Baseball Leads Fox to Thursday Overnight Victory

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERFriday, October 23, 2009 Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings:Baseball Ignited Fox Wins 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: From Miami Beach, The Sun and Fun Capital of the World ______________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings:Baseball Ignited Fox Wins Thursday 10/22/09 HH Rtg/Shr Fox 8.0/13CBS 7.1/12ABC 6.7/11NBC 3.6/ 6CW 1.6/ 3 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Thursday, October 23, 2008):Fox: no change, ABC: - 4, CBS: -19, NBC: -31, CW: -38 ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:American League Championship Series, Game 4 (Fox), Survivor: Samoa (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), The Mentalist R (CBS) -Yesterday’s Losers:Community (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), The Jay Leno Show (NBC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:Well, folks, I am very happy to report there was no jury duty for Mr. TV. So, I am back in the office with the following overnight results for Thursday. Oct. 22. Led by game five of The Major League Baseball American League Championship Series, Fox dominated this fifth Thursday of the 2009-10 season, beating normally dominant CBS by nine-tenths of a rating point. Third overall was ABC, which is still expected to win the evening among adults 18-49, followed by NBC and below-average The CW. The game five match-up between The New York Yankees and The Los Angeles Angels (Angels: 7, Yankees: 6) averaged an approximate 8.0 rating/13 share in the overnights for the prime-time portion from 8-10 p.m. (with results past 10 p.m. not available at press time). Note: all times are Eastern. Here is the half-hour breakdown: American League Championship Series, Game 5 (Fox)8:00 p.m.: 7.2/13 (#1)8:30 p.m.: 7.7/13 (#1)9:00 p.m.: 8.3/13 (#1)9:30 p.m.: 8.9/14 (#1) Comparably, game two of Philadelphia versus Tampa Bay in The World Series one year earlier averaged a 9.2/14 in the overnights (on Oct. 23, 2008). As always, keep in mind that results for any live sporting event are always approximate. Over at CBS, still healthy Survivor: Samoa was on the map with a second-place 6.7/11 in the overnights at 8 p.m. What a heartbreaking episode last night! Opposite baseball, CBS aired repeats of CSI (#3: 6.7/11) and The Mentalist (#2: 8.0/13) from 9-11 p.m. Although NBC was banking on The Jay Leno Show picking up steam opposite repeats, Leno still finished last at 10 p.m. with a mere 3.5/ 6 in the overnights. Worth positively noting for The Mentalist encore was growth of 21 percent out of the second half of repeat lead-in CSI (6.6/10 at 9:30 p.m.). ABC’s FlashForward seems to have now respectably settled in, with a third-place 5.5/ 9 at 8 p.m. Comparably, that was equal to one week earlier (which, based on the final Live Plus Same Day nationals averaged 9.07 million viewers and a 3.1/ 9 among adults 18-49 on Oct. 15). Next was Grey’s Anatomy (8.5/13 at 9 p.m.), which trailed competing baseball by one-tenth of a rating point in the overnights (but will win the hour among adults 18-49), followed by Private Practice at a second-place 6.1/10 at 10 p.m. Comparably, retention for Private Practice out of the second half of lead-in Grey’s Anatomy (8.8/14 at 9:30 p.m.) was 69 percent. NBC, unfortunately, had nothing unusual to report with its combination of Community (#4: 3.1/ 5), Parks and Recreation (#4: 3.1/ 5), The Office (#4: 4.4/ 7), 30 Rock (#4: 4.1/ 6) and aforementioned dud The Jay Leno Show (#4: 3.5/ 6). And The CW capped off the evening with a series-low for just full-season-renewed The Vampire Diaries (#5: 1.9/ 3) and a repeat of Supernatural (#5: 1.3/ 2). As always, look for The Office to spark interest among adults 18-49. Congratulations to Jenna Fischer, by the way, for clearly stepping up to the plate as Pam last night. Hopefully, Emmy voters took notice. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)_____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -National Ratings in Primetime – Week of Oct. 19 to-Date:Based on Live Plus Same Day ratings from Monday, Oct. 19 through Wednesday, Oct. 21, CBS leads the pack with a sizeable advantage in total viewers and a one-tenth of a rating point lead over second-place Fox among adults 18-49. But keep in mind that Fox has at least one (and potentially two) games of the Major League Baseball American League Championship Series left to factor in. Here are the results for the week to-date: Total Viewers:CBS: 13.34 million, ABC: 10.09, Fox: 9.73, NBC: 6.96, CW: 1.98 Adults 18-49:CBS: 3.6 rating/10 share, Fox: 3.5/ 9, ABC: 2.6/ 7, NBC: 2.4/ 6, CW: 1.0/ 2 Source: Nielsen Media Research data_______________________________________________________________________________ On the Air This Weekend:Prime-Time Programming Options Friday 10/23/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Supernanny (season premiere) 9:00 p.m. Ugly Betty10:00 p.m. 20/20 CBS: 8:00 p.m. Ghost Whisperer 9:00 p.m. Medium 10:00 p.m. Numbers NBC: 8:00 p.m. Law & Order 9:00 p.m. Dateline10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show Fox: 8:00 p.m. Brothers 8:30 p.m. ‘Til Death 9:00 p.m. Dollhouse CW: 8:00 p.m. Smallville 9:30 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (R) Of Note on Cable:-White Collar (series premiere): USA, 10 p.m. ET --------------- Saturday 10/24/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Saturday Night Football (Oregon State at USC) CBS: 8:00 p.m. Three Rivers (R) 9:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery 10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery NBC: 8:00 p.m. Mercy (R) 9:00 p.m. Trauma (R)10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R) Fox: 8:00 p.m. Cops 9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted --------------- Sunday 10/25/09 ABC: 7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos 8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 9:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives10:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters CBS: 7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes 8:00 p.m. The Amazing Race 9:00 p.m. Three Rivers 10:00 p.m. Cold Case NBC: 7:00 p.m. Football Night in America 8:00 p.m. Sunday Night Football Pre-Game 8:20 p.m. Sunday Night Football (Arizona at NY Giants) Fox: 7:00 p.m. Football overrun 7:30 p.m. The OT 8:00 p.m. The Simpsons (R) 8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show (R) 9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R) 9:30 p.m. American Dad (R) -Of Note on Disney Channel:Classic Disney characters Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Pluto will be featured in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Choo Choo Express, featuring Grammy Award-winning alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. It airs at 7 p.m. ET and it will spawn a new game at PlayhouseDisney.com called The Choo Choo Express. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse airs weekdays at 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. ET and on weekends at 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. ET during Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney programming block for preschoolers. ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -New Home for Lifetime’s Rita Rocks:Sophomore Lifetime sitcom Rita Rocks has a new time period: Mondays at 10 p.m. ET, with back-to-back episodes in the hour beginning on Oct. 26. Recent entry Sherri, which currently leads into Rita Rocks, will occupy Rita’s current Tuesday 10:30 p.m. time period with encore telecasts. -Regis & Kelly Head to Sin City:Perennial Disney-ABC syndicated morning talker Live! with Regis and Kelly is taking the show on the road for a week of telecasts from new resort Encore at Wynn Las Vegas beginning on Nov. 23. This will mark Regis and Kelly’s first return to Las Vegas in nine years. And, speaking of Live! with Regis & Kelly, this Monday’s guest will be a Mr. TV favorite, Judge Judy Sheindlin. -Star Trek Live:CBS Consumer Products, a division of CBS Entertainment, and Mad Science will team up to launch interactive stage show Star Trek Live, which will focus on the journey of Captain James T. Kirk and Vulcan science officer Mr. Spock. Targeted specifically for theme parks and performing arts centers, Star Trek Live will debut in 2010 and travel throughout the United States and Canada. -Sad News:Slapstick comedian Soupy Sales, who rose to prominence in the 1960s care of his signature pie-throwing routine, died yesterday at Calvary Hospice in the Bronx. He was 83. Born Milton Supman on Jan. 28, 1926, Sales began his as a disc jockey, ultimately landing a daily live children’s show in Detroit in 1953. His greatest success, of course, came as host of The Soupy Sales Show, which was targeted to children. For more on Soupy Sales, listen to today’s PIPodcast at http://www.marcberman.tv. -Freshman Series Scorecard:Here is an updated status of the 22 new fall 2009 prime-time shows to-date by network, in order of airing. ABC -Shark Tank (Tuesday 8:00 p.m. ET): final episode aired this week; remake of V steps into time period on Nov. 3-The Forgotten (Tuesday 10 p.m. ET): lackluster to-date; on the fence for additional episodes-Hank (Wednesday 8:00 p.m. ET): not capable of anchoring the evening-The Middle (Wednesday 8:30 p.m. ET): full season renewal despite ongoing lackluster performance-Modern Family (Wednesday 9:00 p.m. ET): full season renewal, bona fide young adult hit-Cougar Family (Wednesday 9:30 p.m. ET): full season renewal, good retention out of Modern Family-Eastwick (Wednesday 10:00 p.m. ET): weaker each week; the cancellation clock is ticking-FlashForward (Thursday 8:00 p.m. ET): full season renewal; new show-runner announced ----- CBS -Accidentally on Purpose (Monday 8:30 p.m. ET): picking up steam with good compatibility out of How I Met Your Mother-NCIS: Los Angeles (Tuesday 9:00 p.m. ET): full season renewal, biggest new hit of the season-The Good Wife (Tuesday 10:00 p.m. ET): full season renewal; good retention out of NCIS: Los Angeles, but older skewing-Three Rivers (Sunday 9:00 p.m.): the cancellation clocking is ticking ----- NBC -Trauma (Monday 9:00 p.m. ET): planned midseason replacement Day One has been downgraded to a miniseries-The Jay Leno Show (Monday to Friday 10:00 p.m. ET): third place finish on most nights; the biggest new failure of the season-Mercy (Wednesday 8:00 p.m.): adequate performer in a modest time period-Community (Thursday 8:00 p.m. ET): not capable of anchoring the evening, but additional episodes expected ----- Fox -Glee (Wednesday 9:00 p.m. ET): full season renewal, season one DVD coming out on Dec. 29.-Brothers (Friday 8:00 p.m. ET): moving to Sunday at 7 p.m. effective on Nov. 8-The Cleveland Show (Sunday 8:30 p.m. ET): renewed for two full seasons, builds regularly from The Simpsons lead-in ----- The CW -Melrose Place (Tuesday 9:00 p.m. ET): five additional episodes ordered; Heather Locklear returns on Nov. 17-The Beautiful Life (Wednesday 9:00 p.m. ET): first cancellation of the season-The Vampire Diaries (Thursday 8:00 p.m. ET): full season renewal; solid performance among young females _________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:From Miami Beach, The Sun and Fun Capital of the World Which classic variety series shifted production from New York City to Miami Beach, Florida? a) The Dean Martin Showb) The Ed Sullivan Showc) The Jackie Gleason Showd) The Red Skelton Showe) Your Show of Shows The answer to yesterday’s question… What was the name of the three Robinson children in classic 1960s sci-fi drama Lost and Space? a) Bill, Donna and Pennyb) Holly, Penny and Willc) Judy, Sherrie and Miltd) Judy, Penny and Wille) Alice, Judy and Tim Is: d) Judy, Penny and Will, who were played by Marta Kristen, Angela Cartwright and Billy Mummy. -Current kudos goes to:Suzanne Ackley, Danny Aguilar, Joanne Albrecht, Anna Alvord, Mark Amato, Mary Bancroft, L Bell, Michael Berman, Karen Bieleski, Robert Bienvenu, Carolyn Bisson, Kimay Bloch, Michael Bobble,Mark Braff,Lisa Brause, John Brooker, Mavis Chow, Larry Collins, Richard Collumb, Tom Condosta, Kay Copeland, Annie Courtney, Audrey Davis, Dee Davis, Reid Davis, Scott Donette, Sue Doron, Peggy Einnehmer, Josh Emmett, Phyllis Epstein, John Ferlazzo, Arleen Fong, Paul Fox, Jan Frazier, Karen Gardner, Adam Giagni, Maureen Goldman, Geoffrey Gordon, Randy Hainlen, Scott Hamula, Michelle Harrington, Barb Hemberger, Kathleen Herbst, John Hezlep, Brad Hight, Mark Howorth, Kerry Hughes, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Ken Jobe, Shelly Johnson, Kevin Jones, Karen Kavanagh, Stephanie Kelly, Tom Kilgallon, Mary Kinoshita, Tom Lawrenson, Audrey Lewin, Rick Locke, Patty Lynch, Kathy Martin, Scott Masterson, Mary Ann McAleer, Sharon Merritt, Debbie Mirr, Mark Misiano, Jim Moore, Anne Moynihan, Michael Murphy, Pam Nail, Stephen Narissi, Michael Natale, Brian Nyenhuis, Alan Perris, Alex Petrilli, Jr., Sandra Pettway, Amy Preisendefer, Gordon Purcell, Con Rigg, Bruce Robinson, Lisa Tatum-Roehrig, Alan Rosenfeld, Colleen Roth, Mary Ryan, Marc Schacher, Maxine Schulman, Robert Sells, Marni Setless, Mark Simmons, Jenny Smith, Mindy Staley, Michelle Stanton, Julie Stowell, Andrew Stearn, Phyllis Stewart, Jeff Stuewe, Robyn Swart, Melissa Toyofuku, Rick Vosk, Myndi Weinraub, Alexander Yeh, Ted Zawislak

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Baseball Leads Fox to Thursday Overnight Victory

Marc Berman

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