The Programming Insider: Monday 8/08/11

In Today's Issue: Prime-Time Ratings: Friday and Saturday Results 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 Not So Tasty Treat _________________________________________________________________ Note: The Programming Insider will not be issued tomorrow. See you back on Wednesday. _________________________________________________________________ PRIME-TIME RATINGS: Friday and Saturday Results Friday 8/05/11 -Total Viewers: CBS: 5.99 million, ABC: 3.98, NBC: 3.63, Fox: 2.48, CW: 872,000 -Adults 18-49: ABC: 1.1 rating/4 share; CBS and NBC: 1.0/ 4 each; Fox: 0.7/ 3; CW: 0.3/ 1 Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 33 percent at this same point last year to approximately 38 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted. -Friday’s Winners: Nothing -Friday’s Losers: Friends With Benefits (NBC) and the night overall Ratings Breakdown: There was split low-rated leadership on this first Friday in August, with CBS tops in total viewers and ABC No. 1 among adults 18-49. Sixty-two percent of the lineup were encore telecasts. In series premiere news, two episodes of NBC sitcom Friends With Benefits, which no doubt is just being burned off at this point, failed to generate interest: Friends With Benefits (NBC) 8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 2.37 million (#4), A18-49: 0.7/ 3 (#3t) 8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 1.99 million (#4), A18-49: 0.6/ 2 (#4) Next on NBC was a two-hour edition of Dateline at 4.35 million viewers (#2) and a 1.2/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#1t) from 9-11 p.m. Although Dateline is being trimmed down to one hour on Friday this fall, the likely failure of upcoming Friday 9 p.m. scripted drama Grimm means Dateline will be expanded back to two hours. CBS opened the evening with Canadian drama Flashpoint (Viewers: #1, 6.20 million; A18-49: #1, 1.1/ 4 at 8 p.m.), which was the most watched show of the evening, followed by repeats of CSI: NY (Viewers: #1, 5.88 million; A18-49: #3, 0.9/ 3) and Blue Bloods (Viewers: #1, 5.88 million; A18-49: #3, 1.0. 3) from 9-11 p.m. This fall, new drama A Gifted Man, which faces an uphill battle, will air in the Friday 8 p.m. hour on CBS. ABC aired a repeat of Shark Tank (Viewers: #2, 3.67 million; A18-49: #2, 1.0/ 4), which was pushed back until midseason; a repeat of Primetime: What Would You Do? (Viewers: #3, 3.52 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.0/ 4); and veteran newsmagazine 20/20, which finished third in total viewers (4.75 million) and tied for first among adults 18-49 (1.3/ 4) at 10 p.m. At press time, ABC has still not said what will air in the Friday 9 p.m. time period this fall. Elsewhere, Fox filled the evening with repeats of Bones (Viewers: #3, 2.87 million; A18-49: #3, 0.8/ 3) and House (Viewers: #4, 2.08 million; A18-49: #4, 0.6/ 2). And The CW aired encore telecasts of Nikita (Viewers: #5, 869,000; A18-49: #5, 0.3/ 1) and Supernatural (Viewers: #5, 875,000; A18-49: #5, 0.3/ 1). Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) Saturday 8/06/11 -Total Viewers: CBS: 3.82 million; NBC: 3.59; ABC: 2.57; Fox: 2.39 -Adults 18-49: ABC and Fox: 0.8/ 3 each; CBS and NBC: 0.6/ 2 each Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 33 percent at this same point last year to approximately 38 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted. Saturday’s Winners: Nothing Saturday’s Losers: Movie: Who Is Simon Miller? (NBC) Ratings Breakdown: Three networks tied for Saturday leadership. CBS was #1 in total viewers, ABC and Fox tied for #1 among adults 18-49—but the overall results continue to lag. CBS filled the evening with repeats of CSI: Miami (Viewers: #3, 2.80 million; A18-49: #4, 0.4 rating/ 2 share), Hawaii Five-O (Viewers: #1, 3.81 million; A18-49: #3t, 0.5/ 2), and 48 Hours Mystery (Viewers: #1, 4.84 million; A18-49: #2, 0.9/ 3) from 8-11 p.m. ABC aired a repeat of theatrical Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which averaged 2.57 million viewers (#3) and a 0.8/ 3 among adults 18-49 (#1t) from 8-11 p.m. And Fox ran repeats of two episodes of Cops (Viewers: #2, avg. 3.00 million; A18-49: #1, #1t, avg. 0.9/ 4 from 8-9 p.m.), Family Guy (Viewers: #4, 1.97 million; A18-49: #2, 0.7/ 3), and The Cleveland Show (Viewers: #4, 1.62 million; A18-49: #2t, 0.6/ 2). In original programming news, Procter & Gamble sponsored made-for movie Who Is Simon Miller? finished with 3.31 million viewers (#1) and a 0.5/ 2 (#3t) from 8-10 p.m. That led into a repeat of Law & Order: SVU at 4.14 million viewers (#2) and a 0.8/ 3 in the demo (#3) at 10 p.m. Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat) ------------------------- Note: The overnight rating results for Sunday were not available at press time. Source: Nielsen Media Research data _________________________________________________________________ RATINGS BOX: What’s Hot/What’s Not Phineas and Ferb Movie Scores on Disney Channel: Original Disney Channel made-for movie Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension finished as the No. 1 scripted telecast to-date this season in total viewers (7.6 million), kids 6-11 (3.4 million), and tweens 9-14 (2.6 million). Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension ranks as cable’s top-rated telecast among kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14 since Fairly OddBaby on Feb. 18, 2008, and No. 4 overall among all animated basic cable telecasts in the tween demo. Cable Scorecard – Thursday, August 4: The fourth season premiere of Jersey Shore stood well above the competition, lifting MTV to its most watched season opener ever. In the distant No. 2 spot was drama Burn Notice on USA. Here are the results, ranked in order of total viewers, for Thursday, Aug. 4: Jersey Shore (MTV) – Viewers: 8.79 million (#1), A18-49: 4.3 rating (#1) – season premiere Burn Notice (USA, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 5.21 million (#2), A18-49: 1.4 (#2) Suits (USA, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 4.02 million (#3), A18-49: 1.3 (#3) Project Runway (Lifetime) – Viewers: 2.78 million (#4), A18-49: 1.1 (#4) Family Brain Surge (Nick at Nite, 8 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.94 million (#5), A18-49: 0.4 (#11T) Ancient Aliens (History, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.80 million (#6), A18-49: 0.6 (#8t) Shark Week: Shark City (Discovery) – Viewers: 1.77 million (#7), A18-49: 0.8 (#5t) Shark Week: When Fish Attack (Discovery) – Viewers: 1.65 million (#8), A18-49: 0.7 (#7) Futurama (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.46 million (#9), A18-49: 0.8 (#5t) Impact Wrestling (Spike) – Viewers: 1.44 million (#10), A18-49: 0.4 (#11t) Wilfred (FX, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.40 million (#11), A18-49: 0.6 (#8t) LA Ink (TLC) – Viewers: 1.16 million (#12), A18-49: 0.5 (#10) World’s Dumbest (truTV) – Viewers: 1.07 million (#13), A18-49: 0.4 (#11t) Top 20 Most Shocking (truTV) – Viewers: 1.01 million (#14), A18-49: 0.3 (#15t) Louie (FX, 10:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 928,000 (#15), A18-49: 0.4 (#11t) Extreme Chef (Food Network, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 869,000 (#16), A18-49: 0.3 (#15t) Ugly Americans (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 730,000 (#17), A18-49: 0.3 (#15t) Source: Nielsen Media Research data ________________________________________________________________ TV TIDBITS: Notes of Interest More Rizzoli & Isles: Fox has renewed crime solver Rizzoli & Isles for a third season, with an order for 15 additional episodes in 2012. Rizzoli & Isles launched out of The Closer this season with 8.6 million viewers, and remains basic cable’s two most watched shows for the year to date. Desperate Housewives to Conclude in May: ABC will official end veteran Desperate Housewives after its upcoming eighth season concludes in May. No longer a watercooler-worthy series, but still a perennial top 20 rated occupant, Desperate Housewives will air into new drama Pan Am this fall. Speaking of ABC: The next round of celebrity contestants on Dancing With the Stars will be unveiled live during the episode of Bachelor Pad on Monday, Aug. 29. ______________________________________________________________ TV TRIVIA TIME: A Not So Tasty Treat What was the specialty of the house when the Ricardos and the Mertzes stopped off at the rundown restaurant in Cincinnati en route to California on I Love Lucy? a) cheese sandwich b) chili c) ham sandwich d) hot dog e) pecan pralines Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE. Do not click Reply The answer to the last question… What did Charlotte name her Cavalier King Charles spaniel on Sex and the City? a) Joan Crawford b) Bette Davis c) Greta Garbo d) Meryl Streep e) Elizabeth Taylor Is: e) Elizabeth Taylor -Current kudos goes to: Gerry Bixenspan, Bob Ingersoll, Cliff Jackson, Marie Lefevre Karp, Jaclyn Kendall, Synda Kollman, Michael McCray, Kimberley Orti, Colleen Roth, Anthony Salerno, Maxine Shulman, Mindy Staley, Michelle Stanton, Joe Swaney, Julie Syers, Beth Talbert

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The Programming Insider: Monday 8/08/11

Summer doldrums hit Big 5 nets

Marc Berman

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