Fox Dominates Week of January 31

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERWednesday, February 9, 2011 Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:CBS Wins; Soft Start for Traffic Light on Fox National Ratings in Prime-Time:Week of January 31, 2011 Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time: A Hound on Walton’s Mountain________________________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:CBS Wins; Soft Start for Traffic Light on Fox Tuesday 2/08/11Note: The overnight data now includes DVR playback until 3 a.m. local time. One year earlier it was based on Live data only. All times are ET/PT. HH Rtg/Shr CBS 10.6/16Fox 6.1/ 9NBC 4.9/ 8ABC 3.5/ 5CW 1.3/ 2 ---------- -Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening (Tuesday, 2/09/10):CW: +117, CBS: - 7, NBC: - 9, ABC: -29, Fox: -47 ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:NCIS (CBS), Glee (Fox), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), The Good Wife (CBS) -Honorable Mention:The Biggest Loser (NBC) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):No Ordinary Family (ABC), One Tree Hill (CW), V (ABC), Hellcats (CW), Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:Minus former Tuesday occupant American Idol, CBS has a lock on overnight Tuesday dominance, with an advantage over second-place Fox of 4.5 rating points last night. Third overall was NBC, followed by ABC and distant The CW. CBS blockbuster NCIS won the 8 p.m. hour in the overnights, no doubt, with a stellar 12.6 rating/19 share. But Fox’s competing Glee (#2: 8.2/12) is the show to beat among key adults 18-49. Third in the 8-9 p.m. time period was the first half of NBC’s The Biggest Loser (5.1/ 8), followed ABC’s on-the-fence No Ordinary Family (3.4/ 5) and veteran One Tree Hill on The CW (1.4/ 2). In series-premiere news, Fox sitcom Traffic Light hit a stop sign, with a fourth-place 3.4/ 5 in the overnights at 9:30 p.m. and retention out of lead-in Raising Hope (#3: 4.6/ 7) of 74 percent. As a basis for comparison, former failed occupant Running Wilde launched with a 3.9/ 6 (out of a 4.9/ 7 for the premiere of Raising Hope) on Sept. 21, 2010. As for Raising Hope, the best kept secret currently in primetime, retention out of the 8:30 p.m. portion of Glee (8.3/12) was only 55 percent. If you liked old Fox comedy Malcolm in the Middle (and who didn’t?), you should check out Raising Hope. First at 9 p.m. was CBS’ sophomore NCIS: Los Angeles at a healthy 10.7/16. Next was the second half of NBC’s two-hour The Biggest Loser (5.8/ 9), which always delivers demographically, followed by surprise ABC returnee V (3.6/ 6), which is unlikely to make it into season three, and relocated Hellcats on The CW (1.2/ 2). Since The CW is already losing Smallville, it can’t swing the axe on all its questionable current occupants. But Hellcats is looking more questionable by the week. As for demo friendly The Biggest Loser, here is the half-hour breakdown: The Biggest Loser (NBC)8:00 p.m.: 5.1/ 8 (#3)8:30 p.m.: 5.1/ 8 (#3)9:00 p.m.: 5.6/ 8 (#2)9:30 p.m.: 5.9/ 9 (#2) Top-rated overnight honors at 10 p.m. remained in CBS’ court, with critical sophomore favorite The Good Wife at an 8.4/14. But distant second-place Parenthood on NBC (3.8/ 6) will narrow the gap among adults 18-49, potentially even dominating in the demo. Third at 10 p.m. was ABC’s hiatus-bound Detroit 1-8-7 at a 3.7/ 6, which will be replaced with long-awaited Dana Delany crime solver Body of Proof in April. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) National Ratings in Prime-Time:Week of January 31, 2011 It was all about Super XLV this week, of course, with the home of Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay, Fox, beating the four competing networks combined in all surveyed categories. Fox, in fact, oudelivered ABC, CBS, NBC and The CW together by as much as 110 percent among adults 18-34. Growth versus the year-ago week for Fox was in the triple-digits, no doubt, while CBS slid significantly because it housed then record Super Bowl XLIV one year earlier. Super Bowl XLV finished as the most-watched U.S. television program ever with a staggering 111.01 million viewers on Sunday, February 6. Comparably, this beats the prior high, Indianapolis vs. New Orleans on Super Bowl XLIV one year earlier (106.5 million on CBS on February 7, 2010) by 4.5 million viewers. And this is the fourth consecutive Super Bowl to set a viewership record. Super Bowl XLV also set a new mark for total viewership of any program in U.S. history (persons age 2+ watching all or part of the game), with a reported 162.9 million people watching. Comparably, that was 9.5 million more than the record set for Super Bowl XLIV (153.4 million). Following the Super Bowl Post Game (Viewers: 66.0 million at 10 p.m.), a special airing of Glee rose to a series-high 26.8 million viewers, with an 11.1 rating/29 share among adults 18-49. But one year earlier, the series-premiere of Undercover Boss out of Super Bowl XLIV on CBS was considerably stronger at 38.65 million viewers and a 16.2/38 in the demo on February 7, 2010. Coupled with two nights (and two hours) of American Idol, this was a week Fox will not soon forget. In season-premiere news, NBC’s now sophomore Who Do You Think You Are? rose to its most-watched episode to date, with 7.31 million viewers in the Friday 8 p.m. hour (#33 overall), and a 1.3/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#59t). Opposite Who Do You Think You Are?, freshman CBS crime solver The Defenders moved into the time period with a dominant 8.71 million viewers (#27) and also a 1.3/ 4 in the demo. While neither hour sounds like much, for a typically sleepy Friday both are worth positively noting. And both outperformed former occupants Medium (on CBS) and School Pride (on NBC). In the specials department (and out of The Defenders) was annual CBS entry Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials at 9.55 million viewers (#20) and a 2.0/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#36t). On ABC Friday, a 10 p.m. Barbara Walters special, A Matter of Life and Death, averaged 6.20 million viewers (#43) and a 1.1/ 3 in the demo (#67t). Comparably, that was no better than regularly scheduled occupant 20/20. What follows are the live plus same day ratings for the week of January 31, 2011 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago week in parentheses), followed by the freshman midseason series report card, the top 30 rated programs for the week, and the top rated networks on basic cable. -Households:Fox: 14.4 rating/23 share (+177 percent), CBS: 5.7/ 9 (-56), NBC: 3.7/ 6 (+19), ABC: 3.6/ 6 (-18), CW: 1.2/ 2 (- 8) -Total Viewers: Fox: 32.12 million (+253), CBS: 9.28 (-65), NBC: 6.03 (+27), ABC: 5.77 (-18), CW: 1.97 (+ 2) -Adults 18-49:Fox: 11.5 rating/29 share (+259), CBS: 1.9/ 5 (-78), ABC: 1.8/ 5 (-28), NBC: 1.7/ 5 (+13), CW: 0.9/ 2 (no change) -Adults 25-54:Fox: 12.2/28 (+230), CBS: 2.8/ 7 (-71), NBC: 2.2/ 5 (+22), ABC: 2.1/ 5 (-25), CW: 0.8/ 2 (no change) -Adults 18-34:Fox: 10.3/29 (+281), ABC: 1.4/ 4 (-36), NBC: 1.3/ 4 (no change), CBS: 1.2/ 3 (-84), CW: 1.0/ 3 (no change) --------------- Freshman Midseason Report Card (In the order of total viewers) Harry’s Law (NBC) – Monday 10 p.m.Viewers: 11.02 million (# 15overall), A18-49: 1.8/ 5 (#43t)Grade: B Off the Map (ABC) – Wednesday 10 p.m.Viewers: 5.37 million (#50), A18-49: 1.9/ 5 (#39t)Grade: D The Cape (NBC) – Monday 9 p.m.Viewers: 5.34 million (#51), A18-49: 1.5/ 4 (#56t)Grade: D- Live to Dance (CBS) – Wednesday 8 p.m.Viewers: 4.75 million (#), A18-49: 0.9/ 3 (#72t)Grade: F Perfect Couples (NBC) – Thursday 8:30 p.m.Viewers: 3.06 million (#80), A18-49: 1.4/ 4 (#59)Grade: F --------------- Top 30 Rankings -Total Viewers:Super Bowl XLV (Fox: Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay): 111.01 million, Super Bowl Post Game (Fox): 66.03, Glee (Fox, Sun. 10:30 p.m.): 26.80, American Idol – Wednesday (Fox): 25.14, NCIS (CBS): 22.85, American Idol – Thursday (Fox): 21.89, NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS): 17.70, The Mentalist (CBS): 15.18, CSI (CBS): 13.98, The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 13.83, The Good Wife (CBS): 12.14, Blue Bloods (CBS): 11.31, Two and a Half Men R (CBS): 11.21, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): 11.18, Harry’s Law (NBC): 11.02, $#*! My Dad Says (CBS): 10.45, Bones (Fox): 10.20, The Bachelor (ABC) and Criminal Minds R (CBS): 9.66 each, Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials (CBS): 9.55, CSI: NY (CBS): 9.32, Human Target (Fox, Wed, 9 p.m.): 9.22, The Biggest Loser (NBC) and Modern Family R (ABC): 9.20 each, Mike & Molly R (CBS): 9.06, Law & Order: SVU (NBC): 8.81, The Defenders (CBS, Fri. 8 p.m. time period debut): 8.71, Dateline –Friday (NBC): 8.65, Wipeout (ABC): 7.95, Human Target (Fox, Mon. 8 p.m.): 7.75 -Adults 18-49:Super Bowl XLV (Fox: Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay): 39.9 rating/77 share, Super Bowl Post Game (Fox): 25.5/55, Glee (Fox, Sun. 10:30 p.m.): 11.1/29, American Idol – Wednesday (Fox): 9.0/24, NCIS (CBS): 22.85, American Idol – Thursday (Fox): 7.5/20, NCIS (CBS): 4.6/12, The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 4.3/12, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): 4.3/11, NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS): 3.8/ 9, The Office (NBC): 3.7/ 9, Modern Family R (ABC): 3.5/ 9, Bones (Fox): 3.3/ 9, The Biggest Loser (NBC): 3.3/ 8, The Bachelor (ABC) and Two and a Half Men R (CBS): 3.2/ 8 each, CSI (CBS): 3.0/ 8, Law & Order: SVU (NBC) and The Mentalist (CBS): 2.9/ 8 each, $#*! My Dad Says (CBS): 2.8/ 7, Cougar Town (ABC): 2.7/ 7, Rules of Engagement R (CBS) and Human Target (Fox, Wed. 9 p.m.): 2.6/ 7 each, How I Met Your Mother R (CBS), Wipeout (ABC) and Private Practice (ABC): 2.5/ 7 each, Mike & Molly R (CBS): 2.5/ 6, Minute to Win It (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC) and 30 Rock (NBC): 2.4/ 6 each, Criminal Minds R (CBS): 2.3/ 6 -------------------- CABLE What follows are the top 10 rated networks on cable in prime-time for the week of November 29 based on total viewers and the three key demos. -Total Viewers:USA: 3.18 million, Disney Channel: 2.43, History: 2.09, Fox News: 1.89, TNT: 1.84, Nick at Nite: 1.58, FX: 1.48, A&E and ESPN: 1.46 each, ABC Family: 1.44 -Adults 18-49:USA: 1.16 million, History: 949,000, MTV: 861,000, FX: 848,000, TNT: 847,000, TBS: 751,000, A&E: 745,000, Discovery: 691,000, ESPN: 687,000, ABC Family: 641,000 -Adults 25-54:USA: 1.28 million, History: 1.01 million, TNT: 822,000, A&E: 753,000, FX: 749,000, Discovery: 736,000, TBS: 661,000, ESPN: 6.10,000, Tru TV: 561,000, Lifetime: 547,000 -Adults 18-34:MTV: 705,000, USA: 483,000, FX: 451,000, TBS: 431,000, History: 424,000, TNT: 417,000, ABC Family: 409,000, Adult Swim: 397,000, Comedy Central: 396,000, ESPN: 395,000 Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat; t = tie) Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Mixed Start for Fox’s The Chicago Code:On paper, a third-place time period finish in total viewers (9.43 million) and retention of 76 percent out of lead-in House (12.33 million at 8 p.m.) for the debut of Fox crime solver The Chicago Code on Monday, Feb. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT does seem positive. But a 2.4 rating/6 share among adults 18-49 (also third in the hour) dipped by a significant 44 percent out of House. And the return of ABC’s competing Dancing with the Stars in March means The Chicago Code faces an uphill battle. Premiere night grade: C+. -Monday Results:Despite facing Fox’s House and the aforementioned series-debut of The Chicago Code, CBS still led the prime-time troops on Monday, Feb. 7 as follows: Total Viewers: CBS: 11.55 million, Fox: 10.88, ABC: 9.63, NBC: 6.40, CW: 1.69 Adults 18-49:CBS: 3.5 rating/9 share, Fox: 3.4/ 9, ABC: 2.9/ 8, NBC: 1.6/ 4, CW: 0.9/ 2 ----- -Univision on the Rise:Through February 6, Univision continues to post the largest year-to-year increases of any broadcast network, with growth of eight percent in adults 18-49, six percent in adults 18-34 and seven percent in adults 25-54. -Above Average Oprah:Ignited by the episode where Oprah Winfrey revealed the half-sister she never knew she had, CBS Television Distribution talker Oprah rose to a 6.4 AA (average audience) household rating for the week of Jan. 24. Comparably, that was the talker’s highest rated week in just over three years (since the week of Nov. 12, 2007). -Speaking of Syndication:What follows are the top 20 rated programs in syndication (first-run and off-network) for the week of January 24, based on AA households: Wheel of Fortune (CBS Television Distribution): 8.0 rating, Jeopardy (CBS) and Oprah (CBS): 6.4 each, Two and a Half Men (Warner Bros.): 6.2, Family Guy (Twentieth Television) and Judge Judy (CBS): 4.6 each, Entertainment Tonight (CBS): 4.1, Two and a Half Men – Weekend B (Warner Bros.): 3.7, Wheel of Fortune – Weekend (CBS): 3.5, Two and a Half Men – Weekend A (Warner Bros.): 3.4, Inside Edition (CBS) and Criminal Minds (CBS): 3.2 each, Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS): 3.0, My Wife and Kids (Disney-ABC) and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC Universal): 2.9 each, Live with Regis & Kelly (Disney-ABC) and Seinfeld (Sony Pictures Television): 2.8 each, Dr. Phil (CBS). How I Met Your Mother (Twentieth) and Seinfeld – Weekend (SPT): 2.7 each Source: Nielsen Media Research data_____________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Wednesday 2/09/11 ABC: 8:00 p.m. The Middle 8:30 p.m. Better With You 9:00 p.m. Modern Family 9:30 p.m. Mr. Sunshine (series premiere)10:00 p.m. Off the Map CBS: 8:00 p.m. Live to Dance (season or series finale) 9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds10:00 p.m. Blue Bloods NBC: 8:00 p.m. Minute to Win It 9:00 p.m. Minute to Win It10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU Fox: 8:00 p.m. American Idol 9:00 p.m. Human Target (season or series finale) CW 8:00 p.m. Nikita (R) 9:00 p.m. The Vampire Diaries (R) New Program Descriptions Mr. Sunshine (ABC)Former Friends star Matthew Perry plays the manager of a local sports stadium in San Diego who realizes on his 40th birthday that he cannot just get by on his charming, funny and noncommittal ways anymore. Allison Janney co-stars. -The Reality:If the lackluster pilot is any indication, fans of regularly scheduled (and already renewed) Cougar Town will be anxious for its return. But the bar set by Cougar Town is low (it regularly losses about 40 percent of the Modern Family lead-in), and ABC could always used more star power. While the quality may not be better, there is every reason to think ratings will be better than Cougar Town. -Chances of Survival for Mr. Sunshine (based on 1-1 to 10-1): 5-1 -Did You Know?:Mr. Sunshine was already used as the title of a short-lived ABC sitcom in 1986 with Jeffrey Tambor as an acerbic English professor who is divorced by his wife and blinded in an accident. ______________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Pawn Queens on TLC:TLC has ordered eight half-hour episodes of a new series called Pawn Queens, which is set at a family friendly female-driven boutique and debuted as a special with 1.2 million total viewers. It launches on Thursday, May 5 ar 10 p.m. ET/PT. -Wayne Brady and Holly Robinson Peete to Host the NAACP Image Awards:Daytime Emmy Award winner and current Let’s Make a Deal host Wayne Brady and The Talk’s Holly Robinson Peete have been named hosts of the 42nd Annual NAACP Image Awards. It airs on Fox on Friday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. -Montel Williams is Talking Again:Former daytime talk show host Montel Williams will appear on CBS Television Distribution’s The Doctors today to discuss his recent arrest for drug paraphernalia and teens’ easy access to drugs and alcohol. Check your local listings for airtimes. __________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:A Hound on Walton’s Mountain What was the name of the family dog on feel-good drama The Waltons? a) Calicob) Jackc) Myrtled) Reckless e) Rover Boy The answer to yesterday’s question… Who owned the building that Felix and Oscar lived in on The Odd Couple? a) Dick Cavettb) Howard Cosell c) Wolfman Jackd) Billie Jean Kinge) Rodney Allen Rippy Is: e) Rodney Allen Rippy, who at the time was six years old and was known for his now classic commercial for Jack in the Box. -Current kudos goes to:Steve Albright, Mark Amato, Gerry Bixenspan, John Carlo, Larry Collins, Mark Cosenza, John Ferlazzo, Jim Forkan, Maureen Goldman, Carolyn Becker Hayes, David Jackino, Greg Janover, Deb Kainer, Synda Kollman, Bill Nuss, Gordon Purcell, Colleen Roth, Michelle Stanton, Evan Weinstein

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Fox Dominates Week of January 31

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