Clean Sweep for CBS Thursday

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERFriday, December 18, 2009 Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings:Clean Sweep for CBS Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air This Weekend:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time: Is There a Doctor in the House? ______________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings:Clean Sweep for CBS Thursday 12/17/09 HH Rtg/Shr CBS 8.2/14NBC 4.7/ 8Fox 3.2/ 5ABC 2.7/ 4CW 1.2/ 2 ---------- -Note: The overnight comparisons to one year earlier are not available today. ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:Survivor: Samoa (CBS), CSI (CBS), The Mentalist (CBS) -Honorable Mention:Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (NBC) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):The Jay Leno Show (NBC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:Opposite a night of all repeats on ABC, it was a clean overnight sweep for CBS with its combination of Survivor: Samoa (6.1 rating/10 share), veteran CSI (9.0/15) and sophomore The Mentalist (9.7/16), which fits like a glove out of CSI but has lost some of the buzz since moving from Tuesday. As for Survivor: Samoa, am I the only one who finds it odd that this Sunday’s two-hour season-finale will feature five contestants? Adios, Shambo! A distant second in the metered markets was NBC care of two-hour special Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas (5.3/ 9 from 8-10 p.m.), which was a noticeable improvement from the regularly scheduled sitcom block, and failing The Jay Leno Show (#2: 3.7/ 7). Leno finished second at 10 p.m. because ABC aired a repeat of Private Practice (#3: 2.3/ 4), which never resonates outside of originals. Earlier in the evening on ABC were back-to-back repeats of Grey’s Anatomy, which limped along with an average 2.9/ 5 from 8-10 p.m. Since the SNL special will likely score among adults 18-49, it is worthy of an “honorable mention.” Elsewhere, Fox aired repeats of Bones (#3: 4.2/ 7) and Fringe (#4: 2.4/ 4), which like all serialized dramas does not play well in non-originals. And The CW capped off the night with two more repeats of The Vampire Diaries, which averaged a 1.2/ 2 in the overnights from 8-10 p.m. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)_____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Season High Old Christine and Gary Unmarried on CBS:CBS sitcoms The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried rose to season high performances this week. Based on the final national ratings for December 16, The New Adventures of Old Christine finished first in the Wednesday 8 p.m. half-hour in households (4.7 rating/8 share), total viewers (7.64 million) and adults 25-54 (3.1 rating/9 share), with its largest audience since Jan. 7, 2009 and best results among adults 18-49 (2.3/ 7) and adults 25-54 since Nov. 19, 2008. Compatible Gary Unmarried also won the 8:30 p.m. time period in households (4.6/ 8), total viewers (7.76 million) and adults 25-54 (3.2/ 8), with its largest audience since Dec. 10, 2008 and best results among adults 18-49 (2.3/ 6) and adults 25-54 since Nov. 19, 2008. Source: Nielsen Media Research data_______________________________________________________________________________ On the Air This Weekend:Prime-Time Programming Options Friday 12/18/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Supernanny 9:00 p.m. 20/2010:00 p.m. 20/20 CBS: 8:00 p.m. Frosty the Snowman (R) 8:30 p.m. Frosty Returns (R) 9:00 p.m. Medium (R)10:00 p.m. Numbers (R) NBC: 8:00 p.m. Law & Order (R) 9:00 p.m. Dateline10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show Fox: 8:00 p.m. Dollhouse 9:00 p.m. Dollhouse CW: 8:00 p.m. The Vampire Diaries (R) 9:30 p.m. The Vampire Diaries (R) --------------- Saturday 12/19/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Movie: The Santa Claus (R)10:00 p.m. Castle (R) CBS: 8:00 p.m. Movie: Elf (R)10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery NBC: 8:00 p.m. A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (R) 9:00 p.m. WWE Salute to the Troops 10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R) Fox: 8:00 p.m. Cops 9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted --------------- Sunday 12/20/09 ABC: 7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos 8:00 p.m. Movie: The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause 10:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives (R) CBS: 7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes 8:00 p.m. Survivor: Samoa (season finale)10:00 p.m. Survivor: Samoa Reunion NBC: 7:00 p.m. Football Night in America 8:00 p.m. Sunday Night Football: Minnesota at Carolina Fox: 7:00 p.m. Football overrun 7:30 p.m. The OT 8:00 p.m. The Simpsons (R) 8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show (R) 9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R) 9:30 p.m. American Idol (R) ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -TCM Remembers “The King”:Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate what would have been the 75th birthday of Elvis Presley with a 20-hour movie marathon on Friday, Jan. 8. The schedule kicks-off with 1965’s Harum Scarum at 6 a.m. ET, followed by Kissin’ Cousins (1964), Spinout (1966), Roustabout (1964), Girl Happy (1965), Speedway (1968), Blue Hawaii (1961), Viva Las Vegas (1964), documentaries Elvis on Tour and Elvis: That’s the Way It Is Special Edition, and 1957’s Jailhouse Rock at midnight. Priscilla Presley, longtime friend Jerry Schilling and TCM host Robert Osborne will provide wrap-around commentary. -Spike TV Programming Update:Spike TV, the home for young male viewers, will preview new half-hour comedy Blue Mountain State, which focuses on three college freshmen, on Monday, January 11 at 11 p.m. ET. One night later, it debuts at 10 p.m. ET, leading into two repeat episodes of HBO’s Entourage. -This, That and Other Rumors:According to The New York Post, Simon Cowell may be exiting Fox’s American Idol next spring to appear in an American version of hit British music/competition The X Factor. Word has it that Paula Abdul has also been approached to join the show. If the rumor is true, American Idol should quit while it is ahead and depart with him. Idol can survive without Paula Abdul, but without Simon Cowell? Not! -Nancy O’Dell to Exit Access Hollywood:Nancy O’Dell is departing from her 13 year-run as co-host of long-running NBC Universal syndicated magazine show Access Hollywood today. There is no word at present who will be replacing her. -SAG Award Nominees - Television:Nominations for The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which airs on TNT on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. ET, have been announced. The legendary Betty White, a Mr. TV favorite, will be honored with the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominees in the field of television are as follows: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:The Closer (TNT)Dexter (Showtime)The Good Wife (CBS)Mad Men (AMC)True Blood (HBO) Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)Glee (Fox)Modern Family (ABC)The Office (NBC)30 Rock (NBC) Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:Simon Baker (The Mentalist, CBS)Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, AMC)Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Showtime)Jon Hamm (Mad Men, HBO)Hugh Laurie (House, Fox) Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:Patricia Arquette (Medium, CBS)Glenn Close (Damages, FX)Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU, NBC)Holly Hunter (Saving Grace, TNT)Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife, CBS)Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer, TNT) Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:Alec Baldwin (30 Rock, NBC)Steve Carrell (The Office, NBC)Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO)Tony Shalhoub (Monk, USA)Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men, CBS) Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?, ABC)Toni Collette (The United States of Tara, Showtime)Edie Falco (Nurse Betty, Showtime)Tina Fey (30 Rock, NBC)Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine, CBS) Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:Kevin Bacon (Taking Chance, HBO)Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, TNT)Jeremy Irons (Georgia O’Keeffe, Lifetime)Kevin Kline (Great Performances: Cyrano de Bergerac, PBS)Tom Wilkinson (A Number, BBC) Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:Joan Allen (Georgia O’Keeffe, LifetimeDrew Barrymore (Grey Gardens, HBO)Ruby Dee (America, Lifetime)Jessica Lange (Grey Gardens, HBO)Sigourney Weaver (Prayers for Bobby, Lifetime) Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series:The Closer (TNT)Dexter (Showtime)Heroes (NBC)24 (Fox)The Unit (CBS)_________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:Is There a Doctor in the House? What was the first name of Marcus Welby’s nurse in the long-running 1969 to 1976 medical drama? a) Callie Maeb) Consueloc) Myrnad) Rosarioe) Sophie The answer to yesterday’s question… Which one of the following sitcoms did The Mary Tyler Moore Show air out of when it launched in the fall of 1970? a) All in the Familyb) Arniec) The Governor and J.J.d) Here’s Lucye) My Three Sons Is: b) Arnie, which aired on CBS from 1970 to 1972. -Current kudos goes to:Gerry Bixenspan, Larry Collins (3x), Tom Condosta, Reid Davis, John Ferlazzo, Arleen Fong, Maureen Goldman, Brad Hight, Bob Ingersoll, Synda Kollman, Mark Krause, Steve Kurtzer, Bill Nuss, Alan Perris (2x), Alex Petrilli, Jr., Gordon Purcell, Bruce Robinson, Ron Salmon, Ronnie Tallant

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Clean Sweep for CBS Thursday

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