Letterman vs. Conan Update

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERThursday, June 18, 2009 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 Guardian Celebrity ______________________________________________________________________ Note: Due to the recent switch to digital broadcast television, the metered market rating results are delayed this week. Wednesday, June 17, therefore, is not included today. _____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Mixed Returns for TNT Tuesday:TNT’s revamped Tuesday, which launched this week with the debuts of Wedding Day and Hawthorne and the season-premiere of Saving Grace, netted mixed results. The launch of non-scripted Wedding Day disappointed at 8 p.m., with just 853,000 viewers, 396,000 adults 18-49 and 341,000 adults 25-54. But medical drama Hawthorne, featuring Jada Pinkett Smith, was clearly sampled at 9 p.m. with 3.83 million viewers, 1.57 million adults 18-49 and 1.64 million adults 25-54. Lifted by Hawthorne, the third season-premiere of Holly Hunter’s Saving Grace outdelivered its season two average by four percent in total viewers (3.47 million) and as high as 31 percent among adults 18-34 (331,000). -Conan vs. Letterman Update:Based on the fast national rating results for Tuesday, June 16, late night dominance was back in Conan O’Brien’s court, with the new host of NBC’s The Tonight Show beating CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman by 100 percent in adults 18-49 (1.4 vs. 0.7 rating), 40 percent in adults 25-54 (1.4 vs. 1.0) and 275 percent in adults 18-34 (1.5 vs. 0.4). One night earlier, Letterman was in the winner’s circle. Stay tuned. -Zeke and Luther Score on Disney XD:New original series Zeke and Luther opened on Disney XD on Monday, June 15 as the cable net’s No. 1 half-hour series debut to-date among kids 6-14 (305,000) and tweens 9-14 (183,000). Zeke and Luther lifted Disney XD to its highest-rated Monday 8:30 p.m. performance historically among kids 6-11 (506,000) and all target boy demos, and second best in kids 6-14 and tweens 9-14. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (* = canceled)_______________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Thursday 6/18/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Ugly Betty (R) 9:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy (R)10:00 p.m. Private Practice (R) CBS: 8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R) 8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R) 9:00 p.m. CSI (R)10:00 p.m. The Mentalist (R) NBC: 8:00 p.m. I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! 9:00 p.m. The Office (R) 9:30 p.m. 30 Rock (R)10:00 p.m. The Listener Fox: 8:00 p.m. Bones (R) 9:00 p.m. So You Think You Can Dance Results Show CW 8:00 p.m. Smallville (R) 9:00 p.m. Supernatural (R) MTNV 8:00 p.m. Movie: Dirty (R) ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Wedlock or Deadlock to Test on The Fox Television Stations This Summer:Wedlock or Deadlock, a new half-hour syndicated strip from Twentieth Television featuring psychologist and relationship expert Dr. Michelle Callahan will premiere on Monday, July 20 in a six-week test on the Fox Television Stations. The participating affiliates are in the New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Tampa, Phoenix, Orlando and Memphis markets. Spun-off off from a segment of veteran Divorce Court (and mirroring the limited launch of Debmar-Mercury talker The Wendy Williams Shows one year earlier), Wedlock or Deadlock will feature an engaged couple that has serious concerns about their relationship and whether they have what it takes to get married. The limited launch of Wedlock or Deadlock is, of course, a test to see if the strip has the potential legs to succeed nationally. Long-running talkers like Live With Regis & Kelly from Disney-ABC and recently concluded The Montel Williams Show from CBS Television Distribution were also test-run on select stations initially, as was Twentieth’s departing The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet. -----------The Emmys Move Back to Original Date:The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, which was moved up one week from its originally scheduled Sunday, Sept. 20 airdate, is moving back to the original date to avoid The MTV Video Music Awards. -Ninja Warrior Marathon on G4:G4, the cable network for young males, will air a three-day marathon of Japanese competition series Ninja Warrior beginning on Friday, June 19 at 9:30 a.m. ET through Sunday, June 21 at 5:30 p.m. ET. Immediately following will be the premiere of Ninja Fest 4, which will air through 11 p.m. ET that Sunday. -CW Premiere Dates:The CW has announced the following series premiere dates for the 2009-10 season. Note the just announced time period change for Monday dramas Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill, which will flip hours. 90210: Tuesday, Sept. 8 p.m. ETMelrose Place: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 9 p.m. ET (new)America’s Next Top Model: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 8 p.m. ET (two hours)The Vampire Diaries: Thursday, Sept. 10, 8 p.m. ET (new)Supernatural: Thursday, Sept. 10, 9 p.m. ETOne Tree Hill: Monday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m. ET (new time)Gossip Girl: Monday, Sept. 14, 9 p.m. ET (new time)The Beautiful Life: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 9 p.m. ET (new)Smallville: Friday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m. ET (new day)America’s Next Top Model – Encore Episodes: Friday, Sept. 25, 9 p.m. ET ---------- -Speaking of Premiere Dates:ABC, which announced its fall 2009 premiere dates last week, did not include Private Practice, which will open season three on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 10 p.m. -So Long, George:When we last saw T.R. Knight as George O’Malley on Grey’s Anatomy he was hit by a bus. Well, it looks like the accident was fatal because Knight’s contract was just officially terminated. No news, meanwhile, on the future of Katherine Heigl on the tired medical drama. _________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:A Guardian Celebrity Who played the “guardian celebrity” that Charlene saw in a dream right before she gave birth to Olivia on Designing Women? a) Loretta Lynnb) Reba McEntirec) Marie Osmondd) Dolly Partone) Shania Twain The answer to yesterday’s question… Which one of the following sitcom spin-offs was on the air the longest? a) The Facts of Lifeb) Frasierc) The Jeffersonsd) Laverne & Shirleye) Rhoda Is: b) Frasier, which ran from 1993 to 2004. As for the others: -The Facts of Life: 1979-1988-The Jeffersons: 1975-85-Laverne & Shirley: 1976-83-Rhoda: 1974-78 -Current kudos goes to:Frank Agzarian, Mark Amato, Michelle Yarborough-Bauer, Matthew Berriman, Gerry Bixenspan, Larry Collins, Audrey Davis, Reid Davis, James Davison, Malcolm Dunlop, Josh Emmett, Arleen Fong, Adam Giagni, Dan Ginsburg, Harold Goetz, Maureen Goldman, Geoffrey Gordon, Bill Graff, Sherrie Hentschel, Heidi Hoffmeister, Ken Hommel, Bob Ingersoll, Deb Kainer, Mary Kalnin, Marie LeFevre Karp, Synda Kollman, Valerie Langan, Stephen LaRue, Michael Lehman, Rick Locke, Michael McCray, Jim Moore, Michael Murphy, Michael Natale, Jim O’Heir, Alan Perris, Jodi Perris, Alex Petrilli, Jr., Greg Phelan, Gordon Purcell, Michael Ratliffe, Arthur Reinstein, Joe Rubi, Ron Salmon, Russell Schwartz, Davod Shearer, Bruce Starin, Trenna Underhill, Evan Weinstein, Larry Weinstock, Ted Zavales

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Letterman vs. Conan Update

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