| Scoreboard for Fri. May 2, 2008 |  |
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 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Viewers (million) | 9.11 | 5.73 | 4.72 | 3.90 | 3.36 |
| Rating/Share: Adults 18-49 | 2.2/7 | 1.7/6 | 1.2/4 | 1.2/4 | 1.1/4 |
CBS took another Friday night during May sweeps and the week looks pretty much similar to last week across the board except that ABC ran an extra 20/20 instead of America's Funniest Home Videos. And FOX was again dead last, beaten out by the CW and its outgoing WWE product, Friday Night Smackdown! The CW's loss will be MyNetTV's gain.
Only CBS had any shows with a 2.0 or better in the 18-49 demographic. Ghost Whisperer (2.3/8), Moonlight (2.1/6) and Numb3rs (2.4/7) all cleared the 2.0 bar. No other shows did. Technically the 10pm hour of Dateline hit 2.0, but if you take Dateline over its full 9p-11p run, it didn't.
While not quite as awful as Saturdays its getting there other than CBS. Sure, more younger people aren't at home on Fridays, but the reason the shows other than CBS don't pull better demo numbers is the programming.
I know Marc Berman didn't have glowing things to say about on the bubble Moonlight (hey, at least he didn't call it a "loser"!). The thing Moonlight probably has going for it is fairly remarkable consistency among its fan base. A four month hiatus didn't cause a drop of 2 million viewers. If that had happened we'd be writing the obituary already. But the fans all came back. It beat everything it was up against on broadcast television and won the 18-49 demo for its timeslot. Just like last week. These are all positive signs.
The only thing that should really concern Moonlight fans is CBS thinking something like this, "OK, no matter what we stick on at 9pm it loses a million viewers from 8pm and all of them and more come back at 10pm. Can we put something on at 9pm that will perform as well as Moonlight and be cheaper?"
I'm hampered by not knowing the cost of producing Moonlight. I know they could stick on The Price is Right and it would probably do fairly consistently in viewers, but at least a little worse than Moonlight in the demographic. But you can't really syndicate repeats of game shows, or sell DVDs of game shows. You can with scripted dramas and that winds up meaning extra revenue.
So the only way I see CBS pulling the plug on Moonlight is if they think they have a scripted drama that will perform as well or better that can be made for less money. I'm more of a "a bird in the hand..." guy, but we'll have to wait just a little bit longer to see if CBS thinks as reasonably as I do.
Friday night's details:
| Time | Net | Show | Viewers (Millons) | 18-49 Rating/Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | ABC | 20/20 | 6.25 | 1.6/6 |
| CBS | Ghost Whisperer | 9.21 | 2.3/8 | |
| NBC | Most Outrageous Moments (R ) | 5.02 | 1.4/5 | |
| CW | Friday Night Smackdown! (8p-10p) | 3.9 | 1.2/4 | |
| FOX | Are We There Yet 8p-10p (R ) | 3.36 | 1.1/4 | |
| 9:00 | ABC | Duel | 3.86 | 1.0/3 |
| CBS | Moonlight | 7.92 | 2.1/6 | |
| NBC | Dateline | 5.65 | 1.7/5 | |
| 10:00 | ABC | 20/20 | 4.04 | 1.2/4 |
| CBS | Numb3rs | 10.21 | 2.4/7 | |
| NBC | Dateline | 6.53 | 2.0/6 |
Nielsen Ratings Source: Nielsen Media Research. Full night's results available via Marc Berman/Mediaweek.
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This is weird, Ghost Whisperer has never lost any viewers till date and it’s on friday nights, why don’t superior shows like Ugly Betty have consistent viewers like me?
Robert – thanks for the analysis of Moonlight’s chances. After Marc, fans needed a little boast. 2 more weeks and we’ll know for sure.
Was Numb3rs up or down from last year? Just curious since other dramas have been dropping viewers this week.
ETA: meant boost not boast..
I would tend to think that CBS should graduate ML to the 10 o’clock hour for next season and try out numbers at a 10 o’clock time slot elsewhere. (sun-thurs) Procedurals tend to do well at 10 on weekdays(as evidenced by L&O’s and CSI’s) and numbers is as good as any of them. I think CBS would see numbers for both shows improve and lets them take another shot at 9 o’clock. Maybe something that ‘s a better thematic fit with ghost whisperer. I’m rootin’ for you ML fans.
Numbers is pretty flat y/y, but remember many more DVR viewers in the panel this year, so flat is probably considered very good especially compared to all the shows which are down!.
Thanks Robert–as a Moonlight fan I appreciate your attitude and always love the info on ratings.
I wish I knew where I had read this a few months ago, but Moonlight is not an expensive show to produce. I read this was one of the issues with C2H, it was an expensive show to produce. It was an article predicting who would come back after the strike. Moonlight being less expensive was one of the reasons they were guessing it would be back.
I have to believe Moonlight is also better at producing eyeballs on the CBS website and has good potential for itunes/dvd sales. The show last week was at 11 for a few days, last time I checked it was at 18.
Thanks to Dave for rooting for us!!
It’s embarrassing that FOX is losing to CW on Fridays.
Thanks again for the Moonlight ratings news Robert! Much appreciated. Question though– I remember a while back there was a link specifically for Moonlight numbers on the tvbythenumbers site. I don’t see it anymore though?
Mandi, it’s still here, we just moved the specific show links off the site — probably because at some point there were no new updates for a long time due to the writer’s strike. The season’s numbers for Moonlight are here:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2007/11/18/moonlight-ratings-2007-2008/1820
Regarding younger viewers (using shares), this Friday had a total adults 18-49 audience rating of 29.6/100, while Thursday had 37.8/100, 22% less. 22% isn’t as big a gap as the networks would have you believe, and if they programmed it more aggressively, somebody could have a 5.0 demo series on their hands. If the networks could grab as much audience on Friday as Thursday, they would be drawing a combined 11.9 rating in adults 18-49, instead of the 7,4 they combined for last night. That’s a huge gap, and one certainly worth reaching to close.
Doug, I predict tonight’s numbers will be even worse.
I know, way out there on a limb…
It’s so sad about Duel, I’m one who actually likes the show. lol.
Robert, what is up with Marc Berman’s forum? Has the web address changed. It now keeps taking me to a totally different site. I would appreciate it if you had an answer. I noticed it last night, during the day it was fine.
Kathy, it looks like someone forgot to renew the hosting or something like that.
I think you are probably right.
Moonlighting will in all likelyhood return with a 13 episode order only because of the strike, but the truth is it will be the first returning series to be cancelled by CBS. It’s this year’s version of Jericho. The numbers are just not there to support it’s return.
According to Marc, they are redesigning mediaweek.com and there are some glitches. It should, he hope’s, be fixed by Monday.
Hey Zedman, don’t go spreading your VENOM. Moonlight is an excellent show, and I BELIEVE that CBS will renew this show to give it more chances for it to grow.
Zedman is right. When a marginal show returns for a second season, it’s numbers either have to pop or it’s dead. Such was the case for Jericho, and maybe for Moonlight as well. I do see CBS renewing it because it is borderline (not a hit, but not exactly a dud either). But it has to show growth in the second season, and it has to do it fast.
I have to agree with both Zedman and Doug even though I am a huge fan of Moonlight (and of Jericho too actually). But I think Moonlight can do it. Remember, most industry insiders and many tv critics didn’t think Moonlight would last more than three episodes before getting pulled and not only did it survive, it got a dedicated fan base. Despite the naysayers, I think Season Two could see a build in the fan base.
Hello, Do these numbers include the plus 7? Does last weeks 7.99 include the plus7? Plus 7 reflects DVR?TIVO and does not include online, right?