NBC Leads Midweek Troops

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERThursday, September 3, 2009 Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:NBC Wins; CBS Fall Preview a Bust Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time: Roseanne’s Kid Sister ______________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:NBC Wins; CBS Fall Preview a Bust Wednesday 9/02/09 HH Rtg/Shr NBC 5.4/ 9CBS 4.4/ 7ABC 3.8/ 6Fox 3.0/ 5CW 1.1/ 2 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Wednesday, September 3, 2008):CBS: +29, ABC: +27, NBC: - 7, Fox: -55, CW: -67 ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:Wipeout (ABC), America’s Got Talent (NBC) -Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):CBS Fall Preview, So You Think You Can Dance: Top 15 Dances From the Past 5 Seasons (Fox), Crash Course (ABC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown: NBC led the midweek troops, with an advantage of 23 percent in the metered markets over second-place CBS. Third overall was ABC, followed by Fox and The CW. Steep erosion for The CW is a reflection of the two-hour season-premiere of America’s Next Top Model airing on the year-ago evening. At 8 p.m., a repeat of America’s Got Talent on NBC (4.5 rating/8 share) inched past ABC’s Wipeout (4.4/ 8) by one-tenth of a rating point in the overnights. But Wipeout is expected to win the hour among adults 18-49. Also airing in the time period was repeat of CBS’ The New Adventures of Old Christine (#3: 3.2/ 6) and the half-hour CBS Fall Preview (#4: 2.9/ 5), Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance special themed Top 15 Dances From the Past 5 Seasons (#3t, 3.1/ 5), and a repeat of America’s Next Top Model on The CW (1.1/ 2). In the event you missed the CBS Fall Preview (and apparently many of you did), here are my odds of survival on the four new Eye net entries: Accidentally on Purpose - Monday 8:30 p.m.: 6-1Given the forced pilot, CBS could do better out of relocated How I Met Your Mother and into Two and a Half Men. NCIS: Los Angeles – Tuesday 9 p.m.: 1-1Out of parent NCIS (and in place of former occupant The Mentalist), NCIS: Los Angeles can’t miss. Too bad, though, that the concept itself already feels dated. The Good Wife – Tuesday 10 p.m.: 5-1With expected strong lead-in support from NCIS: Los Angeles and lack of proven competition (ABC’s The Forgotten and The Jay Leno Show on NBC), there is every reason to believe The Good Wife will win the hour in total viewers. But the expected older audience skew could be detrimental. Threes Rivers – Sunday 9 p.m.: 10-1Out of escapist The Amazing Race and on the eve of beginning the new work week, a serious medical drama about organ donors just does not fit. Three Rivers is my pick for the first cancellation of the season. Moving to 9 p.m., America’s Got Talent on NBC took center stage at 9 p.m., with a 7.6/13 in the overnights. Second was a repeat of CBS’ Criminal Minds (5.4/ 9), followed by a repeat of Fox musical drama Glee (2.9/ 5), week two of horrific (and unnecessary) ABC reality/competition Crash Course (2.7/ 4), and another repeat installment of America’s Next Top Model on The CW (1.2/ 2). If I were ABC, I would put Crash Course out of its misery pronto. This is the last thing we need to see. A repeat of CBS’ CSI: NY finished first in the overnights at 10 p.m., with a 4.7/ 8, followed by ABC summer newsmagazine Primetime: Crime (4.4/ 8) and a repeat of Law & Order: SVU on NBC (4.2/ 7). And there you have it: the first Wednesday of September. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)_____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Network News Update:With Charles Gibson stepping down as anchor of ABC World News (see TV Tidbits), it is time for a season to-date ratings look at the three network newscasts versus the comparable year-ago period. Through August 30, 2009, NBC’s Nightly News has a firm hold on the top spot, beating ABC’s second-place World News, on average, by 810,000 viewers, 23 percent in adults 18-49 and 16 percent in adults 25-54. NBC is on par with year-ago levels, while ABC has dipped by margins of four to six percent. The CBS Evening News is close to year-ago levels, but still a distant third. Take a look: -Total Viewers:NBC Nightly News: 8.67 million (+ 1), ABC World News: 7.86 (- 4), CBS Evening News: 6.11 (- 1) -Adults 18-49:NBC: 1.6 rating/7 share (no change), ABC: 1.3/ 6 (- 7), CBS: 1.1/ 5 (no change) -Adults 25-54:NBC: 2.2/ 9 (+ 5), ABC: 1.9/ 8 (- 5), CBS: 1.5/ 6 (- 6) ---------- -Another Season Best for Big Brother:A season high 7.79 million viewers tuned into to the Tuesday, Sept. 1 telecast of CBS’ Big Brother to witness bland Michele win the POV and secure a spot in the top four. Comparably, that was up 520,000 viewers from the week-ago Tuesday telecast. If fan favorite Jeff does, however, exit tonight the current momentum will not be easy to continue. -Strong Return for Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel:Season two of truTV’s Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel kicked-off on Tuesday, Sept. 1 with 1.3 million viewers at 10 p.m. -- up 28 percent from the show’s first season-premiere. Results among men 18-49 (461,000) were particularly impressive, with growth of 67 percent. -Record August for Food Network:Led by The Next Food Network Star, Chopped and The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Food Network finished August with its highest-rated and most-watched month ever. The tasty cable net averaged 636,000 total viewers, with a 0.6 rating in prime-time -- up by 12 percent in viewers and 20 percent in the demo from one month earlier. Comparably, Food Network placed fifth for the month among all ad-supported cable nets in adults 25-54. Source: Nielsen Media Research data_______________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Thursday 9/03/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy (R) 9:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy (R) 10:00 p.m. Private Practice (R) CBS: 8:00 p.m. Big Brother 9:00 p.m. CSI (R)10:00 p.m. The Mentalist (R) NBC: 8:00 p.m. 30 Rock (R) 8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation (R) 9:00 p.m. The Office (R) 9:30 p.m. 30 Rock (R) 10:00 p.m. Law & Order (R) Fox: 8:00 p.m. Bones (R) 9:00 p.m. Fringe (R) CW 8:00 p.m. Supernatural (R) 9:00 p.m. Supernatural (R) MTNV 8:00 p.m. Movie: Loverboy (R) ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Charles Gibson to Exit ABC News:Charles Gibson, the current anchor of ABC World News and former co-anchor of Good Morning America, has announced his retirement and will step down from his post at the end of this year. GMA anchor Diane Sawyer, who had only planned on staying with the morning franchise temporary after joining the show in 2000 will move into the World News anchor spot in January. Gibson inherited his current role in May 2006 following the death of Peter Jennings and injury of Bob Woodruff. This means, of course, that two of the network newscasts will be helmed by females for the first time in television history. There is no word at present who will step in for Sawyer on GMA. Said CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric: “Ever since my days as a desk assistant at ABC News, I've always admired Charlie's work. He's a talented reporter, a gifted communicator, and a wonderful person. I wish him all the best. Diane is one of the hardest-working people I know and this new assignment is the latest achievement in an already accomplished and illustrious career. And as I did, I'm sure she'll quickly find that she doesn't miss that early morning alarm clock." Gibson, who has been employed at ABC News for 35 years, plans to continue with the network as an occasional contributor. --------------- -16 and Pregnant Labor Day Marathon on MTV:Documentary series 16 and Pregnant, which takes an inside look at pregnant teenagers, will be presented in a six-episode marathon on Monday, Sept. 7 following an encore presentation of Life After Labor at 11 a.m. ET. The marathon will be hosted by some of the mothers featured in upcoming spin-off Teen Mom. -Megan Mullally Joins Cast of Party Down:Two time Emmy Award winner Megan Mullally, who came and quickly went on short-lived ABC sitcom In the Motherhood earlier this season, will join the cast of original Starz series Party Down. Mullally will play a separated woman with a 13-year-old daughter who is looking for a fresh start. _________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:Roseanne’s Kid Sister What was the real first name of Jackie, Roseanne’s sister, on the long-running ABC sitcom? a) Daphneb) Delilah c) Gladys d) Marjoriee) Sunshine The answer to yesterday’s question… What was the occupation of Steve Austin on The Six Million Dollar Man at the time when many of his human parts were being replaced with electromechanical devices? a) Astronautb) Bounty hunter c) Detectived) Nuclear physiciste) Surgeon Is: a) Astronaut. Airing from Jan. 18, 1974 to March 6, 1978, The Six Million Dollar Man rose to No. 7 overall for the 1976-77 season. Spin-off The Bionic Woman actually topped Lee Majors and company one season earlier, with a 5th place finish in 1975-76. Remember this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HofoK_QQxGc -Current kudos goes to:Suzanne Ackley, Mark Amato, Mary Bancroft, Mikki Beno, Burt Benoliel, Laurie Biddle, Gerry Bixenspan, Kimay Bloch, John Brooker, Peggy Campbell, Paul Certo, Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Kristin Conner, Harold Cooper, Audrey Davis, Reid Davis, James Davison, Ric Dittman, Mike Dugger, Miss John Emmett, John Ferlazzo, Arleen Fong, Michael Fruchtman, Karen Gardner, Bob Goldman, Maureen Goldman, Bill Graff, Lisa Grengs, Carolyn Becker Hayes, Barb Hemberger, Michael Holland, Kerry Hughes, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Deb Kainer, Synda Kollman, Andi Kupersmith, Steve Kurtzer, Stephen LaRue, Charmaine Leary, Steven Lewis, Patty Lynch, John Maher, Kathy Martin, Tricia McKee, Debbie Mirr, Mark Misiano, Tony Naldrett, Stephen Narissi, Frank Nicotero, Joe Pedri, Alan Perris, Greg Phelan, Francine Purcell, Gordon Purcell, Bob Rall, Michael Ratliffe, Arthur Reinstein, Con Rigg, Angela Rodgers, Lisa Tatum-Roehrig, Colleen Roth, Joe Rubi, Greg Salerno, Ron Salmon, `Barry Schiffer, Russell Schwartz, David Shearer, Kim Smith, Mike Stallcup, Michelle Stanton, Bruce Starin, Ron Strauss, Jeff Stuewe, Bobbie Termeer, Jodi Tiktin, Trenna Underhill, David Williams, Joel Wolk, Jeanne Yonkers, Zohrain Zafar, Ted Zavales

Convergent TV

NBC Leads Midweek Troops

Marc Berman

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Marc Berman