Respectable Sampling for ABC's Surviving Suburbia

THE PROGRAMMING INSIDERTuesday, April 7, 2009 Prime-Time Metered Market Monday Ratings:ABC and CBS Neck-and-Neck for Victory Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest Executive Shuffle TV Trivia Time: A Tasty Treat ______________________________________________________________________ Prime-Time Metered Market Monday Ratings:ABC and CBS Neck-and-Neck for Victory Monday 4/06/09 HH Rtg/Shr ABC 9.7/15CBS 9.6/15Fox 6.9/10NBC 4.2/ 6CW 0.9/ 1 ---------- -Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Monday, April 7, 2008):Fox: +41, ABC: + 5, CBS: + 2, CW: -18, NBC: -21 ---------- Note: The fast affiliate results for Monday will be posted at PIFeedback by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Monday, April 6, 2009. ---------- -Yesterday’s Winners:Dancing With the Stars (ABC), NCAA Basketball Championship (CBS) -Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):Chuck (NBC), Heroes (NBC) ---------- -Ratings Breakdown: ABC inched past basketball-ignited CBS for first in the Monday overnights, with a one-tenth of a rating point advantage. Fox finished a comfortable third, followed by lackluster NBC and repeat-riddled the CW. By starting the season early last fall (and not ordering an extended number of episodes), fans of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill are paying the price now. In series-premiere news, ABC sitcom Surviving Suburbia was sampled at a second-place 8.0 rating/12 share in the overnights at 9:30 p.m. But before anyone at ABC gets overly optimistic, retention out of the last half of lead-in Dancing With the Stars (13.4/20 at 9 p.m.) was only 60 percent. That’s similar to former occupant Samantha Who?, which has collapsed on Thursday out of In the Motherhood (and without the support of Dancing With the Stars). As for the show itself, while I have no problem with the sitcom being generic, Bob Saget is better when he’s “warm and fuzzy.” Acting like Jim Belushi just does not fit him. Dancing With the Stars, of course, dominated the 8-9:30 p.m. block, with a rock-solid 12.5/19 in the overnights from 8-9:30 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown: Dancing With the Stars (ABC)8:00 p.m.: 11.4/18 (#1)8:30 p.m.: 12.7/19 (#1)9:00 p.m.: 13.4/20 (#1) My picks for the dance-off tonight: Steve-O and Lawrence Taylor. Don’t worry, Edyta…it should be Steve-O leaving. Unfortunately, we are stuck with overrated Cheryl Burke all season. Capping off the evening for ABC was recently introduced drama Castle at a second-place 6.4/10 at 10 p.m. Retention out of Surviving Suburbia was an acceptable 80 percent. CBS opened the evening with repeats of The Big Bang Theory (5.5/ 9) and How I Met Your Mother (4.6/ 7) finishing third from 8-9 p.m. The big draw on CBS was, of course, The Men’s Championship Game on the ongoing NCAA Basketball Tournament, which averaged a hefty (and estimated) 11.9/18 in the overnights for the prime-time portion from 9-11 p.m. Comparably, that was right on par with the year-ago basketball match-up (11.5/18 on Monday, April 7, 2008). Keep in mind, of course, that results for any live sporting event are always approximate. CBS will win the evening, no doubt, among key male viewers. ABC has a lock among the females. Fox was on the Monday map, as usual, care of House (#2: 7.5/12) and 24 (#3: 6.4/ 9). But fading NBC remained out of the competitive loop with its combination of Chuck (#4: 3.7/ 6), Heroes (#4: 3.8/ 6) and Medium (#3: 5.1/ 8). The only positive worth noting for NBC was growth for Medium out of the second half of lead-in Heroes (3.9/ 6 at 9:30 p.m.) of 31 percent. Last, and very least, were repeats of the CW’s Gossip Girl (1.0/ 2) and One Tree Hill (1.0/ 1). For more on the CW, see TV Tidbits below. Source: Nielsen Media Research data _______________________________________________________________________________________ Ratings Box:What’s Hot/What’s Not -Week of March 30 to-date in Prime:To whet your appetite for the final national ratings for the week of March 30 in tomorrow’s column, here is the results to-date through Friday, April 3. More NCAA Basketball on Saturday and The 44th Annual Country Music Awards will be beneficial to CBS once Saturday and Sunday are factored in. Total Viewers:CBS: 11.52 million, Fox: 12.00, ABC: 8.26, NBC: 7.91, CW: 2.46, MNTV: 1.66 Adults 18-49: Fox: 4.3 rating/12 share, CBS: 3.0/ 8, NBC: 2.8/ 8, ABC: 2.4/ 7, CW: 1.1/ 3, MNTV: 0.6/ 2 Source: Nielsen Media Research data_______________________________________________________________________________ On the Air Tonight:Prime-Time Programming Options Tuesday 4/07/09 ABC: 8:00 p.m. It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (R) 8:30 p.m. Charlie Brown All-Stars 9:00 p.m. Dancing With the Stars Results Show 10:00 p.m. Cupid CBS: 8:00 p.m. NCIS 9:00 p.m. The Mentalist 10:00 p.m. Without a Trace NBC: 8:00 p.m. The Biggest Loser: Couples (two hours)10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU Fox: 8:00 p.m. American Idol 9:00 p.m. Fringe CW: 8:00 p.m. Reaper 9:00 p.m. 90210 MTNV 8:00 p.m. Street Patrol (R) 8:30 p.m. Street Patrol (R) 9:00 p.m. Jail (R) 9:30 p.m. Jail (R) ________________________________________________________________________ TV Tidbits:Notes of Interest -The CW Announces Two Original Summer Series:No, Amish in the City – a Mr. TV favorite – is not coming back. But the CW will introduce two reality/competitions this summer: relationship driven Hitched or Ditched from The Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss and docu-soap Blonde Charity Mafia. Hitched or Ditched, which launches on Tuesday, May 26 at 9 p.m. ET with the first of six episodes (and repeats one night later at 9 p.m. ET) will focus on couples in long-term relationships who have not taken the leap into marriage yet. Will they or won’t they say “I do”? Blonde Charity Mafia, which kicks-off on Tuesday, July 7 with back-to-back half-hours from 9-10 p.m. ET and was originally developed for Lifetime, will follow the lives of the influential 20-something social conscious Alpha Girls in Washington, D.C. Effective on July 14, Blonde Charity Mafia will air its original weekly installment at 9:30 p.m. out of the repeat telecast from one week earlier.-----------More to Love on Fox:The very busy Mike Fleiss has another relationship/reality show in the works, More to Love, which premieres on Fox on Tuesday, July 28. The hour will follow a single husky man as he attempts to connect with plus size women. Coming Up on Cartoon Network:Cartoon Network, the home of must see animation, will follow-up season one of Star Wars: The Clone Wars with the first 22 episodes – all enhanced with text boxes – of Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Decoded. Each episode will feature exclusive added content created by Lucasfilm Animation. Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Decoded will debut on Friday, May 1 at 9 p.m. ET, keeping the time period occupied until season two of Star Wars: The Clone Wars begins this fall. -At the Bookstores Today:I know…this is not officially about TV. But the names behind these two books, Tom Bergeron and Marie Osmond, are very familiar faces on the small screen. Both offer warm, funny and entertaining accounts of their individual journeys to fame and notoriety through personal storytelling. And both share one subject in common: Marie’s now famous fainting spell on Dancing With the Stars. Tom’s book is called “I’m Hosting As Fast As I Can: Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood” and Marie’s is “Might As Well Laugh About It Now.” Both get a big “thumps up” from Mr. TV…you won’t be able to put either down. -Speaking of Books:PR maven Gary Morgenstern has written a new novel: “Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman,” the story of a hopelessly romantic divorced man who falls madly in love with a beautiful female rabbi. But there’s one glitch: he still feels connected to his ex-wife. -More Law & Order: SVU:NBC has renewed Law & Order: SVU for next season -- No. 11. But the veteran crime solving drama will, of course, have to find a new time period once Jay Leno begins his weeknight run at 10 p.m. ET. If The Biggest Loser remains two hours on Tuesday, Wednesday at 9 p.m. would seem like a logical choice. ___________________________________________________________________ Executive Shuffle Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i has been named Vice President, Diversity & Communications for CBS Television. In her new role, Tiffany will develop initiatives across the company that celebrates diversity, including hiring on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent, serving as the liaison to multicultural coalition groups, and providing outreach to industry organizations that represent diverse talent. Tiffany segues into her new position after nine years in the company’s media relations and publicity department. Congratulations, Tiffany! _________________________________________________________________________ TV Trivia Time:A Tasty Treat Remember the episode of I Love Lucy when the Ricardos and Mertzes are on the road en route to Cincinnati? What food item did they see advertised on billboards for miles on end? a) Caramel applesb) Marshmallow fudge c) Pecan pralinesd) Pretzelse) Salt water taffy The answer to yesterday’s question… Which star from yesteryear never appeared as a villain on 1966-68 camp classic Batman? Tallullah BankheadArt CarneyBette DavisZsa Zsa Gabor Shelley Winters Is: c) Bette Davis. Although there was talk at the time about former movie sensation Bette Davis terrorizing Batman and Robin (would that really have been acting?), it never surfaced. All together now… Her hair is Harlow goldHer lips a sweet surpriseHer hands are never coldShe's got Bette Davis eyes.She'll turn her music on you - you won't have to think twiceShe's pure as New York snowShe's got Bette Davis eyes.And she'll tease youShe'll unease you.All the better just to please you.She's precocious and she knows just whatIt takes to make a pro blush.She's got Greta Garbo 'stand off sigh'She's got Bette Davis eyes.She'll let you take her home, it wets her appetite.She'll lay you on her throneShe got Bette Davis eyes.She'll take a tumble on youroll you like you were diceUntil you come up blue - she's got Bette Davis eyes.She'll expose you when she snows youOff your feet with the crumbs that she throws you.She's ferocious and she knows justWhat it takes to make a pro blush.All the boys think she's a spy - she's got Bette Davis eyes.And she'll tease youShe'll unease youAll the better just to please youShe's precociousAnd she knows just whatIt takes to make a pro blush.AII the boys think she's a spy - she's got Bette Davis eyes.She'll tease you - she'll unease youJust to please you She's got Bette Davis eyes.She'll expose you when she snows you she knows ya she's got Bette David Eyes ha she'll tease ya -Current kudos goes to:Mark Amato, David Ballarotto, Gerry Bixenspan, Larry Collins (2x), Annie Courtney, Reid Davis, Arleen Fong, Jerry Gibbons, Maureen Goldman, Bob Ingersoll, Deb Kainer, Marie LeFevre Karp, Tom Kilgallon, Suzanne Knoll, Synda Kollman, Stephen LaRue, Rick Millikan, Debbie Mirr, Tony Naldrett, Phil Oldham, Steve O’Rourke, Jay Rossi, Ron Salmon, Ronnie Tallant, Laura Velazquez, Lance Werth

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Respectable Sampling for ABC's Surviving Suburbia

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