday, June 7 were not available at press time. As for The 63 Annual Tony Awards on CBS: Billy Elliot, the movie turned musical, was the big winner, with 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. On a personal note, Trent Kowalik (one of the three teenage boys who shared the trophy for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical) is a resident of my hometown, Wantagh. Congratulations, Trent (and David Alvarez and Kiril Kulish!). Other top Tony Award honors went to God of Carnage for Best Play, The Norman Conquests for Best Revival of a Play, Hair for Best Revival of a Musical, and the great Liza Minelli for Liza’s at the Palace as Best Special Theatrical Event. For a complete listing of the winners, click on www.tonyawards.com. Source: Nielsen Media Research data____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What's Hot/What's Not -Solid Results for USA on Thursday:Based on the final national ratings for Thursday, June 4, season three of USA’s Burn Notice kicked-off at 9 p.m. with a record 6 million viewers, 2.8 million adults 25-54, 2.5 million adults 18-49 and 1.2 million adults 18-34. Comparably, this built over its season two opener by 11 percent in total viewers, seven percent in adults 18-49 and four percent among adults 25-54. Burn Notice, in fact, outdelivered the debut of Canadian drama The Listener on NBC demographically. Lead-out Royal Pains premiered with similar results -- total viewers (5.5 million), adults 25-54 (2.5 million), adults 18-49 (2.3 million) and adults 18-34 (1.1) -- at 10 p.m. And it also beat a second episode of NBC’s competing The Listener. Royal Pains, in addition, delivered more total viewers and adults 18-49 than the series premieres of USA originals In Plain Sight and aforementioned Burn Notice. Source: Nielsen Media Research data ________________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Monday 6/08/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. The Bachelorette (two hours) 10:00 p.m. Here Come the Newlyweds CBS: 8:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R) 8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R) 9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men (R) 9:30 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R, time period premiere)10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami (R) NBC: 8:00 p.m. I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! (two hours)10:00 p.m. Dateline (time period premiere) Fox: 8:00 p.m. House (R) 9:00 p.m. Bones (R) CW: 8:00 p.m. Gossip Girl (R) 9:00 p.m. One Tree Hill (R) MNTV 8:00 p.m. Masters of Illusions (R) 9:00 p.m. Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed (R) Of Note on Cable: -Weeds (Showtime) – 10 p.m. (season premiere)-Nurse Jackie (Showtime) - 10:30 p.m. (series premiere)Former Sopranos star Edie Falco segues from mob wife to a frazzled emergency room nurse in a busy New York City hospital. ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Blonde Charity Mafia Held Until Midseason:Scheduled summer CW entry Blonde Charity Mafia, a docu-series about the lives of Washington, D.C.’s most influential 20-something Alpha Girls, has been delayed until midseason. Blonde Charity Mafia, which was originally scheduled for Lifetime, was supposed to launch with back-to-back half hours on Tuesday, July 7. There is no word at press time what will air in its place. -Early Start for ABC’s Shark Tank:Upcoming ABC reality/competition Shark Tank, which features budding entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to a panel of venture capitalists, will launch on Sunday, August 9 at 9 p.m. ET (out of the return of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire). On August 25 it moves into its regularly scheduled Tuesday 8 p.m. time period. -Multi-Faceted High School Sports Package from Target Vision:Distributor Target Vision is offering a multi-media advertising package profiling the top national and local college and high school sports talent. The available platforms are TV series Sports Stars of Tomorrow in first-run syndication and Future Phenoms on cable, high school sports websites Prep Ticket and Sports Stars of Tomorrow, and the creation of marketing opportunities at key high school and youth sports related events. For more information, contact Phil Oldham at 914/834-6739 or poldham405@aol.com. _______________________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:The Temperature is Rising Which one of the following was not the actual title of a regularly scheduled primetime TV series? The Burning ZoneCold FeetCool McCoolThe Hot L BaltimoreHot Pursuit The answer to Friday’s question… Who was Marc Cherry’s first choice to play Susan on Desperate Housewives? Christina ApplegateCourteney Cox ArquetteValerie BertinelliAmy BrennemanSela Ward Is: b) Courteney Cox Arquette, who was pregnant at the time the pilot was made. Too bad…she certainly would have been better than “has been” Teri Hatcher. -Current kudos goes to:Michelle Yarborough-Bauer, Barbara Berman, Gerry Bixenspan, Annie Courtney, John Ferlazzo, Arleen Fong, Maureen Goldman, Barb Hemberger, Bob Ingersoll, Marie Lefevre Karp, Debbie Mirr, Michael Murphy, Tony Naldrett, Gordon Purcell, Zohrain Zafar

Convergent TV

Lackluster Early Summer Results

Marc Berman

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Marc Berman