Weekend Rating Results

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERMonday, October 19, 2009 Primetime Ratings:Weekend Highlights Ratings Box:What's Hot/What's Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time:Name That Magazine _______________________________________________________________________ Note: I am currently on telephone call for potential jury duty, which will mean The Programming Insider will be pre-empted at some point this week. Stay tuned. _______________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Ratings:Weekend Highlights Friday 10/16/09Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr CBS 5.1/ 9Fox 4.6/ 8NBC 4.1/ 7ABC 3.9/ 7CW 1.3/ 2 -Total Viewers:CBS: 8.01 million, Fox: 7.54, NBC: 6.09, ABC: 5.72, CW: 1.97 -Adults 18-49: Fox: 2.4 rating/8 share, CBS: 1.9/ 6, ABC: 1.6/ 5, NBC: 1.4/ 5, CW: 0.8/ 3 -------------------- Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 27 percent at this same point last year to approximately 33 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted. ---------- -Friday’s Winners (excluding repeats):Nothing. Baseball on Fox was a vast improvement over regularly scheduled occupants Brothers, ‘Til Death and Dollhouse, but it is still not worthy of being labeled a “winner.” -Disappointing:Ugly Betty (ABC), Smallville (CW) -Friday’s Losers:NBC News: Secrets of the Lost Symbol, The Jay Leno Show (NBC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:It was a Friday of mixed leadership, with fading CBS still the most-watched network and game one of 2009 American League Baseball Championship Series leading Fox to victory among adults 18-49. ABC and NBC tied for the No. 3 and 4 spots (NBC was third in total viewers; ABC was No. 3 in the demo), while The CW finished a distant fifth. Game one of the Los Angeles Angels at the New York Yankees averaged an estimated 7.54 million viewers (#2) and a first-place 2.4 rating/8 share among adults 18-49 from 8-11 p.m. Results for any live sporting event are, of course, always approximate. Here is the half-hour breakdown: 2009 American League Baseball Championship, Game 1 (Fox)8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.59 million (#2), A18-49: 2.3/ 8 (#1)8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 6.82 million (#3), A18-49: 2.1/ 7 (#1t)9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.47 million (#2), A18-49: 2.3/ 8 (#1)9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 7.77 million (#2), A18-49: 2.5/ 8 (#1)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.71 million (#2), A18-49: 2.6/ 8 (#1)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 7.86 million (#2), A18-49: 2.6/ 8 (#1) CBS came in on par with recent levels despite facing baseball with its combination of Ghost Whisperer (Viewers: #1, 8.21 million; #2, 2.0/ 7), compatible Medium (Viewers: #1, 8.04 million; A18-49: #2, 1.9/ 6) and tired Numbers (#1, 7.77 million; A18-49: #2, 1.8/ 6). While the Eye net can certainly live with this schedule, it may have to be readdressed by next season. In season-premiere news, ABC’s relocated Ugly Betty opened season four with a lackluster 5.01 million viewers and a 1.3/ 5 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. -- fourth in both categories. While this may not sound all that positive, Ugly Betty rose to ABC’s best performance in the hour among women 18-34 (1.6/ 6) since April 17, 2009, and it finished second among women 18-49, with a 1.9/ 6 in the demo. Even so, barely five million viewers still makes Betty a “disappointment.” A second episode of Ugly Betty performed similarly at 9 p.m., with 5.18 million viewers (#4) and a third-place 1.4/ 4 among adults 18-49. Lead-out 20/20 capped off the evening for ABC with 6.97 million viewers (#2) and a first-place 2.0/ 6 in the demo at 10 p.m. Over at NBC, granddaddy Law & Order opened the night with 7.60 million viewers (#2) and a third-place 1.6/ 6 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. Next was an NBC News Special themed Secrets of the Lost Symbol (Viewers: #3, 5.69 million viewers; A18-49: #4, 1.3/ 4 at 9 p.m.), followed by lackluster The Jay Leno Show third at 10 p.m. in both total viewers (4.97 million) and adults 18-49 (1.2/ 4). Can NBC really be satisfied with these results for Leno? The CW closed this fourth Friday of the 2009-10 season with its combination of aging Smallville (Viewers: #5, 2.62 million; A18-49: #5, 1.1/ 4), which has lost a lot of steam since moving to the night but is still an improvement over former occupants Everybody Hates Chris and The Game, and a repeat of America’s Next Top Model (Viewers: #5, 1.33 million; A18-49: #5, 0.6/ 2). Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Saturday 10/17/09Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr Fox 5.5/10CBS 3.6/ 7ABC 3.3/ 6NBC 2.4/ 4 -Total Viewers:Fox: 9.07 million, CBS: 5.40, ABC: 5.12, NBC: 3.59 -Adults 18-49: Fox: 2.8 rating/9 share, ABC: 1.5/ 5, CBS: 1.1/ 4, NBC: 0.9/ 3 ---------- Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 27 percent at this same point last year to approximately 33 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted. ---------- -Saturday’s Winners:2009 American League Baseball Championship, Game 2 (Fox) -Saturday’s Losers (excluding repeats):NASCAR (ABC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:Game two of the Los Angeles Angels at the New York Yankees perked up from game one, with an average (and estimated) 9.07 million viewers and a 2.8 rating/9 share among adults 18-49 for the prime-time portion from 8-11 p.m. ET. Results past 11 p.m. ET for the extra inning match-up were not available at press time. Here is the half-hour breakdown in primetime: 2009 American League Baseball Championship, Game 2 (Fox)8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.75 million (#1), A18-49: 2.3/ 8 (#1)8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 8.92 million (#1), A18-49: 2.7/ 9 (#1)9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 9.63 million (#1), A18-49: 3.0/10 (#1)9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 10.61 million (#1), A18-49: 3.4/11 (#1)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 8.92 million (#1), A18-49: 3.0/ 9 (#1)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 8.95 million (#1), A18-49: 2.7/ 9 (#1) Elsewhere, the pickings slim. CBS kicked-off the evening with a repeat of NCIS (Viewers: #3, 5.03 million; A18-49: #3, 1.0/ 3), followed by a repeat of CSI: Miami (Viewers: #2, 5.09 million; A18-49: #3, 1.1/ 3) and an original installment of 48 Hours Mystery (Viewers: #2, 6.09 million; A18-49: #3, 1.4/ 4). ABC aired NASCAR, which averaged 5.12 million viewers (#3) and a second-place 1.5/ 5 from 8-11 p.m. And NBC capped off the night with repeats of Mercy (Viewers: #4, 2.44 million; A18-49: #4, 0.7/ 2), Trauma (Viewers: #4, 3.10 million; A18-49: #4, 0.8/ 2) and Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: #3, 5.23 million; A18-49: #3, 1.4/ 5). Depressing, isn’t it? Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Sunday 10/18/09 HH Rtg/Shr CBS 10.0/16NBC 8.6/14ABC 6.1/10Fox 4.0/ 6 ---------- -Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Period (Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008):NBC: +51, CBS: + 3, Fox: - 2, ABC: -15 ---------- Note: The fast affiliate results for Sunday will be posted at PIFeedback.com by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Sunday, October 18, 2009. ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:NFL Football Primetime Overrun (CBS), 60 Minutes (CBS), Sunday Night Football: Chicago at Atlanta (NBC), Desperate Housewives (ABC) -Keep an Eye on Demographically:The Simpsons (Fox), The Cleveland Show (Fox), Family Guy (Fox) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):Football Night in America, parts one and two (NBC), Brothers (Fox), Three Rivers (NBC) -----------Ratings Breakdown:CBS led the Sunday overnight troops, beating football populated NBC by an average of 16 percent. But all individual program results for CBS are approximate due to an estimated 75-minute primetime overrun. Third overall in the metered markets was ABC, which used to rule Sunday with an iron ratings first, followed by Fox, which is dependent, of course, on the young adult demos. Since football bled into CBS’ line-up, here are the overnight results for the network by half-hour: CBS Sunday 7:00 p.m. – NFL Football: 14.7 rating/25 share (#1) 7:30 p.m. – NFL Football: 15.9/26 (#1) 8:00 p.m. – NFL Football: 17.3/27 (#1) – 60 Minutes: 10.2/16 (#1) 8:30 p.m. – 60 Minutes: 10.0/15 (#2) 9:00 p.m. – 60 Minutes: 11.2/17 (#2) – The Amazing Race: 6.7/10 (#3) 9:30 p.m. – The Amazing Race: 6.1/ 9 (#3)10:00 p.m. – The Amazing Race: 7.0/11 (#2) – Three Rivers: 5.3/ 8 (##)10:30 p.m. – Three Rivers: 4.9/ 8 (#3) Over at NBC, Chicago at Atlanta on Sunday Night Football averaged an approximate 11.7/18 in the overnights from 8:30-11 p.m., with the half-hour breakdown as follows: Sunday Night Football (NBC) 8:30 p.m.: 10.5/16 (#1) 9:00 p.m.: 11.9/18 (#1) 9:30 p.m.: 12.3/19 (#1)10:00 p.m.: 11.8/18 (#1)10:30 p.m.: 12.2/20 (#1) Earlier in the evening on NBC was pre-game Football Night in America, which fared as follows by half-hour: Football Night in America (NBC)7:00 p.m. – part one: 2.4/ 4 (#4)7:30 p.m. – part two: 2.6/ 4 (#4)8:00 p.m. – part three: 5.6/ 9 (#2) Over at ABC, the network was down by 15 percent on average, year-to-year, with its combination of veteran America’s Funniest Home Videos (#2: 4.2/ 7), aging Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (#3: 6.0/ 9), Desperate Housewives (#2: 7.8/12) and Brothers & Sisters (#2: 6.3/10). That was quite an interesting development at the end of Desperate Housewives, wasn’t it? Fox kicked-off the night with a Sunday edition of dud sitcom Brothers (#4: 3.1/ 5), followed by a repeat of The Simpsons (#3: 31/ 5), the regularly scheduled edition of The Simpsons (#4: 5.1/ 8), compatible The Cleveland Show (#4: 4.4/ 7), Family Guy (#4: 4.7/ 7) and American Dad (#4: 3.8/ 6). Source: Nielsen Media Research data____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What's Hot/What's Not -Strong Start for the NLCS Series on TBS:Game one of the Philadelphia Phillies versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on the National League Championship Series on TBS opened with 4.95 million households and 6.85 million viewers on Thursday, Oct. 15. Comparably, that built over TBS’ coverage of game one of the 2008 American Championship Series (Boston Red Sox versus Tampa Bay Rays) by five and two percent, respectively. Demo growth was as much as 12 percent each in both adults 18-34 (996,000) and men 18-34 (603,000). -Above Average Vampire Diaries on The CW:Based on the final Live Plus Same Day ratings for Thursday, Oct. 15, freshman CW drama The Vampire Diaries scored its best performance in total viewers (3.90 million), adults 18-34 (2.0/6), adults 18-49 (1.8/5) and women 18-49 (2.4/7) since the series-premiere on Sept. 10 Vampire Diaries finished the evening first overall among female teens (2.7/10) and females 12-34 (2.7/ 9 – tie). Coupled with lead-out Supernatural, The CW on Thursday increased, on average, by as much as 50 percent in women 18-34 from the year-ago evening. Suggestion to anyone working on The Vampire Diaries: check the mail. The full season renewal notice is on its way. Source: Nielsen Media Research data ________________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Monday 10/19/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Dancing With the Stars 10:00 p.m. Castle CBS: 8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother 8:30 p.m. Accidentally on Purpose 9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men 9:30 p.m. The Big Bang Theory 10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami NBC: 8:00 p.m. Heroes 9:00 p.m. Trauma10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show Fox: 8:00 p.m. House 9:00 p.m. Lie to Me CW: 8:00 p.m. One Tree Hill 9:00 p.m. Gossip Girl ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Announcing Live Quest:Psychic medium extraordinaire John Edward, a Mr. TV favorite, has partnered with 50 other metaphysicians to launch Live Quest, an interactive series of webcasts located at www.infinitequest.com. Premiering October 26th through 29th at 9:00 p.m. ET, John Edward and company will connect with the other side via mediums, astrologers, psychic healers, dream interpreters and alternative medical experts. “Ten years ago I introduced Mediumship to main-stream cable and syndicated television,” said Edward. “It now feels like the natural progression to personally bring an array of metaphysics to people’s homes with live internet protocol television.” For more information, go to http://www.infinitequest.com. Based on my personal experiences with Mr. Edward, you can personally count me in!---------- -Fox in November:Yes, there is still a November sweeps period. And here are some programming highlights for the month on Fox: Series Premiere:-The Wanda Sykes Show: Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 p.m. ET Specials:-Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show: Sunday, Nov. 8, 8:30 p.m. ET Sports:-World Series, Game 2: Thursday, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m. ET (game 7 if necessary on Nov. 5)-World Series, Game 3: Saturday, Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET-World Series, Game 4: Sun, Nov. 1, 8 p.m. ET Guest Stars:-Snoop Dogg on Brothers: Friday, Nov. 13, 8 p.m. ET-Keith Carradine on Dollhouse: Friday, Nov. 13, 9 p.m. ET-Ralph Waite on Bones: Thursday, Nov. 19, 8 p.m. ET-Kevin Nealon on ‘Til Death: Friday, Nov. 20, 8:30 p.m. ET-The Voices of Darryl Hall and John Oates on The Cleveland Show: Sunday, Nov. 22, 8:30 p.m. ET-Eve on Glee: Wednesday, Nov. 25, 9 p.m. ET Miscellaneous-The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XX: Sunday, Nov. 8, 8:30 p.m. ET ---------- -The Goode Family Heads to Comedy Central:No, it is no longer in original production. But repeats of recently failed ABC animated sitcom The Goode Family will begin airing on cable net Comedy Central in January. -Wanna Feel Old?:Dawn Wells, who of course played perky Mary Ann on goofy 1960s sitcom Gilligan’s Island, turned 71 years old yesterday. I met Dawn in 2001 at the Summer TCA Press Tour where she was promoting upcoming special, Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History and, as you might expect, she could not have been nicer. In honor of Dawn’s birthday: Just sit right back & you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful tripThat started from this tropic port aboard this tiny ship.The mate was a mighty sailing man, The skipper brave & sure.Five passengers set sail that day for a three hour tour,A three hour tourThe weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed,If not for the courage of the fearless crewThe Minnow would be lost,The Minnow would be lost.The ship's a-ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isleWith Gilligan,The Skipper too,The millionaire and his wife,The movie starThe Professor and Mary Ann, (following seasons)Here on Gilligan's Isle. _______________________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:Name That Magazine What was the name of the magazine that Susan Keane worked for on 1996-2000 NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan? a) The Blue Lagoonb) The Daily Friscoc) The Gated) The Mirrore) The Observer The answer to Friday’s question… What was the name of Col. Klink’s secretary on sitcom Hogan’s Heroes? Brigitte GretelHildaIngridKatinka Is: c) Hilda, played by Sigrid Valdis from 1966-70, who series star Bob Crane ended up marrying in real life. Klink’s secretary in the first season (1965-66) was named Helga. -Current kudos goes to:Don Abel, Suzanne Ackley, Anna Alvord, Bert Benoliel, Kimay Bloch, Michael Bobble, Lisa Brause, Larry Collins, Harold Cooper, Reid Davis, Josh Emmett, John Ferlazzo, Maureen Goldman, Carolyn Becker Hayes, Brad Hight, Kerry Hughes, Steven Kurtzer, Howard Lieboff, Patty Lynch, Debbie Mirr, Michael Murphy, Tony Naldrett, Stephen Narissi, Brian Nyenhuis, Darlene Pietrak, Gordon Purcell, Con Rigg, Bruce Robinson, Tina Rolon, Jay Rossi, Joe Rubi, Mary Ryan, Neal Sabin (2x), Marc Schacher, Michelle Stanton, Jeff Stuewe, Joe Swaney, Robyn Swart, Kelly Swindell, Ted Zawislak

Convergent TV

Weekend Rating Results

Marc Berman

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Marc Berman