Midweek Dominance for Idol-Ignited Fox

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERThursday, March 17, 2011 Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:Solid Victory for Idol-Ignited Fox Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time: An Award Winning Star on a Failed Series________________________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:Solid Victory for Idol-Ignited Fox Wednesday 3/16/11Note: 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 Fox 15.4/24CBS 7.2/11ABC 3.6/ 6NBC 2.7/ 4CW 1.4/ 2 ---------- -Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening (Wednesday 3/17/10):Fox: +62, CBS: +53, ABC: +20, NBC: -46, CW: -50 ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:American Idol (Fox), Criminal Minds (CBS) -Honorable Mention:Survivor: Redemption Island (CBS), Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (CBS) -Fading Fast:America’s Next Top Model (CW) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):Minute to Win It (NBC), Shedding for the Wedding (CW), Mr. Sunshine (ABC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:Ignited by American Idol, Fox took center stage on this third Wednesday in March, more than doubling the overnight average for second-place CBS. In the distant No. 3 spot was ABC, which was marred by repeats from 8-9:30 p.m., followed by NBC and The CW. American Idol scored a hefty 15.4 rating/24 share in the overnights from 8-10 p.m., with the half-hour breakdown as follows: American Idol (Fox)8:00 p.m.: 13.8/22 (#1)8:30 p.m.: 15.4/24 (#1)9:00 p.m.: 16.2/25 (#1)9:30 p.m.: 16.2/24 (#1) One year earlier, the live American Idol Results Show averaged a 13.6/22 in the 9 p.m. hour on March 17, 2010. Since I did not see the show in its entirety, I really cannot adequately predict who is exiting tonight. But based on the recap at the end, my picks for the bottom three are Paul McDonald, Haley Reinhart and Karen Rodriguez. Over at CBS, Survivor: Redemption Island remains an option, with a healthy second-place 6.4/10 in the overnights at 8 p.m. Comparably, that remains a significant improvement from year-ago occupants The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried. And it continues to hold up well opposite the American Idol juggernaut. While I won’t give anything away to anyone who has not seen last night’s episode yet, I will say this whole Redemption Island twist is a stroke of brilliance. Eleven years later and Survivor seems as fresh and unique as it did in season one. Mark Burnett…congratulations! Survivor led into Criminal Minds at a solid second-place 8.6/13 at 9 p.m., followed by week five of spin-off Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior at a dominant 6.7/11 at 10 p.m. While leadership, of course, is certainly positive, Suspect Behavior is not necessarily the new breakout hit crime solver the Eye net was hoping for. Five-week overnight track for Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior: 8.4/12 – 6.3/11 – 6.9/12 – 6.1/10 – 6.7/11. With so few time period holes to fill, chances of Criminal Minds returning next season at present are 50-50 at best. On ABC, the network populated the 8-9:30 p.m. block with back-to-back repeats of The Middle (#3, avg. 3.4/ 6 from 8-9 p.m.) and Emmy winning Modern Family (#3: 4.5/ 7 at 9 p.m.). But the lack of original lead-in support was detrimental to recent entry Mr. Sunshine, which dipped to a series-low 3.6/ 5 in the overnights at 9:30 p.m. Six week overnight night for Mr. Sunshine: 7.7/11 – 5.0/ 8 – 4.5/ 7 – 5.2/ 8 – 3.7/ 6. A repeat of failing drama Off the Map capped off the evening for ABC with a last-place 3.3/ 5 at 10 p.m. Considering Shonda Rhimes has another potential new drama in the works on ABC for next season (which focuses on the work of a crisis consultant), chances of Off the Map returning are slim to none. Elsewhere, NBC game show Minute to Win It was virtually invisible in the 8 p.m. hour with a fourth-place 2.2/ 4 in the overnights. That led into back-to-back repeats of Law & Order: SVU at a 2.3/ 4 at 9 p.m. (#4) and a second-place 3.8/ 7 at 10 p.m. And The CW capped off the night with declining America’s Next Top Model (#5: 1.9/ 3), which dipped by 42 percent from the year-ago 90-minute telecast (3.3/ 6 on March 17, 2010), and reality/competition dud Shedding for the Wedding (#5: 0.8/ 1). For news on America’s Next Top Model, see TV Tidbits below. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not Freshman Midseason Scorecard:Based on data this week through Tuesday, March 15, recent entries The Chicago Code on Fox and Traffic Light on Fox continue to garner mixed results. The Chicago Code on Monday averaged 7.30 million viewers, with a 1.9 rating/5 share among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. Comparably, retention out of House (Viewers: 10.41 million; A18-49: 3.5/10 at 8 p.m.) was 70 percent in total viewers and 54 percent in the demo and the chances of returning next season are about 50/50. It all depends if Fox decided to renew former time period occupant Lie to Me. Traffic Light at 9:30 p.m. on Fox Tuesday is no better than recent failed occupant Running Wilde, with just 3.60 million viewers and a 1.5/ 4 among adults 18-49. Comparably, retention out of Raising Hope (Viewers: 5.74 million; A18-49: 2.2/ 6, which dips considerably from Glee) was 63 percent in total viewers and 68 percent in the demo. Chances of Traffic Light returning next season are zero. Grades:The Chicago Code (Fox): CTraffic Light (Fox): F Source: Nielsen Media Research data_____________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Thursday 3/17/11 ABC: 8:00 p.m. Wipeout (R) 9:00 p.m. Private Practice10:00 p.m. Off the Map (R) CBS: 8:00 p.m. 2011 NCAA Basketball: First Round – Day 1 (from 7 p.m. ET/PT) NBC: 8:00 p.m. Community 8:30 p.m. Perfect Couples 9:00 p.m. The Office (R) 9:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation 10:00 p.m. 30 Rock 10:30 p.m. Outsourced Fox: 8:00 p.m. American Idol Results Show 9:00 p.m. Bones CW 8:00 p.m. The Vampire Diaries (R) 9:00 p.m. Nikita (R) ______________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Top Model Slides to 9 p.m.:America’s Next Top Model on The CW, which is no longer the force it once was, it shifting to Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT effective on April 20. The change goes into effect one week after the conclusion of colossal flop Shedding for the Wedding. Airing at 8 p.m. on Wednesday will be an encore telecast of the previous week’s episode of Top Model. Season to-date, America’s Next Top Model has dipped to 2.38 million viewers (#148 out of 158 entries), with a 1.1 rating/3 share among adults 18-49 (tied for No. 127). The fall edition was considerably stronger at 3.47 million viewers (#133) and a 1.7/ 5 in the demo (#94t). -The Dating Game Returns:Game developer 3G Studios is reviving classic game show The Dating Game this spring in a format that will allow everyone to play over Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. The show launches from www.thedatinggame.com, where players are asked to select among a wide array of social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Hi5, Bebo and Friendster. It can also be initiated through invitations between friends in a social network. -BBC America Confirms Royal Wedding Broadcast:BBC America will carry extensive uninterrupted live coverage of the Royal Wedding on Friday, April 29. The commercial free broadcast will be a direct simulcast of BBC ONE’s coverage. -More Face Off:Syfy special effects competition Face Off has been renewed for 2011-12. Excluding results for last night’s season-ender, Face Off is averaging 1.44 million viewers, 897,000 adults 18-49 and 900,000 adults 25-54. -Disney Acquires Programming Initiatives:Disney has unveiled its original programming initiatives for cable nets Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior for 2011-12. Upcoming on Disney Channel are three new series: animated Gravity Falls, the story of a strange and wondrous place; ANT Farm, a comedy about an 11-year-old musical prodigy who attends the prestigious ANT (Advanced Natural Talents) programs; and Jessie, a comedy about a 17-year-old teen from rural Texas who moves to New York. A fourth potential series in the pilot phase is music and dance driven Madison High. Returning series on Disney Channel are Shake it Up, Phineas and Ferb and Good Luck Charlie; and the planned original movies are Frenemies, Geek Charming and expanded editions of Phineas and Ferb and Good Luck Charlie. Over at Disney XD, there are four new series on tap: Kickin’ It, a live action comedy set at a Martial Arts Academy; animated Motorcity, which is set in a futuristic Detroit; animated Tron: Uprising, which focuses on the era of the Tron storyline that transpires after the 1982 film and before Tron: Legacy; and animated Ultimate Spider-Man. Disney Junior, meanwhile, will showcase new animated series Doc McStuffins, about a young girl who communicates and heals toys and stuffed animals; and Oki’s Oasis, the first western for preschoolers. Jake and the Never Land Pirates has been renewed for a second season, and a new animated short form series called Minnie Bow-Toons will focus on Minnie Mouse and her friend Daisy Duck. Disney Junior has also ordered an animated special and series pilot called Sofia the First, which is set world of the classic Disney princesses; and animated pilot 7R, which takes a new approach to the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.__________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:An Award Winning Star on a Failed Series Which one of the following short-lived TV shows did not feature an Academy Award winning actor or actress? a) Anna and the King b) East Side/West Sidec) The Education of Max Bickford d) It Had to Be Youe) New York News The answer to yesterday’s question… We all remember Joyce DeWitt as roommate Janet Wood on classic sitcom Three’s Company. But which one of the following actresses also tested for the role? a) Kathy Batesb) Holly Hunterc) Lauren Hutton d) Kathleen Turnere) Debra Winger Is: a) Kathy Bates. John Ritter, Susanne Somers and Kathy Bates??? Nah…just does not feel right. To the masses who answered Debra Winger, she played Diana’s (Lynda Carter) younger sister Drusilla the “Wonder-Girl” on 1970s camp adventure classic Wonder Woman. All together now… Come and knock on our door..... We've been waiting for you...... Where the kisses are hers and hers and his, Three's company too. Come and dance on on our floor...... Take a step that is new..... We've a loveable space that needs your face, Three's company too. You'll see that life is a frolic and laughter is calling for you...... Down at our rendez-vous, Three's company, too!!!!!! -Current kudos goes to:Steve Albright, Joelle Alexander, Gerry Bixenspan, Larry Collins, Maureen Goldman, Marie LeFevre Karp, Andi Kupersmith, Rick Locke, Greg Phelan, Colleen Roth, Anthony Salerno, Jeff Stuewe, Mike Walsh

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Midweek Dominance for Idol-Ignited Fox

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