Soft New First-Run Syndicated Results

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERWednesday, September 15, 2010 Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:America’s Got Talent Lifts NBC to Victory, Soft CW Season-Openers National Ratings in Prime-Time:Week of September 6, 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: There’s a New Girl in Town________________________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:America’s Got Talent Lifts NBC to Victory, Soft CW Season-Openers Tuesday 9/14/10 HH Rtg/Shr NBC 6.5/11CBS 4.7/ 8ABC 3.6/ 6Fox 3.2/ 5CW 1.4/ 2 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Tuesday, September 15, 2009):Fox: +19, ABC: + 6, NBC: - 2, CW: - 7, CBS: -15 ---------- -Number of Days Until Start of 2010-11 Season: 5 ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:America’s Got Talent (NBC) -Keep a Positive Eye On:Parenthood (NBC) -Weak:One Tree Hill (CW) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):Life Unexpected (CW), Fashion’s Night Out (CBS), Final Witness (ABC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:NBC led this final Tuesday of the 2009-10 season in the overnights, beating No. 2 CBS by a hefty 38 percent. Next was ABC, followed by Fox and the CW, which featured the season-opening episodes of serials One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected. NBC game show Minute to Win It opened the evening with a third-place 4.3 rating/8 share in the overnights at 8 p.m., which is poised for a second-place time period finish among adults 18-49 (behind ABC’s Wipeout). Next was summer favorite America’s Got Talent (#1: 9.7/15 at 9 p.m. -- tops for the evening), which concludes the season tonight, followed by the second season-premiere of drama Parenthood at a dominant 5.6/10 at 10 p.m. While you could say that retention for Parenthood out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of lead-in America’s Got Talent (10.2/16) was weak at 55 percent, comparably this was up by 33 percent from the season-finale on May 25. And Parenthood is the show to beat next season in the time period demographically. Over at The CW, the eighth season-premiere of One Tree Hill (yes…season eight!) kicked-off with a last-place 1.7/ 3 in the overnights at 8 p.m. As weak as that sounds, and I do not think One Tree Hill should be anchoring Tuesday for The CW, it was up by six percent in the overnights from the 7th season-opener on Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 (1.6/ 3). Next was the second-season premiere of critical favorite Life Unexpected, which took a hit opposite America’s Got Talent at a very last-place 1.2/ 2 at 9 p.m. Comparably, Life Unexpected debuted on The CW with a 2.1/ 3 in the overnights (out of One Tree Hill) on Monday, Jan. 18, 2010. From a ratings perspective, Life Unexpected is, unfortunately, a “loser.” Over at CBS, repeats of older-skewing NCIS (#1: 6.6/11) and spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles (#2: 5.3/ 8) from 8-10 p.m. led into the second annual Fashion’s Night Out at a very unfashionable (and embarrassing) last-place 2.3/ 4 in the overnights at 10 p.m. Elsewhere, two episodes of ABC’s Wipeout (including the season-finale at 9 p.m.) fared as follows from 8-10 p.m. Wipeout (ABC)8:00 p.m.: 4.5/ 8 (#2)9:00 p.m.: 3.3/ 5 (#3t) Also facing America’s Got Talent, Wipeout sunk to a season-low at 9 p.m. Capping off the evening for ABC was Final Witness, which dramatizes real life crimes, at a second-place 3.0/ 5 at 10 p.m. Fox populated the evening with two repeat episodes of Glee at an average 3.2/ 5 from 8-10 p.m. Glee, of course, opens season two next Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. ET. As a reminder, here is what you will be seeing on the broadcast networks on Tuesdays this fall (with new shows in caps and bolded in red), followed by the odds of survival for the new series. ABC 8:00 p.m.: NO ORDINARY FAMILY 9:00 p.m.: Dancing With the Stars (new time)10:00 p.m.: DETROIT 1-8-7 CBS 8:00 p.m.: NCIS 9:00 p.m.: NCIS: Los Angeles10:00 p.m.: The Good Wife NBC 8:00 p.m.: The Biggest Loser (two hours)10:00 p.m.: Parenthood Fox 8:00 p.m. Glee (new time) 9:00 p.m.: RAISING HOPE 9:30 p.m.: RUNNING WILDE CW 8:00 p.m.: One Tree Hill (new day) 9:00 p.m. Life Unexpected (new day) Odds of Survivor for the New Shows (based on 1-1 to 10-1): No Ordinary Family (ABC): 8-1Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC): 4-1Raising Hope (Fox): 10-1Running Wilde (Fox): 10-1 Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) National Ratings in Prime-Time:Week of September 6, 2010 Ignited by two nights of NFL Football (Minnesota at New Orleans on season-premiere Thursday and Dallas at Washington on Sunday) it was an easy victory for NBC, which took charge for the week in households, total viewers and the three key demos -- adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34. Comparably, NBC’s performance among adults 18-49 (3.8 rating/11 share) was the best for any network since the week of March 1, 2010. The average 11.4 million total viewers were the most for any network since the week of May 17, 2010. And viewing levels for NBC’s two football games (26.3 million) was the highest since the NFL created the Thursday/Sunday primetime opening weekend in 2002. Take a good look because it is unlikely NBC will dominate at these levels again anytime soon. Elsewhere, CBS and Fox shared the No. 2 spot, with CBS second in households and total viewers and Fox the runner-up to NBC in the three surveyed demos. Both networks were close to year-ago levels. From a ranking standpoint, ABC was not competitive, but it did manage to built by levels of 7 to 22 percent from the year-ago week. Last-place The CW dipped by as much as 20 percent among adults 18-49, meanwhile. There were two series premieres this week -- CW dramas Hellcats and Nikita -- and they fared as follows Hellcats (CW) – Wednesday 9 p.m.Viewers: 3.02 million (#68 overall); A18-49: 1.2 rating/4 share (#45t)Grade: CNikita (CW) – Thursday 9 p.m.Viewers: 3.57 million (#60); A18-49: 1.4/ 4 (#34t)Grade: B While both may not seem like much, Nikita opened with the largest audience for The CW in the Thursday 9 p.m. hour since Jan. 29, 2009. Comparably, Nikita built over the season-premiere of lead-in The Vampire Diaries (3.36 million at 8 p.m.) by six percent, with gains over the 2009 season-premiere of former occupant Supernatural of as much as 12 percent among women 18-34. And Nikita matched The CW’s best performance to-date in the Thursday 9 p.m. hour among women 18-34, with a 1.9 rating/5 share in the demo. Hellcats also posted minor total viewer growth from the season-premiere of lead-in America’s Next Top Model, which kicked-off with a below-average 2.84 million viewers and a 1.3/ 4 in the demo on Sept. 8. Since most new shows dip by margins of 10 to 20 percent in their second weeks, The CW, if anything, is cautiously optimistic. What follows are the final national ratings for the week of September 6, 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:NBC: 7.0 rating/12 share (+ 6), CBS: 3.9/ 7 (no change), Fox: 3.5/ 6 (- 5), ABC: 3.0/ 5 (+ 7), CW: 1.2/ 2 (-15) -Total Viewers: NBC: 11.41 million (+ 8), CBS: 6.09 (+ 1), Fox: 5.82 (- 5), ABC: 4.76 (+11), CW: 1.99 (- 5) -Adults 18-49:NBC: 3.8 rating/11 share (+12), Fox: 2.2/ 6 (- 8), ABC: 1.4/ 4 (+ 8), CBS: 1.4/ 4 (- 7), CW: 0.8/ 2 (-11) -Adults 25-54:NBC: 4.4/12 (+13), Fox: 2.4/ 6 (- 8), ABC: 1.8/ 5 (+12), CBS: 1.8/ 5 (-10), CW: 0.8/ 2 (-11) -Adults 18-34:NBC: 3.3/10 (+14), Fox: 2.0/ 6 (- 9), ABC: 1.1/ 3 (+22), CBS: 1.0/ 3 (no change), CW: 0.8/ 3 (-20) -------------------- Top 20 Rankings -Total Viewers:NFL Thursday Special (NBC, season premiere, Minnesota at New Orleans): 27.48 million, Sunday Night Football (NBC: Dallas at Washington): 25.62, Football Night in America, Part 3 (NBC): 14.53, The OT (Fox): 13.26, America’s Got Talent – Tuesday (NBC): 12.35, America’s Got Talent – Wednesday (NBC): 12.14, NFL Opening Kick-Off (NBC): 11.46, NCIS R (CBS): 10.08, 60 Minutes (CBS); 8.27, Wipeout – Tuesday (ABC): 8.16, NCIS: Los Angeles R (CBS): 8.11, Two and a Half Men R (CBS): 8.02, Big Brother – Thursday (CBS): 7.82, Big Brother – Wednesday (CBS): 7.81, The Big Bang Theory R (CBS): 7.74, Criminal Minds R (CBS): 6.71, Big Brother – Sunday (CBS): 6.66, The Mentalist R (CBS): 6.58, Minute to Win It – Wednesday (NBC): 6.50, Law & Order: SVU R (NBC): 6.49 -Adults 18-49:NFL Thursday Special (NBC, season premiere, Minnesota at New Orleans): 10.7 rating/30 share, , Sunday Night Football (NBC: Dallas at Washington): 9.6/24, The OT (Fox): 5.5/16, Football Night in America, Part 3 (NBC): 5.4/15, NFL Opening Kick-Off (NBC): 4.0/14, America’s Got Talent – Tuesday (NBC): 3.3/ 9, The Simpsons R (Fox): 2.9/ 8, Wipeout – Tuesday (ABC): 2.8/ 9, America’s Got Talent – Wednesday (NBC): 2.8/ 8, Big Brother – Wednesday (CBS): 2.7/ 9, Big Brother – Thursday (CBS): 2.6/ 8, Masterchef (Fox): 2.5/ 7, The Big Bang Theory R (CBS): 2.3/ 6, Two and a Half Men R (CBS) and Big Brother – Sunday (CBS): 2.2/ 6 each, Wipeout (ABC); 2.1/ 6, Family Guy R (Fox): 2.1/ 5, Bachelor Pad (ABC): 2.0/ 5, The Cleveland Show R (Fox): 1.9/ 5 -------------------- CABLE What follows are the top 10 rated networks on cable in prime-time for the week of August 23 based on total viewers and the three key demos: Total Viewers:ESPN: 3.74 million viewers, USA: 2.76, MTV: 2.67, TNT: 2.33, History: 2.25, A&E & Fox News: 1.73 each, ESPN2: 1.65, Nick at Nite: 1.59, TBS: 1.44 Adults 18-49:ESPN: 1.80 million, MTV: 1.75, USA: 1.05, History: 1.02, TNT: 913,000, TBS: 880,000, FX: 753,000, A&E: 709,000, ESPN2: 623,000, Bravo: 586,000 Adults 25-54:ESPN: 1.80 million, History and USA: 1.15 million each, MTV: 1.09 million, TNT: 1.05 million, A&E: 750,000, TBS: 748,000, FX: 742,000, ESPN2: 725,000, Syfy: 623,000 Adults 18-34:MTV: 1.37 million, ESPN: 964,000, TBS: 517,000, USA: 469,000, History: 423,000, FX: 374,000, Comedy Central: 356,000, TNT: 346,000, ABC Family: 334,000, A&E: 306,000 Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat; t = tie) Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -New First-Run Syndie Strip Two Day Overnights:Three first-run stripped half-hours shows debuted in daytime syndication on Monday -- CBS Television Distribution’s Swift Justice with Nancy Grace, Sony Pictures Television’s Nate Berkus Show and Steven & Chris from Program Partners (a limited market Canadian produced entry) -- and they fared as follows in the metered markets on Monday and Tuesday. Swift Justice with Nancy Grace (CBS Television Distribution) Sept. 2009 time period average: 1.2/ 4 Monday 9/13/10 – 56 marketsLead-in average: 1.1/ 3Swift Justice with Nancy Grace: 1.1/ 3 Tuesday 9/14/10 – 55 markets Lead-in average: 1.1/ 3Swift Justice with Nancy Grace: 1.1/ 3 In this day and age (where programming options are everywhere), full retention from the lead-in is certainly a positive. Comparably, the Swift Justice with Nancy Grace opener was the highest for any syndicated court show since Cristina’s Court in 2006. ---------- The Nate Berkus Show (Sony Pictures Television) Sept. 2009 time period average: 1.0/ 3 Monday 9/13/10 – 53 markets Lead-in average: 1.3/ 4The Nate Berkus Show: 1.2/ 4 Tuesday 9/14/10 – 52 marketsLead-in average: 1.2/ 4The Nate Berkus Show: 1.1/ 4 Growth of 20 percent from the September 2009 time period average was a good start for Nate Berkus on Monday. With weaker lead-in support, Nate dropped by one-tenth of a rating point (or eight percent) on Tuesday. ---------- Steven & Chris (Program Partners) Sept. 2009 time period average: 0.3/ 1 Monday 9/13/10 – 13 markets Lead-in average: 0.2/ 1Steven & Chris: 0.1/ 0 Tuesday 9/14/10 – 14 marketsLead-in average: 0.1/ 0Steven & Chris: 0.1/ 0 No…there is not much you can say when a show averages a 0 share. But keep in mind these are not stellar time periods. -------------------- -New Off-Network Syndication News:The debut of The Real Housewives in off-network syndication from NBC Universal opened on Monday with growth over the Sept. 2009 time period of 65 percent in women 18-49 (.51 vs. .31) and 32 percent among women 25-54 (.49 vs. .37). As for the new off-network sitcoms, the bottom line: none of the four -- How I Met Your Mother, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm -- held their lead-in or year-ago time period averages. Take a look: Monday 9/13/10 How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth Television) Sept. 2009 time period: 1.3/ 3Lead-in average: 1.2/ 2How I Met Your Mother: 1.0/ 2 ----- The New Adventures of Old Christine (Warner Bros.) Sept. 2009 time period: 0.8/ 2Lead-in average: 0.7/ 2The New Adventures of Old Christine: 0.6/ 1 ----- Entourage (Warner Bros.) Sept. 2009 time period: 0.9/ 2Lead-in average: 1.3/ 3Entourage: 0.7/ 2 ----- Curb Your Enthusiasm (Warner Bros.) Sept. 2009 time period: 0.9/ 2Lead-in average: 0.9/ 2Curb Your Enthusiasm: 0.7/ 2 ----- -Oprah Up in Final Season:The 25th, season-premiere of CBS’ Television Distribution’s Oprah, featuring guest John Travolta, averaged a hefty 6.8/17 in the overnights -- a three-percent gain from the year-ago season-opener (6.6/16). -Strong Season-Enders on TNT:TNT dramas The Closer and Rizzoli & Isles closed their current season-runs on Monday with a rock-solid 7.2 million and 6.6 million viewers, respectively, ranking as ad-supported cable’s No. 1 and No. 2 series of all time in both households and total viewers. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Wednesday 9/15/10 ABC: 8:00 p.m. The Middle (R) 8:30 p.m. The Middle (R) 9:00 p.m. Modern Family (R) 9:30 p.m. Cougar Town (R)10:00 p.m. Castle (R) CBS: 8:00 p.m. Survivor: Nicaragua (season premiere) 9:00 p.m. Big Brother (season finale, two hours) NBC: 8:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (season finale, two hours)10:00 p.m. Outlaw (series premiere / preview): debuts in regularly scheduled Friday 10 p.m. time period on Sept. 24 Fox: 8:00 p.m. Masterchef (season finale, two hours) CW 8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model 9:00 p.m. Hellcats New Program Descriptions Outlaw (NBC) Jimmy Smits returns to primetime as a Supreme Court justice who abruptly quits his job and opens a private practice, determined to represent “the little guy” and use his inside knowledge to take on the biggest cases. Jesse Bradford (West Wing), Carly Pope (24), Ellen Woglom (Californication)and David Ramsey (Dexter) also star. ______________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -My Boys a Wrap on TBS:Four-year-old TBS comedy My Boys, the Seinfeld-like tale of a 30something year-old woman (Jordana Spiro) and her predominantly male friends, will not be returning for a fifth season. Back-to-back episodes on Sunday, including the series-finale, averaged a modest 784,000 viewers. Both Jordan Spiro and co-star Kyle Howard, who were cast in upcoming NBC series Love Bites and Perfect Couples, respectively, lost their new series roles due to the possibility of My Boys being renewed. -Also at TBS:The cable network has announced that upcoming Glory Daze, the hour-long 1980s based scripted dramedy set at a Wisconsin college, will debut on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 10 p.m. ET. ______________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:There’s a New Girl in Town Which one of the following actors from Alice also appeared in the 1975 theatrical it was spun-off from, Alice doesn’t Live Here Anymore, in the same role he or she played on the sitcom? a) Polly Hollidayb) Beth Howland c) Diane Laddd) Philip McKeone) Vic Tayback The answer to yesterday’s question… Which one of the following things did not happen on long-running serialized drama Knots Landing? a) Val’s twins are stolen.b) Jill forces Val to take a mouthful of sleeping pills.c) Lilimae runs over pathological liar Chip and ends up being put away.d) Karen tries to get drug-addicted daughter Diana clean. e) Abby buries Peter’s dead body in a construction site. Is: d) Karen tries to get drug-addicted daughter Diana clean. It was Abby who struggled to get Olivia off drugs. Once she succeeded, Olivia rebelled once again and married young Harold against her mother’s wishes. It was never a dull moment on Knots Landing! -Current kudos goes to:Gerry Bixenspan, Jaime Grasso, David Jackino, Rob Lotterstein, Dewayne Snype, John Wood

Convergent TV

Soft New First-Run Syndicated Results

Marc Berman

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Marc Berman