Fox Wins Wednesday as Idol's Adam and Kris Land in the Top 2

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERThursday, May 14, 2009 Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:Fox Dominates; The Final Two Are Set on American Idol Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time: Hop to It! ______________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:Fox Dominates; The Final Two Are Set on American Idol Wednesday 5/13/09 HH Rtg/Shr Fox 9.3/15CBS 6.9/11ABC 5.0/ 8NBC 4.4/ 7CW 2.1/ 5 ---------- Note: The overnight comparisons to the year-ago evening are not available. ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:American Idol (Fox), Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI: NY (CBS) -Should Be Put Out to Pasture:Law & Order (NBC) -Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):Rules of Engagement (CBS), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown: Fox, of course, dominated Wednesday on the strength of the live American Idol Results Show, which stood head and shoulders above anything else with a 13.5 rating/21 share in the overnights from 9-10 p.m. Thankfully, Adam is still in the competition, but the departure of overrated Danny Gokey was a surprise. Earlier in the evening on Fox was just the season-finale of just renewed Lie To Me at a first-place 5.2/ 9 in the overnights at 8 p.m. Similar to last season, the Wednesday 8 p.m. hour remains one of the least competitive time periods on television. Over at second-place CBS, an 8 p.m. edition of Rules of Engagement kicked-off the evening tied for third, with a 4.0/ 7 in the overnights. If this was a test to see if Rules can anchor an evening, it failed. Next on CBS was an 8:30 p.m. edition of The New Adventures of Old Christine at a second-place 4.5/ 7 (12 percent above Rules of Engagement), followed by potent Criminal Minds (#2: 8.6/14) and still dominant CSI: NY (#1: 7.9/13) from 9-11 p.m. The season-finale of CSI: NY airs tonight at 10 p.m. out of CSI. A night of Lost on ABC finished a distant third overall in the metered markets, with a clips edition at a 4.3/ 7 (#2t) from 8-9 p.m., followed by the two-hour season-ender at a 5.4/ 9 from 9-11 p.m. Take a look at the half-hour breakdown: Lost (ABC) 9:00 p.m. 5.3/ 8 (#3) 9:30 p.m.: 5.2/ 8 (#3)10:00 p.m.: 5.4/ 9 (#2t)10:30 p.m.: 5.5/ 9 (#3) Since the strength of Lost falls within the young adult demos, I will reserve any judgment until we see the adult 18-49 results. Fourth overall in the metered markets was NBC care of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (#4: 4.1/ 7), a repeat of Law & Order: SVU (#4: 3.5/ 6) and Law & Order (#2t: 5.5/ 9). While granddaddy Law & Order continues to build at 10 p.m., the ongoing year-to-year losses means it is finally time for the 19-year-old drama to officially end. America’s Next Top Model on the CW picked-up steam, with the season-finale at an above-average 3.4/ 6 (#5) from 8-9 p.m. Top Model led into a repeat of 90210 at an almost invisible (and, of course, last place) 0.9/ 2 at 9 p.m. Source: Nielsen Media Research data _______________________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Season to-Date Ratings Update:Based on national ratings from Sept. 22, 2008 through May 10, 2009, here are the updated results by network versus the comparable year-ago period. Keep in mind that the traditional (September - May) TV season ends on Wednesday, May 20. Also note that the hefty growth for MyNetworkTV is a result of Friday Night Smackdown! moving to the network last fall. HouseholdsCBS: 7.3 rating/12 share (+ 9), ABC: 5.7/ 9 (- 5), Fox: 5.7/ 9 (-14), NBC: 4.9/ 8 (- 6), CW: 1.3/ 2 (-24), MNTV: 1.0/ 2 (+25) Total Viewers:CBS: 11.74 million (+12), Fox: 9.69 (-13), ABC: 8.90 (- 4), NBC: 7.90 (- 4), CW: 2.02 (-22), MNTV: 1.68 (+48) Adults 18-49: Fox: 3.6 rating/10 share (-14), CBS: 3.1/ 8 (+ 3), ABC: 2.9/ 8 (- 3), NBC: 2.8/ 8 (no change), CW: 0.9/ 2 (-18), MNTV: 0.6/ 2 (+50) Adults 25-54:CBS: 4.1/10 (+ 8), Fox: 4.1/10 (-11), ABC: 3.4/ 8 (- 6), NBC: 3.2/ 8 (- 3), CW: 0.8/ 2 (-20), MNTV: 0.6/ 2 (+20) Adults 18-34:Fox: 3.2/10 (-16), NBC: 2.4/ 7 (+ 4), ABC: 2.4/ 7 (no change), CBS: 2.1/ 6 (+ 5), CW: 1.0/ 3 (- 9), MNTV: 0.5/ 2 (+25) --------------- -Final Tuesday Nationals:Led by American Idol, Fox dominated Tuesday, May 12. But CBS was on the map care of its combination of NCIS, The Mentalist and Without a Trace, which is worthy of renewal. The three-hour season-finale of NBC’s The Biggest Loser rose to a season-high 11.85 million viewers and a 4.7 rating/13 share among adults 18-49. And freshman 90210 lifted the CW to its best Tuesday 9 p.m. performance of the season in total viewers (2.1 million), women 18-34 (2.7/ 7), women 18-49 (1.7/ 4) and female teens (1.7/ 4). Here ate the overall results: Total Viewers:Fox: 16.50 million, CBS: 15.28, NBC: 11.85, ABC: 7.72, CW: 2.02 Adults 18-49:Fox: 6.1 rating/16 share, NBC: 4.7/12, CBS: 3.1/ 8, ABC: 1.9/ 5, CW: 1.0/ 3 Source: Nielsen Media Research data_______________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Thursday 5/14/09Night 22 of the May 2009 Sweeps ABC: 8:00 p.m. Ugly Betty 9:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy10:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy (season finale) CBS: 8:00 p.m. Survivor: Tocantins 9:00 p.m. CSI (season finale) 10:00 p.m. CSI: NY (season finale) NBC: 8:00 p.m. My Name is Earl (season or series finale) 8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation (season finale) 9:00 p.m. The Office (season finale) 9:30 p.m. 30 Rock (season finale)10:00 p.m. Southland (season finale) Fox: 8:00 p.m. Bones (season finale) 9:00 p.m. Hell’s Kitchen (season finale) CW 8:00 p.m. Smallville (season finale) 9:00 p.m. Supernatural (season finale) MTNV 8:00 p.m. Movie: The Last King of Scotland________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -CBSTD Announces Blah Girls:CBS Television Distribution and Katalyst Media, a branded social content studio co-founded by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, will partner on an animated series centered on the “Blah Girls,” which are currently featured at www.blahgirls.com. The web-created characters (Krystle, Tiffany and Britney) made their television debut on CBSTD’s The Insider yesterday and will offer their own unique take on Hollywood and celebrities in the news each week at www.TheInsider.com. Viewers will be able to leave comments and interact with the “Girls.” The potential series is being pitched as either a half-hour strip or a weekly show. -MGM Clears Prime-Time Movie Package:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc. (MGM) has sold its Sunday movie package to CW affiliates in 65 percent of the county, including affiliates associated with Tribune Broadcasting, Capital Broadcasting Company, Freedom Communication, Inc., Gray Television, Sunbeam TV Corporation, and the CW Plus Station Group. Movies in the package includes Legally Blonde and Overboard. -Upcoming at History Channel:History Channel has announced an ambitious slate of programming initiatives for 2009-10, including six confirmed new series and five specials. The new shows are America The Story of Us, a 12-part look at the invention of America; Pawning History, which focuses on the only family-owned pawn shop in Las Vegas; Madhouse, which is set at a racetrack in North Carolina; WWII in HD, a look at the war through the eyes of Americans who fought it; Nostradamus Effect, which compares today’s global events to a particular prophecy; and the 10-episode Mysteryquest. Specials will include The People Speak, The Naturalized, Holy Grail in America, Surviving the Holidays with Lewis Black, and 24 Hours After: The Kennedy Assassination, which focuses on the moments and hours after John F. Kennedy’s death. Returning series on History Channel are Ancient Discoveries, Ax Men, How the Earth Was Made, Ice Road Truckers, Modern Marvels, Monsterquest and The Universe. _________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:Hop to It! Which one of the following series featured a character named Bunny? a) Born Freeb) From Here to Eternityc) Gentle Bend) Gomer Pyle, USMCe) 7th Heaven The answer to yesterday’s question… What kind of store did Paul’s father own on Mad About You? a) cardb) hardwarec) ice creamd) noveltye) sporting goods Is: e) sporting goods, where obnoxious cousin Ira was employed. All together now… Tell me why, I love you like I do, Tell me who, can stop my heart as much as you, Tell me all your secrets and I'll tell you most of mine, They say nobody's perfect but it is really true this time, I don't have the answers, And I don't have a plan, All I have is you, So darling help me understand, What we do, You can whisper in my ear, Where we go, who knows what happens after here, Let's take each other's hands, As we jump into the final frontier, I'm mad about you, I'm mad about you, So mad about you... -Current kudos goes to:Mark Amato, Burt Benoliel, Barbara Berman, Gerry Bixenspan, Kimay Bloch, Sherrie Brooks, Lillian Buchman, Corey Chapman, Larry Collins, Annie Courtney, Dee Davis, Bob Eisenstaedt, Phyllis Epstein, Navid Falahpour, Arleen Fong, Ellen Foust, Julie Friedlander, Michael Fruchtman, Maureen Goldman, Jackie Hague, Barb Hemberger, Heidi Hoffmeister, Mark Howorth, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Cara Jacobs, Greg Janover, Mike Joliffe, Deb Kainer, Marie LeFevre Karp, Kathryn Kieser, Roy Laurie, David Lederman, Audrey Lewin, Rick Locke, Sharon Merritt, Mark Misiano, Jim Moore, Tony Naldrett, Jodi Perris, Gordon Purcell, Julie Rasmussen, Bruce Robinson, Mary Ryan, Ron Salmon, Michelle Stanton, Bruce Starin, Mickie Steinmann, Casey Stephens, Jan Stewart, Jeff Stuewe, Ronnie Tallant, Bobbie Termeer, Trenna Underhill, David Vickers, Zoe Zakham

Convergent TV

Fox Wins Wednesday as Idol's Adam and Kris Land in the Top 2

Marc Berman

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Marc Berman