Another Midweek Victory for Fox

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERThursday, February 11, 2010 Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:Fox Wins, CBS a Sold Second Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time: Musical What’s Happening!!________________________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:Fox Wins, CBS a Sold Second Wednesday 2/10/10 HH Rtg/Shr Fox 10.6/16CBS 7.6/12ABC 4.8/ 7NBC 4.0/ 6CW 0.9/ 1 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Wednesday, February 11, 2009):CBS: +15, ABC: +14, NBC: + 3, CW: no change, Fox: -22 ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:American Idol (Fox), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI: NY (CBS) -On the Plus Side:Human Target (Fox), The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS), Gary Unmarried (CBS) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):Mercy (NBC), Cougar Town (ABC), Ugly Betty (ABC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:Fox got over the Wednesday “hump” in typical winning fashion, with a 3.0 overnight rating point advantage above second place CBS. In the distant No. 3 spot was ABC, following by NBC and yet another night of repeats on The CW. Recently introduced Fox drama Human Target won the 8 p.m. hour, with a 5.9/ 9 in the overnights (and growth of a noticeable 18 percent from last Wednesday’s time period premiere: 5.0/ 8 on Feb. 3). It looks like the network could actually have something here. Next was an above-average 5.5/ 8 for CBS’ The New Adventures of Old Christine, followed by compatible Gary Unmarried at a 5.0/ 8 at 8:30 p.m., which was tied (in rating) with ABC’s already renewed The Middle. Leading into The Middle was a repeat of annual holiday special A Charlie Brown Valentine at a third-place 4.7/ 7 at 8 p.m. Of positive note for The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried was growth of 20 percent and 16 percent, respectively, from their last original telecasts (Old Christine: 4.6/ 7, Gary Unmarried: 4.3/ 6 opposite Fox’s American Idol on Jan. 20). Rounding off the 8 p.m. hour was NBC’s on-the-fence medical drama Mercy (4.3/ 7) and a repeat of The CW’s critically acclaimed Life Unexpected (1.1/ 2). Top-rated 9 p.m. overnight honors fell in Fox’s corner, of course, with blockbuster American Idol at a 15.3/23. After just two telecasts, the jury is still out on Ellen DeGeneres as the new judge. What do you think? (http://www.pifeedback.com). Next was CBS’ Criminal Minds (9.4/14), which could potentially have a spin-off on the air next season, followed by ABC sitcoms Modern Family (6.9/10) and Cougar Town (4.6/ 7). The good news for ABC was growth for Modern Family out of The Middle of a hefty 38 percent and an expected strong finish among adults 18-49 (opposite American Idol, no less). But on the flipside was retention for Cougar Town out of Modern Family of only 67 percent. That one benchmark is why it is labeled a “loser.” The erosion is too steep. Also airing at 9 p.m. was a repeat of NBC’s veteran Law & Order: SVU (3.3/ 5) and a repeat of The CW’s Gossip Girl (0.6/ 1), which returns to the Monday 9 p.m. hour on March 8. CBS remained in the overnight winners circle at 10 p.m. care of CSI: NY, which was below average at an 8.3/13. Part of the erosion for CSI: NY can be attributed to another repeat telecast of NBC’s Law & Order: SVU (4.4/ 8), which is stepping in for canceled The Jay Leno Show on Wednesday. Last in the time period was ABC’s also axed Ugly Betty at a no so pretty 3.7/ 6. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Syndicated Game Show Ratings Update:What follows is an updated tracking of all occupants in syndicated game season to-date (through Jan. 31) based on GAA (gross average audience) households and the two key demos – women 25-54 and women 18-49. CBS Television Distribution granddaddy Wheel of Fortune continues to dominate at levels on par from one year earlier. Next, as always, is corporate cousin Jeopardy, which is also consistent to the year-ago time frame. ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is flat in households, but down among the two targeted demos, tying Twentieth’s freshman Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? among women 25-54. Elsewhere, Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud remains in the bottom tier, while NBC Universal’s deteriorating Deal or No Deal is not expected to return next season. Host Howie Mandel has already signed on as the replacement for David Hasselhoff on America’s Got Talent on NBC this coming summer. Percent change versus the comparable year-ago period appears in parentheses (for the established entries). Households:Wheel of Fortune (CBS Television Distribution): 7.0 rating (- 3), Jeopardy (CBS): 5.8 (- 3), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC): 2.8 (no change), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Twentieth): 2.1, Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury): 1.7 (-11), Deal or No Deal (NBC Universal): 1.4 (-39) Women 25-54:Wheel of Fortune (CBS): 2.8 (no change), Jeopardy (CBS): 2.2 (- 4), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC): 1.1 (-15), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Twentieth): 1.1, Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury): 0.7 (-13), Deal or No Deal (NBC Universal): 0.7 (-42) Women 18-49:Wheel of Fortune (CBS): 2.1 (no change), Jeopardy (CBS): 1.7 (no change), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Twentieth): 1.0, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC): 0.8 (-20), Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury): 0.7 (no change), Deal or No Deal (NBC Universal): 0.6 (-45) Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Thursday 2/11/10 ABC: 8:00 p.m. The Deep End 9:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy 10:00 p.m. Private Practice CBS: 8:00 p.m. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (season premiere, two hours)10:00 p.m. The Mentalist NBC: 8:00 p.m. Community 8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation 9:00 p.m. The Office 9:30 p.m. 30 Rock10:00 p.m. The Office (R)10:30 p.m. The Office (R) Fox: 8:00 p.m. Bones (R) 9:00 p.m. Past Life (time period premiere) CW 8:00 p.m. The Vampire Diaries 9:00 p.m. Supernatural ______________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Ellen Renewed Through 2013-14 on the NBC O&Os:Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution has renewed Telepictures Productions’ Emmy Award winning The Ellen DeGeneres Show for three additional seasons on the NBC owned-and-operated stations. Under the terms of the multiyear deal, Ellen will continue to air on NBC’s 10 stations through the 2013-14 season, including WNBC in New York, KNBC in Los Angeles and WMAQ in Chicago. Season to-date, Ellen is tied with CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Phil and Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz for second among women 25-54 in the category of talk, with a 1.6 rating (and growth of seven percent from one year earlier), according to data from The Nielsen Company. In households, Ellen ranks fifth among the 14 occupants, with a 2.3 rating. ---------- -Boston Legal Heads to TV Land:David E. Kelley drama Boston Legal will debut on TV Land effective Monday, February 15, with a 12-hour President’s Day marathon beginning at 12 p.m. ET. Following that, it airs Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at midnight. -Gene Simmons Returns on A&E:Legendary rocker and media mogul Gene Simmons will return for an all new season of reality-driven Gene Simmons Family Jewels on A&E on Sunday, March 21 at 9 p.m. ET. The upcoming fifth season will feature the 100th episode.-More Dating in the Dark:Summer ABC reality series Dating in the Dark, a 2009 “TV Turkey,” has been granted a second season with an order for at least six new episodes for next summer. -TCM Classic Film Festival Upgrade:The latest participants at the upcoming TCM Classic Film Festival, which will take place in Hollywood on April 22-25, are actress Luise Rainer, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday; the legendary Jerry Lewis; and Norman Lloyd, who fans of St. Elsewhere will remember as kindly Dr. Auschlander. Rainer will introduce 1937 drama The Good Earth, which earned her the second of two consecutive Academy Awards; Lewis will introduce Martin Scorsese comedy-drama The King of Comedy; and Lloyd will introduce a screening of 1942 classic Sabateur. Previously announced participants at the TCM Festival include Mel Brooks, Tony Curtis, Jon Voight, Martin Landau, Buck Henry, Peter Bogdanovich, Susan Kohler Weitz and Juanita Moore. For more information, click on www.tcm.com. -College Time on The Steve Wilkos Show:NBC Universal talker The Steve Wilkos Show will feature 200 students from over 20 colleges for its first-ever college themed telecasts. Topics will include physical and emotional abuse, hazing and an interview with three young men who were accused of participating in a rape incident that shook Hofstra University’s Long Island campus last fall. For more on The Steve Wilkos Show, click here. http://www.stevewilkos.com/ -Molly Shannon Joins Cast of Glee:Former Saturday Night Live star Molly Shannon, who headlined short-lived NBC sitcom Kath & Kim last season, has a new gig: nemesis to Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester on Glee. Shannon will play a 45-year-old alcoholic and pill-popping astronomy teacher. _________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:Musical What’s Happening!! Sitcom What’s Happening!! featured a two-part episode with a famous band from the 1970s. What band was it? a) The Allman Brothersb) The Beach Boysc) The Bee Geesd) The Doobie Brothers e) Styx The answer to yesterday’s question… What city was the Walsh family from on the original Beverly Hills, 90210? a) Cedar Rapids, Iowab) Green Bay, Wisconsin c) Minneapolis, Minnesotad) Scottsdale, Arizona e) Tacoma, Washington Is: c) Minneapolis, Minnesota. Given the constant chaos they faced in Beverly Hills, the Walshes should have stayed in Minneapolis! -Current kudos goes to:Don Abel, Marisol Amaya, Michelle Amundson, Mary Bancroft, Dan Barnhardt, Bert Benoliel, Gerry Bixenspan, Barbara Bloomfield, Shari Brandt, Kristen Conner, Tom Condosta, Harold Cooper, Debi Croney, Maureen Doherty, Sue Doron, Malcolm Dunlop, Jason Dvorkin, Michael Eisman, Deborah Engel, John Ferlazzo, Arleen Fong, Adam Giagni, Maureen Goldman, Carolyn Becker Hayes, Barb Hemberger, Shannon Herlihy, Heidi Hoffmeister, Bob Ingersoll, Greg Janover, Kathryn Kieser, Kilgallon, Mark Krause, Joel Kunkel, Steve Kurtzer, Patty Lynch, Keith Marder, Charlene Maville, Anne Moynihan, Joanne Albrecht Murnane, Michael Murphy, Julie Rasmussen, Con Rigg, Deanna Rosolen, Joe Rubi, Maxine Schulman, Michelle Spencer, Kristen Strauss, Julie Syers, Janelle Tischer, Meredith Wayne, Myndi Weinraub, Tammy Wiard, Jeanne Yonkers

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Another Midweek Victory for Fox

Marc Berman

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