March Madness Leads CBS to More Victory

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERWednesday, March 31, 2010 Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:Fox Wins; Solid Showing for ABC National Ratings in Prime-Time:Week of March 22, 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: Supporting Friends ________________________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:Fox Wins; Solid Showing for ABC Tuesday 3/30/10 HH Rtg/Shr Fox 14.2/21ABC 7.5/12CBS 6.6/10NBC 4.9/ 8CW 1.0/ 2 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Tuesday, March 31, 2009):ABC: +39, Fox: +28, NBC: -14, CBS and CW: -33 each ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:American Idol (Fox), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), Lost (ABC) -Honorable Mention:NCIS R (CBS), NCIS: Los Angeles R (CBS) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):90210 (CW), Melrose Place (CW) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:It was an easy overnight Tuesday victory for Fox, with the two-hour edition of American Idol at a rock-solid 14.2 rating/21 share from 8-10 p.m. Comparably, this was nine percent above the 90-minute edition on the year-ago evening (13.0/20 on March 31, 2009). Take a look at the half-hour breakdown: American Idol (Fox)8:00 p.m.: 12.7/20 (#1)8:30 p.m.: 13.6/21 (#1)9:00 p.m.: 15.2/23 (#1)9:30 p.m.: 15.2/22 (#1) As for the bottom three tonight, my predictions are awful Didi Benami; overrated Siobhan Magnus, who needs to stop screaming; and perennial cellar-dweller Tim Urban. My pick to bid adieu: Didi Benami. Over at ABC, the live Dancing With the Stars results show finished a comfortable second in the overnights, with a 10.5/16 from 8-9 p.m. Hero Buzz Aldrin remaining in the competition was no surprise. The sentimental vote carried him through. But Pamela Anderson and Shannen Doherty in the bottom two and Shannen the first to depart were clearly shockers. I guess Shannen’s bad girl past finally caught up with her. Stop smiling, Tori! Next on ABC was demo friendly Lost at a second-place 7.1/11 in the overnights at 9 p.m., followed by the return of V at a second-place 5.1/ 9 at 10 p.m. Comparably, retention for V out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of Lost (6.8/10) was an acceptable 75 percent. While ratings for V were far from extraordinary, it was an improvement from recent occupant The Forgotten (which I am sure you have forgotten by now!). CBS, which finished an atypical third overall, aired repeats of NCIS (#3: 7.2/11), spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles (#3: 6.8/10) and The Good Wife (#1: 5.7/ 9). NBC had nothing unusual to report with its combination of The Biggest Loser (5.0/ 8 from 8-10 p.m.) and Parenthood (#3: 4.6/ 8 at 10 p.m.). And The CW was completely out of the competitive mix with its line-up of already renewed 90210 (#5: 1.2/ 2) and waiting-to-be-axed Melrose Place (#5: 0.9/ 1). As for The Biggest Loser, from a ratings perspective it is not one of the better seasons. But there was still growth in the overnights by half-hour as follows: The Biggest Loser (NBC)8:00 p.m.: 4.6/ 7 (#4)8:30 p.m.: 4.7/ 7 (#4)9:00 p.m.: 5.1/ 8 (#4)9:30 p.m.: 5.6/ 8 (#4) Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)_____________________________________________________________________________ National Ratings in Prime-Time:Week of March 22, 2010 With two more nights of ongoing March Madness in the mix (Thursday and Friday), plus the opening hours on Saturday and Sunday, CBS dominated this final full week in March in households, total viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. The home of American Idol, Fox, finished first among adults 18-34. Comparably, CBS was close to one year earlier (which also included NCAA Basketball), while Fox dipped by margins of 13 to 21 percent in the five surveyed categories. Here is a tracking for the two full nights of NCAA Basketball: 2010 NCAA Basketball: Regional Semi-Finals – Day 1 – Thursday 8 p.m.Viewers: 11.32 million (#14), A18-49: 4.3/14 (#7) 2010 NCAA Basketball: Regional Semi-Finals – Day 2 – Friday 8 p.m.Viewers: 11.08 million (#16), A18-49: 3.7/12 (#12t) Next up was ABC, which finished third across the board (at double-digit year-to-year losses), followed by NBC, which was down less significantly, and The CW, which was on par with the year-ago week. In series-premiere news, half-hour CW docudrama Fly Girls did not fly with a mere 1.16 million viewers (#91) and a 0.4 rating/ 1 share among adults 18-49 (#92) in the Wednesday 9 p.m. half-hour. Considerably stronger on ABC was the Friday 9 p.m. time period launch of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, which held up admirably opposite basketball on CBS with 7.47 million viewers (#31) and a 2.6/ 8 among adults 18-49 (#33t). As for the freshman midseason scorecard, Undercover Boss (CBS) – Sunday 9 p.m.Viewers: 16.72 million (#4), A18-49: 5.1/13 (#5)Grade: A Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (ABC) – Friday 9 p.m. (time period premiere)Viewers: 7.47 million (#31), A18-49: 2.6/ 8 (#33t)Grade: B Parenthood (NBC) – Tuesday 10 p.m.Viewers: 7.01 million (#38), A18-49: 2.7/ 8 (#29t)Grade: C+ Human Target (Fox) – Wednesday 8 p.m.Viewers: 6.80 million (#40), A18-49: 2.0/ 6 (#40t)Grade: C The Marriage Ref (NBC) – Thursday 10 p.m.Viewers: 6.62 million (#42), A18-49: 2.5/ 7 (#36t)Grade: C Minute to Win It (NBC) – Sunday 8 p.m. Viewers: 5.73 million (#52), A18-49: 1.9/ 5 (#45)Grade: D Sons of Tucson (Fox) – Sunday 9:30 p.m.Viewers: 4.03 million (#78), A18-49: 2.0/ 5 (#40t)Grade: F Fly Girls (CW) – Wednesday 9 p.m.Viewers: 1.16 million (#91), A18-49: 0.4/ 1 (#92)Grade: F High Society (CW) – Wednesday 9:30 p.m. Viewers: 790,000 (#93), A18-49: 0.3/ 1 (#93t)Grade: F Here are the final national ratings for the week of March 22, 2010 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago week in parentheses), followed by the top 20 rated programs of the week and the top rated networks on basic cable. -Households:CBS: 6.8 rating/12 share (- 4), Fox: 5.2/ 9 (-13), ABC: 5.2/ 9 (-15), NBC: 3.9/ 7 (- 5), CW: 1.2/ 2 (- 8) -Total Viewers: CBS: 11.11 million (- 2), Fox: 8.88 (-13), ABC: 8.19 (-13), NBC: 6.12 (- 4), CW: 1.86 (- 6) -Adults 18-49:CBS: 3.2 rating/10 share (- 3), Fox: 3.1/ 9 (-18), ABC: 2.5/ 7 (-14), NBC: 2.0/ 6 (- 9), CW: 0.8/ 2 (no change) -Adults 25-54:CBS: 4.0/11 (- 2), Fox: 3.5/ 9 (-20), ABC: 3.0/ 8 (-12), NBC: 2.4/ 6 (- 8), CW: 0.8/ 2 (no change) -Adults 18-34:Fox: 2.6/ 9 (-21), CBS: 2.4/ 8 (no change), ABC: 1.9/ 6 (-17), NBC: 1.5/ 5 (-12), CW: 1.0/ 3 (+11) -------------------- Top 20 Rankings -Total Viewers:American Idol –Tuesday (Fox): 24.21 million, Dancing With the Stars (ABC, season premiere): 24.19, American Idol – Wednesday (Fox): 21.44, Undercover Boss (CBS): 16.72, 60 Minutes (CBS): 14.49, Two and a Half Men (CBS): 14.46, The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 13.42, NCIS R (CBS): 13.04, The Amazing Race (CBS): 12.73, Castle (ABC): 12.21, NCAA Basketball – Saturday (CBS): 12.05, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): 11.57, NCIS: Los Angeles R (CBS): 11.33, NCAA Basketball – Thursday (CBS): 11.32, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains – Wednesday (CBS): 11.15, NCAA Basketball – Friday (CBS): 11.08, CSI: Miami (CBS): 10.79, Law & Order: SVU (NBC): 10.58, Cold Case (CBS): 10.32, NCAA Basketball – Thursday (CBS): 9.68, Lost (ABC): 9.31, Modern Family (ABC): 9.18, NCAA Basketball – Friday (CBS): 8.93, Private Practice (ABC): 8.70, 24 (Fox): 8.69, Rules of Engagement (CBS): 8.47, How I Met Your Mother (CBS): 8.37, Criminal Minds R (CBS): 8.18, The Biggest Loser (NBC): 8.12, The Good Wife R (CBS): 7.87 -Adults 18-49:American Idol –Tuesday (Fox): 8.4 rating/23 share, American Idol – Wednesday (Fox): 7.2/20, Dancing With the Stars (ABC, season premiere): 6.4/17, The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 5.2/13, Two and a Half Men (CBS) and Undercover Boss (CBS): 5.1/13 each, NCAA Basketball – Thursday (CBS): 4.3/14, Lost (ABC): 4.0/10, The Amazing Race (CBS): 3.9/10, NCAA Basketball – Saturday (CBS): 3.8/15, Family Guy (Fox): 3.8/ 9, NCAA Basketball – Friday (CBS): 3.7/12, Modern Family (ABC) and Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): 3.7/10 each, How I Met Your Mother (CBS) and The Office (NBC): 3.5/10 each, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains – Wednesday (CBS): 3.4/11, Law & Order: SVU (NBC): 3.3/10, Rules of Engagement (CBS) and Castle (ABC): 3.3/ 9 each, CSI: Miami (CBS): 3.2/ 9, NCAA Basketball – Thursday (CBS): 3.1/11, 60 Minutes (CBS): 3.1/ 9, The Biggest Loser (NBC): 3.0/ 8, 30 Rock (NBC) and Private Practice (ABC): 2.9/ 8 each, The Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) and The Cleveland Show (Fox): 2.8/ 7 each, Parenthood (NBC): 2.7/ 8, NCAA Basketball – Friday (CBS): 2.7/ 7 -------------------- CABLE What follows are the top 10 rated networks on cable in prime-time for the week of Feb 22 based on total viewers and the three key demos: Total Viewers:USA: 3.07 million, Fox News: 2.26, Nick at Nite: 1.96, TBS and Discovery: 1.73 each, TNT: 1.67, A&E: 1.47, History: 1.32, Cartoon: 1.31, HGTV: 1.29 Adults 18-49:USA: 1.15 million, TBS: 955,000, Discovery: 840,000, TNT: 750,000, A&E: 722,000, FX: 695,000, Comedy Central: 593,000, History: 568,000, Tru: 526,000, Nick at Nite: 506,000 Adults 25-54:USA: 1.27 million, Discovery: 846,000, TBS: 841,000, A&E: 764,000, TNT: 742,000, FX: 652,000, History: 623,000, Fox News: 614,000, Syfy: 580,000, Tru: 567,000 Adults 18-34:TBS: 544,000, USA: 520,000, Comedy Central: 406,000, Discovery: 386,000, TNT: 355,000, FX: 350,000, MTV: 326,000, A&E: 296,000, Nick at Nite: 291,000, History: 253,000 Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Updated National Ratings in Syndication:What follows are the top 20 rated programs in syndication (first-run and off-network) based on households for the week of March 15: Wheel of Fortune (CBS Television Distribution): 6.3 rating, Jeopardy (CBS): 5.3, Two and a Half Men (Warner Bros.): 4.6, Judge Judy (CBS) and Entertainment Tonight (CBS): 4.1 each, Oprah (CBS): 3.5, Family Guy (Twentieth): 3.3, The Office (NBC Universal): 3.1, CSI: NY (CBS): 3.0, Inside Edition (CBS) and Seinfeld (Sony Pictures Television): 2.8 each, Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS), George Lopez (Warner Bros.) and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBCU): 2.7 each, Live With Regis & Kelly (Disney-ABC): 2.5, King of the Hill (Twentieth) and Seinfeld – Weekend (SPT): 2.4 each, Dr. Phil (CBS), Dr. Oz (SPT) and Ellen (Warner Bros.): 2.3 each Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Wednesday 3/31/10 ABC: 8:00 p.m. It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (R) 8:30 p.m. The Middle 9:00 p.m. Modern Family 9:30 p.m. Cougar Town 10:00 p.m. Ugly Betty CBS: 8:00 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine (R) 8:30 p.m. Accidentally on Purpose (R, new day) 9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds (R)10:00 p.m. CSI: NY (R) NBC: 8:00 p.m. Mercy 9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R)10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU Fox: 8:00 p.m Human Target 9:00 p.m. American Idol CW 8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model 9:00 p.m. Fly Girls 9:30 p.m. High Society______________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -More Castle:ABC has renewed crime solver Castle for a third season, with an order for 22 new episodes for the 2010-11 season. -Connection III Entertainment Corp. Announces Updated Clearances:Producer-syndicator Connection III Entertainment Corp. has cleared weeklies Made in Hollywood and Made in Hollywood: Teen Edition on the Fox Television Stations for the 2010-11 season, raising the percentages to over 90 percent of the country. Both series will air this fall on WFLD/WPWR in Chicago and KRIV/KTXH in Houston, while Made in Hollywood: Teen Edition was also picked-up on WNYW-WWOR/New York, WTTG-WDCA/Washington, D.C., KSAZ-KUTP/Phoenix, KTimes New Roman";"> -WE tv Programming Initiatives:Cable net WE tv has unveiled an aggressive slate of programming for 2010-11. Included are original series Girl Meets Gown, which showcases two of the nation’s most popular bridal boutiques; Sunset Daze, which is set in an Arizona retirement community; fashion based You’re Wearing What?!; Mother Knows Best?, with Joan and Melissa Rivers; Downsized, the story of a blended family trying to survive difficult economic times; and Fix My Family, with Dr. Tara Fields moving in with a family each week to help them repair their relationship. Girl Meets Gown debuts on Sunday, April 25 at 10 p.m. ET, followed by Sunset Daze (Wednesday, April 28, 10 p.m. ET), You’re Wearing That?! (Friday, May 14, 10 p.m. ET), Mother Knows Best? and Downsized (fourth quarter 2010), and Fix My Family (first quarter 2011). We tv, in addition, has renewed Raising Sextuplets for a second season, and has acquired the off-network rights to drama Charmed, which kicks-off on Monday, June 21 at 5 p.m. ET. Original series in development at We tv are Wayne’s World, which focuses on the women in entertainer Wayne Newton’s life; Wild Flowers, which is set in the Enchanted Florist in Las Vegas; Staten Island Cakes, which features a family run cake shop; and Dr. Halligan Project, the story of one of the most renowned and beloved veterinarians in the country. _________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:Supporting Friends When NBC’s Friends began in the fall of 1994 it aired on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. out of what sitcom? A Different WorldFrasierMad About YouSeinfeldWings The answer to yesterday’s question… Who played Karen’s young husband on sitcom The Wonder Years? a) David Boreanazb) Matthew Broderickc) Rob Lowed) Eric McCormacke) David Schwimmer Is: e) David Schwimmer, which was two years prior to his classic role as nebbish Ross on Friends. -Current kudos goes to:Michelle Yarborough-Bauer, Bert Benoliel, Lauren Bergman, Barbara Berman, Barbara Bloomfield, Michael Campellone, Cory Chapman, Larry Collins, Kristen Conner, Reid Davis, John Ferlazzo, Arleen Fong, Maureen Goldman, Martha Gonzalez, Howard Green, Brad Hight, Heidi Hoffmeister, Bob Ingersoll, Greg Janover, Shelly Johnson, Deb Kainer, Marie LeFevre Karp, David Kohlberg, Synda Kollman, Mark Krause, Patty Lynch, Adam Giagni, Tricia McKee, Jim Moore, Aaron Paquette, Alan Perris, Greg Phelan, Amy Preisendefer, Gordon Purcell, Con Rigg, Colleen Roth, Harley David Rubin, Ron Salmon, Frances Seda, Christina Shrenk, Maxine Shulman, Michelle Stanton, Kristen Strauss, Julie Syers, Ivan Tafur, Sara Tapazoglou ,Victoria Trombley, Meredith Wayne, Myndi Weinraub, John Welliver, John Wood

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March Madness Leads CBS to More Victory

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