More Victory for Basketball Ignited CBS

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERMonday, March 30, 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:Boozing Mr. Grant! ___________________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Ratings:Weekend Highlights Friday 3/27/09Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr CBS 6.4/11ABC 4.6/ 8NBC 2.9/ 5Fox 2.5/ 4CW 1.2/ 2 -Total Viewers:CBS: 10.31 million, ABC: 6.70, NBC: 4.32, Fox: 3.85, CW: 1.81 -Adults 18-49: CBS: 3.6 rating/11 share, ABC: 2.0/ 6, Fox: 1.3/ 4, NBC: 1.2/ 4, CW: 0.7/ 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:2009 NCAA Basketball: Regional Semi-Finals, Day 2 (CBS) -Friday’s Losers (excluding repeats):Wife Swap (ABC), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox), Everybody Hates Chris (CW), The Game (CW), Friday Night Lights (NBC), Dollhouse (Fox), Dateline (NBC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:Day 2 of the 2009 NCAA Basketball Regional Semi-Finals led CBS to victory, with an approximate 10.31 million viewers and a 3.6 rating/11 share among adults 18-49 in prime-time. Comparably, this increased over the year-ago match-ups (Viewers: 9.24 million; A18-49: 3.2/11 on March 28, 2008, based on the final nationals) by 1.07 million viewers and 12 percent in the demo. Take a look at the half-hour breakdown: 2009 NCAA Basketball Regional Semi-Finals, Day 2 (CBS) 8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 10.38 million, A18-49: 3.4/12 8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 10.46 million, A18-49: 3.5/12 9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 10.44 million, A18-49: 3.6/11 9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 10.05 million, A18-49: 3.6/1110:00 p.m. – Viewers: 10.65 million, A18-49: 3.8/1110:30 p.m. – Viewers: 9.90 million, A18-49: 3.8/11 Keep in mind that fast affiliate results for any live sporting event are always approximate. Second-place ABC started out slow but built slowly with its combination of Wife Swap (Viewers: #2, 5.54 million; A18-49: #2, 1.7/ 6), Supernanny (Viewers: #2, 6.52 million; A18-49: #2, 2.1/ 6) and 20/20 (Viewers: #2, 8.05 million; A18-49: #2, 2.2/ 7). NBC had nothing positive of note with its line-up of two repeat episodes of Howie Do It (Viewers: #4, avg. 3.61 million; A18-49: #4, avg. 1.0/ 4 from 8-9 p.m.), Friday Night Lights (Viewers: #3, 3.95 million; A18-49: #4, 1.2/ 4) and Dateline (Viewers: #3, 5.39 million; A18-49: #3, 1.5/ 5). Despite its ongoing anemic performance, rumor has it that NBC is about to make a deal with DirecTV for two more seasons of Friday Night Lights. Elsewhere, Fox remained out of the competitive loop with Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Viewers: #3, 3.83 million; A18-49: #3, 1.3/ 5) and Dollhouse (Viewers: #4, 3.87 million; A18-49: #3, 1.3/ 4), which did not increase from Sarah Connor as it normally does. And the CW capped off the low HUT level Friday with barely visible performances for Everybody Hates Chris (Viewers: #5, 1.81 million; A18-49: #5, 0.7/ 2), The Game (Viewers: #5, 2.01 million; A18-49: #5, 0.9/ 3), which once had some traction, and an encore telecast of America’s Next Top Model (Viewers: #5, 1.71 million; A18-49: #5, 0.7/ 2). Chances are the CW will have no sitcoms on its line-up next season. Keep in mind that Friday, April 10 is the season (or series) finale of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Prison Break returns to finish its four-season run in place of it on April 17. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Saturday 3/28/09Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr CBS 5.5/10Fox 3.5/ 6ABC 3.2/ 6NBC 2.6/ 5 -Total Viewers:CBS: 8.64 million, Fox: 5.54, ABC: 4.75, NBC: 3.74 -Adults 18-49: CBS: 2.7 rating/8 share, Fox: 1.8/ 6, ABC: 1.2/ 4, NBC: 0.6/ 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. ---------- -Saturday’s Winners:NCAA Basketball Tournament (CBS) -Saturday’s Losers (excluding repeats):World Figure Skating Championships (NBC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:Led by the final 90-minutes of The NCAA Basketball Tournament, it was an easy Saturday victory for CBS. But all results for the Eye net are approximate due to the estimated end time of the game. In the distant No.2 spot was Fox, followed by ABC and NBC. The 8-9:30 p.m. portion of the basketball match-ups averaged an approximate 10.47 million viewers and a 3.5 rating/11 share among adults 18-49, with the half-hour breakdown as follows: 2009 NCAA Basketball (CBS)8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 9.26 million, A18-49: 3.1/118:30 p.m. – Viewers: 9.77 million, A18-49: 3.3/119:00 p.m. – Viewers: 12.37 million, A18-49: 4.0/12 Basketball in prime-time on the year-ago evening (Saturday, March 29, 2008) averaged 9.66 million viewers and a 3.7/12 in the demo, according to the final nationals. That led into a repeat of NCIS (Viewers: #1, 6.89 million; A18-49: #1, 2.0/ 6 from 9:30-10:30 p.m.), followed by the first half of 48 Hours Mystery at 6.66 million viewers and a 1.8/ 6 in the demo -- also first in both categories. Once again, all results for CBS are approximate. Despite facing basketball, Fox was still on the map with its perennial combination of Cops (Viewers: #2, 5.26 million; A18-49: #2, 1.8/ 6) and America’s Most Wanted (Viewers: #2, 5.83 million; A18-49: #2, 1.9/ 6). ABC aired a repeat of theatrical Just Like Heaven (Viewers: #3, 5.12 million; A18-49: #3, 1.3/ 4 from 8-10 p.m.) and a repeat of Castle (Viewers: #2, 4.01 million; A18-49: #1, 1.1/ 3). And lowly NBC capped off this last Saturday in March with a repeat of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Viewers; #4, 3.94 million; A18-49: #4, 0.8/ 3), which will be filling in for canceled The Chopping Block effective this Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, and The World Figure Skating Championships, which averaged a mere 3.64 million viewers and a 0.6/ 2 among adults 18-49 from 9-11 p.m. Take a look at the half-hour breakdown: World Figure Skating Championship (NBC) 9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 2.99 million (#4), A18-49: 0.5/ 1 (#4) 9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 2.66 million (#4), A18-49: 0.5/ 2 (#4)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 3.89 million (#2), A18-49: 0.7/ 2 (#3)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.05 million (#3, A18-49: 0.7/ 2 (#3) Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Sunday 3/29/09 HH Rtg/Shr CBS 8.2/13NBC 5.6/ 9ABC 5.4/ 9Fox 3.5/ 6CW 0.9/ 1 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Sunday, March 30, 2008):NBC: +27, CBS: +12, Fox: + 9, ABC: - 5, CW: -18 ---------- Note: The fast affiliate results for Sunday will be posted at PIFeedback.com by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Sunday, March 29, 2009. ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:60 Minutes (CBS), Bayhill Golf Tournament (NBC) -Honorable Mention:The Amazing Race (CBS), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC), Cold Case (CBS), Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats)Kings (NBC), The Unit (CBS) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown: CBS led this final Sunday in March in the overnights, beating No. 2 ABC by an average of 28 percent. Keep in mind that there was no original installment of Desperate Housewives last night (which does not return in originals until April 19). Third overall was NBC, followed by Fox and cellar-dweller the CW. Since approximately 15-minutes of the ongoing NCAA Basketball Tournament bled into prime-time last night, all results for CBS are approximate and appear by half-hour as follows: CBS/Sunday 7:00 p.m. - NCAA Basketball: 9.3/17 (#1), 60 Minutes: 9.6/17 (#1) 7:30 p.m. – 60 Minutes: 10.1/17 (#1) 8:00 p.m. – 60 Minutes: 12.3/20 (#1), The Amazing Race: 7.6/12 (#2) 8:30 p.m. - The Amazing Race: 6.8/11 (#1) 9:00 p.m. - The Amazing Race: 8.5/13 (#1), Cold Case: 7.5/11 (#1) 9:30 p.m. – Cold Case: 7.7/12 (#1)10:00 p.m. – Cold Case: 8.9/14 (#1), The Unit: 6.3/10 (#2)10:30 p.m. – The Unit: 5.9/10 (#2) ABC opened the evening with veteran America’s Funniest Home Videos (#3: 4.8/ 8), followed by a two-hour edition of the tired Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (6.5/10 from 8-10 p.m.), which still managed to build in every half-hour, and a repeat of Desperate Housewives (#3: 3.9/ 6 at 10 p.m.), which never plays well in non-originals. Take a look at the half-hour breakdown for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)8:00 p.m.: 5.7/ 9 (#2)8:30 p.m.: 6.2/10 (#2)9:00 p.m.: 6.9/10 (#2)9:30 p.m.: 7.3/11 (#2) Although NBC plenty of mileage in the 7 p.m. hour care of the Bayhill Golf Tournament at a second-place 7.5/13 in the overnights, week three of lead-out Kings did not benefit with a series-low (and fourth-place) 3.2/ 5 at 8 p.m. Three-week overnight track for Kings: 4.1/ 7 – 3.4/ 6 – 3.2/ 5. Kings led into another two-hour edition of the oddly addictive Celebrity Apprentice, which perked up to a 5.8/ 9 from 9-11 p.m., building by half-hour as follows: Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) 9:00 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#4) 9:30 p.m.: 5.4/ 8 (#3)10:00 p.m.: 6.4/10 (#2)10:30 p.m.: 7.1/12 (#1) Look for Celebrity Apprentice to win the 10 p.m. hour among adults 18-49 once the fast affiliate results are posted at PIFeedback. Fox, meanwhile, had nothing unusual to report with its animated combination of a repeat of American Dad (#4: 1.9/ 3), King of the Hill (#4: 2.1/ 3), The Simpsons (#3: 4.2/ 7), a repeat of The Simpsons (#3: 4.4/ 7), Family Guy (#3: 5.0/ 8), which always scores among adults 18-49, and American Dad (#4: 3.8/ 6). Mark your calendars for new Fox animated high school-based sitcom Sit Down, Shut Up, which premieres in the 8:30 p.m. half hour on April 19. The CW capped off Sunday with a repeat of Jericho (#5: 0.6/ 1), which should not airing, and repeat theatrical War Games (#5: 1.0/ 2). What the network will do next season on this night is anyone’s guess. Source: Nielsen Media Research data____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not-Freshman Series Update:Recently introduced ABC drama Castel leads the midseason freshman class this week, with 9.14 million viewers and a 2.5/7 among adults 18-49 in the Monday 10 p.m. hour. But retention out of lead-in Dancing With the Stars (Viewers: 20.34 million; A18-49: 5.0/13) was just 45 percent in total viewers and 50 percent in the demo. Take a look at the news series results for the week of March 23 (through Thursday, March 26):Castle (ABC) – Monday 10 p.m.Viewers: 9.14 million (#2 in time period), A18-49: 2.5/ 7 (#2) The Chopping Block (NBC) – Wednesday 8 p.m. – canceledViewers: 2.58 million (#5), A18-49: 0.9/ 2 (#5) Better Off Ted (ABC) – Wednesday 8:30 p.m.Viewers: 4.60 million (#3), A18-49: 1.8/ 5 (#3) In the Motherhood (ABC) – Thursday 8 p.m. – premiere, episode order slashed (See TV Tidbits below)Viewers: 6.70 million (#3), A18-49: 2.2/ 6 (#3) Source: Nielsen Media Research data ________________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Monday 3/30/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Dancing With the Stars (two-hours) 10:00 p.m. Castle CBS: 8:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory 8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother 9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men 9:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement 10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami NBC: 8:00 p.m. Chuck 9:00 p.m. Heroes 10:00 p.m. Medium Fox: 8:00 p.m. House 9:00 p.m. 24 CW: 8:00 p.m. Gossip Girl 9:00 p.m. One Tree Hill MNTV 8:00 p.m. Masters of Illusions 9:00 p.m. Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed (R) ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -NBCU Racks Up Off-Net Clearances for The Office:NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution has sold Emmy-winning sitcom The Office to 93 percent of the country for a fall 2009 off-network syndication debut. The Office has been cleared on stations in several broadcast groups, including Fox, CBS, Gannett, Hearst-Argyle, LIN, Local TV, Meredith, Peachtree TV, Sinclair and Tribune. The Fox Television Stations deal includes affiliates in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Minneapolis, Orlando, Baltimore and Memphis. -ABC Slashes Episode Order for In the Motherhood:Just one episode into its run, ABC has reduced the episode order of In the Motherhood from 13 to 6. The sitcom debuted in the Thursday 8 p.m. half-hour on March 26 with just 6.70 million viewers and a 2.2 rating/6 share among adults 18-49, according to the final nationals. -New Mark Burnett Series on ABC:Reality producer extraordinaire Mark Burnett has cut his first deal with ABC for seven episodes of Shark Tank, which will feature anxious entrepreneurs trying to get multi-millionaire tycoons to invest in their businesses. The series is expected to air next season. __________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:Boozing Mr. Grant! What was Lou Grant’s favorite alcoholic drink on The Mary Tyler Moore Show? bourbonginrunscotchvodka The answer to Friday’s question… Which one of the following five long-running dramas was on the air the shortest amount of time? Hawaii Five-OMannixMelrose PlaceN.Y.P.D. BlueThe Virginian (which was re-titled The Men From Shiloh in the final season Is: c) Melrose Place, which aired from 1992 to 1999. As for the others: -Hawaii Five-0: 1968-80-Mannix: 1967-75-N.Y.P.D. Blue: 1993-2005-The Virginian: 1962-71 -Current kudos goes to:Gerry Bixenspan, Tom Condosta, Harold Cooper, Annie Courtney, Arleen Fong, Bob Goldman, Maureen Goldman, Geoffrey Gordon, Jerry Hermes, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Joel Kunkel, Rick Milligan, Tony Naldrett, Jay Ogletree, Alan Cooper, Arthur Reinstein, Bruce Robinson, Ron Salmon, Ronnie Tallant, Trenna Underhill

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More Victory for Basketball Ignited CBS

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