Ongoing Momentum for the Home of The Winter Olympics

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERMonday, February 22, 2010 Primetime Ratings:Weekend Highlights Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest TV Trivia Time:Jamie’s Dad _______________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Ratings:Weekend Highlights Friday 2/19/10Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr NBC 13.4/23ABC 3.3/ 6CBS 2.9/ 5Fox 1.9/ 3CW 1.2/ 2 -Total Viewers:NBC: 23.22 million, ABC: 4.91, CBS: 4.60, Fox: 3.01, CW: 2.04 -Adults 18-49:NBC: 5.4 rating/17 share, ABC: 1.5/ 4, CBS: 1.1/ 4, Fox: 1.1/ 3, CW: 0.8/ 3 -------------------- Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 27 percent at this same point last year to approximately 33 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted. ---------- -Friday’s Winners:The 2010 Winter Olympics (NBC) -Friday’s Losers (excluding repeats):20/20 (ABC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:NBC’s Olympic winning streak continued, with coverage on Friday of The Vancouver Olympic Winter Games at an average of 23.22 million viewers and a 5.4 rating/17 share for the prime-time (8-11 p.m.) portion. Not the best, but certainly something to boast about on lower HUT level Friday. Here is the half-hour breakdown: The Vancouver Olympic Winter Games8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 19.73 million (#1), A18-49: 4.0/14 (#1)8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 21.76 million (#1), A18-49: 4.7/15 (#1)9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 26.20 million (#1), A18-49: 6.3/20 (#1)9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 25.90 million (#1), A18-49: 6.4/19 (#1)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 23.72 million (#1), A18-49: 5.7/18 (#1)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 21.99 million (#1), A18-49: 5.4/17 (#1) ABC finished second overall with its combination of repeat theatrical Meet The Fockers (Viewers: #2, 5.05 million; A18-49: #2, 1.6/ 5 from 8-10 p.m.), a Mr. TV favorite, and veteran newsmagazine 20/20 (Viewers: #3, 4.63 million; A18-49: #2, 1.3/ 4 at 10 p.m.). Despite facing The Winter Olympics, ABC posted a six-week-high on Friday night among adults 18-34 (1.2/ 5). Third-place CBS aired repeats of its regularly scheduled line-up of Ghost Whisperer (Viewers: #3, 4.59 million; A18-49: #3, 1.1/ 3), Medium (Viewers: #3, 4.42 million; A18-49: #3t, 1.1/ 3) and Numb3rs (Viewers: #2, 4.79 million; A18-49: #3, 1.1/ 3), which are all on the fence for renewal. Least likely to return: Numb3rs, which is expected to conclude next month. Over at Fox, a repeat of House (Viewers: #4, 3.33 million; A18-49: #4t, 1.0/ 3) led into a repeat of Kitchen Nightmares (Viewers: #4, 2.68 million; A18-49: #3t, 1.1/ 3), which will step into the Thursday 9 p.m. hour for the next three weeks in place of canceled midseason drama Past Life. Capping off the evening was an original installment of The CW’s Smallville (Viewers: #5, 2.42 million; A18-49: #4t, 1.0/ 3) into a repeat of the long-running drama (Viewers: #5, 1.66 million; A18-49: #5, 0.7/ 2). Although Smallville was not one of The CW’s five early pick-ups, do not count it out…yet. Source: Nielsen Media Research data -------------------- Saturday 2/20/10Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data). HH Rtg/Shr NBC 14.1/25Fox 3.0/ 5CBS 2.7/ 5ABC 1.6/ 3 -Total Viewers:NBC: 25.41 million, Fox: 5.03, CBS: 3.96, ABC: 2.50 -Adults 18-49:NBC: 6.8 rating/21 share, Fox: 1.6/ 5, ABC and CBS: 0.8/ 3 each --------------- -Saturday’s Winners: The 2010 Winter Olympics (NBC) -Saturday’s Losers (excluding repeats):It was all about NBC last night. ---------- -Ratings Breakdown:The next time you hear that broadcast television is “dead” on Saturday, bring up how well The Vancouver Olympic Winter Games performed on the evening. With that in mind, NBC more than doubled the three competing networks combined on this third Saturday in February, with an average 25.41 million viewers and a 6.8 rating/21 share for coverage of The Winter Olympics in prime-time. Here is the half-hour breakdown: The Vancouver Olympic Winter Games8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 19.85 million (#1), A18-49: 4.9/17 (#1)8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 24.54 million (#1), A18-49: 6.4/20 (#1)9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 27.17 million (#1), A18-49: 7.2/22 (#1)9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 27.01 million (#1), A18-49: 7.3/22 (#1)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 26.65 million (#1), A18-49: 7.3/22 (#1)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 27.23 million (#1), A18-49: 7.9/24 (#1) Chalk up another ratings Gold Medal for NBC. Elsewhere, Fox finished in the very distant No. 2 spot with its veteran combination of Cops (original and repeat – Viewers: #3, avg. 5.24 million; A18-49: #2, avg. 1.7/ 6 from 8-9 p.m.) and America’s Most Wanted (Viewers: #3, 4.83 million; A18-49: #3, 1.5/ 4). CBS opened the evening with a repeat of expected-to-be departing Numb3rs (Viewers: #3, 2.62 million; A18-49: #4, 0.5/ 2), followed by two episodes of 48 Hours Mystery at an average 4.63 million viewers and a 1.0/ 3 among adults 18-49 from 9-11 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery built by half-hour as follows: 48 Hours Mystery (CBS)9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 3.42 million (#3), A18-49: 0.7/ 2 (#4)9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.07 million (#3), A18-49: 0.8/ 2 (#4)10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 5.26 million (#2), A18-49: 1.2/ 4 (#2)10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 5.77 million (#2), A18-49: 1.3/ 4 (#2) Capping off the evening was repeat theatrical Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azbakan on ABC at a mere 2.50 million viewers (#4) and a 0.8/ 3 among adults 18-49 (#3t) from 8-11 p.m. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Sunday 2/21/10 HH Rtg/Shr NBC 14.4/22CBS 7.2/11ABC 5.6/ 8Fox 3.2/ 5 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009):Note: ABC aired The Academy Awards on the year-ago evening, while NBC did not have the Winter Olympics. NBC: +324, CBS: +47, Fox: -41, ABC: -70 ---------- Note: The fast affiliate results for Sunday will be posted at PIFeedback.com by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Sunday, February 21, 2010. ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:The 2010 Winter Olympics (NBC), 60 Minutes (CBS), Undercover Boss (CBS) -Losing Steam:Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) -Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats): ‘Til Death (Fox), Cold Case (CBS) -----------Ratings Breakdown:The Vancouver Olympic Winter Games on NBC dominated this third Sunday in February, of course, with a 14.4 rating/22 share in the overnights for the prime-time (7-11 p.m.) portion. Comparably, NBC doubled the average overnight rating for second-place CBS, with the half-hour Winter Olympics breakdown as follows: The Vancouver Olympic Winter Games7:00 p.m.: 11.1/18 (#1)7:30 p.m.: 13.1/20 (#1)8:00 p.m.: 15.2/22 (#1)8:30 p.m.: 16.3/23 (#1)9:00 p.m.: 16.5/23 (#1)9:30 p.m.: 14.9/21 (#1)10:00 p.m.: 14.4/22 (#1)10:30 p.m.: 14.0/23 (#1) Despite facing The Winter Olympics, there was positive news on CBS at 9 p.m. with the first battle of The Eye net’s recently introduced Undercover Boss vs. ABC’s veteran Desperate Housewives falling in the overnight court of CBS. Undercover Boss averaged an 8.7/12 in the overnights, 12 percent above Desperate Housewives (#3: 7.8/11). Although the competition among key adults 18-49 could be neck and neck, kudos to CBS for introducing this feel-good hour of inspirational reality programming. Earlier in the evening on CBS was granddaddy 60 Minutes (#2: 7.8/13) and week two of the new season of The Amazing Race (#2: 6.3/ 9 -- go Jeff and Jordan!) from 7-9 p.m. Less impressive was relocated crime solver Cold Case at a 6.0/10 (#2) at 10 p.m. -- 35 percent below the 9:30 p.m. portion of lead-in Undercover Boss (9.3/13). Needless to say, it is time for Cold Case to start packing. ABC aired original episodes of its entire Sunday slate -- America’s Funniest Home Videos (#3: 4.2/ 7), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition #3: 4.6/ 7), aforementioned Desperate Housewives (#3: 7.8/11) and Brothers & Sisters (#3: 5.9/ 9), which has wisely brought back Gilles Marini. If Undercover Boss on CBS holds up, you could call it the new Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Fox opened the evening with two more burn-off episodes of sitcom ‘Til Death (#4: avg. 2.3/ 4 from 7-8 p.m.), followed by long-running The Simpsons (#4: 3.9/ 6), freshman The Cleveland Show (#4: 3.5/ 5), a repeat of Family Guy (#4: 3.9/ 5) and American Dad (#4: 3.3/ 5) from 8-10 p.m. Premiering in the Sunday 9:30 p.m. time period (while American Dad takes a rest) is live action comedy Sons of Tucson on March 14. Source: Nielsen Media Research data____________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -CBS Daytime Game Shows Post Increases:Based on national results for the week of Feb. 8, CBS’ The Price is Right and Let’s Make a Deal were on the plus side. Veteran The Price is Right built from its season to-date average by 520,000 viewers (4.51 to 5.03 million), 15 percent in women 25-54 (1.3/ 8 to 1.5/ 9) and 18 percent among adults 25-54 (1.1/ 8 to 1.3/ 9). The recently introduced revival of Let’s Make a Deal, meanwhile, outdelivered year-ago time period occupant The Guiding Light by 260,000 viewers (2.16 to 2.42 million) and 20 percent among women 18-34 (0.5 rating/7 share to 0.6/ 7). -Updated Winter Olympic Results:Based on the first nine nights of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games (through Saturday, Feb. 20), NBC is estimating a total tune-in to-date of 162 million viewers on the networks of NBC Universal. Average viewership is 26.3 million -- 28 percent above the 20.6 million for the comparable period in Turino in 2006. The tabloid-ignited Lillehammer Games in 1994 was considerably higher at 38.7 million. Competitively, The Winter Olympics broke the six-year winning streak of Fox’s American Idol on Wednesday, with 30.1 million viewers in the 9 p.m. hour versus 18.6 for Idol. Much of the competition, no doubt, has been in repeats, but worth positively noting was a stellar 15.45 million viewers for the Sunday 9 p.m. time period premiere for CBS’ Undercover Boss. Also on the map opposite The Winter Olympics this week was ABC’s The Bachelor at 11.53 million, while original episodes of most established series (including Lost and Grey’s Anatomy on ABC) are trending about 15 percent below their season averages. A repeat of CBS’ NCIS still impressed at 11.66 million on Tuesday. Source: Nielsen Media Research data____________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Monday 2/22/10 ABC: 8:00 p.m. The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love – The Women Tell All10:00 p.m. Castle (R) CBS: 8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R) 8:30 p.m. Accidentally on Purpose (R) 9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men (R) 9:30 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R)10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami (R) NBC: 8:00 p.m. 2010 Winter Olympics Fox: 8:00 p.m. House (R) 9:00 p.m. 24 CW: 8:00 p.m. One Tree Hill 9:00 p.m. Life Unexpected -Of Note on Cable:Men of a Certain Age (TNT), 10 p.m. ET (season finale)_____________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -Fox Yanks Past Life:Just three episodes into its low-rated run, Fox has removed Thursday drama Past Life from the schedule and will air three weeks of original episodes of Kitchen Nightmares in its place until further notice. Opposite The Winter Olympics on Feb. 18, Past Life dipped to 3.49 million viewers, with a 1.1 rating/3 share among adults 18-49, according to the fast affiliate results. Retention out of an encore telecast of lead-in Bones (Viewers: 5.72 million; A18-49: 1.6/ 4 at 8 p.m.) was 61 percent in total viewers and 69 percent in the demo. The remaining episodes are expected to be burned-off at a later time. -Pilot Update:I do not love this title, nor should you. But William Shatner has been cast in CBS’ Shit My Dad Says, a multi-camera comedy about a 29-year old man living with his opinionated 73-year old father. -Cable Series Renewals:ABC Family has picked-up college-themed drama Greek for a fourth season, with an order for 10 additional episodes, while A&E has re-upped Steven Seagal: Lawman for season two. Sixteen new episodes of Steven Seagal: Lawman have been ordered. _______________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:Jamie’s Dad Who played Jamie Buchman’s father on sitcom Mad About You? Mel BrooksSid CaesarTim ConwayDon Murray Carroll O’Connor The answer to Friday’s question… Which one of the following male names was not the actual title of a TV series? LennyMartinNedReggieSam Is: c) Ned. There was a sitcom called Ned and Stacey, but nothing called just Ned. As for the others: -Lenny (CBS): 1990-91-Martin (Fox): 1992-97-Reggie (ABC): 1983-Sam (CBS): 1978 -Current kudos goes to:Barbara Berman, Gerry Bixenspan, Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Reid Davis, Phyllis Epstein, Arleen Fong, Maureen Goldman, Barb Hemberger, Ken Hommel, Bob Ingersoll, Deb Kainer, Mark Krause, Alan Perris, Gordon Purcell, Joe Rubi, Mary Ryan, Ron Salmon, Maxine Schulman, Ronnie Tallant, Jodi Titkin

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Ongoing Momentum for the Home of The Winter Olympics

Marc Berman

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