Ratings [Archive] - Page 3 - The Superhero Hype! Boards

AgentPat

11-30-2005, 07:00 PM

"The Shows are The Superstars"

Time Warner Inc.
11/30/2005 5:02:43 PM

November 30, 2005, Burbank, CA - The WB had strong showings from its key series, including a victory in men 18-34 in its time period for SMALLVILLE, which continues to set time period records, while leading a revitalized Thursday lineup, a #13 overall finish for the sweep in women 12-34 for GILMORE GIRLS, a #1 time period finish in women 12-34 for 7TH HEAVEN and outstanding male growth for its time period by SUPERNATURAL.

The WB maintained all, or nearly all, of its November 2004 ratings across the 18-34 and 18-49 demos, plus women 12-34, men 12-34 and total viewers.

Here is a look at The WB’s individual show highlights:

This November, SMALLVILLE continues to excel in its new Thursday timeslot, setting network time period records, bringing incredible growth to the time period and ranking strongly in one of the toughest hours on television. SMALLVILLE ranked #1 in the time period for the sweep in 18-34 (3.3/11), men 12-34 (3.2/11) and male teens (3.0/10) against competition that includes Survivor on CBS, The O.C. on FOX, Joey and Will & Grace on NBC, Alias on ABC and Everybody Hates Chris on UPN. The super drama ranked #2 in the hour among men 18-49 (2.8/8) and finished #3 among persons 12-34 (2.7/8).

SMALLVILLE has improved the time period significantly for The WB, including gains of +111% in total viewers (5.6 million), +125% in persons 12-34, +145% in adults 18-34 (2.7/8) and +118% in adults 18-49 (2.4/6). The show also added nearly half a million total viewers over last November’s Wednesday delivery. SMALLVILLE ranked as The WB’s top rated program across all male demos in November, and was the network’s second highest rated program across the adult demos, finishing just behind Gilmore Girls.

http://webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?SESSIONID=&aId=6281

*whiff* Hmmm... smells like one helluva renewal to me. :D :up:

Brainiac 8

11-30-2005, 07:04 PM

Smallville is sooooo back on top baby!

I really like all this positive press it's getting, it's really making it a force to be reckoned with.:) :up:

Serene

11-30-2005, 08:14 PM

*whiff* Hmmm... smells like one helluva renewal to me. :D :up:

These posts always make me so happy. :)

I wonder if these kinds of viewing figures are noticed by people outside of the TV industry.. (i.e. Features)?

triplet

11-30-2005, 08:50 PM

Hey, you gotta know it didn't go unnoticed that Tom was largely responsible for the number of tix sold for The Fog... Maggie Grace nor Selma Blair don't draw like that...

The increased audience for Smallville is icing for his career.... Hopefully he'll have something more worthwhile to occupy his time for next year's hiatus.

The Incredible Hulk

11-30-2005, 08:56 PM

huzzah!

AgentPat

11-30-2005, 09:42 PM

I wonder if these kinds of viewing figures are noticed by people outside of the TV industry.. (i.e. Features)?Well, I'd venture a guess it doesn't go completely *unnoticed*

What I do know though - and you can take this to the bank - SV's 5th season ratings has generated renewed interest in the show as a lucrative franchise, and it apparently is back on Warner's "what-are-our-options-for-the-future" radar. :cool:

Has anyone other than All-Star even *noticed* my "spam?" Geeze, you guys are slow sometimes LOL. :rolleyes:

NHawk19

12-01-2005, 08:11 AM

Lets hope this leads to increased budgets when it comes to renewal

AgentPat

12-01-2005, 08:30 AM

Lets hope this leads to increased budgets when it comes to renewalWell, they'll have at least one actor's salary they can use, if needed. ;)

RakuMon

12-01-2005, 08:54 AM

More good news. It seems the ratings behemoth that is American Idol is staying away from Thursday nights!

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/reuters/0,24012,1136404_10_0_,00.html
'Idol' staying put on Tuesdays, Wednesdays
November 30, 2005 01:41:41
'Idol' staying put on Tuesdays, Wednesdays
Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - After weeks of speculation about a possible move of "American Idol," Fox has decided to keep its blockbuster talent competition on Tuesday and Wednesday nights when it returns in January.

Fox's midseason schedule, released Wednesday, also has the hit drama "House" remaining in its post-"Idol" 9 p.m. Tuesday slot rather than shifting to Monday as the network had announced at its fall schedule unveiling in May. The new drama "Bones" still will get to ride "Idol's" coattails, but on Wednesday, not Tuesday as previously announced.

Fox's plans for "Idol," which this week announced a new long-term deal with judge Simon Cowell, are said to have influenced NBC's plans for its midseason schedule overhaul, which is expected to be unveiled Thursday. There has been much speculation about NBC moving its hot new comedy "My Name Is Earl," starring Jason Lee as a petty thief who decides to go straight, from its home on Tuesday to Thursday. NBC on Wednesday declined comment on any scheduling matters.

One scenario had NBC reverting to a four-stack of comedies on Thursday and shifting the Donald Trump-hosted edition of "The Apprentice" to another night, possibly Wednesday. However, industry insiders noted that while "Apprentice" viewership may be down from its peak a year ago, the show still commands a respectable audience in the 9 p.m. Thursday berth against primetime's most-watched program, CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

Fox entertainment president Peter Liguori said an "Idol" move was "seriously considered" but ultimately decided against.

"We decided that when you have the top one-hour and half-hour shows on television, it's best to keep them on the nights they're on."

As for keeping "House" behind "Idol" on Tuesday, "'House' is a creative juggernaut, and clearly, behind 'Idol,' it became also a rating juggernaut," Liguori said. "We believe that will continue."

"Idol" will return for a fifth season with a two-hour episode January 17 and a one-hour episode January 18.

On January 18, "Idol" will be followed by the premiere of "Skating With Celebrities," a reality series in the vein of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," which will move to its regular 8 p.m. Monday slot the next week, making room for "Bones."

Red-hot rookie "Prison Break," which just ended its initial 13-episode run, will take over the "Skating" slot on March 13 with a rebroadcast of its fall finale, leading in "24," which returns to the schedule with four-hour season premiere split between Sunday January 15 and Monday, January 16.

For the preliminary-stages portion of "American Idol," the show will air one-hour episodes from 8-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

When the finals begin, like last season, the performance show will air at 8-9 p.m. Tuesday and the results show 9-9:30 p.m. Wednesday. "Bones" is slated to move to 8 p.m. Wednesdays with midseason comedy "The Loop" penciled in to the plum 9:30-10 p.m. slot for now, Liguori said.

Additionally, "That '70s Show" is on the move again, this time to the 9 p.m. Thursday slot where the veteran sitcom will run in combo with its current companion, the low-rated Pamela Anderson starrer "Stacked." The two will replace the canceled drama "Reunion" beginning March 2.

Liguori said the move was prompted by the opportunity Fox executives saw for a comedy hour in the killer 9-10 p.m. Thursday hour against CBS' juggernaut "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and NBC's "The Apprentice."

"'That '70s Show' has always done well with teens and will be a really good companion to 'The O.C.,"' he said.

Also on the move is Fox's reality series "Trading Spouses," which will take over the 9 p.m. Friday slot on January 6 from canceled freshman drama "Killer Instinct."

Meanwhile, UPN also announced Wednesday premiere dates for its midseason additions to the schedule: the drama "South Beach" and the reality series "Get This Party Started."

"South Beach," which will bridge the fifth and sixth cycles of "America's Next Top Model," will air in the 8-9 p.m. Wednesday slot, beginning with a two-hour series premiere January 11.

"Get This Party Started" will air at 9 p.m. Tuesdays beginning January 24. Starting the next week, the original episode of the series, set in the world of celebrity party planning, will be preceded by a repeat of the previous week's episode.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Lara

12-01-2005, 10:54 AM

That's great about American Idol. Yep good news all around.

AgentPat

12-02-2005, 08:18 AM

Yet another press release from The WB...

THE WB THURSDAY HAS A NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER
Released by The WB
Burbank, CA December 1, 2005

NETWORK SCORES NEW ALL-TIME THURSDAY RECORDS FOR ANY SWEEPS PERIOD IN MEN 18-34 AND MEN 18-49

TOP-RANKED “SMALLVILLE” SETS NEW ALL-TIME TIME PERIOD RECORDS FOR THE WB IN DURING ANY SWEEPS PERIOD AMONG ADULTS 18-34, ADULTS 18-49, MEN 18-34, MEN 12-34, MEN 18-49 AND TOTAL VIEWERS WHILE ACHIEVING THE NETWORK RECORD IN PERSONS 12-34

THE WB ACHIEVES INDUSTRY-LEADING YEAR-TO-YEAR GAINS FOR THURSDAY NIGHT DURING NOVEMBER

The WB's Thursday lineup, which has been acknowledged as the best scheduling move by any network, added to its long list of season-long accomplishments during the November sweep by chalking up a RECORD-BREAKING ratings period.

The new-and-improved Thursday lineup of SMALLVILLE and EVERWOOD set NEW ALL-TIME WB NETWORK THURSDAY NIGHT RECORDS FOR ANY SWEEPS PERIOD in men 18-34 (1.7/6) and men 18-49 (1.5/4).

SMALLVILLE, which has smashed several network records this season, continued its string in November as it notched ALL-TIME SWEEPS RECORDS for The WB in its time period among adults 18-34, adults 18-49, men 18-34, men 12-34, men 18-49 and total viewers. SMALLVILLE also equaled the all-time sweeps record for its time period in persons 12-34 (2.2/7).

Year-to-year, The WB Thursday scored the greatest gains on the night of any network compared to the previous November. In fact, The WB was the only network on television to achieve across-the-board gains compared to November 2004. The WB Thursday, which placed #3 on television among men 18-34 (2.1/7) and men 12-34 (2.1/7) was up significantly in every key demos including +67% in adults 18-34 (2.0/6), +67% in persons 12-34 (2.0/6), +90% in adults 18-49 (1.9/5) and +88% in total viewers (4.7 million).

SMALLVILLE continues to bring incredible growth to the time period and ranks strongly in one of the toughest hours on television. SMALLVILLE ranked #1 in the time period for the sweep in 18-34 (3.3/11), men 12-34 (3.2/11) and male teens (3.0/10) against competition that includes Survivor on CBS, The O.C. on FOX, Joey and Will & Grace on NBC, Alias on ABC and Everybody Hates Chris on UPN. The super drama ranked #2 in the hour among men 18-49 (2.8/8) and finished #3 among persons 12-34 (2.7/8).

SMALLVILLE has improved the time period significantly for The WB, including gains of +111% in total viewers (5.6 million), +125% in persons 12-34, +145% in adults 18-34 (2.7/8) and +118% in adults 18-49 (2.4/6). The show also added nearly half a million total viewers over last November's Wednesday delivery.

EVERWOOD also improved the time period sharply over November 2004. The family drama was up by +62% versus year ago time period in total viewers (3.8 million), up +30% in adults 18-49 (1.3/3), up +42% in women 18-49 (1.7/4), up +36% in teens (1.9/6), up +22% in female teens (2.2/7), up +8% in persons 12-34 (1.4/4) and up +11% in men 12-34 (1.0/3).

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/pr.cgi?id=20051201wb01

:D

NHawk19

12-02-2005, 08:43 AM

That's great news. I'm thinking any rocky ground the show was on in terms of being back next year is gone.

But it may mean the other Nets will put up tougher more "guy-oriented" materials on Thursday as well. Hopefully WB knows not to just sit back and allow SV to sit there and got back to a FOTW style show.

avidreader

12-02-2005, 10:46 AM

Woohoo!! :d

Max

12-03-2005, 12:21 AM

Did you also know that they yanked "Joey" from the Thursday night lineup and moved "Alias" to Wednesday?

Pickle-El

12-03-2005, 12:29 AM

My Name Is Earl and The Office are moving to Thursdays.....I don't know what time though.

LarryLegend

12-03-2005, 01:14 AM

They moved Joey? Wow. Poor Matt LeBlanc, all he's got is a wackload of $$$$.

Max

12-03-2005, 07:37 PM

My Name Is Earl and The Office are moving to Thursdays.....I don't know what time though.

9:00pm / 9:30pm.

AgentPat

12-03-2005, 07:39 PM

NBC's new Thursday night comedy line-up will preem Jan 5. The sked will be as follows:

8:00: Will & Grace
8:30: Four Kings (new)
9:00: My Name is Earl
9:30: The Office

NBC entertainment pres Kevin Reilly said he'll consider Earl a success on Thursday if it maintains or dips just slightly from its current Nielsen average (5.5/13 in adults 18-49).

I don't think SV will be directly effected by Grace or 4K's. That is to say, not too many fans of SV are going to ditch SV for those shows. Everybody Loves Chris, on the other hand, will probably drop, which means The WB *should* do better in the 8-9pm slot than UPN, its most direct competitor. I don't know how much Earl will effect Everwood. I believe Everwood skews female and Earl male, so the demos will probably stay status quo. We'll know soon enough though.

triplet

12-03-2005, 08:20 PM

NBC's new Thursday night comedy line-up will preem Jan 5. The sked will be as follows:

8:00: Will & Grace
8:30: Four Kings (new)
9:00: My Name is Earl
9:30: The Office

Thank God My Name is Earl is moving away from Supernatural on Tuesdays! I actually like the show and I don't really like sitcoms much anymore. Not like I did when I was younger, anyway...

I've only seen it a handful of times since it's against both House and Supernatural but Jason Lee is charming and funny as the buffoonish Earl...

Excellent. :up:

AgentPat

12-07-2005, 08:55 AM

Interesting run down of November sweeps here:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051207/ENT02/512070359/1034

Here's an excerpt:

...Rounding off the list are UPN, which placed fifth among networks and the WB, which placed sixth. You can attribute UPN's minor success (UPN had 3.7 million viewers on average versus the WB's 3.6) to its hit sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris" and runway reality show "America's Next Top Model."

Although the WB has its top-rated comic-book drama "Smallville" and surprise ghouls and goblins drama "Supernatural," the one-time froggy network needed a few more hits to top UPN. Well, there's always February.

With Will & Grace moving into the 8pm slot in January, I think EHC may come down a few notches due to competition from the sitcom crowd. I'd venture a guess it won't hurt SV too much, if at all. So if SV can help to move the WB into the #5 position after February sweeps, they'll be fools to not renew the show for a 6th season.

NHawk19

12-07-2005, 12:00 PM

AgentPat

12-07-2005, 12:15 PM

They'd be fools to do it anyway. EHC is new and already has a following. If SV is dropped UPN could pick up some SV crowd and WB would be stuck trying to sell a lineup with little to offer male viewers unless Supernatural really steps it up a notch.

WB needs SV just to prop up its lineupWell, no argument there. We just don't know what their ROI is for SV. I'm sure they're making a nice profit, but when inexpensively produced shows like 7th Heaven (which was doing quite well in the ratings) get canceled after 10 years on the air because they can't afford the actor's salaries anymore :confused: , I have to wonder where their heads are. :rolleyes: LOL

The Incredible Hulk

12-07-2005, 01:21 PM

Easiest way to explain the 7th Heaven/Smallville difference is an expense/revenue analysis:

For 7th Heaven, expense wise you had a show with a huge cast (comparatively), that is on their 3rd or even 4th contracts by now, which means all cast was making pretty close to the top of their salary ranges. The show is also shot in California which is pretty expensive comparatively. From a revenue standpoint, I believe they were on Mondays and Sundays for most of their run which arent exactly the high ad revenue nights during a week. They've syndicated to ABC Family but thats about all I can find. The show also has little to no merchandising, and DVD sales arent very high either. (You can only buy the first 2 seasons on DVD anyway, and I dont see any plans for further releases on the Net).

Compare that to Smallville expenses where yes, the production values are higher, but you've got a cast who's still working on their first contracts (even years 6 + 7 are "optioned" into that meaning they'll get a raise but it's been pre-negotiated). The show is also filmed in Canada which is a heck of a lot cheaper than a CA shoot. Now from a revenue standpoint this is where Smallville has always excelled. They've been on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and now Thursdays. The 3 most expensive nights a week to advertise on (especially Weds and Thurs) and they generally pull the same or bigger audience than 7th but have a much higher male demographic which equates to higher ad rates for them. Smallville has syndicated to ABC Family since season 2, and they have deals in place for further syndicating it from what I understand. The more episodes they have in the can, the more they can make on that. Then you take into account Smallville merchandising sales which are solid (books, mags, clothes, etc), and their DVD's are always one of Amazon's top sellers and go on sale about 4 months after each previous season ends because the demand is so great.

AgentPat

12-07-2005, 02:08 PM

^ Well done, Hulk!! Bravo! :up: :up: :D

RakuMon

12-07-2005, 02:34 PM

Smallville has syndicated to ABC Family since season 2, and they have deals in place for further syndicating it from what I understand.

I believe Smallville's already in syndication. In my television market, they've been airing repeats through Vortex late at night on the weekends. Granted, the channel is a WB affiliate, but it's still syndication.

avidreader

12-07-2005, 03:19 PM

So what does syndication actually mean financially to a TV show?

Tom Welling said in that Zap2it interview that after episode 100 they dont receive revenue any more. Or something like that. I guess he wasnt taking into account advertising revune.

RakuMon

12-08-2005, 09:06 AM

It's nice to get some love from the mainstream press from time to time.
Case in point? Robert Bianco's daily "What to Watch" article at USA Today:

What to watch Thursday
• Lex Luthor goes the Scrooge route on a special Christmas Carol-themed Smallville (WB, Thursday, 8 ET/PT, as a coma-induced visit from his late mother shows him what his life would be like if he chose good over evil. Choose carefully, Lex. Sure, good gets you a wife and kids, but evil gets you into the comic books.

And this kicker:

• Sight unseen, Smallville is probably a better bet than Joey (NBC, 8 ET/PT), which these days falls into the category of "Forgotten but not gone." Not yet, at least

avidreader

12-08-2005, 10:59 AM

Brainiac 8

12-09-2005, 11:43 AM

It is an episode like this that would hook new watcher's I would think. I hope the ratings do really well for this one.:up: :)

avidreader

12-09-2005, 11:47 AM

Here ya go.

Primetime Thursday Ratings:
CBS Roars to the Winning Finish Line

Thursday 12/08/05

Note: The following results exclude the Miami and West Palm Beach markets.

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 14.8/22, NBC: 9.0/13, ABC: 4.1/ 6, WB: 3.6/ 5, Fox: 3.3/ 5, UPN: 2.4/ 4

-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 12/09/04):
WB: +71, ABC: + 5, CBS: - 3, Fox: -17, NBC: -26, UPN: -40

----------

Fast Affiliate Ratings

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 24.22 million, NBC: 11.70, ABC: 5.79, Fox: 4.80, WB: 4.54, UPN: 2.74

-Adults 18-49:
CBS: 8.2/21, NBC: 5.0/13, Fox: 2.2/ 5, ABC and WB: 1.9/ 5 each, UPN: 1.1/ 3

----------

-Yesterday’s Winners:
Survivor: Guatemala (CBS), Smallville (WB), CSI (CBS), Everwood (WB), Without A Trace (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
Joey (NBC), Movie: Head of State (ABC), Reunion (Fox), Primetime Thursday (ABC)

----------

-And Then There Were 4 on Survivor: Guatemala:
SPOILER ALERT…If you did not see the latest episode of Survivor: Guatemala and don’t want to know who was voted off stop reading. The curse of the winning car continued, with new Pontiac Torrent owner Cindy the 14th person shown the door on Survivor: Guatemala. That leaves immunity winner Stephenie, good guy Rafe, foxy Danni, and Lydia, the least deserving contestant to be in the final four since Trooper Lill on Survivor: Pearl Islands. Although I was rooting for returnee Stephenie from day one, signs of recent poor sportsmanship have sent me over to Rafe’s camp, who has an advantage because he has burned fewer people. Turning her back on too many of her teammates will probably cost Steph.

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
CBS stood head and shoulders above the Thursday competition, as usual, courtesy of Survivor: Guatemala (Overnights: #1, 11.3/17; Viewers: #1, 20.38 million; A18-49: #1, 7.1/19), CSI (Overnights: #1, 19.0/27; Viewers: #1, 30.80 million; A18-49: #1, 7.1/19) and Without A Trace (Overnights: #1, 14.2/21; Viewers: #1, 21.48 million; A18-49: #1, 6.9/18). Comparably, CBS’ advantage over distant No. 2 NBC was a significant 64 percent in the overnights, 12.52 million viewers and 64 percent among adults 18-49. Remember when NBC used to own this night?

As a reminder, total viewers and adults 18-49 are based on the fast affiliate ratings.

NBC’s soon-to-be benched Joey kicked off with a typically lackluster (and distant second-place) 6.1/ 9 in the overnights, 7.88 million viewers and a 3.2/ 9 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m.; followed by veteran Will & Grace at an also modest (and second-place) 7.1/10 in the overnights, 8.84 million viewers and a 3.8/10 among adults 18-49. At 9 p.m., the-next-to-last episode of this season’s The Apprentice scored a typically depressed (and distant second-place) 8.8/13 in the overnights, 11.34 million viewers and a 5.0/12 among adults 18-49. As a benchmark to see how far The Apprentice has fallen, the comparable year-ago telecast averaged a considerably heftier 13.9/19 in the overnights, with 15.99 million viewers and a 7.6/18 among adults 18-49 based on the final nationals. Ironic, isn’ it, how Joe Piscopo conveniently managed not to be available at the last minute last night on The Apprentice?

At 10 p.m., ER capped off the evening for NBC with a second-place finish in the overnights (11.5/17), total viewers (15.40 million) and adults 18-49 (6.6/16).

The WB remained the most improved network on Thursday thanks to its relocated combination of Smallville (Overnights: #3t, 4.0/ 6; Viewers: #5, 5.24 million; A18-49: #4, 2.3/ 6) and Everwood (Overnights: #4, 3.2/ 5; Viewers: #4, 3.84 million; A18-49: #5, 1.5/ 4). Smallville finished No. 2 in the 8 p.m. hour in both men 18-34 (2.8/ 9) and men 12-34 (2.6/ 8), while building demographically by as much as 189 percent over the year-ago time period. Gains for Everwood were equally impressive, with growth of as much as 167 percent (among adults 18-34 and persons 12-34).

Over at soon-to-be revamped ABC, theatrical Head of State was not head of the ratings with a paltry 3.8/ 6 in the overnights (#3), 5.51 million viewers (#3 overall) and a 1.8/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#4 overall) from 8-10 p.m. That led into Primetime Live at a typically last-place 4.8/ 7 in the overnights, 6.36 million viewers and a 2.2/ 6 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m.

It was Thursday business as usual, meanwhile, on Fox with once water-cooler worthy drama The O.C. (Overnights: #3t, 4.0/ 6; Viewers: #4, 5.80 million; A18-49: #3, 2.7/ 7) and the canceled Reunion (Overnights: #5, 2.6/ 4; Viewers: #5, 3.79 million; A18-49: #4, 1.7/ 4). Does anyone even care about The O.C. anymore?

Last in every half hour were repeats of UPN sitcoms Everybody Hates Chris (Overnights: 3.8/ 6; Viewers: 4.27 million; A18-49: 1.6/ 4), Love, Inc. (Overnights: 2.4/ 4; Viewers: 2.61 million; A18-49: 1.0/ 3), Eve (Overnights: 1.9/ 3; Viewers: 2.25 million; A18-49: 0.9/ 2) and Cuts (Overnights: 1.6/ 2; Viewers: 1.84 million; A18-49: 0.7/ 2).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Brainiac 8

12-09-2005, 11:53 AM

That's good news, it's a winner baby. *does an irish jig*

BTW, does this episode seem like it slipped a little in ratings? or am I just paranoid?

avidreader

12-09-2005, 12:04 PM

That's good news, it's a winner baby. *does an irish jig*

BTW, does this episode seem like it slipped a little in ratings? or am I just paranoid?

I think the overall viewership may have been down slightly, so that could be across the board. I dont really pay much attention to the other shows. However, its ratings ratio was right on.

triplet

12-09-2005, 12:06 PM

Wow... Did I read that right? Tied for third with The OC for the overnights?

Cool beans. :D :up:

AgentPat

12-12-2005, 03:57 PM

OUCH!!! No mention of SV specifically, but the big picture aint good kids...

LA Times
12/10/05

WB Network Cuts Jobs as It Faces Losses, Falling Ratings
By Meg James, Times Staff Writer

The ratings-starved WB television network gave pink slips Friday to nearly two dozen employees, bringing to about 40 the number of people at the network who have lost their jobs during the last month.

The layoffs come at an uncertain time for the 11-year-old Burbank-based network. The WB has said it will lose about $35 million this year. Its partners — Time Warner Inc., which owns 78%, and Tribune Co., which owns the remaining 22% — have not reached a long-term agreement to replace the deal expiring next fall.

In addition, the WB's ratings are down 12% this season compared with a year ago in its target demographic of viewers 18 to 34 years old.

WB executives said the layoffs were part of a broader effort to trim expenses for all of Warner Bros.' operations. Last month, Warner Bros. confirmed that it had eliminated about 300 jobs, in part because of slowing growth in DVD sales and a softening TV syndication market.

Executives said the WB action was not a commentary on the network's long-term prospects. Much of the job cuts came in marketing and the Kids' WB! children's programming unit.

The WB would not specify exactly how many jobs were lost. After the cuts, it is expected to employ 220 to 240 people.

In an e-mail to employees, WB Chairman Garth Ancier described the layoffs as "painful and heartbreaking."

"Some months ago, The WB — like every other division of Warner Bros. — was asked to do a top-to-bottom analysis of our business," Ancier wrote. "The objective, in our constantly changing media marketplace, was to attempt to harness the opportunities provided by new technologies and distribution platforms, while managing our costs."

Time Warner executives maintain that the WB remains strategically important because it provides an alternative outlet to networks owned by competitors for Warner Bros.-produced shows.

Chicago-based Tribune, owner of the Los Angeles Times, also has said it remains committed to the WB. The two companies this year agreed to a one-year contract extension that expires in September 2006.

The job cuts follow the disappointing launch of several new shows.

The WB spent millions of dollars promoting "Supernatural" and "Related," but neither has emerged as a hit. The drama "Just Legal" starring Don Johnson flopped.

To save costs, the WB last month trimmed its orders for episodes of established shows, including "What I Like About You" and "One Tree Hill."

Broadcast networks and TV stations face additional challenges as consumers turn to the Internet, iPods, video games and cable channels for their news and entertainment.

Advertisers this year shifted dollars from the networks to other media such as the Internet. Further clouding the outlook for TV is the increasing use of digital video recorders, which allow users to zip through commercials.

Separately, CBS executives on Friday confirmed that about 25 employees of its Spelling Television unit were being laid off. Spelling Television has two shows on the WB network, "Charmed" and "7th Heaven."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-fi-wb10dec10,1,4026495.story?coll=la-editions-valley

The Incredible Hulk

12-12-2005, 04:29 PM

all the more reason for them to be backing SV and GG their two most successful shows. Outside of the two shows pretty much everything else on the Net is dreck.

Notice how the cuts were in their children's programming area too.

LarryLegend

12-12-2005, 10:07 PM

That's too bad. You don't think they'd axe the network completly?

Hulk, exactly on your point about SV and GG.

AgentPat

12-12-2005, 11:39 PM

That's too bad. You don't think they'd axe the network completly?Some folks on UseNet have been speculating exactly that.

Hulk, exactly on your point about SV and GG.Indeed, I agree as well, but the contract goes till 9/06, which means we *might* only get one more season. I was kinda hoping for two. Yeah, I'm greedy. Shoot me. ;)

LarryLegend

12-13-2005, 12:08 AM

Yeah, I'd take one but prefer two.

Then again 40 people isn't that much. It may be more off a cutting costs across the board business move.

triplet

12-13-2005, 12:13 AM

Some folks on UseNet have been speculating exactly that.

UPN has even fewer viewers, why would The WB tank when UPN is still afloat?

The Incredible Hulk

12-13-2005, 12:46 AM

Even if the Net folded and that's a BIG IF, since my contacts at the affiliate here have mentioned nothing about it, some of the stronger shows would get picked up elsewhere.

rumpuso

12-13-2005, 07:05 AM

I'm surprised that the WB doesn't consider "Supernatural" a hit. I thought that show was doing well in the ratings.

As for the network itself, I can't even imagine it folding. That seems so drastic, when probably they are only making cuts at the end of the year as all companies unfortunately seem to do.

Brainiac 8

12-13-2005, 08:34 AM

Even if the Net folded and that's a BIG IF, since my contacts at the affiliate here have mentioned nothing about it, some of the stronger shows would get picked up elsewhere.

I agree, I'm sure certain shows would be picked up by someone else if WB closed their doors. But you never know, it could mean that we do only get one more season of Smallville instead of seven like we thought we would.:(

AgentPat

12-13-2005, 09:15 AM

UPN has even fewer viewers, why would The WB tank when UPN is still afloat?One of the opinions speculated is ownership. UPN is under CBS/Viacom, which is doing relatively well. Warners, on the other hand, always seems to be on the look-out for their next big meal. UPN has also shown better improvement this year over The WB, which despite the ratings' success of shows like SV and GG, is in the red in overall viewership compared to last year.

The thread can be read on UseNet here:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.tv/browse_thread/thread/c2e64b007f945727/

Posters got side-tracked a bit with HDTV, but the thread is worth a scan.

The Incredible Hulk

12-13-2005, 09:19 AM

People still use Usenet? :eek: Damn I used that like back in 1994 when I was in college...

AgentPat

12-13-2005, 09:35 AM

People still use Usenet? :eek: Damn I used that like back in 1994 when I was in college...Hee! Well, I *call* it "UseNet" 'cause I used it too. I don't think it's called that anymore though. I still call forums like this "BBS" too. Is that term even used anymore? :p

RakuMon

12-13-2005, 10:29 AM

All this gloom and doom. How about some good news?

-----------------------------
Elsewhere, the WB remains the most improved network on Thursday courtesy of Smallville (Viewers: #5, 5.37 million; A18-49: #5, 2.3/ 6) and Everwood (Viewers: #4, 3.91 million; A18-49: #5, 1.5/ 4), while ABC and NBC had better hope their revamped midseason line-ups fuel some audience interest. Comparatively, the two WB shows combined posted gains of as much as 200 percent over the comparable year-ago week in adults 18-34 (2.1/ 6) and persons 12-34 (2.1/ 6), while ranking No. 3 for the evening in men 18-34 (2.0/6), men 12-34 (1.9/6) and men 18-49 (1.7/5).

What follows are the final national ratings for Thursday, Dec. 8:

-Households:
CBS: 14.8/23, NBC: 7.6/12, ABC: 3.8/ 6, Fox and WB: 3.0/ 5 each, UPN: 1.9/ 3

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 24.36 million, NBC: 11.65, ABC: 5.70, Fox: 4.85, WB: 4.64, UPN: 2.80

-Adults 18-49:
CBS: 8.2/21, NBC: 5.0/12, Fox: 2.2/ 5, ABC and WB: 1.9/ 5 each, UPN: 1.1/ 3

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Pickle-El

12-13-2005, 01:57 PM

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051212/nem036.html?.v=33

It's from the research LYCOS has gathered up for 2005. Paris Hilton is # 1....Yippee.

Top Television Shows of 2005:
1) The Simpsons 6) South Park
2) Teen Titans 7) Lost
3) American Idol 8) Family Guy
4) Smallville 9) Survivor
5) Big Brother 10) Charmed

Serene

12-13-2005, 05:06 PM

Hee! Well, I *call* it "UseNet" 'cause I used it too. I don't think it's called that anymore though. I still call forums like this "BBS" too. Is that term even used anymore? :p

Hey! I still belong to a couple of usenet/newsgroups. They're still alive and well. :)

avidreader

12-13-2005, 08:17 PM

I thought I'd post some happy news too. I know what she says isnt gospel, but she does have a grasp on things.

From Kristen at Eonline!

More good news: Sources tell me Supernatural and Smallville are definitely going at least another season, and might even share a night together next year. I'll waste away in Supernaturalville anytime, baby.

http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2005/051209.html

triplet

12-13-2005, 08:26 PM

avidreader

12-13-2005, 08:28 PM

That's great news! :up:

Its a perfect pairing, isnt it?

triplet

12-13-2005, 08:42 PM

Its a perfect pairing, isnt it?

Yep, I hope it's good news for both of them.

I love Supernatural and am glad it's got another year to go at least, I think it's probably a better lead out from Smallville than Everwood.

:up:

It's all good. :D

AgentPat

12-13-2005, 08:51 PM

I thought I'd post some happy news too. I know what she says isnt gospel, but she does have a grasp on things.

From Kristen at Eonline!

http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2005/051209.htmlAwesome!! (even though I haven't been watching Supernatural) LOL

Now, this bit about sharing "a" night has me worried. I *hope* they're not thinking of moving SV aye freakin' gain! :mad:
Move SN, NOT SV!!!! Thursday's has been very good for the show. Don't &%$# with it. It aint broke!!!! *siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh*

I do also wonder how S6 is gonna affect - or be affected - by that *other* franchise. Gah!

Oh Jack? You out there hon? ;)

Serene

12-13-2005, 08:52 PM

From Kristen at Eonline!
I'll waste away in Supernaturalville anytime, baby.

Supernaturalville, LOL!

I would love to see that pairing. :up:

AgentPat

12-13-2005, 08:55 PM

Supernaturalville, LOL!

I would love to see that pairing. :up:Y'know, if ya dig up the thread I started about Supernatural, it's the first thing I said. Put the shows together on the same night. People said I was nuts. Heh! C'mon! It sooooo makes sense. Why they didn't do it out of the gate is beyond me. :confused:

avidreader

12-13-2005, 09:02 PM

Y'know, if ya dig up the thread I started about Supernatural, it's the first thing I said. Put the shows together on the same night. People said I was nuts. Heh! C'mon! It sooooo makes sense. Why they didn't do it out of the gate is beyond me. :confused:

I guess they thought Tuesday night was a better place to start. Didnt Smallville start at 9.00 on Tuesday?

Considering that both shows appeal to the same demographic then it makes complete sense to have them both showing back to back.

LarryLegend

12-13-2005, 09:25 PM

Good news about one more year.

rumpuso

12-13-2005, 10:12 PM

Brainiac 8

12-13-2005, 10:16 PM

It's one of the only shows WB has that is making them any money right now. They would be stupid not to do another year of Smallville and it's other flagship show Gilmore Girls.

avidreader

12-13-2005, 11:20 PM

That's great news, but isn't that the same organization that posted the false rumor about Tom and Jaimie splitting up? It was Ted Casablanca and I don't know who he works for.

Anyway...one more season, good news if it's true! :up:

Ted Casablanca thrives on gossip. He has a gossip column at Eonline!

Kristen reports news for Eonline!

She's a more reliable source. I think she may have been the first to leak the news about James Marsters and she also insisted that Dean Cain would be appearing on the show as well.

AgentPat

12-14-2005, 05:51 AM

Ted Casablanca thrives on gossip. He has a gossip column at Eonline!

Kristen reports news for Eonline!...Exactly. They're just on the same website, but they're two very different sources of "information." Kristen used to be "Wanda." She's been around for quite some time and has good contacts for TV show spoilers. Casablanca needs to disappear in a black hole or something. The guy thrives on spreading personal gossip about celebs. He's just a sleaze.

RakuMon

12-14-2005, 09:49 AM

Y'know, if ya dig up the thread I started about Supernatural, it's the first thing I said. Put the shows together on the same night. People said I was nuts. Heh! C'mon! It sooooo makes sense. Why they didn't do it out of the gate is beyond me. :confused:
I always thought it made sense if for no other reason than the fact that they aired a promo for the show after last season's Smallville finale. I think a casual viewer would've assumed as much.

The Incredible Hulk

12-14-2005, 11:34 AM

The Incredible Hulk

12-14-2005, 11:40 AM

Exactly. They're just on the same website, but they're two very different sources of "information." Kristen used to be "Wanda." She's been around for quite some time and has good contacts for TV show spoilers. Casablanca needs to disappear in a black hole or something. The guy thrives on spreading personal gossip about celebs. He's just a sleaze.

my company owns E!, I'd so like to find a way to get Casablanca fired ;)

triplet

12-14-2005, 04:31 PM

Smallville's not going anywhere unless ratings tank for the final 13 episodes this season. As I was told by the people I talk to at the local affiliate "They found their ace in the hole on Thursdays".

It would be a cool pairing to see Supernatural with SV on Thursdays. I watched the pilot and always mean to watch it, but I always forget or get caught up in a hockey game or something. If it was on right after SV, I'd never forget it was on. :)

I love Supernatural... the interaction between the two brothers is great and it doesn't hurt that they're both so easy on the eyes.

:D

The storylines, with few exceptions, so far this year have been great. They keep the suspense up and can be truly scary at times. They always have great twists and turns and they have great pacing... They're also beautifully shot and the acting is wonderful. Supernatural is almost like a mini-horror movie every week.

I think it's the only show I would hate to miss a new episode of besides Smallville.

If I ever missed an episode of SV, I'd be seriously angry so it doesn't quite come up to the same level as that but pretty close.

KikiDee

12-14-2005, 05:55 PM

Should we have any concerns with the new "Must See TV" campaign NBC is putting out? They're stacking up the comedies on Thursday and they're starting Jan. 5 which is opposite the Aqua episode.

avidreader

12-16-2005, 12:36 PM

Not bad for a repeat night.

Primetime Thursday Ratings:
NBC and Repeat Driven CBS Share the Top Spot

Thursday 12/15/05
Metered Market Ratings

Note: The following overnight results exclude the Atlanta, Hartford, Miami, Providence, Greenville, Charlotte and Greensboro markets.

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 9.7/15, NBC: 8.6/13, ABC: 5.9/ 9, Fox: 3.2/ 5, WB: 3.0/ 5, UPN: 2.7/ 4

-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 12/16/04):
ABC: +37, WB: +30, Fox: -16, CBS: -20, UPN: -32, NBC: -35

----------

Fast Affiliate Ratings

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 13.96 million, NBC: 11.22, ABC: 8.94, Fox: 4.91, WB: 3.88, UPN: 1.2/ 3

-Adults 18-49:
NBC: 4.9/13, CBS: 4.5/12, ABC: 2.9/ 8, Fox: 2.2/ 6, WB: 1.5/ 4, UPN: 1.2/ 3

----------

-Yesterday’s Winners:
CSI R (CBS)

-Down But Not Out:
The Apprentice 4 (NBC)

-Honorable Mention:
Wonderful World of Disney: The Santa Claus R (ABC), Without A Trace R (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
Joey (NBC), Love, Inc. (UPN), Reunion (Fox), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN), Primetime Live (ABC)

----------

A two-hour repeat of Smallville kept the WB on the Thursday map, with a fifth-place 3.0/ 5 in the overnights, 3.88 million viewers and a 1.5/ 4 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. Compared to the year-ago time period average, that was an increase of as much as 220 percent among men 18-49.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

triplet

12-18-2005, 03:14 PM

Have we seen this article on Neilson starting to use DVR homes in their data before?

I think it sounds somewhat familiar, but it's interesting what they said about Smallville....

Read the whole article here:

http://www.examiner.com/articles/2005/12/16/ap/entertainment/d8eirqho1.txt

Here's the bit that mentions Smallville:

But since people with DVRs tend to watch more television than people without them, the data also may help smaller, cult favorites. Tests revealed that the WB's "Smallville," for example, was watched at double the rate in DVR homes than in homes without the device.

JackMercy

12-18-2005, 10:49 PM

Oh Jack? You out there hon? ;)

Yeah I'm here, Pat.

Busy with that "project"...

And as you can see, I'm still here ("right where I always was"), so that must mean... something. :O

Oh I think the pizza makers lately have been very happy with the way things are going on Thursday... I wouldn't count on a change -- then again, what do I know? ;)

Keep up the good fight, and some of your wishes may come true...

If I could say just a couple of things about the future, it's these words:

Even numbers are good. And...

"It's better to burn out, than to faaade awaaay..."
;)

Serene

12-19-2005, 12:02 AM

"It's better to burn out, than to faaade awaaay..."
;)
Neil Young is going to be on SV?

Cool. :cool:

triplet

12-19-2005, 12:20 AM

Despite an otherwise bleak season for The WB, a couple of articles today on how well Smallville is doing for the netlet:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/business/19warner.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1134968843-luh5SeCbIHCVmXY7iawIzQ

Registration required but it's free.... The most important part of fans was this:

One risky change - the move of the top-rated "Smallville" from Wednesday to Thursday, which is a more competitive night - has paid off. The ratings for this Superman prequel have improved, even up against CBS's "Survivor," nearly doubling the WB's audience on the lucrative night, with its abundance of movie ads.

In another article, this one is more about the show and is worth copying the wholel thing in here:

http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-smallville19dec19,0,6168281.story?coll=cl-home-more-channels

A super leap for WB's timing
The shift of 'Smallville' to Thursday nights has turned out to be a boon for the network, lifting the show's ratings 28% in an otherwise dismal season.
By Scott Collins
Times Staff Writer

December 19, 2005

When the creators of "Smallville" heard that the WB Network was planning to move their series at the start of this season, they regarded the new time slot much like Superman would a barrel of kryptonite.

"Any time you move a show, it's always dangerous," writer-producer Al Gough said over lunch in Burbank recently. Gough and his longtime creative partner, Miles Millar, co-created the drama, a free-wheeling prequel to the Superman comic series that envisions Clark Kent as a small-town youth with a busy social life and some eye-popping abilities that couldn't be addressed in your typical gifted-student program.

The producers already had had a bad experience with a schedule switch. Ratings for "Smallville" sank after a previous regime at the WB pushed the series from Tuesday to Wednesday, which a still-simmering Millar dismissed as "the dumbest move."

Now WB executives wanted the series to open their lineup on Thursday, opposite CBS' durable hit "Survivor" and two other youth-skewing series, ABC's "Alias" and Fox's hot soap "The O.C." Even UPN was getting pre-season buzz for its new Chris Rock comedy, "Everybody Hates Chris."

It looked like curtains for young Clark.

Instead, in a twist that has surprised the producers and challenged the conventional wisdom of the TV industry, "Smallville" has, in its fifth season, become a standout hit for the WB. The series is having its best season, up 28% compared with last year, with an average of 5.5 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

It's also given the WB what it never had before in its 11-year history: a solid presence on Thursdays, the most lucrative night of the week in terms of TV advertising revenue.

"It kind of bucked the odds," Shari Anne Brill, an analyst at New York ad firm Carat USA, said of "Smallville." "Usually in the fifth season, you'd start to see declines" in the ratings.

"It feels to me like arguably our best move of the year," said David Janollari, president of WB entertainment, which otherwise has had a dismal TV season. Previously, the network "didn't really have an identity on Thursday," he added; last year, for instance, the network was running "Blue Collar TV" and "Drew Carey's Green Screen Show."

Despite all the talk of TiVo and other devices that allow viewers to bypass network lineups, scheduling can still be the Hollywood equivalent of no-limit poker. Millar is hardly the first producer to complain of "dumb" time-slot maneuvers; such battles make up a time-honored tug-of-war between series overseers and network "suits."

This season, both Mark Burnett of "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" and Dick Wolf of "Law & Order" have lamented the supposed effect of schedule shuffles on their shows. In recent weeks, industry attention was riveted to whether Fox would move its smash "American Idol" to Thursday nights. NBC executives waited until Fox announced "Idol" would stay on Tuesdays and Wednesdays before revealing their own midseason changes.

The Thursday move seems to have energized "Smallville." This season's debut found Clark transported to the "Fortress of Solitude," an ice palace where he confronts his father, Jor-El, as a meteor shower threatens Earth. The episode required a number of costly special effects, as well as shooting Clark's Tom Welling on an actual glacier.

"Every episode is like this big, great action movie," Janollari said.

The schedule change came about during meetings last spring, when Janollari and his executives were puzzling over a chart for the fall lineup. "As I was staring at the schedule, I just, like, looked at the 'Smallville' card and ... picked it up and moved it to Thursday at 8, and I said, 'What does everyone else think of this?,' " Janollari recalled. "The thinking was, 'Well, let's bring our loyal audience to Thursday nights.' "

Moving the show would rescue it from fierce competition on Wednesdays, where ABC's smash hit "Lost" was attracting many sci-fi fans and UPN's reality hit "America's Next Top Model" was scoring with young women. "Those two shows cut so deeply into the 'Smallville' core audience that it was sort of held down for the last two years," said Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. Television, which produces the show.

Thursday had long been the domain of NBC, which had a string of top-rated comedies that night including "The Cosby Show" and "Friends." But NBC's streak ended with such flops as the "Friends" spinoff "Joey," leaving room for other shows such as "The O.C." to find an audience.

Still, the schedule transplant carried enormous risks: If "Smallville" faltered, Janollari might have been accused of killing a profitable asset for the network and Warner Bros., its main studio supplier. (The WB is jointly owned by Tribune Co., publisher of the Los Angeles Times, and Time Warner.)

As it has turned out, "Smallville" is giving WB executives a ray of hope in an otherwise brutal season. Despite heavy publicity and some favorable reviews, the new drama "Just Legal," starring Don Johnson, tanked in the ratings and was quickly pulled; two other premieres, "Supernatural" and "Related," have generated better numbers but failed to emerge as breakout hits. Overall, the WB has slipped 12% this season in its key adults ages 18-34 demographic, and lost ground to longtime rival UPN.

The results may call into question the network's recent push to lure more 30-something viewers instead of the teenagers who turned out for past hits such as "Felicity" and "Dawson's Creek."

"They're definitely in a transition mode right now," Gough said of the network. The same could be said for Gough and Millar, who seem surprised and grateful that "Smallville" has done so well for so long but also are eager to move to their next challenge. The pair, who met in the mid-'90s at USC film school, seem unlikely partners. Maryland native Gough is the sort of amiable, rumpled guy at home in a baseball cap and sweatshirt; the British-born Millar is intense and more reserved, the one whose fingers are on the keyboard during their scriptwriting sessions. (In addition to "Smallville," the duo worked on scripts for the features "Spider-Man 2" and "Herbie: Fully Loaded.")

Neither was a comic-book fan before "Smallville." After the series premiered in 2001, they attended their first Comic-Con, the massive comic-book trade show in San Diego. Gough was worried that they'd be viciously set upon by Superman purists, who might disapprove of such story touches as making young Clark friends with young Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), Superman's longtime nemesis.

Instead, fans swarmed the "Smallville" creators seeking autographs — probably to "sell on EBay," Gough said with a laugh.

Millar would prefer to focus on features. "We've been reluctant to do any more TV," he said. "The failure rate is so high. You put all that work into it, and [the series] doesn't work out."

But "Smallville" isn't letting its creators slip away from the medium that easily. In this season's fourth episode, the writers introduced Arthur "A.C." Curry, who saved Clark's friend Lana Lang from drowning.

As comic fans know, Curry is actually the superhero Aquaman, who'll be at the center of a still-untitled spinoff that Gough and Millar are writing, with an eye toward fall 2006. The writers already know their character will have a much more practical bent than the teenage Clark Kent.

"He's got a very real-world agenda: the environment," Gough said of Aquaman.

The Incredible Hulk

12-19-2005, 08:46 AM

Neil Young is going to be on SV?

Cool. :cool:

Is it bad that I first thought of Def Leppard when I read that? :o

Serene

12-19-2005, 09:14 AM

Is it bad that I first thought of Def Leppard when I read that? :o

*slap!*

Yes. :mad: ;)

AgentPat

12-19-2005, 09:38 AM

Is it bad that I first thought of Def Leppard when I read that? :oI first thought about the scene in Highlander, the movie LOL

[waves to Jack]

Even numbers are good -- for Star Trek movies. But even Star Trek had its "Nemesis." :p

Oh, and as far as some wishes coming true.... Heh! Everybody's is different, but I'd venture a guess most here have at least ONE thing in common on their collective X-Mas lists. So here's to seeing that some day. Think ya can make that happen for us, Santa? Please? *sniff* ;)

Moving the show would rescue it from fierce competition on Wednesdays, where ABC's smash hit "Lost" was attracting many sci-fi fans and UPN's reality hit "America's Next Top Model" was scoring with young women. "Those two shows cut so deeply into the 'Smallville' core audience that it was sort of held down for the last two years," said Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. Television, which produces the show.Hmm. Well, I dunno. I'm sure those shows did a number on SV, but it wasn't *all* just time slot competition.

I think Facade followed by Devoted was somewhat of a downer for fans, and those two episodes couldn't have come at a worse time since viewers were "feeling out" the shows they wanted to watch, ABC's LOST being one of them. And as much as I personally didn't have a problem with it, I know a LOT of fans were pretty irate with the Lana/witch story arc. It may not have been as pervasive as some fans made it seem, but you wouldn't know that by the way people pissed and moaned about it. Compound all this with writers still leaning hard on FOTW-based plots (yet another thing fans griped over) as well as a de-emphasis on core characters (bringing in Lois, Jason, Mrs. Teague, etc.), and they ended up with a season that's debatable at best. Were there some GREAT episodes? Sure! There always are. But people don't remember those. As good as episodes like Crusade, Run, Transference, and Onyx were, people would rather dwell on Lanabelle, Krypto and Myx as "WTF" moments in SV's 4th season LOL.

Still, the schedule transplant carried enormous risks: If "Smallville" faltered, Janollari might have been accused of killing a profitable asset for the network and Warner Bros., its main studio supplier. (The WB is jointly owned by Tribune Co., publisher of the Los Angeles Times, and Time Warner.)Oh who are they kidding? The fifth season was supposed to be the last anyway. :rolleyes: Now that the goose is laying some boffo golden eggs again, I guess the network wants to make sure they stay shiny.

"They're definitely in a transition mode right now," Gough said of the network. The same could be said for Gough and Millar, who seem surprised and grateful that "Smallville" has done so well for so long but also are eager to move to their next challenge. Ouch. There's so many ways to respond to this, but "ouch" sums it up best, I think.

But "Smallville" isn't letting its creators slip away from the medium that easily. In this season's fourth episode, the writers introduced Arthur "A.C." Curry, who saved Clark's friend Lana Lang from drowning.Pssst... It was Lois Lane, not Lana Lang.

As comic fans know, Curry is actually the superhero Aquaman, who'll be at the center of a still-untitled spinoff that Gough and Millar are writing, with an eye toward fall 2006. The writers already know their character will have a much more practical bent than the teenage Clark Kent.

"He's got a very real-world agenda: the environment," Gough said of Aquaman.If G&M purposely end SV just so they can get Aquaman off the drawing board, I probably won't bother watching the latter. That's all I have to say. I'd rather see a continuation of SV in some way, even if it's just a TV mini series or film. My biggest fan loyalty is to the show and its stars, not the writers or producers. Sorry G&M. It's just the way this cookie crumbles.

Brainiac 8

12-19-2005, 10:11 AM

I think Facade followed by Devoted was somewhat of a downer for fans, and those two episodes couldn't have come at a worse time since viewers were "feeling out" the shows they wanted to watch, ABC's LOST being one of them. And as much as I personally didn't have a problem with it, I know a LOT of fans were pretty irate with the Lana/witch story arc. It may not have been as pervasive as some fans made it seem, but you wouldn't know that by the way people pissed and moaned about it. Compound all this with writers still leaning hard on FOTW-based plots (yet another thing fans griped over) as well as a de-emphasis on core characters (bringing in Lois, Jason, Mrs. Teague, etc.), and they ended up with a season that's debatable at best. Were there some GREAT episodes? Sure! There always are. But people don't remember those. As good as episodes like Crusade, Run, Transference, and Onyx were, people would rather dwell on Lanabelle, Krypto and Myx as "WTF" moments in SV's 4th season LOL.

You are totally correct Pat, last season was hurt because people remembered the bad episodes more than the good ones, and boy did last season have some good ones! They shot themselves in the foot early on in the season, while some episodes weren't bad per se, but had some of the formulaic plots that people were sick of and it made many people (I know) drop the show for lost. I'm sure that happened with some other people. They seem to have realized that and this season really shows that and improves upon it.:up:

If G&M purposely end SV just so they can get Aquaman off the drawing board, I probably won't bother watching the latter. That's all I have to say. I'd rather see a continuation of SV in some way, even if it's just a TV mini series or film. My biggest fan loyalty is to the show and its stars, not the writers or producers. Sorry G&M. It's just the way this cookie crumbles.

You know, I will give Aquaman a try and see if I like it, but if they hurry and finish Smallville up to get this one going, I will lose so much respect for those two. Why get rid of a good thing, something with so much more potential than Arthur "bro" Curry. I agree, we have alot of people (even here) that watch this show because we like the actors. We watch it for Kreuk, Welling, MR, Durance, JS, O'toole, Glover, Mack, so on and so forth. I don't feel any loyalty to the producers either. I really hope they continue to give Smallville it's due.

Max

12-20-2005, 07:47 PM

Well, it now seems that Fox will, in fact, move "American Idol" to Thursdays in March in the 8:00pm timeslot. Geez Louise!

Is it me, or has every major network, with the exception of CBS, pulled their show in the Thursday night 8:00pm timeslot: Joey, Alias, and now the OC? I don't know if this is a compliment to Smallville or a possible problem. The good news is that the move of AI is only temporary - I think three weeks. Since it will air in March, it may not have much of an impact, overall, on SV's ratings. (I'm not sure if Smallville airs repeats in March.)

. . . and the race continues.

Earthsea

12-20-2005, 07:59 PM

Joey / Friends has ALWAYS been on Thursday Nights. So you can NOT say they Moved Joey when that has ALWAYS been its Night.

Max

12-20-2005, 08:07 PM

Joey / Friends has ALWAYS been on Thursday Nights. So you can NOT say they Moved Joey when that has ALWAYS been its Night.

Joey is not Friends. It's a different show.

More importantly, that's not the point I was making. No matter how you want to slice it, Joey is "temporarily" being replaced. Will and Grace is taking it's place in the 8:00pm timeslot in January, I believe. Add that to Alias moving to Wednesday, and now the OC going on "temporary" hiatus in March for American Idol.

That means that Joey, Alias, and the OC are moving, being replaced, or are temporarily leaving the 8:00pm timeslot. The only two shows still remaining are Survivor and Smallville - since SV is beating Everybody Hates Chris in the ratings, I didn't count it.

AgentPat

12-20-2005, 11:05 PM

Well, it now seems that Fox will, in fact, move "American Idol" to Thursdays in March in the 8:00pm timeslot. Geez Louise!...Aint THAT the truth. OY! Here's two relevant articles from Variety...

Thursday 'Idol' threat
Fox puts rivals on the run with reality skein
By JOSEF ADALIAN

When it comes to the monster that is "American Idol," Fox has a message for its rivals: You can run, but you can't hide.

Net said Monday that it will air at least three hourlong episodes of "Idol" on Thursday at 8 p.m. Segs will run the last week of February and the first two weeks of March.

Move will displace "The OC" for three weeks. It's not yet clear what Fox plans to air Thursdays at 9 p.m. in conjunction with "Idol."

Announcement comes in the wake of other nets, particularly NBC, holding off on some midseason changes until they were certain Fox wasn't going to move "Idol" to Thursday nights. Peacock, for one, wanted to make sure its new two-hour Thursday comedy block wouldn't have to face the Fox juggernaut on a weekly basis.

Still, even after Fox said it would keep "Idol" on Tuesdays and Wednesday, rivals had a feeling the net would find a way to play the Thursday "Idol" card. Fox has always expanded its megahit to a thrice-weekly air pattern for at least a couple weeks each season.

In past years, the "bonus" episodes of "Idol" generally ran on Mondays. By airing "Idol" on Thursdays, Fox might be able to blunt any momentum achieved by NBC's new laffer lineup, ABC's second season of "Dancing With the Stars" or CBS' "Survivor," which will be just a few weeks into its new season when "Idol" makes its Thursday attack.

http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117934958&c=14

'OC' sees new slot amid Fox sked shakeup
'Stacked' to return after Olympics, special 'Idol' b'casts
By JOSEF ADALIAN

Fox is tweaking its Thursday sked again, shifting 3-year-old sudser "The OC" to 9 p.m. and pulling "Reunion" earlier than planned.

"The OC" will move into its later Thursday slot Jan. 12. It'll be replaced from 8-9 p.m. with original and repeat segs of "That '70s Show." Latter skein had been slated to move to Thursdays at 9 p.m. in March.

Taking a two-month hiatus: struggling laffer "Stacked," which Fox says will return in a new 8:30 p.m. Thursday slot March 16, after the Olympics and three weeks of special "Idol" broadcasts on Thursdays (Daily Variety, Dec. 20).

As for "Reunion," skein had its final scheduled broadcast last week, about a month earlier than previously announced. Four more episodes of the low-rated serialized drama remain in the can but are unlikely to turn up before summer, if ever.

http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117935016&c=14

Nielsen's new inclusion of DVR's couldn't have come at a better time for SV ratings. Phew!

"Tests revealed that the WB's ''Smallville,'' for example, was watched at double the rate in DVR homes than in homes without the device."
http://www.suntimes.com/output/television/cst-ftr-dvr19.html

For those curious, the next nationwide sweep runs from February 2 - March 1, 2006
http://www.nielsenmedia.com/sweeps.html

The Incredible Hulk

12-20-2005, 11:16 PM

AgentPat

12-20-2005, 11:21 PM

AI's audience tends not to crossover into Smallville's all too much so I wouldnt worry. If you told me Lost was moving to Thursdays I'd be scared.

Joey got the ax by the way, it's done after the end of January,HAHAHA! Joey joins Enterprise.

Good confirmation on AI's demos. I'd LOVE to see SV rake in the ratings and watch people's eyes bug out over at The WB. If the show does re-heeeeely well, there may be other treats besides a season renewal in store for us. :D :up:

Pickle-El

12-21-2005, 12:50 AM

http://tools.search.yahoo.com/top2005/

Entertainment top searches

1-Star Wars-------------Britney Spears---------American Idol
2-Napoleon Dynamite----50 Cent----------------The Simpsons
3-Batman Begins---------Mariah Carey-----------Family Guy
4-Superman Returns-----Green Day--------------Days of Our Lives
5-Spider-man------------Eminem----------------Lost
6-Sin City---------------Ciara-------------------The Apprentice
7-Dukes of Hazzard------Kelly Clarkson-----------Smallville
8-The Incredibles--------Shakira-----------------Desperate Housewives
9-Fantastic Four---------Gwen Stefani-----------The OC
10-Harry Potter ---------My Chemical Romance---America's Next Top Model

Seems like Clark Kent/Superman was on the mind of a lot of people who were searching the internet's biggest search engine in 2005. :supes:

Good news all around.

avidreader

12-21-2005, 11:10 AM

^^^^ I thought Google was the biggest search engine.

As to all the time changes on other networks, time will tell. Its a good thing that the WB has decided to keep their programming running as it is.

Max

12-21-2005, 07:51 PM

Brainiac 8

12-21-2005, 08:43 PM

AgentPat

12-21-2005, 09:01 PM

Well, the thing that worries me now is that the networks seem to be targeting any and all demographics as three networks have revamped their schedule:

ABC: Dancing with the Stars (female)
NBC: Will and Grace (both)
FOX: That 70s Show (male); then American Idol

I'm not sure if Will and Grace will make much of a difference in Joey's timeslot, but what about That 70s Show?The funny part about this is that two of the shows above were profiled by Matt Roush in the latest issue of TV Guide as shows that have either already been canceled or are on the bubble. The shows listed were West Wing, Alias, Will & Grace, That 70's Show and 7th Heaven. Maybe NBC and FOX are just looking for an excuse to axe W&G and T70S?

Also, in the letter's section of the same issue of TV Guide, one reader opined:

"Here's an idea why Alias lost viewers: They seemingly killed off Vaughn. Viewers enjoyed the chemistry between Syd and Vaughn. The show had a good thing going on but screwed it up."

I never watched Alias, but I've heard this complaint from fans before (along with the Ben Afleck jabs LOL.) My point of bringing it up is the impending mystery death on SV's 100th episode. That ep will surely bring in an audience, but the more I think about the ramifications of offing one of the key cast, the more worried I become about ratings for subsequent eps...

Max

12-21-2005, 09:37 PM

AgentPat

12-21-2005, 09:53 PM

I know what you're saying, Pat. There are some viewers, I'm sure, who feel that certain characters have to die in order to jump start "Superman," namely Chloe, Lionel, and Jonathan.

I know that Jonathan's death is the catalyst for Clark taking that last step towards becoming Superman, and since Chloe and Lionel don't exist (unless I'm wrong) in the Superman world after Smallville, maybe them too. Now, since Smallville has changed the mythos a bit, maybe none of the three have to die.

If the writing is good, and the episodes are well done, I think that the viewers will follow. (fingers crossed.)Actually, I'm not concerned about Lionel or Jonathan. I'd go out on a limb and suggest that they're not as important for ratings as say Chloe or... LANA! Now, I'm no big fan of Lana. Trust me on that LOL. Yanking her and doing more with Lois, and to a lesser extent, Chloe, would make me very happy. But Lana is a HUGE draw. She just is. I know this. So I *really* hope it's not her, just for the sake of ratings. We know it's gonna be somebody. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it's Jonathan.

The Incredible Hulk

12-21-2005, 10:20 PM

"Will and Grace" and "That 70's Show" are dead men walking, I wouldnt sweat them.

LarryLegend

12-21-2005, 11:17 PM

They cancelled Joey? Wow. Now all Leblanc has is his millions.

I think W&G isn't a threat and That 70's Show should have been pulled years ago.

RakuMon

12-22-2005, 09:16 AM

Actually, I'm not concerned about Lionel or Jonathan. I'd go out on a limb and suggest that they're not as important for ratings as say Chloe or... LANA! Now, I'm no big fan of Lana. Trust me on that LOL. Yanking her and doing more with Lois, and to a lesser extent, Chloe, would make me very happy. But Lana is a HUGE draw. She just is. I know this. So I *really* hope it's not her, just for the sake of ratings. We know it's gonna be somebody. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it's Jonathan.
I'm actually keeping my fingers crossed that it's not Jonathan.

AgentPat

12-22-2005, 09:48 AM

I'm actually keeping my fingers crossed that it's not Jonathan.Knowing that it's going to be *somebody*, who would you prefer it to be Raku? Just curious.

Brainiac 8

12-22-2005, 09:54 AM

Knowing that it's going to be *somebody*, who would you prefer it to be Raku? Just curious.

Sherriff Adams *she needs to go*

You know, you realize that almost every thread seems to morph into more conversation about impending death? It just makes me laugh, that the producers really have gotten a reaction by this announcement. I think that episode is going to do so well ratings wise.

It would be interesting to see how many threads here have conversations about the death.:)

mellyM

12-22-2005, 11:10 AM

I agree with Pat..ratings wise, Jonathan is the safest bet..even Lost doesn't kill off popular characters, its never a good move.

AgentPat

12-22-2005, 11:39 AM

I agree with Pat..ratings wise, Jonathan is the safest bet..even Lost doesn't kill off popular characters, its never a good move.That's the main reason I prefer Jonathan; it shouldn't dent the ratings too much, if any at all. Hell, it might even make it more popular, who knows?

Generally speaking, producers of hit shows have a good idea of which characters they can safely bump if there's a need or reason to do so.

We were discussing Adrian Paul in the Zod thread last night, and it made me think of early Highlander, and how the producers of that show (wisely) dumped Mac's GF going into (I think) the second season. I was happier than a clam on a mudflat when they did that. Gosh, was she ever annoying LOL. Luckily for Highlander though, such a radical move worked for the greater good of the show. They were then able to bring in other characters that were MUCH more popular, and definitely more interesting.

Now, with a 6th season still up in the air for SV (no pun intended), I don't know if this is the kind of flexibility they were originally shooting for. If the dead man walking is Jonathan, it might simply be to keep the show in line with the film...

Pardon me for a second... :mad:

http://www.patcostello.com/smileys/blowup.gif

Okay, I'm better now.

Where was I? Oh yeah... Heck, they might have been looking for a way to free up some money for other things planned for the end of the season, like a two hour grand finale, perhaps? Such as would have been the case if the 5th season was (or is?) truly the last.

One thing is for sure though, it's all about ratings. Without good ratings, kiss everything goodbye. It's just the way it is.

RakuMon

12-22-2005, 02:39 PM

Knowing that it's going to be *somebody*, who would you prefer it to be Raku? Just curious.
I've made my stance on how and why Jonathan's death is unnecesarry in Smallville continuity many times.

But just to reiterate one last time: One of my favorite relationships throughout the life of the show has been Clark and his dad. From the Pilot on, I've always looked forward to their talks on the porch or in the loft. I think being the only superhero who still has his parents is something that made the post-Crisis Superman special to me. (That's one of the only Byrne changes I actually liked). Smallville took it one step further by making the Kents younger (and thus easier to relate to.) Ma and Pa aren't elderly grandparents anymore, so having one or both die of natural causes wouldn't have the same impact today that it might have had 30 years ago with a much older set of Kents.

Secondly, (I've also stated this before) Jonathan's "death" wouldn't teach Clark anything. You see, Jonathan would NOT (I repeat: NOT) be dying of "natural causes." If he dies, it's a direct result of Jor-El’s interference. (This can be taken two ways: Jonathan’s weak heart is a consequence of being imbued with super powers. Remember, prior to Exile, Jonathan Kent was a pillar of health. OR, Jonathan’s is the life Jor-El exchanges to give Clark his life force back.)

See. It’s a no-win situation for Clark if Jonathan dies. I just can’t for the life of me see this Clark have the same reaction to Jonathan’s death that Jeff East’s Clark did. In the 78 film, there was no context to Jonathan’s collapse other than “he’s a really old guy.” With five years of back story and a de-aged Pa Kent, that context is forever altered. Therefore, Clark’s lesson is no longer “I can’t save everybody. With all my powers, I couldn’t even save him.” Instead, his lesson will be, “I should’ve never disobeyed Jor-El.” And THAT should not be what propels Clark into being Superman!

So who does that leave?

In my humble opinion, the only character who I feel can be killed off WITHOUT affecting the rest of the show or cast or potential audience can only be one magnificent character: LIONEL.

Think about it. His death’s the only one that makes sense and whose repercussions would have logical effects on the characters. (Granted this could all be moot since we see Clark looking somber at the funeral. Why would he be mourning Lionel’s passing? Hmmmm….)

If Lionel dies, especially at Lex’s hands, that’ll solidify Lex’s journey to the dark side (and be in keeping with the comic Luthor’s origins.) Moreover, Lionel’s dying while Jor-El’s life force is inside him would be doubly poignant. It would demonstrate to Clark what kind of man Jor-El is by TWICE giving up his own life for his son. Then, Clark can finally understand his ancestry and truly embrace his Kryptonian heritage. (Do you really think it makes sense for Clark to accept being of the House of El if he believes his father is responsible for his adopted father’s death?) Also, I think it would be a brilliant bit of foreshadowing since in “Hidden” it was Jor-El inside Lionel that told Clark about the life force exchange in the first place.

The other reason I believe Lionel is expendable is because I feel his character’s become expendable. Lex is already on the path to evil and no longer needs his father’s provocation. I think it serves the Smallville story better to off him. And as great an actor as John Glover is (and trust me, he’s one of my faves on the show) I wouldn’t be too distraught to see him go. However, Jonathan’s death is just too heartbreaking to even consider. Not just for me, but for Clark and ESPECIALLY for Martha. I don’t see how the Kents -- or the show, for that matter -- could go on without him.

avidreader

12-22-2005, 03:56 PM

RakuMon

12-22-2005, 04:23 PM

All very valid points that make a great deal of sense, to me, Raku. The only thing that holds me back from this theory, is who then teaches Clark about Krypton and the secrets of the Universe? Who does he turn to when his problems become beyond earthly? Who will help him to fight Zod when he shows up and Brainiac again?

Could this be the beginning of Lara's introduction to the show?

I think that kind of knowledge doesn't require a sentient Jor-El.

It's all rather moot since all signs point to the producers offing someone more obvious than Lion-El.

AgentPat

12-26-2005, 07:40 PM

Interesting points, Raku, though there could be other causes for Jonathan's death that wouldn't necessarily relate to heart complications or a life-force exchange if the writers wanted to go that route. The question is, are they smart enough to do that because we really don't want Clark feeling guilty the rest of his life? Also, while Lionel may indeed be one of the offees, apparently somebody else is going to draw the short straw as well because I just don't see Clark all that broken up about Lionel's death as he appears to be in those spoiler pics.

Time will tell.

Anyhoo... Back on topic. Posted today on Mediaweek:

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

-Nielsen Media Research to Provide Audience Estimates With Viewing from DVRs:
Beginning with the week of Dec. 26, 2005, Nielsen Media Research will provide national TV audience estimates that include viewing from Digital Video Recorders (DVRs). The first national "overnight" ratings reflecting time-shifted viewing will be available to Nielsen clients on Dec. 28. All programs and networks will now receive the following three separate ratings:

Live Ratings
Those who view programs at the time they initially are aired, excluding any DVR playback.

Live+Same Day (SD) Ratings
Viewers watching live, as well as those who played back programs on a DVR on the same day of the initial airing.

Live+7 Day Ratings
Viewers watching live, as well as those who played back programs on a DVR within one week of the initial airing.

The Live and Live+SD ratings will be delivered to clients concurrently on a daily basis. Data from the Live+7 Day ratings will be delivered to clients two weeks following the completion of each full seven-day week. The traditional season-to-date estimates will now be based on a combination of Live+SD viewing for the current two weeks and Live+7 Day viewing for all weeks prior.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

RakuMon

01-06-2006, 01:13 PM

Looks like the competition's getting stiffer on Thursdays:

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

Primetime Thursday Ratings:
CBS Wins; Solid Start for ABC’s Dancing With the Stars

Thursday 1/05/06
Metered Market Ratings

Note: The following overnight results exclude the Miami, Sacramento, Hartford, West Palm Beach, Providence and Greenville markets.

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 13.9/21, ABC: 10.7/16, NBC: 8.1/12, Fox: 3.4/ 5, WB: 2.1/ 3, UPN: 2.0/ 3

-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 1/06/05):
ABC: +128, NBC: - 1, WB: - 5, CBS: - 3, Fox: -23, UPN: -49

----------

Fast National Ratings
(Note: Fast Nationals are now based on Live + Same Day data).

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 21.02 million, ABC: 14.54, NBC: 10.80, Fox: 5.13, WB: 2.23, UPN: 1.96

-Adults 18-49:
CBS: 6.8/18, NBC: 5.0/13, ABC: 4.1/11, Fox: 2.2/ 6, WB: 1.0/ 3, UPN: 0.8/ 2

----------

-Yesterday’s Winners:
Dancing With the Stars (ABC), CSI (CBS), Without A Trace (CBS)

-Also Worth Positively Noting:
Four Kings (NBC), My Name Is Earl (NBC)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
Movie – The Hot Chick (Fox), Primetime Live (ABC)

----------

Welcome Back, Dancing With the Stars:
Although I can’t help but root for troubled Tatum O’Neal, who rocked on the dance floor last night, my biggest concern is what will come out of her mouth when she opens it. Also off to a solid start were Drew Lachey, Giselle Fernandez, Stacy Keibler and Jerry Rice, who proves that just because you are an athlete does not mean you have two left feet. Bottom of the barrel: Kenny Mayne and rapper Master P, who should not have signed up for the competition if he didn’t want to participate.

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
While nothing can stop the CSI juggernaut, the return of Dancing With the Stars was a major Thursday success for ABC. NBC, meanwhile, got off to a respectable start with its revamped Thursday line-up. CBS maintained the No. 1 spot on Thursday, with a first-place finish in the overnights, total viewers and adults 18-49, while ABC was a competitive, and vastly improved, second in the overnights and total viewers. NBC came in second among adults 18-49, and third elsewhere.

The two-hour second-season premiere of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars (minus CBS’ Survivor in the competitive mix) lifted the network to an overall second-place 12.8/19 in the overnights, 17.33 million viewers and a 4.7/12 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. As a benchmark for comparison, year-ago occupants life as we know it and Extreme Makeover averaged a mere 3.7/ 5 in the overnights, 5.04 million viewers and a 1.7/ 5 among adults 18-49 on Jan. 6, 2005. Comparatively, Dancing With the Stars was an improvement of a whopping 246 percent in the overnights, 12.29 million viewers and 176 percent among adults 18-49. Dancing With the Stars also built from its summer premiere (Viewers: 13.48 million; A18-49: 4.3/12 on Wednesday, June 1, 2005) by 3.85 million viewers and 9 percent among adults 18-49. And it was ABC’s best delivery in the Thursday 8-10 p.m. block with regularly scheduled programming in viewers since Nov. 16, 2000 and highest among adults 18-49 since March 22, 2001.

Keep in mind, of course, that results among total viewers and adults 18-49 from last night are based on the fast nationals, while the year-ago and summer averages were based on the final nationals.

Dancing With the Stars led into a report on the coal miner’s tragedy on Primetime Thursday, which dipped to a typically last-place 6.6/10 in the overnights, 8.94 million viewers and a 2.9/ 8 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m.

Although a repeat of CBS’ CSI opened second to Dancing With the Stars, at a 9.7/14 in the overnights, 15.10 million viewers and a 4.5/12 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m., the regularly scheduled 9 p.m. telecast perked up to a dominant 18.0/26 in the overnights, 27.36 million viewers and an 8.0/20 among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. That led into Without A Trace at an also first-place 14.1/22 in the overnights, 20.60 million viewers and a 6.7/17 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m.

Despite the heavier than usual competition, the return of NBC’s traditional two-hour sitcom block netted positive results. The relocated Will & Grace opened with a third-place 6.8/10 in the overnights, 7.98 million viewers and a 3.5/10 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. Comparatively, that was a slight improvement over former occupant Joey. That led into the series-premiere of Four Kings at an also third-place 7.0/10 in the overnights, 8.84 million viewers and a 4.2/11 among adults 18-49 at 8:30 p.m. Comparatively, that was also an improvement over former occupant Will & Grace. The positive news for Four Kings was growth out of lead-in Will & Grace of 3 percent in the overnights, 860,000 viewers and 20 percent among adults 18-49.

While no one expected NBC’s relocated My Name Is Earl to perform a miracle at 9 p.m., debuting in the half-hour with a 7.7/11 in the overnights (#3), 11.20 million viewers (#3) and a 5.2/13 among adults 18-49 (#2) is a solid start. My Name Is Earl led into also relocated The Office at a third-place 6.4/ 9 in the overnights, 8.83 million viewers and a 4.5/11 among adults 18-49 at 9:30 p.m. With a weaker lead-in, veteran ER sunk to a below average (and second-place) 10.4/16 in the overnights, 13.98 million viewers and a 6.2/16 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m.

Elsewhere, and there wasn’t much left, movie The Hot Chick on Fox was not so hot at a fourth-place 3.4/ 5 in the overnights, 5.13 million viewers and a 2.2/ 6 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m.

A repeat of the WB’s Smallville (Overnights: #5, 2.5/ 4; Viewers: #5, 2.80 million; A18-49: #5, 1.3/ 3) led into a repeat of the ongoing season one Beauty and the Geek marathon at 9 p.m. (Overnights: #5t, 1.6/ 2; Viewers: #5, 1.66 million; A18-49: #5, 0.8/ 2).

On an also all repeat night, UPN anchor Everybody Hates Chris remained the standout, with a 3.0/ 5 in the overnights (#5), 3.18 million viewers (#5) and a 1.3/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#5t) at 8 p.m. Encore telecasts of Love, Inc. (Overnights: #6, 1.8/ 3; Viewers: #6, 1.64 million; A18-49: #6, 0.6/ 2), Eve (Overnights: #6, 1.6/ 2; Viewers: #6, 1.51 million; A18-49: #6, 0.6/ 1) and Cuts (Overnights: #6, 1.5/ 2; Viewers: #6, 1.52 million; A18-49: #6, 0.6/ 1) were at typical non-original levels from 8:30-10 p.m.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

AgentPat

01-06-2006, 01:32 PM

Looks like the competition's getting stiffer on Thursdays...No doubt, it will, but the "real" numbers have yet to come. Some of the networks including The WB are still in holiday repeat mode. We should be out of that funk by next week. That's when things will start to heat up and get really hairy when AI shows up at the end of the month. ;)

NHawk19

01-06-2006, 01:44 PM

It almost looks like there was a mass exodus for the holiday period given all the networks were down but ABC. Of course they had new programming.

Here's to hoping that the startup for SV on the 12th wont be lackluster due to the hiatus, and exodus of viewers who may need to be reminded.

RakuMon

01-06-2006, 02:24 PM

No doubt, it will, but the "real" numbers have yet to come. Some of the networks including The WB are still in holiday repeat mode. We should be out of that funk by next week. That's when things will start to heat up and get really hairy when AI shows up at the end of the month. ;)
Oh I'm fully aware SV was still in repeats. I just thought it was interesting that Dancing w/ the Stars was able to remain the ratings behemoth as the summer version. Also, I was surprised that NBC's 8pm comedy did fairly well (though I doubt that'll hold up because all signs point to Four Kings being utter crap). It's just that prior to the hiatus, ABC and NBC were non-entities and last night seemed to indicate those two nets are back on the map.

I have no doubt SV will return to recent numbers. Let's hope the mktg campaign in the mainstream entertainment press for "Reckoning" is turned up to 11.

We shall see indeed.

Pickle-El

01-07-2006, 12:16 AM

My Name Is Earl and The Office are moving to Thursdays.....I don't know what time though.

*cough*

See, I don't lie.......;)

The Incredible Hulk

01-07-2006, 11:21 AM

yup Thursday at 9 and 9:30. Smallville still going up against Will & Grace and 4 Kings....guess I know where I'll be flipping over to after Smallville is over now
ANybody see that "Book of David" show last night on NBC? that was pretty weird. Reminded me a lot of 6 Feet Under mixed with 7th Heaven...

triplet

01-08-2006, 06:29 PM

I dunno, this is looking complicated.

Fox has moved The O.C. away from Smallville, it's now set to air at 9pm (8pm central) instead of against Smallville.

They're instead showing two episodes of That 70's Show (the second one being a repeat) against a new Smallville....

But CBS will put up a new CSI: Miami in the slot normally occupied by Survivor.

The Incredible Hulk

01-08-2006, 09:54 PM

That 70's Show is dying a slow death without Grace and now Kutcher, wonder why Fox would put a weaker show in that timeslot? :confused:

triplet

01-08-2006, 10:07 PM

That 70's Show is dying a slow death without Grace and now Kutcher...

Kutcher is actually on a few episodes this season but it's ratings have still seriously slid... It's really not the same show so that probably isn't surprising.

wonder why Fox would put a weaker show in that timeslot? :confused:

They're waving the white flag of surrender? :confused: :D

RakuMon

01-13-2006, 12:39 PM

Primetime Thursday Ratings:
Big 3 Split Leadership; Solid Crumbs and Beauty and the Geek

Thursday 1/12/06
Metered Market Ratings

Note: The following overnight results exclude the Miami, Providence and Greenville markets.

Household Rating/Share
ABC: 10.4/16, CBS: 9.7/15, NBC: 8.6/13, WB: 3.8/ 6, Fox: 3.7/ 5, UPN: 2.1/ 3

-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 1/13/05):
ABC: +131, WB: +46, Fox: -10, NBC: -18, CBS: -27, UPN: -49

----------

Fast National Ratings (which are now based on Live + Same Day data).

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 14.02 million, ABC: 13.70, NBC: 12.08, Fox: 5.38, WB: 4.19, UPN: 2.32

-Adults 18-49:
NBC: 5.6/14, CBS: 4.1/11, ABC: 3.9/10, Fox: 3.5/ 5, WB: 2.7/ 4, UPN: 1.6/ 3

----------

-Yesterday’s Winners:
Dancing With the Stars (ABC), Will & Grace (NBC), Four Kings (NBC), Smallville (WB), CSI R (CBS), My Name Is Earl (NBC), The Office (NBC), Crumbs (ABC), Beauty & the Geek (WB), ER (NBC)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
That ‘70s Show (Fox)

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
On this Thursday of three-way leadership, rejuvenated ABC danced its way to victory in the overnights, repeat CBS was the most-watched network, and NBC dominated among adults 18-49. NBC’s relocated My Name Is Earl and The Office picked up steam from 9-10 p.m. p.m., NBC’s Four Kings remained promising, the debut of ABC’s Crumbs was off and running, and season two of the WB’s Beauty and the Geek fit like a glove out of Smallville. Yes, it was a great night for network TV, and proof of the unprecedented power of this medium.

ABC’s Dancing With the Stars got off to a rousing start, with a first-place 12.6/19 in the overnights, 17.22 million viewers and a 4.5/12 among adults 18-49 from 8-9:30 p.m. Comparatively, and including last week’s telecast, this was an improvement for ABC over the season to-date Thursday 8-9:30 p.m. block of 10.8 million viewers and 109 percent among adults 18-49. In addition, Dancing With the Stars is now ABC’s most-watched and highest rated series among adults 18-49 since Who Wants to Millionaire in the 1999-2000 season. Personally, I thought nervous Tatum O’Neal was better than overrated Tia Carrere.

While no one expected the debut of lead-out Crumbs at 9:30 p.m., the funniest new sitcom of the season, to fully maintain the Dancing With the Stars lead-in, a 9.3/14 in the overnights (#2), 12.04 million viewers (#2) and a third-place 3.6/ 9 among adults 18-49 (opposite the second half-hour of CBS’ repeat CSI) is a positive. Compared to the season to-date time period, this was an increase of 6.5 million viewers and 89 percent among adults 18-49. Excluding last week’s expanded edition of Dancing With the Stars, Crumbs also gave ABC its largest audience in the half-hour with regularly scheduled programming since Oct. 25, 2001. Welcome back, Fred Savage!

At 10 p.m., and opposite a repeat of CBS’ Without A Trace, ABC’s Primetime Live was above average at a 7.7/12 in the overnights, 9.23 million viewers and a 3.1/ 8 among adults 18-49.

Heading to CBS, the strength of repeats of CSI: Miami (Overnights: #2, 7.1/11; Viewers: #2, 10.27 million; A18-49: #3, 2.8/ 8), CSI (Overnights: #1 overall, 12.0/17; Viewers: #1 overall, 17.73 million; A18-49: #2, 5.4/13) and Without A Trace (Overnights: #2, 9.8/15; Viewers: #2, 14.05 million; A18-49: #2, 4.2/11) only solidifies their importance in the off-network after-life.

Over at NBC, new Thursday anchor Will & Grace got some mileage, with a 7.4/11 in the overnights (#2), 9.69 million viewers (#2) and a first-place 4.4/12 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. That led into week two of the compatible Four Kings at a respectable 6.5/10 in the overnights (#3), 9.13 million viewers (#2) and a second-place 4.5/12 among adults 18-49 at 8:30 p.m. Growth of one-tenth of a rating point among adults 18-49 out of Will & Grace (and opposite ABC’s Dancing With the Stars juggernaut) makes Four Kings a winner.

Week two of NBC Thursday 9 p.m. anchor My Name Is Earl perked up to an 8.6/12 in the overnights (#3), 12.52 million viewers (#3) and a first-place 5.9/15 among adults 18-49. That led into a vastly improved The Office at a 6.7/10 (#3) in the overnights, 10.29 million viewers (#3) and a second-place 5.1/12 among adults 18-49 -- another positive for NBC, which is suddenly back in business on Thursday. Sorry, Donald Trump -- it looks like you will definitely have to find another time period for the next edition of The Apprentice. You have been permanently evicted!

At 10 p.m., veteran NBC capped off the evening for NBC (opposite a repeat of CBS’ Without A Trace), with a first-place 11.7/17 in the overnights, 15.41 million viewers and a 6.7/18 among adults 18-49.

The WB had plenty to crow about last night, with the season two premiere of Beauty & the Geek at a series-high 3.8/ 6 in the overnights (#4t), 4.85 million viewers (#5) and a 2.3/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#5) at 9 p.m. Comparatively, that was an increase over the year ago occupant, repeat theatrical Love & Basketball, of 4.9 million viewers, and as much as 114 percent among adults 18-34. It was also the best rating in the time period in the 18-34 demo since the debut of The Surreal Life on Jan. 9, 2003, and best among women 12-34 since May 2002. Better yet for Beauty & the Greek was the retention out of lead-in Smallville (Overnights: #4t, 3.8/ 6; Viewers: #5, 5.22 million; A18-49: #5, 2.2/ 6 at 8 p.m.).

Over at Fox, veteran That ‘70s Show moved into the 8 p.m. time period with a modest 3.6/ 5 in the overnights (#5), 5.07 million viewers (#4) and a 2.4/ 7 among adults 18-49 (#4) at 8 p.m. That led into a repeat of the sitcom with a similar 3.8/ 6 in the overnights (#5), 5.47 million viewers (#4) and a 2.6/ 7 (#4) among adults 18-49 at 8:30 p.m., which is notably below former occupant The O.C. Although The O.C., now at 9 p.m., performed at similar levels, a 3.8/ 5 in the overnights (#4t), 5.15 million viewers (#4) and a 2.5/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#4) at 9 p.m. was a marked improvement from former occupant Reunion. Word of advice to That ‘70s Show -- start packing!

UPN ducked un the covers last night, finishing last in every half-hour with its repeat combination of sitcoms Everybody Hates Chris (Overnights: 3.0/ 5; Viewers: 3.53 million; A18-49: 1.4/ 4), Love, Inc. (Overnights: 1.9/ 3; Viewers: 2.26 million; A18-49: 0.8/ 2), Eve (Overnights: 1.8/ 3; Viewers: 1.97 million; A18-49: 0.7/ 2) and Cuts (Overnights: 1.7/ 2; Viewers: 1.86 million; A18-49: 0.7/ 2).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

The Incredible Hulk

01-13-2006, 01:32 PM

I'm almost ashamed to admit I actually did stay and watch BATG. That asian kid with rubix cube was crazy... :o

RakuMon

01-13-2006, 03:44 PM

I'm almost ashamed to admit I actually did stay and watch BATG. That asian kid with rubix cube was crazy... :o
Shocker!! You didn't switch over to Earl and the Office?

BTW, I stuck around for Beauty & the Geek too.

AgentPat

01-15-2006, 01:10 PM

Shocker!! You didn't switch over to Earl and the Office?

BTW, I stuck around for Beauty & the Geek too.I couldn't turn it off fast enough. Shows like that make me cringe. But apparently, they're popular. To wit...

Here's the latest press release from The WB:

Burbank, CA January 13, 2006
“BEAUTY AND THE GEEK” IS A HIT!

“BEAUTY AND THE GEEK” COMES BACK STRONGER THAN EVER BUILDING OVER ITS SUCCESSFUL SUMMER DEBUT BY +63% IN PERSONS 12-34

THE DYNAMIC DUO OF “SMALLVILLE” AND ‘GEEK’ SCORES THE BEST THURSDAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WB IN ALL MALE DEMOS

The ratings performance of the premiere of the second installment of BEAUTY AND THE GEEK certifies it as a hit for The WB and gets the second half of the network's season off to a flying start. Combined with its lead-in SMALLVILLE, BEAUTY AND THE GEEK gave The WB its BEST THURSDAY EVER IN ALL MALE DEMOS – men 18-34 (2.6/8), men 12-34 (2.8/9) and men 18-49 (2.2/6) as well as its best numbers since October 2001 in adults 18-34 (2.8/8), persons 12-34 (2.9/9) and adults 18-49 (2.3/6).

BEAUTY AND THE GEEK achieved great gains over its successful summer series debut in June by +63% in persons 12-34, +46% in women 12-34, +93% in men 12-34, +32% in adults 18-34, +22% in women 18-34, +47% in men 18-34 and +35% in adults 18-49. Compared to last season's average of original episodes the premiere episode was up by +38% in adults 18-34 and +28% in adults 18-49.

The hit social experiment achieved the network's best ratings in the time period since October 2001 among persons 12-34 (3.1/9) and scored the highest total viewers (5 million) and adult 18-34 (2.9/8) ratings in the time period since January 2003, while notching the highest rating in women 12-34 (3.5/9) since May 2002. BEAUTY AND THE GEEK achieved The WB's best numbers of the season in the time period across all key demos and total viewers, and built on its SMALLVILLE lead in among six key demos including adults 18-34 (2.9/8), persons 12-34 (3.1/9) and teens (3.6/11).

BEAUTY AND THE GEEK was a strong #2 in its time period men 12-34 (2.7/8) and was #3 in the hour among persons 12-34 (3.1/9) and men 18-34 (2.5/8).

SMALLVILLE, the season's smashing success, ranked #1 in its time period in men 12-34 (2.9/10) and finished #2 in persons 12-34 (2.7/8) and men 18-34 (2.7/9). The episode more than doubled the time period's performance the parallel week last year including growth of +125% in persons 12-34 (2.7/8) and +117% in adults 18-34 (2.6/8). SMALLVILLE also had strong year-to-year gains in women 12-34 (2.5/7, up +56%), women 18-34 (2.5/7, up +56%) and women 18-49 (2.3/6, up +53%), while averaging 5.5 million total viewers (up +82%). SMALLVILLE posted its third highest number of the season in women 18-34 (2.5/7) and equaled its second highest among women 18-49 (2.3/6).

The new Thursday combo propelled The WB to a #2 rank on the night among persons 12-34 (2.9/9), men 12-34 (2.8/9) and men 18-34 (2.6/8), and finished tied for #3 from 8-10 p.m. among adults 18-34 (2.8/8). The WB achieved its best Thursday of the season in all key demos.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/pr.cgi?id=20060113wb01

avidreader

01-15-2006, 02:22 PM

Thats great for a comeback after hiatus. They really didnt do alot of advertising for it. I hope it builds up for the 100th and continues. :up: :)

AgentPat

01-15-2006, 08:00 PM

From Daily Variety
1/15/06

'Geek,' 'Crumbs' join Thursday party
Reality skein up 38% in adults 18-34 vs. last June
By RICK KISSELL

While NBC's new comedy lineup revved it up in week two, a busy Thursday night also saw a very good start for the second season of the WB's "Beauty and the Geek." And ABC has to be pleased with good sampling for its comedy "Crumbs."

CBS aired repeats of its usually dominant lineup, enabling other nets to rise up with fresh programming -- and, with the exception of Fox, they did. NBC prevailed on the night overall, with "The Office" hitting more highs.

The biggest story of the night, though, was the second-season start for the WB's "Beauty and the Geek" (2.3 rating/6 share in adults 18-49, 4.95 million viewers overall), which was up 38% in adults 18-34 vs. its series debut last June (2.9/8 to 2.1/6), according to Nielsen. In several categories, it built on its firstrun "Smallville" lead-in (2.4/6 in 18-49, 5.45m).

"Beauty" logged the best 18-34 score and largest overall aud for the WB in the Thursday-at-9 hour since "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment" in January 2003. It ranked third for its hour in persons 12-34 (3.1/9, tied with Fox) and males 12-34 (2.7/8).

Elsewhere, ABC's 90-minute "Dancing With the Stars" (4.6/12 in 18-49, 17.36m) was on par with the prior week's two-hour season debut, placing second to NBC in demos. That led into the new comedy "Crumbs" (3.6/9, 11.81m), starring Jane Curtin and Ben Savage, which ran third in 18-49 and second in total viewers.

More significant for ABC than any retention figure of "Crumbs" coming out of "Dancing" was that viewers sampled one of its comedies. With virtually no comedy hits, the net has been forced to use nonscripted programs to give new laffers an adequate lead-in. An ABC comedy hasn't topped a 3.6 rating in 13 weeks ("Freddie").

And to illustrate how tough it's been for ABC to get into the scripted game on Thursday, the 3.6 rating for the "Crumbs" premiere reps the net's best showing with a comedy or drama in the time period since an episode of "Cracker" in October 1997.

It was also a great night for NBC's comedy block, which started off with season highs for a live episode of "Will & Grace" (4.4/12 in 18-49, 9.69m) and a slight build at 8:30 for week two of "Four Kings" (4.5/12, 9.12m).

"My Name Is Earl" (5.9/14 in 18-49, 12.49m) was the demo leader at 9. "The Office" (series-high 5.1/12 in 18-49, 10.27m) followed with more good retention levels (86% in 18-49, 94% in 18-34), and easily beat ABC's "Crumbs" in all under-55 categories.

Overall, no regular four-comedy block has scored higher in 18-49 than NBC's on Thursday (5.0 rating) since the CBS Monday lineup in November 2004 (5.2). Of course, the Peacock did this opposite less-than-usual numbers for CBS, which aired repeats of "CSI: Miami" and "CSI" from 8 to 10.

Fox's revamped sked didn't look so hot, with "That '70s Show" at 8 (2.4/7 in 18-49, 5.07m) getting trampled by "Will & Grace." And at 9, "The OC" (2.5/6, 5.13m) may have done better than other recent shows in the hour for Fox but was a distant fourth in 18-49.

Of note on Friday was a winning perf for a special hourlong "Dancing With the Stars" results show at 8 (prelim 3.3/10 in 18-49, 13.7 million). Net's new drama "In Justice" (prelim 2.6/7, 8.7 million) fell to third in the 9 o'clock hour, though, lagging NBC's "Dateline" in its new slot (prelim 3.0/8, 9.8 million) and CBS drama "Close to Home" (prelim 2.9/8, 11.1 million).

And at 10, new Peacock drama "The Book of Daniel" placed a distant third (2.2/6 in 18-49, 7 million) and was down from its premiere, well behind CBS' "Numbers" (3.7/11, 12.8 million) and ABC's "20/20" (3.3/9, 9.9 million), the latter of which hit a season high, according to Nielsen prelims.

NHawk19

01-16-2006, 08:53 AM

Well it looks like SV is still achieving. Especially now that it has a lead out. Yeah I watched it too. Had to laugh when a few of the guys chose chess over the hot tub. Looks like ABC is finally making a show of things, which is slightly concerning, and CSI was a rerun.

I think next week everyones back so things should get interesting.

Spaceballs

01-16-2006, 08:57 AM

Am I the only one expecting the ratings for the 100th Episode to be a little extra special high ?

AgentPat

01-16-2006, 09:03 PM

Remember this discussion?

Easiest way to explain the 7th Heaven/Smallville difference is an expense/revenue analysis:

For 7th Heaven, expense wise you had a show with a huge cast (comparatively), that is on their 3rd or even 4th contracts by now, which means all cast was making pretty close to the top of their salary ranges. The show is also shot in California which is pretty expensive comparatively. From a revenue standpoint, I believe they were on Mondays and Sundays for most of their run which arent exactly the high ad revenue nights during a week. They've syndicated to ABC Family but thats about all I can find. The show also has little to no merchandising, and DVD sales arent very high either. (You can only buy the first 2 seasons on DVD anyway, and I dont see any plans for further releases on the Net).

Compare that to Smallville expenses where yes, the production values are higher, but you've got a cast who's still working on their first contracts (even years 6 + 7 are "optioned" into that meaning they'll get a raise but it's been pre-negotiated). The show is also filmed in Canada which is a heck of a lot cheaper than a CA shoot. Now from a revenue standpoint this is where Smallville has always excelled. They've been on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and now Thursdays. The 3 most expensive nights a week to advertise on (especially Weds and Thurs) and they generally pull the same or bigger audience than 7th but have a much higher male demographic which equates to higher ad rates for them. Smallville has syndicated to ABC Family since season 2, and they have deals in place for further syndicating it from what I understand. The more episodes they have in the can, the more they can make on that. Then you take into account Smallville merchandising sales which are solid (books, mags, clothes, etc), and their DVD's are always one of Amazon's top sellers and go on sale about 4 months after each previous season ends because the demand is so great.Well, here's the "official" poop:

From the Associated Press
1/16/06

'7th Heaven' canceled due to cost to network
Executive explains that the network was losing $16 million a year

PASADENA, Calif. - The Camden family is disappearing from television in May strictly for financial reasons: the WB’s top executive said Sunday that the network is losing $16 million this year on "7th Heaven."

The family drama, the most popular program in the network’s history, will end its run after 10 years. The decision seems irreversible despite an Internet campaign to save it, even though "7th Heaven" is still the WB’s second highest-rated show after "Gilmore Girls."

Production costs tend to jump for television series as they get older, largely because the salaries of actors and others involved grow with success. "7th Heaven," about a family of seven and all their friends, has a large cast.

Reruns of "7th Heaven" were fading in the ratings, too, and that made it tougher for the network to recoup its investment, said Garth Ancier, the WB’s top executive.

"As much as we all love the show, we do have to run a business," Ancier said.

Other older WB series, "Smallville" and "Gilmore Girls," don’t have the same problem, he said.

Talks about a spinoff to "7th Heaven" have proven inconclusive so far.

The WB has struggled recently as it tries to shed its image as a teen-oriented network and seek out a broader audience. It learned the dangers of going too far when the new series "Just Legal," starring Don Johnson, attracted viewers with the average age of 50 and was swiftly canceled.

As a result, the WB is developing a new comedy about teenagers in a New England boarding school.

The network is also developing series for Ellen DeGeneres, playing the voice of a family dog; music star Brandy; and Nick Lachey, the about-to-be former Mr. Jessica Simpson, as the lead in a romantic comedy.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10881944/

The Incredible Hulk

01-16-2006, 09:34 PM

I coulda told ya that....oh wait ;)

avidreader

01-16-2006, 10:23 PM

Remember this discussion?

Well, here's the "official" poop:

From the Associated Press
1/16/06

The family drama, the most popular program in the network’s history, will end its run after 10 years. The decision seems irreversible despite an Internet campaign to save it, even though "7th Heaven" is still the WB’s second highest-rated show after "Gilmore Girls."

Well I have been following its ratings and it doesnt reach anywhere near the numbers that Smallville reaches, so I dont know what they're smoking.

user123456789

01-16-2006, 10:41 PM

i've always wondered this...

how do tv stations know how many ppl watch their show, and of what AGE // GENDER???

AgentPat

01-17-2006, 05:24 AM

I coulda told ya that....oh wait ;)LOL! I know, I know. That's why I quoted your post. You da man! :up:

RakuMon

01-17-2006, 08:42 AM

From today's USA Today:

Ailing WB will season its lineup with 'Pepper'
By Gary Levin, USA TODAY
PASADENA, Calif. — WB's executives say the network is counting on new "momentum" to "rebuild" from a fall that the network would sooner forget.
Rebecca Romijn stars as Pepper Dennis, a roving clumsy TV reporter.

Speaking to TV critics here Monday, the executives focused on series development for next season and a handful of other new series due in late March or April, led by Pepper Dennis. The comedic drama stars Rebecca Romijn as a clumsy Chicago TV news reporter.

Romijn says she loves the pratfalls her character suffers and marvels that "the things they make local newscasters do is incredible. ... They made one do a report from a moving roller-coaster."

Co-star Brooke Burns had her own serious mishap: She sports a bejeweled neck brace after breaking her neck in a pool-diving accident, and producers have her character, Pepper's sister, spraining her neck in a striptease aerobics class.

WB has had its own freefall. Overall viewership is down 8% this season, on top of an 8% decline last year; ratings are down 13% among its core audience, ages 18 to 34. Early failures forced the network to rely on regularly scheduled repeats for more than 25% of its lineup.

"We're in a place of rebuilding," says WB entertainment chief David Janollari. 7th Heaven is ending its run in May because ratings have slipped; WB will lose $16 million on the show this season. Aging shows haven't been replaced by new hits. Supernatural is solid but no breakout, and Related is very slowly building an audience.

But Smallville has climbed with its move to Thursdays, and Beauty and the Geek opened its second season strongly last week. Among projects being mulled: Aquaman, from the Smallville team; My Dog Sparky, a family show from the perspective of a pet, written and voiced by Ellen DeGeneres; and a comedy starring Nick Lachey.

WB chairman Garth Ancier scotched talk that the network would scale back to five nights a week from six.

The Incredible Hulk

01-17-2006, 09:19 AM

why do people think Nick Lachey can act? much less do comedy? :confused:

NHawk19

01-17-2006, 11:43 AM

WB has those shows lined up and wonder's why it's losing audience? :confused:

AgentPat

01-17-2006, 12:39 PM

WB has those shows lined up and wonder's why it's losing audience? :confused:Yeah, but whoever thunk Beauty and the Geek would do so well? Certainly not I. It's a strange world out thar.

RakuMon

01-17-2006, 12:50 PM

WB has those shows lined up and wonder's why it's losing audience? :confused:
Seriously. I wonder what's going to happen to the network once Smallville's gone. At this rate, I'd suspect the WB would want to keep them on for as long as possible.

The Incredible Hulk

01-17-2006, 12:51 PM

they'll fork over a boat load of cash for "Metropolis"?

AgentPat

01-17-2006, 01:32 PM

^ I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd think we were separated at birth. ;)

rumpuso

01-17-2006, 03:07 PM

This article was in today's Washington Post. I've highlighted the points relevant to Smallville, however the entire article is relevant to this discussion.

~~~

The Washington Post, The TV Column, Lisa de Moraes
Tuesday, January 17, 2006

The WB is cutting bait on “7th Heaven” in May because the former hit will lose about $16 million this season, network CEO Garth Ancier told surprised critics Monday.

In fact, the prime-time soap, starring Stephen Collins as a minister with a large, very busy family, has been a money loser for the network for a few seasons, Ancier said. Like other much-loved shows, “7th Heaven” will bit the dust because the increasing wage demands of its expensive cast and crew slammed up against plummeting ratings and ad revenue.

But here’s a bit of good news for “7th” fans: It may have a reincarnation. Network suits are waiting for show creator Brenda Hampton to pitch them a spinoff that would feature only “7th Heaven’s” younger and less expensive stars and cheaper writer-producers, bringing the costs down considerably, Ancier said at Winter TV Press Tour 2006.

“In an ideal world, we would rather that show not go away,” programming chief David Janollari said.

This got critics to thinking about, and fretting over, WB’s other long-running and by now more expensive shows – “Gilmore Girls,” “Charmed” and “Everwood,” to name a few.

“Charmed,” about three witch sisters, is still a “really solid performer, and though it is one of our more expensive shows it’s not in the territory of ‘7,’” janollari assured them.

“We are not losing money on ‘Smallville’ or ‘Everwood’ or ‘Gilmore Girls,’” Ancier chimed in.

To be more specific, “Everwood,” the network’s doc drama set in Colorado, is less expensive than “7th Heaven,” as is “Gilmore Girls,” Amy Sherman-Palladino’s chick drama about a mom and her daughter who are best pals. “Smallville,” the Superman teen-angst drama, is as expensive as “7th” but is higher rated and it repeats well, Ancier said. (“7th Heaven” episodes are repeating poorly this season, which further brings down ad revenue.)

Ancier – the only top dog of a broadcast network who is not too yellow to get up on the stage at press tour and answer questions on the record – went unusually deep into the economic model behind his network, which has struggled in the ratings after a few years of gangbuster growth.

It happened when one critic noted that Nielsen began sending out early stats for Spanish language network univision each day, which revealed that it sometimes pulls in more prime-time viewers than the WB.

Even though the WB in its best year makes a couple million dollars and in its worst year loses a couple million, that’s not how the network is judged, Ancier insisted. The bigger moneymaker for parent Time Warner is Warner Bros. Television – the most prolific producer of small-screen programming in the business, selling to all the TV networks. The value of the WB network is that it puts half of that production on the air, thereby opening up the possibility that all those shows may become eligible for syndication, overseas sales and other back-end deals, where the big bucks can be found. “Frankly, what would be the point of owning this network,” which is a break-even proposition, Ancier said, “if you weren’t going to have ‘Smallville,’ which is worth hundreds of millions in back-end value?”

Speaking of back-end value, Ancier said all the networks are trying to figure out the actual economics of the deals they’re making fast and furiously to repurpose programming for iPods and the rest of the digital zoo.

“This is a tumultuous time for television as a medium, and I’m not quite sure what the economics…of it are,” he said.

“Technology continues to change our industry. Thanks to innovations, you can now watch television on your iPod, your PC, your cell phone,” WB’s goodwill ambassador, keith marder, had said in his traditional WB Press Tour Opening Comedy Bit.

“Good luck – we can’t even get people to watch television on television sets.”

Super_Ludacris

01-17-2006, 03:35 PM

Well the thing is with WB is that they got a fixed teen audience and have always made shows to cater to them. So although some of them lose there popularity after 3 years as long as every year they bring out another Dawson's, One Tree Hill or Smallville they'll have a steady niche audience I suppose

NHawk19

01-17-2006, 03:36 PM

Well it looks like SV will be around for another year, as it's making money for the net in more ways than one. Dawson, Buffy, Angel, 7th Heaven, Charmed, Gilmore and now SV made that network. Too bad they havent come up with much else to keep it running.

Wonder who's gonna be cast as \S/ in Metropolis. :D

The Incredible Hulk

01-17-2006, 03:49 PM

Speaking of back-end value, Ancier said all the networks are trying to figure out the actual economics of the deals they’re making fast and furiously to repurpose programming for iPods and the rest of the digital zoo.

“This is a tumultuous time for television as a medium, and I’m not quite sure what the economics…of it are,” he said.

“Technology continues to change our industry. Thanks to innovations, you can now watch television on your iPod, your PC, your cell phone,” WB’s goodwill ambassador, keith marder, had said in his traditional WB Press Tour Opening Comedy Bit.

“Good luck – we can’t even get people to watch television on television sets.”

For the love of god Garth, get Smallville eps on iTunes. I have 30 MB's of video iPod and a 40 minute train commute just SCREAMING for it... :supes:

AgentPat

01-19-2006, 02:52 PM

Hysterical!!!

http://www.patcostello.com/temp/oc.jpg

The Battle for Thursday night
Fox's rich beach kid comedy/drama steps into the ring with the WB's chronicles of the young Superman
By: Alan Donahue

Between work, school and homework, college students often have little time to spend watching TV. For college students who only have an hour to spare on Thursday evenings, they must choose between two popular shows that air back-to-back with "Smallville" at 8 p.m. and "The OC" at 9 p.m.

Settings: Now in it's fifth season, "Smallville" still features the nice Kansas landscape. And while the farm scenery is nice and all, it doesn't compare to the beaches of Orange County. The overhead shots of waves crashing onto the sand every episode have me wanting to pack my bathing suit and towel. (Setting: "OC" wins this category.)

Action: Looking back at the first season of "The OC," we saw Ryan get into a fight, and then he got into another fight, Seth got punched and then Ryan fought for him, and they were all very repetitive. Now, most of the fights are verbal, making you yearn for Ryan to pull out his fist one more time. "Smallville" offers much more variety on the action, seeing as the main character is a teenage version of Superman. And the special effects are amazing, especially when Clark Kent goes into Super-speed and everything else appears in slow motion. Smallville's action will keep you on the edge of your seat. (Action: OC - 1; Smallville - 1)

Music: With a hit teen show, you have to have good music to keep the episodes going. Both of these shows do not lack in the musical category. "The OC" has featured live performances from Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie, while Smallville High in Kansas has managed to book Remy Zero (who sing the catchy theme song, "Save Me") and Lifehouse. Both shows have also released soundtracks featuring some of the best music from the show. (Musical quality: Tie.)

Girls: Maybe a female writer will contradict this article with one about the boy of this show, but for now, here is my heterosexual opinion on the females. For "Smallville," they needed to cast iconic characters from the Superman universe such as Lois Lane, Lana Lang and Mrs. Kent. They also added their own character, a go-getter journalist Chloe. Earlier this season in an episode with Aquaman, a trip to the lake proved great for viewers as we got glances at Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and Lana Lang (Kristen Kruek) in all their bikini glory. Sadly, they don't visit the beach too often. Over on the West Coast, though, there is much to see and the two leads Marissa (Misha Barton) and Summer (Rachel Bilson), take advantage of the warm weather with many skimpy outfits that show off their assets. An added bonus is Marissa's mom, Julie Cooper-Nichol (Melinda Clarke), who sometimes outshines her daughter. "The OC" wins this one, mostly due to location.

(Girls: OC -2; Smallville -1).

Storyline: This category is the most important and worth two points. "Smallville" shows the teenage life of the world's most recognizable icon; Superman. And we sit in awe in early seasons as we watch Lex and Clark be friends. But with knowing the future and fate for both of these characters, the writers still manage to keep us watching week after week. Having Lex slowly change into the most evil villian in comic book history is amazing.

With "The OC," we are introduced to new characters but almost immediately, the storylines become almost predictable. soon you find yourself watching it purely for the girls and the comedy. The writers really need to up the ante to keep viewers.

(Storyline: "Smallville" wins this one by a longshot.)

http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/article.php?ID=8633

The Incredible Hulk

01-19-2006, 03:40 PM

how are they cmpeting again if they're on at different times? :confused:

Anyway, I just heard that That 70's Show is now toast for Fox. They're hurting bad outside of House and their Sunday night cartoons.

AgentPat

01-19-2006, 03:52 PM

how are they cmpeting again if they're on at different times? :confused:You're being logical. That's not allowed here. :mad: :p

Edit: I just reread it. The article points out that college students don't have that much time to spend, so with only one hour of free time, it's either SV at 8pm, or OC at 9pm. How to choose?

Anyway, I just heard that That 70's Show is now toast for Fox. They're hurting bad outside of House and their Sunday night cartoons.And yet another one bites the dust. RIP. :D

The Incredible Hulk

01-19-2006, 04:02 PM

LOL one hour of free time a day in college? :D Yeah umm okay....

AgentPat

01-19-2006, 04:06 PM

LOL one hour of free time a day in college? :D Yeah umm okay....Yeah, I didn't go to that college either. LOL

triplet

01-19-2006, 05:18 PM

Yeah, I didn't go to that college either. LOL

LOL! Me neither!

I think I watched more TV back then than I do now... and I'm currently unemployed!

:D

triplet

01-20-2006, 10:23 AM

Intereseting article (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_05/b3969054.htm) on general downturn in ratings for the aging netlet. It mentions how Smallville's ancilliary revenues help prop up The WB's bottom line (not sure why this is dated on the 30th). It also mentions why The WB's shows are not on the web (iTunes) and why that might change soon:

JANUARY 30, 2006

NEWS: ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY

The WB: Over The Hill At 11?
The network sparks solid DVD sales, but an aging audience is worrisome

The WB television network's recipe for most of its hit shows was always pretty simple: Mix hunks with babes and add a liberal splash of sexual innuendo. And it worked. By the late '90s, the WB was Teen Girl Central. Not anymore. The Gen Yers advertisers covet are tuning out in droves, and speculation is rife that Time Warner Inc.'s 11-year-old network will go the way of its recently canceled show, 7th Heaven.

But the WB is not about to follow its sappy family drama into oblivion. Not yet anyway. And you can thank the zany economics of the TV business for that. Yes, ratings are down for 6 of the 10 shows that returned this season. And it's true that the WB has lost $80 million over the past two years. But Time Warner seems prepared to choke down the losses. That's because the Warner Bros. studio, producer of most of the network's programming, makes a mint selling DVDs and reruns of shows that attract even a modest following. It's a neat trick -- and one that is getting harder to pull off with ratings down 13% from last year. "All the ancillary revenue doesn't mean a thing," says Albie Hecht, a former president at Spike TV, "unless you have something someone wants to see."

The WB is unlike the other networks in one crucial respect. The likes of Fox and UPN can sop up red ink with profits from their TV stations, which make money selling local ads. Warner Bros. owns no stations. And that's where the DVDs and reruns brighten the picture. For example, the studio gets an estimated $850,000 an episode by selling reruns of its Superboy drama Smallville to cable. The WB also sells DVDs, along with Smallville Magazine subscriptions to teens for $37.75 a year. And it gets a cut from the soundtracks of such shows as Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill.

AGING AUDIENCE
To generate those ancillary revenues, the WB needs big enough ratings to satisfy advertisers, though. They indirectly foot much of the bill for such shows as Supernatural, which costs an estimated $1 million an episode to make. Yet ratings this year fell by 43% for One Tree Hill, now in its third year, and 24% for four-year-old Everwood. Worse, as several shows have aged, so have the viewers. Since 2002, the WB's median age has risen by six years, to almost 37. "That could be deadly for a network that sells young demos," says Brad Adgate, research director of media buying agency Horizon Media Inc.

Advertisers aren't fleeing so far, but the WB isn't taking any chances. It laid off 45 people, about 15% of the staff, in December. Axing 7th Heaven was another cost-cutting move; the show lost the WB $16 million last year, due to highly compensated stars and falling ratings. And while Warner makes most of the 12 shows on the current schedule, the WB has to reach outside for ratings grabbers, such as Fox's Beauty and the Geek.

The WB doesn't have forever to right its ratings, what with corporate raider Carl C. Icahn at Time Warner's gate. A renegotiated deal with Tribune Co. (), which owns 22.5% of the WB and carries programming on its 19 affiliates, could help. That contract has been held up for months, giving rise to speculation that Tribune could refuse to pay for the WB shows it carries and cripple the network. Tribune also could stop Warner Bros. from distributing on the Web shows that would compete against its stations.

But the new deal, says WB Chairman Garth Ancier, will likely allow his company to sell shows via the iPod. That's another way for the ratings-challenged network to eke out revenues as it battles to reclaim its lost youth.

By Ronald Grover

Kaboom

01-20-2006, 10:51 AM

yea in college, i used to schedule my classes AROUND television shows, and lord knows i never cracked a book outside of class. The author probably has a kid who tells him how hard s/he works up at school. What the author doesn't know is that to an undergraduate, "working" is defined as figuring out how to sneak alcohol into a dorm when your underage, or figuring out what bar your going to be at, for how long, and how to end up in the sack with someone you've only known for 30 minutes. ah, the good ole days.

RakuMon

01-20-2006, 02:55 PM

Not the usual ratings report since MediaWeek's on hiatus due to TCAs.
Here's Zap2It's ratings breakdown:

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Fast National ratings for Thursday, Jan. 19, 2006

"Dancing with the Stars" continued its solid run on ABC Thursday, but as is usually the case, CBS came out on top in the ratings.

CBS averaged a 13.8 rating/22 share for the night, easily beating ABC's 8.9/14. NBC finished third at 5.4/8. FOX, 3.4/5, came in fourth, ahead of The WB, 2.8/4, and UPN, 1.8/3.

The Eye also held a commanding lead among adults 18-49, drawing a 7.0 rating in the key ad-sales demographic. ABC, 3.9, edged NBC, 3.8, for second. FOX averaged 2.6, The WB 2.0 and UPN 1.0.

"Dancing with the Stars" scored an 11.9/19 for ABC at 8 p.m. CBS went with a "CSI" repeat, 9.6/15. NBC took third with "Will & Grace," 5.3/8, and "Four Kings," 5.0/8. An hour of "That '70s Show" was fourth for FOX, beating out "Smallville," 3.0/5, on The WB. UPN trailed with "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Love, Inc."

A new "CSI" moved CBS into the lead at 9 p.m., drawing the night's biggest audience with a 16.9/25. "Dancing," 12.5/18, and "Crumbs," 7.8/12, finished second for ABC. "My Name Is Earl," 6.6/10, and "The Office," 5.6/8, fell off some from recent weeks but still kept NBC in third. FOX got a 3.4/5 from "The O.C.," good enough to beat "Beauty and the Geek" on The WB and "Eve" and "Cuts" on UPN.

"Without a Trace" dominated the 10 p.m. hour for CBS, coming in at 15.0/25. An "ER" rerun averaged 5.0/9 for NBC, and ABC's "Primetime" posted a 4.7/8.

# Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.

avidreader

01-20-2006, 06:08 PM

Kryptonsite has Smallville's ratings at 3.9/6. Zap2it always seems to be really low for some reason.

Kaboom

01-26-2006, 01:12 PM

here's hoping we're number 1 across the board tongiht!

AgentPat

01-26-2006, 04:06 PM

Anybody want to take a guess at what they think the ratings will be for tonight's ep? Short of Mr. Primary Colors and a Cape going airborne for a grand finale, I'm gonna predict Reckoning will be SV's highest rated episode this season. Here's my stab in the dark...

men 12-34 (3.9/14)
men 18-34 (3.8/14)
men 18-49 (3.5/11)
adults 18-34 (3.3/11)
adults 18-49 (3.1/9)
persons 12-34 (3.3/11)

Total viewers: 6.9 million

I have no clue about the female demos because there's not much of a precedent to base any figures on, unfortunately.

Serene

01-26-2006, 04:49 PM

I can't begin to guess actual numbers, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the highest viewed ep of SV ever, and not just this season.

The Incredible Hulk

01-26-2006, 04:55 PM

highest ever? Wow that was like 8.3 million for the pilot epsiode. I dont know if it'll be up THAT high but I think it'll be above 6 million easy

Serene

01-26-2006, 04:56 PM

highest ever? Wow that was like 8.3 million for the pilot epsiode. I dont know if it'll be up THAT high but I think it'll be above 6 million easy

Well.. I did tell everyone in my office to watch. And that I'd be testing them tomorrow to make sure. :O

What?

The Incredible Hulk

01-26-2006, 04:57 PM

I hope you work for a BIG company :D

Pickle-El

01-26-2006, 05:58 PM

It should cross 6 Million for the night.

NHawk19

01-27-2006, 12:58 PM

From Zap2it

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Fast National ratings for Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006
Thursday night's Nielsen ratings fell into their predictable pattern, with "CSI" leading CBS to a victory over ABC and "Dancing with the Stars."

CBS averaged a 13.1 rating/20 share in primetime to beat ABC's 9.5/15. NBC was well back in third with a 5.3/8. FOX's 3.6/5 held off The WB's 3.2/5 for fourth, and UPN trailed with a 1.6/2.

The story was pretty much the same among adults 18-49, where CBS' 6.3 rating led the way. ABC, 4.0, was second, with NBC in third at 3.7. FOX averaged 2.9 in the demographic, The WB 2.4 and UPN 0.9.
"Dancing with the Stars" easily won the 8 p.m. hour for ABC with a 12.4/19. A "CSI" rerun put CBS in second. "Will & Grace," 4.8/8, and "Four Kings," 4.2/6, were third for NBC. The 100th episode of "Smallville" scored a 3.8/6 for The WB. FOX averaged 3.6/6 with two episodes of "That '70s Show." UPN went with reruns of "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Love, Inc."

CBS took the lead at 9 p.m. with "CSI," 16.1/24. ABC stayed in second with the final half-hour of "Dancing," 12.8/19, and "Crumbs," 7.3/11. NBC held onto third with "My Name Is Earl," 6.5/10, and "The Office," 5.5/8. "The O.C.," 3.6/5, moved FOX into fourth ahead of "Beauty and the Geek" on The WB. UPN stayed in last with "Eve" and "Cuts."

At 10 p.m., CBS' "Without a Trace" delivered a 14.4/24 to beat the combined totals for ABC's "Primetime," 6.2/10, and NBC's "ER" rerun, 5.4/9.

Spaceballs

01-27-2006, 01:03 PM

Just a 3.8/ 6 ? Did everyone predict this Episode & decide screw it

The Incredible Hulk

01-27-2006, 01:04 PM

Zap2It's ratings are always way off for some reason, I'm not sure where they get them from but theyre usually WAY off across the board. Mediaweek's are usually more accurate

NHawk19

01-27-2006, 01:10 PM

I checked media week and it looks like they wont publish today. Any other sources?

avidreader

01-27-2006, 03:15 PM

I'm not sure where Craig at Ksite gets his from, but they're usually a little closer to Mediaweek. He'll probably post them this afternoon.

*******

Okay Ksite's ratings have a 4.4/7. And they are often a little lower than Mediaweek.

RakuMon

01-27-2006, 05:17 PM

Nice! This is Variety's report:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117936974?categoryid=14&cs=1

'CSI,' 'Trace' pace Eye
Morning Ratings Flash - Rick Kissell

By RICK KISSELL

ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and the WBthe WB's "Smallville""Smallville" also shined on Thursday but CBS carried the night again behind original segs of "CSI" and "Without a Trace," according to preliminary Nielsen nationals.

"CSI" was the night's top-rated program and ruled the 9 o'clock hour (8.1 rating/20 share in adults 18-49, 25.5 million viewers overall) although this were its lowest firstrun scores in more than a year. "Without a Trace""Without A Trace" also led its slot at 10 (7.0/19 in 18-49, 22.0 million viewers overall), topping the combined scores of a repeat "ER""ER" on NBC (3.3/9 in 18-49, 7.8 million viewers overall) and ABC's "Primetime" (2.9/8 in 18-49, 8.8 million viewers overall).

At ABC, the 90-minute "Dancing With the Stars" (5.1/13 in 18-49, 19.3 million viewers overall) was on parpar with the previous week's score, finishing in a virtual 18-49 tie with CBS' "CSI" original and repeat and winning in total viewers. At 9:30, new comedy "Crumbs" (3.1/7 in 18-49, 10.8 million viewers overall) edged down a bit in its third episode.

NBC started slowly with originals of "Will & Grace""Will & Grace" (3.0/8 in 18-49, 7.0 million viewers overall) and "Four Kings" (3.1/8 in 18-49, 6.3 million viewers overall) but picked up in the middle hour with "My Name is Earl" (5.0/12 in 18-49, 10.4 million viewers overall) and "The Office" (4.6/11 in 18-49, 8.6 million viewers overall). "Office" built on its "Earl" lead-in among adults 18-34 for the first time, and both comedies led their slots in men 18-34.

The 100th episode of the WB's "Smallville" soared to season highs (2.7/7 in 18-49, 6.1 million viewers overall) and the show's best score in adults 18-34 (3.2/10) since November 2004.

Fox's revamped lineup showed a little more growth, with both "That '70s Show""That '70s Show" (2.8/8 in 18-49, 5.7 million viewers overall) and "The OC""The OC" (2.9/7 in 18-49, 5.7 million viewers overall) posting their best slot results to date.

Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: CBS, 6.3/16; ABC, 4.0/10; NBC, 3.7/10; Fox, 2.9/7; WB, 2.4/6; UPNUPN, 0.9/2.

In total viewers: CBS, 20.4 million; ABC, 14.4 million; NBC, 8.0 million; Fox, 5.7 million; WB, 5.2 million; UPN, 2.5 million.

AgentPat

01-27-2006, 06:31 PM

Gotta luv how everybody's ratings are different. If the episode did as well as I think it did, The WB *might* put out a press release detailing the demo breakdowns. For now though, here's the figures for the last two eps from The Futon Critic...

1/19
"Smallville" (households: 3.0/5, #15; adults 18-49: 2.1, #15)
"Beauty and the Geek" (households: 2.6/4, #16; adults 18-49: 2.0, #16)
The WB (households: 2.8/4, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #5)

1/26
"Smallville" (households: 3.8/6, #12; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T14)
"Beauty and the Geek" (households: 2.7/4, #16; adults 18-49: 2.1, #16)
The WB (households: 3.2/5, #5; adults 18-49: 2.4, #5)

RakuMon

01-27-2006, 09:04 PM

Gotta luv how everybody's ratings are different. If the episode did as well as I think it did, The WB *might* put out a press release detailing the demo breakdowns. For now though, here's the figures for the last two eps from The Futon Critic...

You gotta think that Variety's the only one that matters though. And according to them, SV recieved their biggest audience in two years!

RakuMon

01-27-2006, 09:15 PM

K-site's ratings are more in line with Variety's:

A Ratings "Reckoning"
Smallville's 100th episode improved in the ratings where most other shows went down. (aside from Dancing With The Stars, which is a phenomenon that I just don't get). It is likely we'll be seeing a press release touting success in key demographics by day's end.

Here's a look at the overnight-ratings breakdown:
Timeslot Rank

Show

Network

Overnight Rating (Last week's ranking in parentheses)
#1

Dancing With The Stars

ABC

13.1/19 (12.7/19)
#2

CSI

CBS

9.2/14 (R) (9.5/14 (R))
#3

Will & Grace
(8-8:30)

NBC

5.5/8 (6.1/9)
#4

Four Kings
(8:30-9)

NBC

4.8/7 (5.6/8)
#5

Smallville

WB

4.4/7 (3.9/6)
#6

That 70's Show
(8:30-9)

FOX

3.9/6 (R) (3.8/6 (R))
#7

That 70's Show
(8-8:30)

FOX

3.7/6 (3.9/6)
#8

Everybody Hates Chris
(8-8:30)

UPN

2.8/4 (R) (3.5/5)
#9

Love, Inc.
(8:30-9)

UPN

1.8/3 (R) (2.1/3)

(R) denotes repeat airing

AgentPat

01-27-2006, 11:08 PM

You gotta think that Variety's the only one that matters though. And according to them, SV received their biggest audience in two years!Gotta be careful with ratings statistics. They can get wicked confusing, especially when they WANT to be LOL. Here's what Variety said...

The 100th episode of the WB's "Smallville" soared to season highs (2.7/7 in 18-49, 6.1 million viewers overall) and the show's best score in adults 18-34 (3.2/10) since November 2004.

Aqua had a total viewer audience of 6.4M, and a 2.9/ 8 in 18-49, which is more than what Reckoning got, according to Variety. (Aqua's 18-34 was 3.1/10). I'm hoping The WB will put out an official press release for Reckoning's ratings, though considering the merger, I'm not holding my breath.

AgentPat

01-27-2006, 11:34 PM

Geeze... guess I should have CHECKED for a press release FIRST before my last post LOL. Here ya go!!!!!

Friday, January 27, 2006
MAN OF STEEL STILL GOING STRONG AT 100
Released by The WB
Burbank, CA January 27, 2006

MILESTONE “SMALLVILLE” 100TH EPISODE SETS TIME PERIOD RECORDS FOR THE WB IN ADULTS 18-34, PERSONS 12-34, MEN 18-34 AND MEN 12-34

“SMALLVILLE,” WHICH ATTRACTS 6.3 MILLION VIEWERS, RANKS #1 IN ITS TIME PERIOD IN SEVEN KEY DEMOS, INCLUDING ADULTS 18-34 AND PERSONS 12-34

“BEAUTY AND THE GEEK” AND “SMALLVILLE” ACHIEVE TRIPLE-DIGIT GAINS OVER THE PARALLEL WEEK LAST SEASON

The WB's SMALLVILLE celebrated its 100th episode in winning fashion as THE HIT SERIES SET NEW ALL-TIME NETWORK TIME PERIOD RECORDS in ADULTS 18-34 (3.3/10), PERSONS 12-34 (3.2/10), men 18-34 (3.7/13) and men 12-34 (3.6/12). Its ratings in adults 18-49 (2.8/8) and men 18-49 (3.2/9) as well as in total viewers (6.3 million) were the second-highest in time period history.

The super series also placed #1 in its time period among adults 18-34 (3.3/10), persons 12-34 (3.2/10), men 18-34 (3.7/13), men 12-34 (3.6/12), men 18-49 (3.2/9), teens (2.8/9) and male teens (3.3/11).

Compared to the parallel week last season, SMALLVILLE achieved triple-digit gains over the parallel Thursday last season in every key demo, including +313% in adults 18-34 (3.3/10), +300% in persons 12-34 (3.2/10), +211% in adults 18-49 (2.8/8), +250% in teens (2.8/9) and +127% in total viewers (6.3 million).

BEAUTY AND THE GEEK improved over last week's second airing in several key demos including adults 18-34 (2.4/6), women 18-34 (2.7/7), adults 18-49 (2.1/5), women 18-49 (2.3/5), women 12-34 (2.6/7) and total viewers (4.4 million, an increase of 257,000 viewers). Like its lead-in, BEAUTY AND THE GEEK, achieved triple-digit gains over the parallel Thursday last season in all 18-34, 12-34 and 18-49 demos, including +243% in adults 18-34 (2.4/6), +200% in persons 12-34 (2.4/7) and +163% in adults 18-49 (2.1/5).

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/pr.cgi?id=20060127wb01

rumpuso

01-28-2006, 07:40 AM

Now that is some awesome payback for an incredible episode. Fantastic!

avidreader

01-28-2006, 11:36 AM

They are fabulous stats. Please carry through for the rest of the season.

I hope it encourages the suits at CW that this show is worth every bit of money and time they invest it.

Zing79

01-29-2006, 03:39 PM

This is related to The CW, but it has to do with ratings so I’ll put it here. In 2005 The WB was viewable by 91.66% of all households. The CW is expected to EXCEED 95%.

It should be safe to assume a 5% jump in Smallville’s ratings next year (both because of the new distribution and the lack of competition from UPN).

Using WB’s numbers for Reckoning the show would have gotten 9.45 million viewers on that night on The CW

And if you look at the ratings (according to KSite) Reckoning could of ended up with something like a 6.6 -- which would have EASILY put it ahead of NBC’s offering’s during the 8-9 pm period. It would have actually put it in a solid third place for the slot.

A ratings jump like that (especially given SV’s dominance of the key demo’s) is a big deal on the ad revenue side of things, and going into its later years the increase in revenue could actually help keep the show alive longer.

avidreader

01-29-2006, 03:43 PM

Woohoo! :D

NHawk19

01-30-2006, 09:04 AM

triplet

02-01-2006, 02:32 AM

BareKnucklez

02-01-2006, 03:03 AM

Not sure where this goes, exactly, but it seems it might make sense here.

Supernatural will be moving to Thursdays in March:

January 31, 2006
The WB Sets Final Spring Schedule
By Christopher Lisotta
A week after its corporate parent announced The WB will cease to exist come fall, the network has set its final spring schedule.

Story continues below...

The comedic drama "Pepper Dennis," starring Rebecca Romijn, will premiere Tuesday, April 4 at 9 p.m. (ET) in the post-"Gilmore Girls" time slot. Current time period holder "Supernatural" will transition to Thursdays at 9 p.m. starting March 16, replacing the latest cycle of the soon-to-be-completed reality series "Beauty and The Geek." Lead-in "Smallville" will remain at 8 p.m.

"Everwood" will return with a two-hour episode Monday, March 20, before settling into its old post-"7th Heaven" 9 p.m. slot.

College drama "The Bedford Diaries" will debut at 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, replacing "Beauty" encores. "One Tree Hill" will remain in the 8 p.m. Wednesday time slot.

This was from TV Week....

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=9305

I guess better late than never.... :rolleyes:

It's safe to say that the amount of people who will be watching SMALLVILLE once it's on The CW Network (still doesn't sound right saying that...) will increase... I don't think it's going to be anything crazy but it should jump into the top 5.
It's also safe to say that SMALLVILLE, Supernatural, Gilmore Girls, and Beauty & The Geek will be the main shows which the new CW Network will promote off the WB roster.
Smallville will probably be the biggest hit off them all especially taking into note that it's getting really into the meat of the story now with pa kent dead, and Clark learning more about his destiny, and soon will fly, and then there's him in the SUIT!
Expect that episode to brake records for this show lol... :up:
With all this happening to the show I wouldn't doubt if we see a season 8, and who knows maybe 9, and 10.
Most shows like to get to 8 season but 10 is a big possibility! :)

rumpuso

02-01-2006, 06:34 AM

nevermind

rumpuso

02-01-2006, 06:40 AM

Edit...

Found my answer.

AgentPat

02-01-2006, 08:35 AM

...Current time period holder "Supernatural" will transition to Thursdays at 9 p.m. starting March 16, replacing the latest cycle of the soon-to-be-completed reality series "Beauty and The Geek." Lead-in "Smallville" will remain at 8 p.m....Well it's about freakin' time! LOL I might actually watch it now. :D :up:

rumpuso

02-01-2006, 10:37 AM

In today's Washington Post, they have posted the final ratings for last week's Reckoning. They say that from 8:00-8:30 it received a 5.9 rating, and from 8:30-9:00 it received a 5.7 rating.

Just wondering what sources have the official figures and if anyone has bothered to check the final numbers?

RakuMon

02-02-2006, 09:12 AM

From USA Today:

Thursday night is dancing with success
By Gary Levin, USA TODAY
http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2006/02/02/thursdaytv-lphoto.jpg
Is Thursday must-see TV again?
Dancing with the Stars' Lisa Rinna and Louis van Amstel have emerged as one of Season 2's teams to beat.

For nearly 20 years, NBC laid claim to the networks' most lucrative night, with a steady stream of hits from Cheers to Seinfeld to Friends and ER. Then CBS boldly moved Survivor and CSI to the night, Friends ended, NBC's bottom fell out, and the competition has been lopsided ever since, with CBS a dominant first place. (Related story: A very special ER?)

But the fight has intensified for No. 2.

ABC's Dancing with the Stars managed to re-create its status as a summer phenomenon on Thursdays, where it has been winning its 8 p.m. time slot with an average 18 million viewers; the network's Crumbs is holding steady at 9:30, against CSI, with 11 million.

WB, facing an otherwise tough season, is up 65% on Thursdays, and it set records among young men with a rejuvenated Smallville and second-season reality hit Beauty & the Geek. UPN has established a beachhead with Everybody Hates Chris.

CBS' fourth season of Without a Trace neared record highs last month. And even NBC has gained some traction by successfully transplanting My Name Is Earl and The Office to the hour vacated by the fading Apprentice. Although the network's overall Thursday ratings are down 27%, The Office has climbed to new highs.

"There's not just more genres of programming, but there are more buzz-worthy shows on the night in total," says Initiative Media analyst Stacey Lynn Koerner. And "they're dispersed across more networks, not just CBS and NBC."

"It's a much more competitive night," says Fox scheduler Preston Beckman. Fox will throw three American Idol semifinals results shows into the Thursday mix starting Feb. 23, when it will face Survivor, Dancing and Olympics.

"It's tougher, sure," says CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl. "But we haven't seen anything at this point that suggests it's coming out of our hides. Good network programming just leads to more viewers."

Thursday night is crucial for networks' financial health because it's coveted by movie studios and other major advertisers willing to pay high rates.

The surprisingly durable Survivor opens its 12th installment —Panama: Exile Island — Thursday (8 ET/PT) with four tribes, and sends one contestant each week packing for a temporary stay on a remote island.

avidreader

02-02-2006, 11:13 AM

You should go to www.tomwelling.org (http://www.tomwelling.org) James has a link posted to a Hollywood North Report that says that Smallville has been approved for two more season.

AgentPat

02-02-2006, 11:42 AM

...Smallville has been approved for two more seasons.I'm shocked. :p

avidreader

02-02-2006, 11:53 AM

I'm shocked. :p

I note the cheek, but why exactly?

Michael Corleone

02-02-2006, 12:17 PM

avidreader

02-02-2006, 12:39 PM

rumpuso

02-02-2006, 01:22 PM

I just realized that tonight Smallville will begin competing with both Dancing With the Stars AND the new Survivor. Yikes. Do they attract the same demographics?

triplet

02-02-2006, 01:40 PM

I just realized that tonight Smallville will begin competing with both Dancing With the Stars AND the new Survivor. Yikes. Do they attract the same demographics?

I don't think so, not at least with Survivor... I think Smallville did okay against Survivor this past fall but ABC had Alias in that slot then not dancing with the stars.

AgentPat

02-02-2006, 01:42 PM

I note the cheek, but why exactly?CW needs as many aces in the hole that they can get, so securing SV was a no brainer.

Of ALL the shows that were shoe-ins for renewal, SV was at the top of the list, literally. It was the first show listed on the "safe" list in numerous articles after the CW merger was announced.
The show makes mega bucks on both the front and back end of the business.
It's been breaking recorders for the WB on the most competitive night of the week since they moved its time slot.
Viewership can probably be expected to increase post the release of SR.
The cast was already committed to two more seasons if The WB wanted to re-up them.
The show revolves around a star who appears to be VERY happy and has said on numerous occasions he sees the show going for a few more years.
The show is about Superman, and its star is gorgeous. That alone should be enough, no? :p LOL

:D

PS: Rumpuso, tonight is the beginning of February sweeps, so no matter what, the competition for ratings is gonna be off the chain.

Serene

02-02-2006, 02:50 PM

Was just over at itunes and James Blunt, You're Beautiful, is the number one song at the moment. Not sure if that's coincidental or whether Reckoning had something to do with it.

However, Smallville is Number 2 in the Itunes Mixes so its possible.

All I know, is that as much as I liked that song before, I'm about to go crazy if I hear it one more time. My daughter plays it over and over and over and over.. ad infinitum. She is a SV fan, but I think it's also just popular in general right now.

triplet

02-02-2006, 02:52 PM

Actually, I've been listening to I Grieve over and over and over...

What a great song. It was so beautiful in that funeral scene... brilliant song choice.

The Incredible Hulk

02-02-2006, 03:15 PM

yeah my Smallville Season 5 playlist on my iPod has been getting a work out as of late :D

avidreader

02-02-2006, 03:17 PM

All I know, is that as much as I liked that song before, I'm about to go crazy if I hear it one more time. My daughter plays it over and over and over and over.. ad infinitum. She is a SV fan, but I think it's also just popular in general right now.

LOL! Who knew that the words could be so befitting though. It amazes me sometimes.

Actually, I've been listening to I Grieve over and over and over...

What a great song. It was so beautiful in that funeral scene... brilliant song choice.

I'm glad they dont always use songs that have "just been released" and that they actually take the care to choose a song that fits the scene. :) :up:

It was beautiful.

Serene

02-02-2006, 03:32 PM

LOL! Who knew that the words could be so befitting though.
Me. :D
http://www.superherohype.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7681965&postcount=2540

I knew that song would be a Clana-killer..

avidreader

02-02-2006, 03:36 PM

Me. :D
http://www.superherohype.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7681965&postcount=2540

I knew that song would be a Clana-killer..

I remember you saying. :D And I was trying to encourage you to have faith and that it may be about Lexana. :O Oh well!

After reading that latest TW interview, I have hopes that this is the beginning of a beautiful new friendship for the two of them.:)

Serene

02-02-2006, 03:40 PM

After reading that latest TW interview, I have hopes that this is the beginning of a beautiful new friendship for the two of them.:)
Yeah, yeah.. friends, schmiends...whatever. :p

Look how good I'm being at not dropping any f-bombs about all this.
;)
(actually, you know I hope you're right.. even if it is my second choice for storyline, it could be worse.)

avidreader

02-02-2006, 03:49 PM

Yeah, yeah.. friends, schmiends...whatever. :p

Look how good I'm being at not dropping any f-bombs about all this.
;)
(actually, you know I hope you're right.. even if it is my second choice for storyline, it could be worse.)

I know, I know, but if we think back to Tom's interview at the beginning of the season, he did say "we will find out why Clark and Lana arent together in the future".:)

rumpuso

02-03-2006, 12:17 PM

'Vengeance' for Smallville was listed as one of yesterday's *winners*! http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/newsletters/proginsider/index.jsp

FEBRUARY 03, 2006
The Programming Insider

Marc Berman

Primetime Thursday Ratings:
CBS Wins; ABC's Dancing With the Stars Holds Up Opposite CBS' Survivor

Thursday 2/02/06
Metered Market Ratings

Note: The following overnight results exclude the Providence market.

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 14.0/21, ABC: 9.7/14, NBC: 7.6/11, WB: 3.9/ 6, Fox: 3.6/ 5, UPN: 2.1/ 3

-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 2/03/05):
WB: +70, CBS: + 1, ABC: -11, Fox: -12, NBC: -31, UPN: -40

Note: The year-ago evening featured The Happy Days 30th Anniversary special on ABC.

----------

Fast National Ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 22.71 million, ABC: 13.15, NBC: 10.22, Fox: 5.55, WB: 4.74, UPN: 2.57

-Adults 18-49:
CBS: 7.7/19, NBC: 4.6/12, ABC: 3.6/ 9, Fox: 2.6/ 7, WB: 2.2/ 5, UPN: 1.0/ 3

----------

-Yesterday’s Winners:
Survivor Panama – Exile Island (CBS), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), Smallville (WB), CSI (CBS), Beauty and the Geek (WB), Without A Trace (CBS)

-Honorable Mention:
My Name is Earl (NBC), The Office (NBC)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
Will & Grace (NBC), Three Kings (NBC), Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN), Crumbs (ABC), Primetime Live (ABC)

----------

-Survivor Rant:
After 11 editions of Survivor, the contestants should know by now that you need to keep the stronger physical players in the game, at least initially. Why did the older women vote out Lumber Jill Tina in favor of useless Cirie?

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
Yes, CBS’ Thursday winning streak continued on the first night of the February 2006 sweep. But how do you like ABC’s Dancing With the Stars averaging a considerable 17.82 million viewers opposite the 19.34 million for the season-premiere of CBS’ Survivor Panama – Exile Island? As I have said before, there is no medium stronger than network television when a diversified array of programming options is offered.

Take a look at the launch of Survivor Panama – Exile Island opposite the first hour of Dancing With the Stars.

Thursday 8-9 p.m.
Survivor Panama – Exile Island (CBS)
Overnights: 10.4/15 (#2), Viewers: 19.34 million (#1), A18-49: 7.0/18 (#1)

Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
Overnights: 12.9/19 (#1), Viewers: 17.82 million (#2), A18-49: 4.4/12 (#2)

As a basis for comparison, the last edition of Survivor, Guatemala opened with an 11.3/18 in the overnights, 18.41 million viewers and a 6.6/19 among adults 18-49 on Sept. 15, 2005. Keep in mind that total viewers and adults 18-49 from last night are based on the fast nationals, while any prior results are a reflection of the final nationals.

Overall, the 90-minute edition of Dancing With the Stars (start packing, Tia Carrere) scored a hefty 13.4/19 in the overnights, 18.74 million viewers and a 4.9/12 among adults 18-49 from 8-9:30 p.m. Even so, lead-out Crumbs (which will air in a special Tuesday 9:30 p.m. telecast next week) sunk to a series-low 7.0/10 in the overnights (#2), 9.22 million viewers (#3) and a 2.7/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#3) at 9:30 p.m.

ABC’s Primetime Live, which tried to capitalize on the current dance craze, dipped even further with a third-place 5.4/ 8 in the overnights, 6.74 million viewers and a 2.1/ 5 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m.

Leading out of Survivor Panama – Exile Island on CBS was the winning combination of CSI (Overnights: 17.4/25; Viewers: #1, 27.99 million; A18-49: #1, 9.4/22) and Without A Trace (Overnights: #1, 14.3/22; Viewers: #1, 20.80 million; A18-49: #1, 6.7/17) from 9-11 p.m. As strong as CSI still is, however, it kind of pales in comparison to Fox’s amazing American Idol, doesn’t it?

NBC’s revamped Thursday sitcom block has sprung a leak, with the recently introduced Four Kings at a below-average 4.9/ 7 in the overnights (#3), 6.66 million viewers (#3) and a 2.9/ 7 among adults 18-49 (#3) at 8:30 p.m. Comparably, that was a decrease from lead-in Will & Grace (Overnights: #3, 5.9/ 9; Viewers: #3, 7.29 million; A18-49: #3, 3.0/ 8 at 8 p.m.) of 17 percent in the overnights, 629,000 viewers and 3 percent among adults 18-49.

At 9 p.m., and opposite the first-half of CSI and the final 30-minutes of Dancing With the Stars, NBC’s My Name is Earl held its own, with a third-place 7.3/10 in the overnights, 10.59 million viewers and a 5.0/12 among adults 18-49. That led into a compatible 6.5/ 9 in the overnights (#3), 9.24 million viewers (#2) and a 4.8/11 among adults 18-49 (#2) for The Office at 9:30 p.m. Both My Name is Earl and The Office have already been renewed for 2006-07.

Despite the well-publicized appearance of James Woods on NBC’s ER, the veteran medical drama could only muster a second-place 10.4/16 in the overnights, 13.78 million viewers and a 5.9/15 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Next week, Noah Wyle returns for the first of a three-part story arc.

Over at the WB the Thursday news remained positive, with Smallville at a 4.2/ 6 in the overnights (#4), 5.07 million viewers (#5) and a 2.3/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#5) at 8 p.m., followed by Beauty and the Geek at a 3.5/ 5 in the overnights (#5), 4.42 million viewers (#5) and a 2.1/ 5 among adults 18-49 (#5) at 9 p.m. Both series are likely to continue next season on the CW.
Although Everybody Hates Chris is also a sure-thing for the CW, the rest of UPN’s Thursday line-up would be wise to start packing. Take a look:

UPN/Thursday

8:00 p.m. Everybody Hates Chris
Overnights: 3.2/ 5 (#6), Viewers: 4.13 million (#6), A18-49: 1.5/ 4 (#6)

8:30 p.m. Love, Inc.
Overnights: 1.8/ 3 (#6), Viewers: 2.32 million (#6), A18-49: 1.0/ 2 (#6)

9:00 p.m. Eve
Overnights: 1.7/ 2 (#6), Viewers: 1.95 million (#6), A18-49: 0.8/ 2 (#6)

9:30 p.m. Cuts
Overnights: 1.7/ 2 (#6), Viewers: 1.88 million (#6), A18-49: 0.8/ 2 (#6)

Fox, meanwhile, remained out of the competitive Thursday loop as usual, with its combination of two episodes (original and repeat) of the soon-to-conclude That ‘70s Show (Overnights: #5, 3.5/ 5; Viewers: #4, 5.73 million; A18-49: #4, 2.8/ 7 from 8-9 p.m.), and overrated The O.C. (Overnights: #4, 3.7/ 5; Viewers: #4, 5.36 million; A18-49: #4, 2.5/ 6).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

avidreader

02-03-2006, 12:57 PM

I was thinking that after last week's episode that there would be some emotional fallout. But it stood up pretty well.

KalKai

02-04-2006, 01:20 AM

http://www.kryptonsite.com/news.htm

Entertainment Weekly Notes Smallville Ratings Success
The February 10, 2006 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine has a small blurb about Smallville's ratings success for "Reckoning" inside its TV/ratings section. Here's what they had to say:
SUPER OUTING - Note to programming execs at the new CW network: Use Smallville -- and use it prudently. The Superman drama's 100th episode, in which poor Pa Kent met his maker, grabbed 6.3 million viewers, a 29 percent increase over its season-to-date average and enough to tie NBC's Four Kings (71st). Smallville even outdid Fox's The O.C. (80th), which had 5.7 million fans tuning in at 9 p.m. to see Seth smoke his first joint.

NHawk19

02-06-2006, 11:41 AM

Well SV is secure on the CW (why didnt they go with WC?) and seems like ratings wise it did well. Hopefully the Batman knock-off didn't scare folks away though for this week.

avidreader

02-06-2006, 12:31 PM

Well SV is secure on the CW (why didnt they go with WC?) and seems like ratings wise it did well. Hopefully the Batman knock-off didn't scare folks away though for this week.

WC = Wash Closet = Bathroom. I dunno about that. :rolleyes: ;)

triplet

02-06-2006, 03:20 PM

WC = Wash Closet = Bathroom. I dunno about that. :rolleyes: ;)

CW (from my neck of the woods - I was raised in Virginia) is what people call Colonial Williamsburg so I don't tihnk I like that moniker either, but it is far better than using WC... True.

Anyway, Mediaweek (http://mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001957389&imw=Y) has an article on how the nets are planning on competing with NBC's Olympics coverage and here is what they had to say about The WB and Smallville:

The WB will air first-run episodes during the first week of the Olympics but will stick with theatrical movies in prime time during the second week, when NBC rolls out its heavyweight Olympics figure skating finals, traditionally the event’s highest-rated nights. While 66 percent of the viewers for the 2002 Winter Olympics on NBC were 40-plus, the audience does get a bit younger for figure skating. A WB insider said that will allow the network’s affiliates to use three weeks of sweeps ratings for shows like Smallville, Gilmore Girls and Supernatural and not a diluted fourth week.

Sounds like a good plan to me....

NHawk19

02-06-2006, 03:28 PM

I can't believe that figure skating gets that kind of draw :confused:

Now curling thats the stuff

RakuMon

02-10-2006, 12:45 PM

For some reason, MediaWeek hasn't updated since Tuesday. Here are the numbers care of Zap2It:

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Fast National ratings for Thursday, Feb. 9, 2006

"Dancing with the Stars" won its ratings battle with "Survivor" Thursday, but CBS was stronger than ABC the rest of the night and pulled out a victory.

CBS averaged a 13.6 rating/21 share in primetime to beat ABC's 9.5/15. NBC finished third at 6.6/10. FOX came in fourth with a 3.4/6, followed by The WB, 2.7/4, and UPN, 1.9/3.
The Eye had a bigger advantage in the all-important adults 18-49 demographic, scoring a 7.3 rating for the night. NBC finished second at 4.6, with ABC in third at 4.4. FOX averaged 2.5, The WB 2.0 and UPN 1.1.

The first hour of "Dancing with the Stars" scored a 12.4/19 for ABC at 8 p.m., topping CBS' "Survivor: Exile Island," which came in at 10.7/16 (CBS had the edge in younger viewers). "Will & Grace," 5.2/8, and "Four Kings," 4.3/6, were third for NBC. An hour of "That '70s Show" was fourth in households for FOX, although The WB's "Smallville," 3.1/5, beat it in total viewers. UPN trailed with "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Love, Inc."

"CSI" moved CBS into the lead at 9 p.m. with a 16.7/25. The conclusion of "Dancing," 13.7/20, and a repeat of the post-Super Bowl "Grey's Anatomy," 7.0/10, were second for ABC. NBC held onto third with "My Name Is Earl," 6.2/9, and "The Office," 5.7/8. "The O.C." posted a 3.5/5 for FOX, beating The WB's "Beauty and the Geek" and UPN's "Eve" and "Cuts."

At 10 p.m., "Without a Trace" delivered a 13.3/22 for CBS. NBC's "ER" was second at 9.0/15, and ABC finished third with "Grey's Anatomy," 6.5/10, and an abbreviated "Primetime," 5.0/8.

http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,272|99949|1|,00.html

avidreader

02-10-2006, 01:34 PM

Zap2it always seems to be so way off based compared to the other ratings outlets. I can never figure it out.

Mike_D202

02-10-2006, 01:54 PM

James Blunt, You're Beautiful SUCKS. bleh.

mellyM

02-10-2006, 03:53 PM

Ksite has ratings up:
#5 Smallville WB 4.0/6 (4.2/6)

avidreader

02-12-2006, 03:48 PM

TOP 10 pirated shows

SHOW (number of users)
Without A Trace 574,884
CSI 561,240
NCIS 555,372
The Daily Show 554,476
Grey's Anatomy 549,622
Desperate Housewives 547,902
Smallville 538,640
American Idol 538,546
My Name Is Earl 538,546
Family Guy 537,957
(downloaded around the world, week ended January 31, 2006)

This article comes from an Australian Newspaper, The Age, one of the biggest papers in Australia.

Interesting article. Here's the link for anyone that is interested.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/02/11/1139542445546.html

I know its the wrong thing to do, but its good to see that its up there with some pretty big company.

NHawk19

02-13-2006, 08:49 AM

only about 9000 between SV and Desperate. That's interesting.

AgentPat

02-17-2006, 12:36 PM

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) Fast National ratings for Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006

The Winter Olympics once again faced some healthy competition Thursday, but NBC was able to pull out a ratings win this time.

NBC averaged an 11.7 rating/19 share in primetime to beat out CBS' 10.5/16. ABC was a solid third at 8.9/14. FOX was a took fourth with a 3.4/5, topping The WB, 2.9/4, and UPN, 1.8/3. Among adults 18-49, NBC's 5.9 rating just edged CBS' 5.7 for the top spot. ABC was third at 4.2. The WB grabbed fourth in the demographic with a 2.4, beating FOX's 2.2. UPN trailed with a 1.2.

ABC took honors at 8 p.m. thanks to "Dancing with the Stars," 11.7/17, which beat both CBS' "Survivor," 9.9/15, and NBC's Olympic coverage, 9.6/14. "Smallville" finished fourth for The WB with a 3.4/5. FOX was fifth with the movie "Legally Blonde," ahead of "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Love, Inc." on UPN.

NBC moved into the lead at 9 p.m., as coverage of the Olympic men's figure skating final and other events scored a 12.5/18. A "CSI" rerun on CBS was second at 11.9/17. The final half-hour of "Dancing with the Stars," 13.3/19, and a "Grey's Anatomy" repeat, 6.0/9, put ABC in third. FOX moved up to fourth as "Legally Blonde" averaged 3.7/5 in its second hour. The WB's "Beauty and the Geek" was fifth, beating "Eve" and "Cuts" on UPN.

The Olympics peaked in the 10 p.m. hour with a 13.0/21. CBS got a 9.8/16 from a "Without a Trace" repeat. ABC had the second half of "Grey's Anatomy," 6.3/10, and "Primetime," 4.6/8.

http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,272|100058|1|,00.html

avidreader

02-17-2006, 12:41 PM

They gotta be happy with 4th. :up: :)

AgentPat

02-17-2006, 03:25 PM

Always amazes me how different agencies report different numbers. Oh well... These are quite nice too. LOL

NBC Records Tough Olympic Victory
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/17/2006 12:39:00 PM

NBC won the night in the 18-49 demo with its Olympic coverage with a 5.9/15, according to Nielsen Fast Affiliate overnight numbers. But the amateur athletes were still no match for CBS' Survivor or Dancing With the Stars, with Olympic coverage actually in third place at 8-9 up against that regular programming.

CBS finished a close second at a 5.7/14, thanks to Survivor (6.3/16) and a repeat of CSI, which tied NBC at 9-10 with a 6.3/15.

ABC was a ways back at a 4.2/11, with a repeat of Grey's Anatomy only averaging a 3.5/8 at 9:30-10:30. Dancing with the Stars (a strong 4.9/13) is 90 minutes, necessitating the odd timing of Grey's, followed by a truncated Prime Time, though the it harkens to the network scheduling of yesteryear, when 90-minute shows abounded.

Going down swinging, The (soon-to-be folded) WB (2.4/6) topped Fox for fourth place, powered by Smallville with a 2.7/7. That show will almost certainly migrate to the new CW.

Fox averaged a 2.2/5 with movie Legally Blonde.

Univision was next at a 1.9/5, with UPN cracking a one rating for the first night in a few with a 1.2/3 thanks to a 1.8/5 for Everybody Hates Chris at 8.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6308513.html?display=Breaking+News

user123456789

02-17-2006, 03:48 PM

When is the new CW taking effect?

AgentPat

02-17-2006, 03:49 PM

When is the new CW taking effect?September, I believe.

user123456789

02-17-2006, 03:51 PM

September, I believe.

So it'll be in coincidence with Season 6?

AgentPat

02-17-2006, 03:55 PM

So it'll be in coincidence with Season 6?Basically, yes. SV's 6th season premiere will be on the new CW network, not WB.

AgentPat

02-17-2006, 05:54 PM

Not sure if this has been posted yet or not (I'd be wicked surprised if it hasn't?!!), but SV made this week's EW's The Must List. And it's #1!!

The Must List
#1 SMALLVILLE
Supe's life was turned upside down in an explosive 100th episode - he's engaged, Mr. Kent dies, he's not engaged - and the WB show soars again.

A promo photo from Vengeance (pissed-off Clark in growl mode LOL) accompanies the listing.

avidreader

02-17-2006, 05:56 PM

AgentPat

02-17-2006, 06:05 PM

Oh, and btw... I'll beat RakuMon to the punch and point out how yet AGAIN, the only people who apparently *don't* call that guy in blue and red on SV Superman (or "Supes") are a few stubborn fanboys. LOLOLOL! :p

AgentPat

02-20-2006, 12:38 AM

The New York Times
February 20, 2006

Nielsen Will Start to Measure TV Habits of College Students
By MARIA ASPAN

Nielsen Media Research announced last week that it would include college students living away from home in its television ratings beginning in early 2007, a move that could bolster ratings on networks like Fox, MTV and the WB, which cater to younger viewers.

Currently college students are not included in the Nielsen ratings, which measure viewing habits in sample homes to determine how many people in certain age and demographic groups watch television programs. Networks and advertisers rely on the ratings to sell commercials, and the exclusion of college students who live away from home omits a potentially influential demographic. According to Nielsen, these students watch an average of 24.3 hours of television a week.

The announcement followed a two-year test that was sponsored by several Nielsen subscribers, including Turner Broadcasting, the WB, CBS, MTV, Fox and ESPN. For such networks, the decision was welcome.

"It's very exciting, after all this time," said Garth Ancier, chairman of the WB network, who said that programs like "Smallville" and "Gilmore Girls," which feature teenage and college-age characters, would benefit the most from the change. "In a business like ours, every tenth of a rating point is worth tens of thousands of dollars," he said.

Only students whose families already participate in Nielsen's television surveys will have their viewing habits measured, meaning that the college students will be seen as part of their families rather than as new, independent households. But for the first time, the ratings will reflect viewing habits in dorm rooms, fraternity and sorority houses, and off-campus apartments.

According to Nielson, the inclusion of college students could increase the viewing levels in the 18- to 24-year-old age group by 3 to 12 percent, which could result in ratings increases of 0.2 to 1.0 points for programs. The impact would vary for each network, depending on the ratings they currently receive.

Small networks may perceive that they will benefit the most from the change, said Melva Benoit, a senior vice president at Fox Broadcasting. But Fox, which Ms. Benoit said aims at a younger demographic than the other major networks, is also excited about the new Nielsen system. Fox expects to see the biggest increase in ratings for "The O.C." and baseball games, according to Ms. Benoit.

Two smaller broadcast networks, the WB and UPN, will no longer exist by the time the viewing habits of college students are officially measured. But their offspring, the CW network, which will start up in the fall, expects to carry over the most popular programming and to set its sights for the same young demographic.

David Poltrack, the president of CBS Vision, the research department of CBS, said that the update to the ratings system would be good news for CW. He cited "Gilmore Girls" and "Veronica Mars" on UPN, both of which may move to the new network, as two shows that had received "appreciable increases" in their ratings during the two-year study.

Certain cable networks also expect to benefit. A group of freshmen (who were not part of the Nielsen pilot project) at American University in Washington, which provides free cable and HBO in its residence halls, said that they watched between 5 and 18 hours of television in one week, the majority of those sports news programs like SportsCenter on ESPN, or baseball and football games. Huw Roberts, 18, said that on a normal day he watched ESPN and ESPN News. "I only watch series if other people are watching them," he said.

According to Artie Bulgrin, the senior vice president for research and sales development for ESPN and ABC Sports, ESPN counts on such viewership patterns from college students. "Our sports news and information programs are viewed disproportionately on college campuses," he said. "It's a critical demographic, incredibly important to advertisers because they are emerging consumers."

College students are only one unmeasured viewer group of many for networks like ESPN, which is often the default channel in restaurants and bars. Nielsen does not currently measure such group viewing, although the recognition of college viewing habits may be a step in that direction.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/20/business/media/20nielsen.html

TKodami

02-20-2006, 01:43 AM

Thanks for the article, AgentPat. I did not know that college students were excluded from Neilson ratings. Part of me wonders "what took them so long?"--but the bigger part of me just hopes that more advertising dollars will slip Smallville's way next year.

AgentPat

02-20-2006, 09:21 PM

Thanks for the article, AgentPat...No prob, TKodami. BTW, welcome to the Hype!! :D

And now... more ratings info....

Six Million viewers tuned in to watch Cyborg. Hello? Six Million. Hee! Quite the ironic number, doncha think? LOL

Here are the final numbers, as printed in Variety last Friday, 2/17/06:

Olympics prevail Thursday
Morning Ratings Flash - Rick Kissell
By RICK KISSELL

After getting beaten earlier in the evening by "Survivor" and "Dancing With the Stars," NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics rallied for a victory in key demos on Thursday, according to preliminary nationals from Nielsen. The Peacock also led in total viewers.

The Torino Games averaged a 5.9 rating/15 share in adults 18-49 and 19.1 million viewers overall during primetime, edging out CBS for the night and contributing to slightly lower scores for firstrun competitors on ABC and CBS. Numbers peaked in the 10 o'clock hour, which included the men's figure skating final, with a 6.8/18 in the demo and 21 million viewers overall.

The Eye won the opening hour in demos with "Survivor: Exile Island" (6.3/16 in 18-49, 17.1 million viewers overall), while ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" (5.3/13 in 18-49, 19.2 million viewers overall for its 90 minutes) led in total viewers. From 9 to 10, a repeat of "CSI" (6.3/15 in 18-49, 20.6 million viewers overall) tied with the Olympics in 18-49.

The WB scored at 8 with one of the higher scores of the season for "Smallville" (2.7/7 in 18-49, 6.0 million viewers overall), lifting the Frog above Fox for the night in 18-49, as the latter settled for a 2.2/5 in the demo with a repeat of "Legally Blonde."

Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: NBC, 5.9/15; CBS, 5.7/14; ABC, 4.2/11; WB, 2.4/6; Fox, 2.2/5; UPN, 1.2/3.

In total viewers: NBC, 19.1 million; CBS, 16.7 million; ABC, 13.9 million; Fox, 5.1 million; WB, 5.0 million; UPN, 2.8 million.

http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&a=VR1117938448&c=1275

user123456789

02-20-2006, 09:30 PM

speaking of the Frog, i haven't seen that dude in forever.

triplet

02-20-2006, 10:23 PM

speaking of the Frog, i haven't seen that dude in forever.

The WB retired the Frog as their mascot/logo a few years back, I believe.

Lara

02-21-2006, 09:08 AM

This may be a stupid question but if the CW considers Smallville one of it's flagship shows do you think it might get a budget increase?

AgentPat

02-21-2006, 09:51 AM

This may be a stupid question but if the CW considers Smallville one of it's flagship shows do you think it might get a budget increase?Who knows? They'll be selecting the cream of the crop shows from both networks and they also have a few pilots in production. Competition for budget allotment will be fierce since the "cream of the crop" are some heavy hitters (SV and Supernatural alone aren't exactly cheap) and will be spread out over 10 hours of prime time broadcasts per week. I guess it will come down to what they can charge for ad space. Luckily, SV has respectable ratings this year to use as leverage.

avidreader

02-21-2006, 10:53 AM

Six million viewers, how coincidental is that.

I hope that they get an increased budget for next year as well. I think this year they had to produce on slightly less, which probably accounts for the lack of x-ray and heat vision that we've been seeing from Clark.

AgentPat

02-22-2006, 04:09 PM

Interesting point made on MediaWeek today:

Q: I understand why you compare the ratings of the current Winter Olympics on NBC to previous Winter Olympic telecasts from four and eight years ago. But that is not done with regularly scheduled series -- they are naturally compared on a year-to-year basis. If you looked at other live sporting events like The NBA Finals and The NCAA Finals versus the same time frame, I bet current erosion for The Olympics would not seem as bad. What do you think?

A: While I don't disagree, I am not necessary sure erosion would be in the noticeable double-digit percent range. It certainly isn't for The Super Bowl. But your point is well taken. In today's growing network and technological universe, no show -- not even an event like the Olympics -- should be expected to maintain audience levels from four and eight years ago.

People need to remember this when comparing SV's ratings today with what it did five years ago. A lot has changed in the last five years.

KikiDee

02-22-2006, 04:41 PM

The WB retired the Frog as their mascot/logo a few years back, I believe.

I think they retired him this past fall season. That was the joke about all the splats on their new website layout and promos it was the frog as roadkill.:)

KikiDee

02-22-2006, 04:42 PM

avidreader

02-22-2006, 04:47 PM

I think 6 million is pretty good considering how many households consistently get the WB. So how many did they get in the pilot season?

Didnt the actual Pilot rate at about 8.5 million?

I thought the 6,000,000 was fabo too.

avidreader

02-22-2006, 04:48 PM

I think 6 million is pretty good considering how many households consistently get the WB. So how many did they get in the pilot season?

You know Kiki, if you were at DTS you would have your knuckles rapped for posting back to back. ;)

KikiDee

02-22-2006, 04:58 PM

You know Kiki, if you were at DTS you would have your knuckles rapped for posting back to back. ;)

Have you been victimized by DTS? I never post over there so I guess that's a good thing. I never knew nuns were into Smallville.:)

avidreader

02-22-2006, 05:05 PM

Have you been victimized by DTS? I never post over there so I guess that's a good thing. I never knew nuns were into Smallville.:)

LOL! :D

No I dont post there much. They dont mind people calling Al & Miless ****holes, but they get on your back when you post back to back. :rolleyes:

AgentPat

02-22-2006, 05:54 PM

Didnt the actual Pilot rate at about 8.5 million?

I thought the 6,000,000 was fabo too.Oh, it IS fabo LOL. My last post wasn't in reference to the ratings from last week, just a comment in general. I've seen charts posted on other sites where they try to downgrade the ratings this year by comparing them to the Pilot, Rosetta, Lineage, etc. But the comparisons aren't as valid any more due to the increase in programming options. ALL shows have seen dips in their ratings performance. That said, SV is doing considerably well for a show in its 5th season, up against some VERY heavy competition.

AgentPat

02-22-2006, 06:02 PM

LOL! :D

No I dont post there much. They dont mind people calling Al & Miless ****holes, but they get on your back when you post back to back.Folks at K-Site routinely bash G&M too. If it wasn't for G&M, there wouldn't BE a Smallville, so it's kind of aggravating. Actually, it's VERY annoying. :mad: But yeah, DTS has a bug up its behind about posting back to back - like I just did here. I don't know what the big freakin' deal is. You'd think if they were trying to save server space on their end, they'd disable image links in the footers or something more logical like that, but whatever. I don't post there that much, so it doesn't bother me.

avidreader

02-22-2006, 06:27 PM

Oh, it IS fabo LOL. My last post wasn't in reference to the ratings from last week, just a comment in general. I've seen charts posted on other sites where they try to downgrade the ratings this year by comparing them to the Pilot, Rosetta, Lineage, etc. But the comparisons aren't as valid any more due to the increase in programming options. ALL shows have seen dips in their ratings performance. That said, SV is doing considerably well for a show in its 5th season, up against some VERY heavy competition.

I understood the point you were making and as you've said, despite the programming options, Smallville is still doing very, very well. :up:

But yeah, DTS has a bug up its behind about posting back to back - like I just did here.

I did it above too. Just to be silly. :p

Serene

02-22-2006, 06:33 PM

I admit to back-to-back posting on occasion too. The problem with adding to an already made post is that if they thread is moving quickly, your edit is never seen, therefore pointless. Who doubles back to see if anyone added on to their previously made posts?

Sometimes it's just laziness though. My earliest online community experience was on Usenet, where there is absolutely NO moderation. So, while I do like a bit of moderation to keep the extremes under control, I don't care for a really heavy-handed environment.

triplet

02-22-2006, 06:49 PM

:up:

I hate that it's so heavy handed over there...

AgentPat

02-23-2006, 05:38 AM

Hmm... Interesting. Competition on the horizon? From FOX again, no less. *sigh*

New York Daily News
2/23/06

Another net for Ch. 9? My!
Parent firm fills gap left by UPN
By PHYLLIS FURMAN

Greed, lust, murder, mobsters, sexy babes and buff guys are coming to WWOR/Ch. 9.

Goodbye UPN, hello My Network TV - a new broadcast network, owned by media giant News Corp., that will fill the slot left open a month ago when UPN and WB merged to create the CW network.

Starting on Sept. 5, WWOR - to be dubbed My9NY - as well as nine other ex-UPN affiliates owned by News Corp. will launch two hour-long prime-time dramas, "Desire" and "Secrets."

Both are packed with soap-opera plot lines and runway-ready young stars, many of whom were on hand yesterday at a press conference at the W Hotel.

"Desire" chronicles two brothers on the run from the Mafia, while "Secrets" probes the guilty pleasures of beautiful people in the fashion biz.

Taking a page from the successful telenovela format, the shows will be "stripped," meaning episodes will run back to back five nights a week.

Other My Network TV programs in the works include "Celebrity Love Island" about six celebs thrown together with six regular Joes on an island; "On Scene," a crime show from News Corp.'s Fox News Channel, and "Catwalk," a supermodel search.

Last month's merger of UPN and WB left a big programming hole for News Corp.'s UPN affiliates. But yesterday, Fox TV Stations' chairman, Roger Ailes, called the loss of UPN "an enormous opportunity" to shore up his stations.

"I'm writing Les a thank-you note," Ailes joked at the news conference, referring to Leslie Moonves, chairman of CBS, which owns half of CW. Moonves declined to comment.

My Network TV will begin on the 10 News Corp. stations, which cover 24% of the country. It will look to challenge CW by signing up affiliates covering "90% of the country," said Fox TV Stations CEO Jack Abernethy. The network is expected to be profitable from the start.

Fox TV Stations' operations chief, Dennis Swanson, told the Daily News that WWOR will have far more locally programmed hours than rival WPIX/Ch. 11, which will carry the CW network.

CW execs issued a statement yesterday saying they remain "bullish on the CW's future as America's premier destination for young viewers," thanks to popular shows like "Smallville," "America's Next Top Model" and "Everybody Hates Chris."

But Fox has shown that it knows how to topple established rivals. Fox News Channel - also run by Ailes - took on news juggernaut CNN and now boasts more than double its ratings in prime time.

As a side note: Don't poo poo a local station out of New York as being something insignificant. That's where FOX started. We may end up with six networks again after everything is said and done.

NHawk19

02-23-2006, 08:43 AM

Ok so I didnt see this when I started the other thread about My Network TV.

AgentPat

02-23-2006, 08:46 AM

Ok so I didn't see this when I started the other thread about My Network TV.S'kay, Hawk. It's an occupational hazard 'round these parts LOL. ;)

NHawk19

03-08-2006, 02:53 PM

just a bump so it doesnt fall into obscurity.

Anybody know how the re-runs are doing though?

avidreader

03-08-2006, 02:58 PM

I dont know how the re-runs are doing, but did everyone see that Charmed is on its last few episodes. The season finale is being written as a series finale. They apparently werent given any official word but noted that they werent mentioned in the proposed lineup for the CW Network.

NHawk19

03-08-2006, 03:34 PM

That's interesting wonder what they'll do for Sunday I dont know that UPN programs that night.

Though if I had to guess I would think the CW Lineup would look something like:

S: What I like, Girlfriends, Eve, Cuts (or some of the other sitcoms)
M: One Tree Hill 8, Everwood @ 9
T: Gilmore Girls 8 Top Model 9
W: Supernatural 8 Beauty & the Geek 9
Th: SV 8 VM 9
F: Everybody Hates 8, Reba 8:30, Smackdown 9
Sa: Kids WB cartoons

RakuMon

03-15-2006, 09:33 AM

Interesting USA Today article on The CW. They're giving their Up Front announcement today.

Apparently, many affiliates across the country have already started preempting WB and UPN programming. Though, I think a lot of that had to do with local Championship College Basketball games. The "ratings are down" line also forgets to qualify that statement with the fact that SV has been in reruns for the last few weeks.

Here's the paper's take:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-03-14-cw_x.htm

New CW network seeks its own identity
By Gary Levin, USA TODAY
Will CW equal UPN plus WB, or something more?
http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2006/03/15/inside-cw.jpg
That's the equation viewers of both lame-duck networks are mulling as plans are made for the CW to sprout in September, targeting the same 18-to-34 crowd its predecessors did.

Network executives will unveil development plans to advertisers at a meeting in L.A. today. But don't look for many new shows from the network, which was announced in January as a replacement for UPN and WB. The CW is already well stocked with best-of-both returning series.

CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff says five series — WB's Gilmore Girls, Smallville and Beauty and the Geek, and UPN's America's Next Top Model and Everybody Hates Chris — are a virtual lock for the CW lineup this fall, along with WWE Smackdown, expected to keep its Friday berth.

Upcoming WB series Pepper Dennis, starring Rebecca Romijn as a TV reporter, also is a contender for CW, and others, such as Girlfriends, Supernatural and Veronica Mars, are on the fence, though odds favor their return. But a rumored revival of 7th Heaven, canceled by WB for financial reasons, is a long shot.

"We already have established franchises from both networks, and shows that speak specifically to the 18-to-34 demographic," says Ostroff, who also runs UPN. "We're hoping one plus one will equal three."

Confirming a cost-saving rationale for combining the two money-losing networks, CW has ordered just six pilots, down from the 15 or so each commissioned last spring. "Obviously we'd like to see one thing new on the schedule, and there could be two," Ostroff says, plus others as midseason replacements. Candidates include:

•Aquaman, another superhero franchise from the Smallville team.

•Palm Springs, a mystery soap from Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek).

•Runaway, about a man falsely accused of murder who moves his family to a small town under assumed names while proving his innocence.

•Split Decision, a drama about a teenage girl who vacillates between the cheerleader and rebel crowds and is seen as two separate characters inhabiting both worlds.

•She Said, He Said, an ensemble romantic comedy in the Men Are from Mars mode: a guy, a girl and their different worldviews. Nick Lachey is in talks for the male lead.

•The Game, a Girlfriends spinoff about football players' girlfriends.

Analyst Steve Sternberg of the Magna Global USA ad firm says it's a "mistake to start out with too much new product," and says "neither WB nor UPN has been particularly successful over the past few seasons in developing new scripted series. It's much better to just take one or two new shows to start, and then focus on developing potential replacements."

Starcom's Laura Caraccioli-Davis is unenthused: "They're creating something so similar to what they had, there's no sense of excitement in the ad community," she says. And with a "tech-savvy" target audience, the CW's traditional network blueprint "seems very old-school to me."

CW so far has agreements with 49 stations, covering 60% of the USA's TV homes, to carry the network. Meantime, WB and UPN are hanging in even as some current affiliates have begun pre-empting their lineups. Ratings for Chris and Smallville are down, though Top Model returned last week with a record-high season opener.

"We obviously know it's going to be challenging for the rest of the season," Ostroff says. "But shows that are good franchises and are known will have an easier time relaunching."

Lara

03-15-2006, 09:45 AM

Great news for me because I love Gilmore Girls and was a little worried about it. They should really keep Supernatural as well it has such a potential to grow and I'm constantly surprised at the quality.

avidreader

03-15-2006, 10:39 AM

What do they mean ratings for Smallville are down?

They must have just been looking at the last couple of weeks of re-runs, cause Smallville's been on a high all season.

NHawk19

03-15-2006, 10:43 AM

That article has me curious about the 6 pilots and how they will affect the fall lineup. My post above indicates what I think will/should survive but working those other 6 in is going to be tough even if shows like B&G and TM replace them mid season.

AgentPat

03-20-2006, 10:03 AM

In case anybody was interested, here's the ratings from last Thursday's repeat (Lockdown.) It was followed for the first time by Supernatural, which worked out quite well as a lead out and held most of the audience. It will be interesting to see how well SN does after the SV hiatus.

MARCH 17, 2006
The Programming Insider
Marc Berman

Primetime Thursday Ratings:
Solid Sampling for ABC’s American Inventor; NCAA Basketball Strong on CBS

Thursday 3/16/06
Metered Market Ratings

Household Rating/Share
ABC: 8.6/13, NBC: 8.0/12, CBS: 7.1/11, Fox: 3.7/ 6, WB: 2.3/ 3, UPN: 2.1/ 3

----------

-Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Thursday, March 17, 2005):
ABC: +37, CBS: + 8, NBC: - 2, Fox: -14, WB: -21, UPN: -45

-----

Fast National Ratings:

-Total Viewers:
ABC: 12.36 million, CBS: 10.78, NBC: 10.62, Fox: 5.29, WB: 2.67, UPN: 2.23

-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 4.7/13, NBC: 4.5/12, CBS: 4.0/11, Fox: 2.3/ 6, WB: 1.1/ 3, UPN: 0.9/ 2

----------

-Yesterday’s Winners:
American Inventor (ABC)

-Honorable Mention:
NCAA College Basketball: First Round, Day One (CBS)

-Dominant but Down:
ER (NBC)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
That ‘70s Show (Fox), Four Kings (NBC), The Loop (Fox), The O.C. (Fox), Primetime Live (ABC)

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
Without CBS’ regularly scheduled Survivor and CSI in the competitive mix, the two-hour debut of ABC’s American Inventor (from Simon Cowell and the creators of American Idol) was amply sampled. American Inventor won the 8-10 p.m. block with a solid 9.7/15 in the overnights, 14.20 million viewers and a 5.4/15 among adults 18-49. Compared to a four-episode Jake In Progress marathon on the year-ago evening (Overnights: #3, 5.7/ 8; Viewers: #3, 6.73 million; A18-49: #4, 2.4/ 6 on March 17, 2005), this was an increase of a hefty 70 percent in the overnights, 7.47 million viewers and 125 percent among adults 18-49.

As a reminder, total viewers and adults 18-49 from last night are based on the fast nationals. Any prior comparisons are based on the final nationals.

Despite a stronger lead-in, and minus CBS’ normally scheduled Without A Trace, ABC’s Primetime Live still finished third at 10 p.m. with a lackluster 6.4/10 in the overnights, 8.70 million viewers and a 3.3/ 9 among adults 18-49.

On CBS, NCAA College Basketball: First Round, Day One, came in above the comparable year-ago tournament with a 7.1/11 in the overnights, and an approximate 10.78 million viewers and a 4.0/11 among adults 18-49 from 8-11 p.m. The year-ago match-ups averaged a 6.6/10 in the overnights, with 9.69 million viewers and a 3.6/10 among adults 18-49. Consider this a positive start for College Basketball.

NBC’s revamped Thursday has sprung a leak at 8:30 p.m., with the return of sitcom Four Kings (Overnights: #3, 5.2/ 8; Viewers: #3, 6.87 million; A18-49: #3, 2.9/ 8) declining by a noticeable 28 percent in the overnights, 2.32 million viewers and 28 percent among adults 18-49 from soon-to-depart lead-in Will & Grace (Overnights: #2, 7.2/11; Viewers: #3, 9.19 million; A18-49: #2, 3.7/11 at 8 p.m.). Although 9 p.m. occupant My Name Is Earl got some mileage among adults 18-49, a 7.8/12 in the overnights (#3), 10.61 million viewers (#3) and a second-place 4.5/12 in the demo without CBS’ normally competing CSI in the mix is disappointing. My Name Is Earl led into a typical 6.7/10 in the overnights (#3), 8.90 million viewers (#3) and a 4.2/11 among adults 18-49 (#3) for The Office at 9:30 p.m.

At 10 p.m., NBC’s veteran ER capped off the evening with a dominant, but depressed, 10.5/17 in the overnights, 14.06 million viewers and a 5.8/15 among adults 18-49. Assuming there will be more erosion next season, it’s time for ER to retire before it ends up in the emergency room.

Despite the ample sampling out of American Idol on Wednesday (see Ratings Box below), Fox sitcom The Loop debuted in its regularly scheduled Thursday 8:30 p.m. time period with a disappointing (and fourth-place) 3.3/ 5 in the overnights, 4.78 million viewers and a 2.0/ 6 among adults 18-49. Soon-to-depart lead-in That ‘70s Show opened with a typical (and also fourth-place) 3.8/ 6 in the overnights, 5.48 million viewers and a 2.4/ 7 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. Sagging The O.C. led out of The Loop with a fourth-place 3.8/ 6 in the overnights, 5.45 million viewers and a 2.4/ 6 among adults 18-49 from 9-10 p.m. Is there really any reason to renew The O.C. for 2006-07?

On the WB, a repeat of the relocated Supernatural at 9 p.m. (Overnights: #5, 2.2/ 3; Viewers: #5, 2.64 million; A18-49: #5, 1.1/ 3) fit like a glove out of a repeat of Smallville (Overnights: #6, 2.3/ 4; Viewers: #5, 2.69 million; A18-49: #5, 1.1/ 3 at 8 p.m.). UPN capped off the evening with repeats of Everybody Hates Chris (Overnights: #5, 2.9/ 5; Viewers: #5, 3.06 million; A18-49: #5, 1.2/ 3), Love, Inc. (Overnights: #6, 1.9/ 3; Viewers: #6, 1.96 million; A18-49: #6, 0.8/ 2), Eve (Overnights: #6, 2.0/ 3; Viewers: #6, 1.97 million; A18-49: #6, 0.8/ 2) and Cuts (Overnights: #6, 1.8/ 3; Viewers: #6, 1.93 million; A18-49: #6, 0.8/ 2). Although Everybody Hates Chris will find a spot on upcoming The CW, Love, Inc. Eve and Cuts are all out.

NHawk19

03-20-2006, 11:14 AM

Wonder if that was a test of things to come?

AgentPat

03-20-2006, 11:31 AM

Wonder if that was a test of things to come?A test? AFAIK, that's the line-up (SV into SN) for the foreseeable future. They started it early because BatK ended the week before, and they needed to have a new show to put in its place. Plus, they like to "train" viewers with new timeslots using repeats. It's safer that way, I guess.

Like the article said, SN fits like a glove. They should have done that right from the git go. [shrugs]

NHawk19

03-21-2006, 09:46 AM

A test? AFAIK, that's the line-up (SV into SN) for the foreseeable future. They started it early because BatK ended the week before, and they needed to have a new show to put in its place. Plus, they like to "train" viewers with new timeslots using repeats. It's safer that way, I guess.

Like the article said, SN fits like a glove. They should have done that right from the git go. [shrugs]

Acctually I ment it would be a test for CW in the fall. Their lineup at this point is anyone's guess. Who know's EHC may follow SV in Oct.

I'm all about SV having a strong lead out at 9, even if that means I change the channel. I cant say I've been able to get into SN.

triplet

03-21-2006, 12:25 PM

I cant say I've been able to get into SN.

You should give it another try...

It's probably the only besides Smallville that I would hate to miss. It doesn't hurt that Jared Padelecki and Jenson Ackles are both extremely likable and so easy on the eyes... :D

The episode about a shape shifter, Skin, was possibly some of the best TV I've seen this season. Aside from some slightly cheesy F/X, it was an exciting episode and had some great twists....

It's like a mini-horror film each week. It's an anthology series in a way too. Only the two main characters continue from week to week so they can do anything and go anywhere in that car of Dean's... It's sorta like Quantum Leap in that way.

It's probably terrifically freeing, story-development wise.

avidreader

03-31-2006, 02:13 PM

Primetime Thursday Ratings:
CBS Rules; ABC and the WB on the Plus Side

Thursday 3/30/06

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 13.2/20, NBC: 7.5/12, ABC: 5.7/ 9, Fox: 3.3/ 5, WB: 3.1/ 5, UPN: 2.0/ 3

-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 3/31/05):
WB: +63, ABC: +24, NBC: -10, Fox: -11, CBS: -17, UPN: -46

----------

Fast National Ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 19.98 million, NBC: 10.22, ABC: 7.76, Fox: 4.80, WB: 4.10, UPN: 1.97

-Adults 18-49:
CBS: 6.5/17, NBC: 4.5/12, ABC: 2.9/ 8, Fox: 2.4/ 6, WB: 1.7/ 5, UPN: 0.8/ 2

----------

-Yesterday’s Winners:
Survivor Panama – Exile Island (CBS), CSI (CBS), Without A Trace (CBS)

-Honorable Mention:
Smallville (WB), American Inventor (ABC), My Name Is Earl (NBC)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
That ‘70s Show (Fox), The Loop (Fox), Primetime Live (ABC)

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
After two weeks of preemptions for basketball, CBS’ combination of Survivor Panama – Exile Island, CSI and Without A Trace lifted the network back to victory. Comparatively, the Eye net’s advantage over distant second-place NBC was a hefty 76 percent in the overnights, 9.76 million viewers and 44 percent among adults 18-49.

Although ratings have dipped for the current edition of Survivor, a 9.7/15 in the overnights, 16.54 million viewers and a 5.9/17 among adults 18-49 was more than enough to top the 8-9 p.m. competition. That led into CSI at a below average, but typically dominant 17.1/25 in the overnights, 25.10 million viewers and a 7.9/20 among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m., followed by reliable Without A Trace at a 12.8/21 in the overnights (#1), 18.29 million viewers (#1) and a 5.6/15 among adults 18-49 (#1t) at 10 p.m. Remember the time when no show could compete with NBC’s ER?

Over at NBC, soon-to-depart Will & Grace got some mileage in the 8 p.m. half-hour at a second-place 7.2/11 in the overnights, 9.33 million viewers and a 3.6/11 among adults 18-49. That led into a repeat of My Name Is Earl in place of the yanked Four Kings at a 6.2/ 9 in the overnights (#2), 8.27 million viewers (#2) and a 3.4/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#2) at 8:30 p.m. The regularly scheduled 9 p.m. installment of My Name Is Earl (now also facing ABC’s oddly addictive American Inventor) came in at a below average (but still second-place) 6.8/10 in the overnights, 9.81 million viewers and a 4.4/11 among adults 18-49. Shaky The Office, meanwhile, followed with a 5.7/ 8 in the overnights (#3), 7.96 million viewers (#3) and a 4.1/10 among adults 18-49 (#2t) at 9:30 p.m. Am I the only one who finds the frantic camera movement on The Office annoying?

At 10 p.m., NBC’s veteran ER scored a typical 9.6/16 in the overnights (#1), 12.97 million viewers (#2) and a 5.6/15 among adults 18-49 (#1t).

In the land called ABC, which remained up year-to-year by double-digit percentages despite the return of CBS’ regularly scheduled line-up, week two of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: After The Storm opened third in the 8 p.m. hour with a 5.8/9 in the overnights, 7.44 million viewers and a 2.2/ 6 adults 18-49 (tied with Fox). Although lead-out American Inventor dipped to a series-low 6.6/10 in the overnights (#2), 9.30 million viewers (#3) and a 3.7/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#3) opposite the return of CSI, this is still a dramatic improvement over year-ago occupant Extreme Makeover. And it built from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: After The Storm by 14 percent in the overnights, 1.86 viewers and 68 percent among adults 18-49. To the fans of American Inventor, isn’t Doug Hall reminiscent of the kid you wanted to beat up in middle school?

Also on ABC was the perennially ratings challenged Primetime Live at a last-place 4.8/ 8 in the overnights, 6.54 million viewers and a 2.7/ 7 among adults 18-49.

Fox minus American Idol is a network in need on Thursday, with a modest fourth-place finish in the three surveyed categories. The soon-to-retire That ‘70s Show opened with a 3.3/ 5 in the overnights (#4), 4.88 million viewers (#4) and a 2.4/ 7 among adults 18-49 (#3) at 8 p.m., followed by recently introduced sitcom The Loop (Overnights: #5, 2.6/ 4; Viewers: #4, 4.07 million; A18-49: #5, 2.0/ 6) and all but forgotten The O.C. from 8:30-10 p.m. (Overnights: #4, 3.6/ 5; Viewers: #4, 5.48 million; A18-49: #4, 2.6/ 7). Wasn’t The O.C. once a “hot” show?

Relocated Supernatural on the WB (Overnights: #5, 2.8/ 4; Viewers: #5, 3.59 million; A18-49: #5, 1.5/ 4 at 9 p.m.) fit relatively well out of Smallville (Overnights: #4, 3.4/ 5; Viewers: #4, 4.60 million; A18-49: #5, 1.9/ 5 at 8 p.m.) with retention of 82 percent in the overnights, 78 percent in total viewers and 79 percent among adults 18-49.
Last for the evening in every half-hour was UPN with its repeat combination of Everybody Hates Chris (Overnights: 2.9/ 5; Viewers: 2.78 million; A18-49: 1.1/ 3), Love, Inc. (Overnights: 1.9/ 3; Viewers: 1.83 million; A18-49: 0.8/ 2), Eve (Overnights: 1.6/ 2; Viewers: 1.63 million; A18-49: 0.7/ 2) and Cuts (Overnights: 1.4/ 2; Viewers: 1.63 million; A18-49: 0.7/ 2).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data