CBS and Fox Share Weekly Bragging Rights

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERWednesday, April 21, 2010 Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:Fox Dominates; Kate Gosselin Sent Packing on ABC’s DWTS National Ratings in Prime-Time:Week of April 12, 2010 Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time: “Reflections”________________________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:Fox Dominates; Kate Gosselin Sent Packing on ABC’s DWTS Tuesday 4/20/10 HH Rtg/Shr Fox 11.2/17ABC 7.2/11CBS 6.3/10NBC 5.4/ 8CW 0.6/ 1 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Tuesday, April 21, 2009):ABC: +33, Fox: +13, NBC: no change, CBS: -10, CW: -57 ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:American Idol (Fox), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), Glee (Fox), Lost (ABC) -Honorable Mention:NCIS R (CBS), NCIS: Los Angeles R (CBS) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):V (ABC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:Fox led the Tuesday troops, with a 4.0 metered market rating point advantage over second-place ABC. Third was a night of repeats on CBS, followed by NBC and also all encore telecasts on The CW. Fox’s American Idol was, of course, the top-rated show of the evening, with a rock-solid 13.1 rating/20 share in the overnights from 8-9 p.m. Lead-out Glee, no doubt, is benefiting, with a dominant 9.4/14 at 9 p.m. As for the bottom three on American Idol tonight, my picks are Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynch and Tim Urban. Although it could be neck and neck between the three, my prediction is smiling Tim will be signing off. Over at ABC, the live Dancing With the Stars Results Show finished a comfortable second at 8 p.m., with a 10.4/16 in the overnights. To the unhappiness of the producers, no doubt, Kate Gosselin was sent packing. As bad as dancer as she is, and that is very bad, Kate makes great reality television and the competition will not be the same without her. Next on the alphabet net was Lost at a second-place 7.2/11 at 9 p.m., which will likely translate into a high-3 rating among adults 18-49, followed by on-the-fence V at a last-place 4.2/ 7 at 10 p.m. Retention for V out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of Lost (6.8/10) was only 62 percent. In a night of all repeats, CBS’ NCIS opened with a still respectable 6.8/10 at 8 p.m. (#3), followed by NCIS: Los Angeles (#3: 6.7/10), which had almost full retention, and The Good Wife (#1: 5.6/ 9). Although The Good Wife encore managed to win the 10 p.m. hour in the overnights, chances are it will finish third among adults 18-49. NBC’s The Biggest Loser was in the map with an improved 5.5/ 8 in the overnights from 8-10 p.m., building in each half-hour as follows: The Biggest Loser (NBC)8:00 p.m.: 4.9/ 8 (#4)8:30 p.m.: 5.0/ 7 (#4)9:00 p.m.: 5.9/ 9 (#4)9:30 p.m.: 6.3/ 9 (#4) Capping off the evening for NBC was just renewed Parenthood at a second-place 5.1/ 8 in the overnights at 10 p.m. (and an expected first-place finish among adults 18-49). Last, and very least, were repeats of The CW’s 90210 (0.7/ 1) and Life Unexpected (0.6/ 1), which I personally think will be granted a second season. Stay tuned. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)_____________________________________________________________________________ National Ratings in Prime-Time:Week of April 12, 2010 Mirroring recent weeks, CBS and Fox led the primetime troops for the week of April 12, which is a pattern that will likely continue for the remainder of the traditional (September – May) TV season. CBS was first in households and total viewers for the sixth consecutive week, and Fox No. 1 in the three key demos – adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34. Both networks experienced minor losses compared to the year-ago week. Excluding a second-place finish among adults 18-34, ABC finished third at levels close to one year earlier. Fourth was deteriorating NBC, which dipped by margins of 10 to 28 percent in the five surveyed categories, followed by The CW, which benefited by populating 90 percent of its schedule with originals (as opposed to more repeats than original telecasts one year earlier, including the then low-rated Sunday schedule). In the specials department, NBC got some mileage demographically care of Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time and Again, which averaged 6.75 million viewers (#34 overall) and a 2.9/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#18t) in the Thursday 9-11 p.m. block. Considerably stronger was The 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS at 13.02 million viewers (#9) and a 3.2/ 8 in the demo (#13t) on Sunday from 8-11 p.m. On the flipside on CBS, however, was Strike Force Saturday Night Fights at a mere 2.86 million viewers (#76) and a 1.1/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#69t) in the Saturday 9-11 p.m. block. In season (or series) finale news, on-the-fence CW drama did not impress at 1.80 million viewers (#86) and a 0.9/ 3 among adults 18-49 (#76t) in the Monday 8 p.m. hour. Given the ongoing campaign to save the show, however, my prediction is Life Unexpected will be granted a second season. Here is the freshman midseason series scorecard. Keep in mind that CBS’ Undercover Boss, which always leads the charts, closed season one last week. Human Target (Fox) – Wednesday 8 p.m.Viewers: 7.24 million (#30), A18-49: 1.9/ 6 (#38t)Grade: C Miami Medical (CBS) – Friday 10 p.m. Viewers: 6.86 million (#31), A18-49: 1.2/ 4 (#63t)Grade: C- Parenthood (NBC) – Tuesday 10 p.m. (just renewed for season two)Viewers: 6.27 million (#39), A18-49: 2.5/ 7 (#26t)Grade: C+ Minute to Win It (NBC) – Sunday 8 p.m. (10 episode renewal for 2010-11)Viewers: 5.80 million (#45), A18-49: 1.9/ 5 (#38t)Grade: C- Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (ABC) – Friday 9 p.m. Viewers: 4.11 million (#64), A18-49: 1.4/ 5 (#52t)Grade: D+ Fly Girls (CW) – Wednesday 9 p.m.Viewers: 900,000 (#92), A18-49: 0.4/ 1 (#91t)Grade: F High Society (CW) – Wednesday 9:30 p.m. Viewers: 770,000 (#93), A18-49: 0.3/ 1 (#93)Grade: F What follows are the final national ratings for the week of April 12, 2010 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago week in parentheses), followed by the top 30 rated programs of the week and the top rated networks on basic cable. -Households:CBS: 5.8 rating/10 share (- 8), Fox: 5.2/ 9 (- 5), ABC: 5.0/ 9 (+ 4), NBC: 3.6/ 6 (-10), CW: 1.2/ 2 (+20) -Total Viewers: CBS: 9.20 million (- 7), Fox: 8.64 (- 7), ABC: 7.76 (+ 3), NBC: 5.71 (-10), CW: 1.80 (+20) -Adults 18-49:Fox: 3.0 rating/9 share (- 9), CBS: 2.3/ 7 (- 4), ABC: 2.2/ 7 (no change), NBC: 1.8/ 5 (-18), CW: 0.9/ 3 (+50) -Adults 25-54:Fox: 3.4/ 9 (-13), CBS: 3.1/ 8 (- 3), ABC: 2.8/ 8 (+ 4), NBC: 2.2/ 6 (-15), CW: 0.8/ 2 (+33) -Adults 18-34:Fox: 2.5/ 9 (-11), ABC: 1.7/ 6 (- 6), CBS: 1.5/ 5 (- 6), NBC: 1.3/ 5 (-28), CW: 1.0/ 3 (+43) -------------------- Top 30 Rankings -Total Viewers:American Idol – Wednesday (Fox): 21.02 million, American Idol – Tuesday (Fox): 20.64, Dancing With the Stars – Monday (ABC): 20.56, Two and a Half Men (CBS): 13.71, Glee (Fox): 13.66, Dancing With the Stars – Tuesday (ABC): 13.60, The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 13.39, CSI (CBS): 13.19, The 45th Annual ACM Awards (13.02), Castle (ABC): 12.68, Criminal Minds (CBS): 12.44, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (CBS): 12.31, The Mentalist R (CBS): 11.45, NCIS R (CBS): 11.10, 60 Minutes (CBS): 10.98, CSI: NY (CBS): 10.85, House (Fox): 10.80, CSI: Miami (CBS): 10.78, Desperate Housewives (ABC): 10.62, NCIS: Los Angeles R (CBS): 10.43, Bones (ABC): 9.92, Lost (ABC): 9.48, Modern Family (ABC): 8.88, The Biggest Loser (ABC): 8.37, 24 (Fox): 8.33, Brothers & Sisters (ABC): 7.84, NBC Friday Movie: Secrets of the Mountain: 7.84, The Good Wife R (CBS): 7.80, Rules of Engagement (CBS): 7.36, Human Target (Fox): 7.24 -Adults 18-49:American Idol – Tuesday (Fox): 7.3 rating/21 share, American Idol – Wednesday (Fox): 6.8/19, Glee (Fox): 5.6/15, The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 5.1/13, Dancing With the Stars – Monday (ABC): 4.9/14, Two and a Half Men (CBS): 4.7/13, House (Fox): 4.0/12, Lost (ABC): 3.9/10, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (CBS): 3.8/12, Modern Family (ABC): 3.7/10, The Biggest Loser (NBC): 3.3/ 9, Desperate Housewives (ABC): 3.3/ 8, Criminal Minds (CBS): 3.2/ 9, The 45th Annual ACM Awards (CBS): 3.2/ 8, Castle (ABC), CSI: Miami (CBS) and CSI (CBS): 3.0/ 9 each, Bones (Fox) and Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time and Again (NBC): 2.9/ 9 each, How I Met Your Mother (CBS): 2.8/ 9, Dancing With the Stars – Tuesday (ABC) and Rules of Engagement (CBS): 2.8/ 8 each, Family Guy R (Fox): 2.8/ 7, The Simpsons (Fox): 2.7/ 8, CSI: NY (CBS): 2.6/ 8, 24 (Fox), Fringe (Fox), Parenthood (NBC), Cougar Town (ABC) and The Celebrity Apprentice (NBC): 2.5/ 7 each, American Dad (Fox): 2.5/ 6 -------------------- CABLE What follows are the top 10 rated networks on cable in prime-time for the week of March 29 based on total viewers and the three key demos: Total Viewers:USA: 2.76 million, Fox News: 2.00, TNT: 1.98, TBS: 1.81, History: 1.68, Nick at Nite: 1.65, Discovery: 1.57, A&E: 1.44, Cartoon Network: 1.41, ESPN: 1.40 Adults 18-49:USA: 1.07 million, TBS: 1.02 million, TNT: 970,000, Discovery: 845,000, History: 821,000, ESPN: 739,000, A&E: 654,000, Comedy Central: 602,000, Syfy: 529,000, MTV: 518,000 Adults 25-54:USA: 1.17 million, TNT: 971,000, History: 873,000, TBS: 850,000, Discovery: 813,000, A&E: 696,000, ESPN: 675,000, Syfy: 635,000, Tru: 520,000, Fox News: 513,000 Adults 18-34:TBS: 602,000, TNT: 485,000, USA: 454,000, ESPN: 414,000, Discovery: 413,000, MTV: 401,000, Comedy Central: 381,000, History: 350,000, A&E: 288,000, ABC Family: 277,000 Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Updated National Ratings in Syndication:What follows are the top 10 rated programs in syndication (first-run and off-network) based on households for the week of April 5: Wheel of Fortune (CBS Television Distribution): 6.5 rating, Jeopardy (CBS): 5.5, Two and a Half Men (Warner Bros.): 4.7, Judge Judy (CBS): 4.6, Entertainment Tonight (CBS): 4.1, Oprah (CBS): 3.0, CSI: NY (CBS): 3.5, Family Guy (Twentieth Television): 3.3, Inside Edition (CBS): 3.1, Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS): 3.0, The Office (NBC Universal): 2.9m Seinfeld (Sony Pictures Television) and Wheel of Fortune – Weekend (CBS): 2.8 each, George Lopez (Warner Bros.) and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC Universal): 2.7 each, Live With Regis & Kelly (Disney-ABC): 2.6, Dr. Oz (SPT): 2.5, Dr. Phil (CBS), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC), King of the Hill (Twentieth) and CSI: Miami (CBS): 2.4 each Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Wednesday 4/2110 ABC: 8:00 p.m. The Middle (R) 8:30 p.m. The Middle (R) 9:00 p.m. Modern Family (R) 9:30 p.m. Modern Family (R) 10:00 p.m. Cougar Town (R)10:30 p.m. Cougar Town (R) CBS: 8:00 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine 8:30 p.m. Accidentally on Purpose (part one) 9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds 10:00 p.m. CSI: NY NBC: 8:00 p.m. Minute To Win It 9:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R)10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R) Fox: 8:00 p.m Human Target (season or series finale) 9:00 p.m. American Idol CW 8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model 9:00 p.m. Fly Girls 9:30 p.m. High Society______________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -More Curb Your Enthusiasm:HBO has renewed sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm for an eighth season, with an order for 10 new episodes for 2011. Production will begin this summer in Los Angeles and New York. -Speaking of Renewals:NBC has picked-up freshman drama Parenthood, with an unspecified number of new episodes for season two. -TV Land Green Lights Second Original Comedy:TV Land has ordered 10 episodes of original sitcom Retired at 35, the story of a successful young businessman (Johnathan McClain) who decides to leave the rat race of New York behind for a stay at his parents’ (George Segal and Jessica Walter) Florida retirement home. TV Land’s first original comedy, Hot in Cleveland, launches on Wednesday, June 16 at 10 p.m. ET. -FX This Summer:FX will pair the upcoming sixth season of Rescue Me with new comedy Louie beginning on Tuesday, June 29. Rescue Me will air at 10 p.m. ET, leading into Louie, featuring comedian Louis C.K., at 11 p.m. ET. _________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:“Reflections” Which one of the following dramas featured the opening theme song “Reflections” sung by Diana Ross and the Supremes? Call To GloryChina BeachI’ll Fly AwayQuantum LeapA Year in the Life The answer to yesterday’s question… Which one of the following actors did not appear in classic miniseries Roots? a) Edward Asnerb) Tom Bosley c) Lorne Greened) George Hamiltone) Ben Vereen Is: b) Tom Bosley. As for the others: Edward Asner: Capt. DaviesLorne Greene: John ReynoldsGeorge Hamilton: Stephen BennettBen Vereen: Chicken George That’s right: perennially tan George Hamilton actually had a legitimate acting role! -Current kudos goes to:Steve Albright, Beth Gelfond, Gerry Bixenspan, Lisa Brause, John Brooker, Allan Caplan, Larry Collins, John Ferlazzo, Arleen Fong, Leon Gittens, Maureen Goldman, Bob Ingersoll, Marie Lefevre Karp, Tom Lawrenson, Charmaine Leary, Michael Murphy, Tony Naldrett, Jay Ogletree, Alan Perris, Alex Petrilli, Jr., Gordon Purcell, Maxine Shulman, Ronnie Tallant, Myndi Weinraub

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CBS and Fox Share Weekly Bragging Rights

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