Ratings

[AgentPat]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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?

 

[triplet]

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?

They're waving the white flag of surrender?

 

[RakuMon]

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]

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

 

[RakuMon]

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

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

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

 

[AgentPat]

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]

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.

 

[AgentPat]

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]

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]

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

 

[AgentPat]

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]

I coulda told ya that....oh wait

 

[avidreader]

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]

i've always wondered this...

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

 

[AgentPat]

I coulda told ya that....oh wait

LOL! I know, I know. That's why I quoted your post. You da man!

 

[RakuMon]

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]

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

 

[NHawk19]

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

 

[AgentPat]

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

Yeah, but whoever thunk Beauty and the Geek would do so well? Certainly not I. It's a strange world out thar.