NBC Unveils New Drama Merlin on Sunday

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERFriday, June 19, 2009 Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air This Weekend:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time:So Long, Terri_______________________________________________________________________ Note: Due to the recent switch to digital broadcast television, the metered market rating results are delayed this week. Thursday, June 18, therefore, is not included today. _______________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Conan vs. Letterman Update:Based on the final national ratings for the week of June 8, CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman rose to first in households in late night, with a 2.7 rating/7 -- up four percent from one year earlier. Week two of Conan O’Brien as host of NBC’s The Tonight Show dipped a 2.6/ 6 – down by a hefty 26 percent from Jay Leno in the year-ago week. Conan inched past Letterman in total viewers (3.77 to 3.67 million), but year-to-year Letterman built by 4 percent while Conan dropped by 23 percent. Conan was also down by 38 percent in viewership from his premiere week. Comparably, this was Letterman’s most competitive five night performance overall since the week of Nov. 28, 2005. Demographically, Conan continued to dominate with a 1.5/ 6 in adults 18-49 (versus a 0.9/ 3 for Letterman) and a 1.6/ 6 among adults 25-54 (versus a 1.2/ 5 for Letterman). But one week earlier, Conan averaged a 2.3 rating among adults 18-49. ---------- -Modest Return for ABC’s I Survived a Japanese Game Show:Season two of ABC reality/competition I Survived a Japanese Game Show opened on Wednesday, June 17 with 5.35 million viewers (#3 in the time period) and a second-place 2.1 rating/6 share among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. Comparably, retention out of lead-in Wipeout (Viewers: 8.00 million; A18-49: 2.7/ 9 at 8 p.m.) was 67 percent in total viewers and 78 percent in the demo. -So Long, Cupid:The series-finale of ABC’s remake of romantic drama Cupid concluded on Tuesday, June 16 with just 2.14 million viewers and a 0.7/ 2 among adults 18-49 -- a distant third in both categories at 10 p.m. Lesson to be learned: never remake a series that did not work the first time around. -National Ratings in Primetime – Update:Three days into the week of June 15 (Monday, June 15 through Wednesday, June 17), here is how the broadcast networks are faring: Households:CBS: 5.3 rating/9 share, Fox: 3.7/ 6, NBC: 3.2/ 6, ABC: 3.0/ 5, CW: 0.7/ 1 Total Viewers:CBS: 7.92 million, Fox: 5.81, NBC: 4.80, ABC: 4.62, CW: 940,000 Adults 18-49:Fox: 2.0 rating/6 share, CBS: 1.8/ 5, ABC and NBC: 1.6/ 5 each, CW: 0.4/ 1 Source: Nielsen Media Research data________________________________________________________________________________ On the Air This Weekend:Prime-Time Programming Options Friday 6/19/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Surviving Suburbia 8:30 p.m. The Goode Family 9:00 p.m. Samantha Who? (R) 9:30 p.m. Samantha Who? (R)10:00 p.m. 20/20 CBS: 8:00 p.m. Ghost Whisperer (R) 9:00 p.m. Flashpoint (R)10:00 p.m. Numbers (R) NBC: 8:00 p.m. The Chopping Block (return) 9:00 p.m. Dateline (two hours) Fox: 8:00 p.m. Don’t Forget the Lyrics 9:00 p.m. Mental (R) CW: 8:00 p.m. Privileged (R) 9:00 p.m. Everybody Hates Chris (R) 9:30 p.m. The Game (R) MNTV 8:00 p.m. Friday Night Smackdown! --------------- Saturday 6/20/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Wipeout (R) 9:00 p.m. Castle (R)10:00 p.m. Eli Stone (return) CBS: 8:00 p.m. Without a Trace (R) 9:00 p.m. Harper’s Island 10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery (R) NBC: 8:00 p.m. Kings 9:00 p.m. Law & Order (R)10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R) Fox: 8:00 p.m. Cops 9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted --------------- Sunday 6/21/09 ABC: 7:00 p.m. Just For Laughs (season premiere) 7:30 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos (R) 8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (R) 9:00 p.m. Miniseries: Impact, part one CBS: 7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes 8:00 p.m. Million Dollar Password 9:00 p.m. Cold Case (R)10:00 p.m. Without a Trace (R) NBC: 7:00 p.m. US Open Golf 7:30 p.m. Dateline 8:00 p.m. Merlin (premiere) 9:00 p.m. Merlin10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R) Fox: 7:00 p.m. King of the Hill (R) 7:30 p.m. American Dad (R) 8:00 p.m. The Simpsons (R) 8:30 p.m. King of the Hill (R) 9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R) 9:30 p.m. American Dad (R) CW: 7:00 p.m. Reaper (R) 8:00 p.m. Sunday Movie: Good Boy (R) New Program Descriptions Merlin (NBC) -The Scoop:A young man (Colin Morgan) with extraordinary magical powers arrives in the mythic city of Camelot looking for excitement and adventure in this 13-part scripted series. -The Reality:Given the time of year and lack of audience tuning into recent lavish NBC entries Kings and Crusoe, keep the expectations low. Make that very low. ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -More Tracey Ullman:Showtime has picked-up sketch-comedy Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union for a third season, with an order for seven new episodes. Production will begin this summer for an expected 2010 airdate. -Speaking of Tracey Ullman:Did you know that The Simpsons began as a series of short vignettes on Fox sketch comedy The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987? -The Bachelorette Heads to GMA:Former The Bachelorette and Dancing With the Stars contestant Melissa Rycroft is extending her 15 minutes with a new gig on ABC’s Good Morning America as a special correspondent this summer. -So Long Janice and Holly:With the overnights on hold, my personal commentary about TV has been limited this week. But how could I not make mention of the departures of sassy Janice Dickinson and deadly dull Holly Montag on NBC’s idiotic but addictive I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! last night? If the reality/competition returns next summer, how about including Gary Coleman, Erin Moran or a Brady? Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby or Cindy…is anyone available? ___________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:So Long, Terri What state did Terri move to on the final episode of sitcom Three’s Company? GeorgiaHawaiiNew MexicoTexasWashington The answer to yesterday’s trivia question… Who played the “guardian celebrity” that Charlene saw in a dream right before she gave birth to Olivia on Designing Women? Loretta LynnReba McEntireMarie OsmondDolly PartonShania Twain Is: d) Dolly Parton, who was a big fan of the series. The original airdate was Jan. 1, 1990. -Current kudos goes to:Barbara Berman, Gerry Bixenspan, Kimay Bloch, Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Annie Courtney, Bill Evashwick, Arleen Fong, Jeffy Gibbons, Harold Goetz, Maureen Goldman, Zach Gray, Barb Hemberger, Ken Hommel, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Deb Kainer, Synda Kollman, Charmaine Leary, Carolyn Mailloux, Kathy Martin, Michele McAleer, Debbie Mirr, Jim Moore, Tony Naldrett, George Nejame, Jim O’Heir, Greg Phelan, usan Rogers, Joe Rubi, Maxine Schulman, Michael Serafini, David Shearer, Mickie Steinmann, Joe Swaney, Ronnie Tallant

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NBC Unveils New Drama Merlin on Sunday

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