CBS and Fox Share Traditional Season Leadership

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERMonday, June 1, 2009 Prime-Time 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:It’s Like, You Know__________________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Ratings:Weekend Highlights Friday 5/29/09Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr CBS 4.3/ 8NBC 3.2/ 6ABC 2.6/ 5Fox 2.0/ 4CW 0.8/ 2 -Total Viewers:CBS: 6.49 million, NBC: 4.67, ABC: 3.78, Fox: 3.09, CW: 1.19 -Adults 18-49: CBS: 1.5 rating/5 share, NBC: 1.2/ 4, ABC: 1.1/ 4, Fox: 1.0/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 2 -------------------- Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 20 percent at this same point last year to approximately 28 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted. ---------- Note: The listing of winners and losers will return in September. ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:CBS led this typically ratings-challenged Friday, with a first-place finish in total viewers and adults 18-49 care of 2005 theatrical Walk the Line at 6.49 million viewers and a 1.5 rating/5 share in the demo from 8-11 p.m. Although Reese Witherspoon snagged the Oscar for Outstanding Lead Actress that year as June Carter Cash, more impressive was Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash. Here is the half-hour breakdown: Walk the Line (CBS) 8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 5.75 million (#1), A18-49: 1.1/ 5 (#1t) 8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 6.39 million (#1), A18-49: 1.3/ 5 (#1t) 9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 6.20 million (#1), A18-49: 1.3/ 5 (#1) 9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 6.44 million (#1), A18-49: 1.5/ 5 (#1)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 6.95 million (#1), A18-49: 1.7/ 6 (#1)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 7.20 million (#1), A18-49: 1.8/ 6 (#1) Second in both categories was NBC with its combination of two repeat episodes of canceled Howie Do (t (Viewers: #4t, avg. 2.52 million; A18-49: #4, avg. 0.7/ 3 from 8-9 p.m.) and a two-hour edition of Dateline (Viewers: 5,75 million; A18-49: 1.5/ 5 from 9-11 p.m.). Here is the half-hour breakdown of Dateline: Dateline (NBC) 9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.99 million (#2), A18-49: 1.3/ 5 (#1t) 9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 5.91 million (#2), A18-49: 1.5/ 5 (#1t)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 5.99 million (#2), A18-49: 1.6/ 5 (#2)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 6.10 million (#2), A18-49: 1.5/ 2 (#2) Next was ABC with its line-up of a repeat of Wife Swap (Viewers: #3, 3.78 million; A18-49: #3, 1.0/ 4), bizarre 9 p.m. special Un-Broke: What You Need to Know About Money (Viewers: #3, 3.33 million; A18-49: #3, 1.0/ 3), and 20/20 (Viewers: #2, 4.62 million; A18-49: #3, 1.3/ 4). Rounding off the night was Fox’s combination of Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Viewers: #3, 3.44 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.2/ 4) and a repeat of the premiere episode of drama Mental (Viewers: #4, 2.74 million; A18-49: #4, 0.8/ 3); and repeat theatrical Hair Show on the CW (Viewers: #5, 1.19 million; A18-49: #5, 0.4/ 2). Yes…it is going to be a long summer! Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Saturday 5/30/09Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr CBS 3.0/ 6Fox 2.6/ 5NBC 2.5/ 5ABC 1.6/ 3 -Total Viewers:NBC: 4.51 million, CBS: 4.44, Fox: 4.05, ABC: 2.61 -Adults 18-49: NBC: 1.7 rating/6 share, Fox: 1.2/ 5, CBS: 0.9/ 3, ABC: 0.8/ 3 ---------- Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 20 percent at this same point last year to approximately 28 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted. ---------- Note: The listing of winners and losers will return in September. ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:NBC was the most-watched network and highest rated among adults 18-49 on this last Saturday in May. But what can you say when the No. 1 network averages under 5-million viewers and a 1.7 rating in the demo? Not much, obviously. On that note, The Stanley Cups Finals on NBC, which never generates much interest, averaged 4.51 million viewers and a 1.7 rating/6 share among adults 18-49 from 8-11 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown: The Stanley Cups Finals (NBC) 8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 3.88 million (#1), A18-49: 1.4/ 6 (#1) 8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.46 million (#1), A18-49: 1.8/ 7 (#1) 9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.67 million (#1), A18-49: 1.9/ 7 (#1) 9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.94 million (#1), A18-49: 1.9/ 7 (#1)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.62 million (#2), A18-49: 1.8/ 6 (#1)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.47 million (#2), A18-49: 1.7/ 6 (#1) CBS finished second overall in total viewers and third among adults 18-49 with its combination of a repeat of Numbers (Viewers: #2, 3.51 million; A18-49: #4, 0.6/ 2), another burn-off installment of Harper’s Island (Viewers: #3, 3.85 million; A18-49: #3, 0.9/ 3), and a repeat of 48 Hours Mystery (Viewers: #1, 5.95 million; A18-49: #2, 1.2/ 4). Over at ABC, the return of the critically acclaimed Pushing Daisies was almost off the charts, with a mere (and last-place) 2.35 million viewers and a 0.7/ 3 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Earlier in the evening on ABC were repeats of Wipeout (Viewers: #4, 3.23 million; A18-49: #3, 1.0/ 4) and Here Come the Newlyweds (Viewers: #4, 2.23 million; A18-49: #4, 0.8/ 3) from 8-10 p.m. Capping off the evening was Fox’s perennial combination of Cops (repeat and original – Viewers: #3, avg. 3.47 million; A18-49: #2, avg. 1.1/ 5 from 8-9 p.m.) and America’s Most Wanted (Viewers: #2, 4.63 million; A18-49: #2, 1.3/ 5). Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Sunday 5/31/09 HH Rtg/Shr CBS 5.3/ 9NBC 3.3/ 6ABC 2.7/ 5Fox 2.7/ 5CW 0.7/ 1 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Sunday, June 1, 2008):ABC and CW: no change, Fox: - 4, CBS: -15, NBC: -31 ---------- 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, May 10, 2009. ---------- Note: The listing of winners and losers will return in September. ---------- -Ratings Breakdown: CBS led the overnight troops on this final May Sunday, with a considerable 61 percent advantage over second-place NBC (and a first-place finish in every half-hour). ABC and Fox tied for the distant No. 3 spot, followed by The CW, which will not have to worry about this night next season. Granddaddy CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes kicked-off the evening with a 6.6 rating/13 share at 7 p.m. Comparably, that was the highest rated show in the overnights for the evening (which means, of course, that there was very little to say elsewhere). 60 Minutes led into Million Dollar Password (#1: 4.9/ 8 at 8 p.m.), which are episodes from last season that the network never aired, followed by repeats of Cold Case (#1: 5.7/ 9) and canceled The Unit (#1: 4.1/ 7) from 9-11 p.m. Look for the arrival of new CBS medical drama Three Rivers at 9 p.m. next fall, followed by relocated Cold Case. NBC aired Dateline at 7 p.m. (#4: 2.8/ 5), followed by the low-rated Stanley Cups Finals at a 3.5/ 6 in the overnights from 8-11 p.m. Elsewhere, ABC’s encore combination of America’s Funniest Home Videos (#2: 3.5/ 6), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (#2: 3.4/ 6), Desperate Housewives (#4: 2.1/ 4) and Brothers & Sisters (#3: 2.0/ 4) was barely on the map. Ditto for repeats of Fox’s canceled King of the Hill (#4: 1.6/ 3), American Dad (#4: 1.8/ 3), The Simpsons (#2t: 3.2/ 6), another episode of King of Hill (#4: 2.9/ 5), Family Guy (#2: 3.6/ 6) and another episode of American Dad (#3: 3.2/ 5) from 7-10 p.m. Look for the arrival of Family Guy spin-off The Cleveland Show on Fox next fall at 8:30 p.m. out of The Simpsons. Last, and very least, were repeats of The CW’s Jericho (0.5/ 1) and Desperately Seeking Susan (0.8/ 1) from 7-10 p.m. The CW will, of course, be no longer airing programming on Sunday next season. Source: Nielsen Media Research data____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What's Hot/What's Not -Jay Leno Signs-Off on a High Note:The final original telecast of Jay Leno as host of NBC’s The Tonight Show rose to an 8.8 rating/20 share in the metered markets on Friday, May 29. Comparably, that was the best overnight results for a Friday ever during Leno’s 17-year run on The Tonight Show. And it outdelivered the current second quarter overnight average (3.9) by a whopping 126 percent. Excluding President Obama’s recent appearance on March 19, this was the highest rated single telecast of The Tonight Show since a special tribute to Johnny Carson on Monday, Jan. 24, 2005. Overall, Leno’s final week on The Tonight Show averaged a 5.5 rating in the overnights – 41 percent above the second quarter average. Airing out of The Tonight Show, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon scored a hefty 3.8/12 in the overnights at 12:35 a.m. -- its second highest rated performance ever. And Last Call With Carson Daly (1.6/ 6 at 1:35 a.m.) had its best performance for a Friday since Jan. 12, 2007. -Final Traditional Season Ratings:Based on ratings from Sept. 22, 2008 through May 20 (a.k.a. the “traditional season”), CBS and Fox shared dominance. CBS was first in households and total viewers, Fox was No. 1 in adults 18-49 and adults 18-34, and the two networks tied among adults 25-54. CBS was up year-to-year, building by margins of 3 to 11 percent, while Fox was down by as much as 16 percent in adults among both adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. Excluding a second-place finish in adults 18-34, ABC was third across the board, with minor losses from the comparable year-ago period. NBC was one notch below (at levels close to one year earlier), followed by fifth-place The CW, which suffered noticeable losses. Here are the final traditional season results: Households:CBS: 7.3 rating/12 share (+ 9 percent), Fox: 5.8/ 9 (-12), ABC: 5.7/ 9 (- 5), NBC: 4.8/ 8 (- 8), CW: 1.3/ 2 (-24) Total Viewers:CBS: 11.76 million (+11), Fox: 9.80 (-13), ABC: 8.95 (- 3), NBC: 7.84 (- 3), CW: 2.03 (-22) Adults 18-49:Fox: 3.6 rating/10 share (-16), CBS: 3.1/ 8 (+ 3), ABC: 2.9/ 8 (- 3), NBC: 3.8/ 7 (no change), CW: 0.9/ 2 (-18) Adults 25-54:CBS: 4.1/10 (+ 8), Fox: 4.1/10 (-13), ABC: 3.4/ 8 (- 6), NBC: 3.2/ 8 (- 3), CW: 0.8/ 2 (-20) Adults 18-34:Fox: 3.2/10 (-16), ABC: 2.4/ 7 (no change), NBC: 2.3/ 7 (no change), CBS: 2.1/ 6 (+ 5), CW: 1.0/ 3 (- 9) Source: Nielsen Media Research data ________________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Monday 6/01/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. The Bachelorette (two hours) 10:00 p.m. Here Come the Newlyweds CBS: 8:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R) 8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R) 9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men (R) 9:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement (R)10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami (R) NBC: 8:00 p.m. I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here (season premiere, two hours)10:00 p.m. Medium (season finale, moves to CBS next fall) Fox: 8:00 p.m. House (R) 9:00 p.m. Bones (R) CW: 8:00 p.m. Gossip Girl (R) 9:00 p.m. One Tree Hill (R) MNTV 8:00 p.m. Celebrity Expose: Down Home Hollywood (R) 9:00 p.m. Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed (R) -Of Note in Late Night:Conan O’Brien as new host of veteran NBC franchise The Tonight Show. While the initial sampling is likely to be strong, chances are Conan will reach a smaller overall audience than Jay Leno did once the dust settles. ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Mother of 14 Shops Reality Series:Move over, Jon and Kate. Nadya Sulerman, who gave birth to octuplets in January in addition to having six other children, has signed a deal with 3Ball Productions to be featured in her own reality TV series. The company is out looking for prospective networks. _______________________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:It’s Like, You Know Which actress played herself in 1999-2000 ABC sitcom It’s Like, You Know? Joyce DeWittJennifer GreyTracy Nelson Susan Sullivan Karen Valentine The answer to Friday’s question… Who played Mary Richards’ mother on The Mary Tyler Moore Show? Rosemary DeCampNanette FabrayEileen HeckartNancy WalkerJane Wyatt Is: b) Nanette Fabray, who was also Anne Romano’s mother on One Day at a Time. To the masses who answered Nancy Walker, that was Rhoda’s mother. Eileen Heckart, meanwhile, played Mary’s aunt. All together now: How will you make it on your own? This world is awfully big, girl this time you're all alone But it's time you started living It's time you let someone else do some giving Love is all around, no need to waste it You can have a town, why don't you take it You're gonna make it after all You're gonna make it after all -Current kudos goes to:Anna Alvord, Mark Amato, Gerry Bixenspan, Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Audrey Davis, Reid Davis, John Ferlazzo, Stephen Ferrara, Arleen Fong, Jan Frazier, Julie Friedlander, Geoffrey Gordon, Sharron Harmening, Barb Hemberger, Kerry Hughes, Bob Ingersoll, Marie Lefevre Karp, Synda Kollman, Stephen LaRue, Randi Mendelsohn, Debbie Mirr, Alex Petrilli, David Primuth, Arthur Reinstein, Marilyn Rutkowski, Ron Salmon, Linda Siller, Michelle Stanton, Trenna Underhill, Stewart Wallace, Myndi Weinraub

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CBS and Fox Share Traditional Season Leadership

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