| Scoreboard for Thurs. May 8, 2008 |  |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Viewers (million) | 15.03 | 11.62 | 6.98 | 6.58 | 3.25 |
| Rating/Share: Adults 18-49 | 4.3/12 | 4.4/12 | 2.0/5 | 2.8/8 | 1.3/4 |
As is typical for primetime Thursdays, it's mixed leadership between the Tiffanys and the Mouse with CBS having the most viewers and ABC winning the 18-49 demographic, though only barely due to the "there's no Lindsay Lohan yet" 18-49 performance of Ugly Betty. ABC is dominant in the 9pm and 10pm hour in the demo with Grey's Anatomy (which outperformed CSI in the demo by 20%) and LOST.
I really enjoyed last night's LOST. Some of the magic for me is in the casting. Michael Emerson is wonderful as a creepy Benjamin Linus and relatively new addition Kevin Durand is great as an evil mercenary. Line of the night from Ben: "Destiny is a fickle bitch." LOST had 11.28m and a 4.9/13 in the demo. I also watched Supernatural, and it was the best episode I remember seeing in a while and enjoyed it, but it only drew 2.53m and a 1.0/3 in the demo. Relax people, it's already been renewed (c'mon, it's the CW!).
My Name is Earl, the NBC network finale of Scrubs (soon to be appearing on an ABC network near you) and The Office all fared just a bit worse than they did in last week's overnight report. The season finale of 30 Rock, however picked up a smidge in total viewers, though it's 18-49 numbers were off by half a ratings point from last week.
While DVR viewing is certainly having an impact, the dramatic drop off can't be completely ascribed to DVRs. Grey's Anatomy had 15.6m viewers last night. But at least half of the DVR viewers are already baked into the numbers. So even if Grey's pulls 4 million live plus seven day DVR viewers they'll only gain back a couple million viewers at most which would put it at 17.6m. Last year's overnight number for the comparable Thursday was 19.58 million, so it'll still be down 20 percent-ish over last year even after DVR is factored in, unless there was record-setting DVR viewing for it -- which we won't know for a couple of weeks.
Grey's also was down in the 18-49, from a 7.8/21 to a 6.1/16. They will make up a lot of ground here via the remaining couple million or so DVR viewers who'll almost all be in the 18-49 demographic.
CSI pulled 17.82 million and a 4.9/13, or the same demo numbers as LOST, which had about six million less viewers than CSI. I still haven't watched last night's episode that was penned by the Two and a Half Men crew, but it's on the DVR and I will definitely check it out.
CBS's Survivor: Micronesia was down just a touch from last week with 11.98m viewers and a 4.0/12 in the 18-49 demographic. It easily won the 8pm hour. Last night's Without a Trace was up almost 3 million total viewers versus last week with 14.6 million, but LOST still easily beat its 3.3/9 in the demo.
Last night's details:
| Time | Network | Show | Viewers (Millons) | 18-49 Rating/Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | CBS | Survivor: Micronesia | 11.98 | 4.1/12 |
| FOX | Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader | 7.73 | 1.9/6 | |
| ABC | Ugly Betty | 7.99 | 2.4/7 | |
| NBC | My Name is Earl | 6.08 | 2.6/8 | |
| CW | Smallville | 3.96 | 1.5/5 | |
| 8:30 | NBC | Scrubs | 5.37 | 2.5/7 |
| 9:00 | CBS | CSI | 17.82 | 4.9/13 |
| FOX | Don't Forget the Lyrics | 6.22 | 2.0/5 | |
| ABC | Grey's Anatomy | 15.60 | 6.1/16 | |
| NBC | The Office | 7.22 | 3.6/9 | |
| CW | Supernatural | 2.53 | 1.0/3 | |
| 9:30 | NBC | 30 Rock | 5.61 | 2.1/5 |
| 10:00 | CBS | Without a Trace | 14.60 | 3.8/10 |
| ABC | LOST | 11.28 | 4.9/13 | |
| NBC | ER | 7.61 | 2.9/8 |
Nielsen Ratings Source: Nielsen Media Research. Full night's results available via Marc Berman/Mediaweek.
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I actually didn’t enjoy last nights LOST
It was a little out there with the whole island moving, Claire+Christian cabin thingy… Hope it gets better next week. I’m actually not surprised that Grey’s Lobotomy is loosing viewers week-in week-out. I mean, how long can you drain a soap prime-time show with every character has sexed up every other character? I hope not long anymore. Although, ER is in it’s 57th season, so….
i dont get america. how can so many turn off 30 rock after the office? it makes no sense. the show is incredibly funny…ugh.
anyway, lost was great last night. the whole mind-bending, answering questions with even more confusing questions thing is what makes the show go. another ounce of help is that it’s guaranteed the two seasons it needs to finish the story, so we dont have to sit there and slave over the ratings because they dont mean all that much.
I love 30 Rock
Liz Lemon rocks!
the offices number to tend to increase quite a bit w/ live+7 and should be up again next week for the season finale. Will jim propose? Will toby leave? Will dwight get back together w/angela?
Will NBC ever retire ER? I think it may be time.
I wonder how long the trend will continue to put game shows on weak nights for a network(tonight fox, usually NBC)
CBS pretty much rules Thursdays. At least LOST seems to be holding its own. Other than the Office its the only show I watch every week on Thursdays.
CBS should try moving Without a Trace to the Tuesday 10pm so-called death slot.
Or maybe CBS could create a new show titled DEATH SLOT and air it Tuesday at 10pm – a CSI type show examining the deaths of TV series over the years. Tee hee hee. Episode 1 – Jericho.
greys anatomy ratings went up from last week, it had 15.11 total viewers, with a 6.0 in the demo, while this week it had 15.60 total viewers, and a 6.1 in the demo. so it should be fine, 15 million viewers per week is awesome for mots shows.
Bob, yep Grey’s is fine vs. last week, and fine to be renewed ABSOLUTELY yes. Fine to make as much money per 30 second spot next year? Not so much.
Kayarn – I was thinking the same thing…
Guess Who – not a bad idea…
Robert… hardly any spots out there to pick up bonus points for week-over-week increases. Everything seems to be downsizing.
Is the Wall Street ‘Sell in May and go away’ rule taking effect on TV, too?
I’d definitely sell by Memorial Day! I liked Guess Who’s “Death Slot” too, and I think CBS would actually get lots of props for poking fun at itself, though probably better as a summer replacement for now.
FOX always seems to have weak nights in Thursday’s. The Game show lineup really doesn’t work anymore. There Tuesday, and now Monday nights are always top notch. They need to come out with better sitcoms for Thursday night next year if they want to contend.
Seidman you bald headed janitor…NBC got roasted last night…..MEGA RATINGS LOSERS…earl/scrubs/30 rock….seidman thursday night is the big bucks ad revenue night in network tv u twit so ok u have a hard on for horse face zack braff but enuff of that crud already…they better find a break out hit scripted drama and or comedy soon or those nbc and abc and cw execs will have to start a lousy tv ratings reporting website like seidman the george costanza…the sidney fields of bald headed ratings reporters…
ps- seidman began losing his hair at age 14/15…he was slick bald by 25…now pushing 50 he says he doesnt care anymore…yeah sure..if rogaine worked he’d be pouring into his bowl of cornflakes.
honest question,
how many seasons can greys go? it already is getting boring, and definitly losing viewers, there was a spand last year where greys wouldnt hit anything below 20 million viewers, now they r struggling to get 15! so truthfully, already on season 4, with a definite season 5 coming, how many seasons will it go?
Bob, I don’t know how many season’s Grey’s can go. It already lost me as a viewer, though I may ultimately decide to catch up. I think so long as its 18-49 performance is ahead of what its competition is, it will be around. I’d guess at least two more seasons.
and one more thing…
i think ER needs the boot, seriously, 14 seasons is long enough. if it were hitting 10 million per week, then fine, but its not even hitting 8 anymore, it had a great run, but is time for ER to R.I.P.
Bob, I agree with you from almost all angles, but as Bill G. always says re: NBC, they’re beggars, not choosers. If they’re renewing 30 Rock with an 18-49 rating of a 2.1 last night, ER nearly getting a 3.0 in the demo must be considered a fabulous hour by them.
When ER goes, everyone will know it months in advance. It will be billed as the final season from day one, and there will be promos weeks in advance about saying goodbye after 15, 16, 17, whatever years. There’s no way they will quietly cancel it without warning. Of course, they should’ve done that this year, but it will probably not be for at least another year or so.
ok, a random question, but why hasnt october orad got the boot yet? ratings were terrible, it was worse the men in trees, yet that got axed, and technically october road is still around? is there a reason for this, or are they giving it the ax on tuesday when the lineup is announced?
Julia, I bet next year is ER’s last.
bob, there are lots of shows (not just ABC’s) that have been stealth cancelled without an announcement. The charades will all end next week when next season’s schedules are all announced.
Wow, It is too bad that the world is only tuned to three major stations.( ABC, CBS, and NBC) And it is too bad that the show Supernatural does not air on one of them. Because if it did…….. Everyone would know what they’re missing. It really can not be judged by one episode though, you really need to have started watching from the begining to truely appreciate it. Although, some of the episodes do stand alone without knowing the whole story. But ,at least I have had the good fortune of being able to find and watch a show that is intelligent, funny, emotional, intense and spooky. Also, it has one of the most real and wonderful portrayal of a sibling relationship that I have ever seen. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki do an amazing job playing these two brothers. Thank you to Eric Kripke (the creator) and all the writers, producers, directors. and the crew. Those of you who don’t watch for whatever reason…………it is your loss.
Also, it is nice to finally find something to watch that does not insult my intelligence.
(sorry if that sounded condescending but it’s true)
Scrubs is such a terrible show… that’s all! Wait let me end on a positive note: Ugly Betty was AWESOME last night, but it’s definately no “Fea Mas Bellla” the Mexican telenovela that aired for a little over a year in 2006 on Univision, and broke all sorts of records!