Update 2: Here is the half hourly detail based on the fast nationals:
Update: The Fast National numbers are rolling in, and according to TV Week it averaged 4.9 million (well under the over/under of 5.5 million -- Mr. Gorman wins the "pride" prize for today, I hang my head in shame!). 90210 captured a 4.3/12 rating among women 18-34, 34% above Gossip Girl. The CW also finished #1 in adults 18-49 according to the TV Week story. Hat tip to Sergio Ibarra at TV Week for the heads up. We are just seeing some of the data ourselves. The show averaged 4.906 million on a household rating/share of 3.5/5. Overall in the 18-49 demo CW average a a 2.7/7 - ahead of FOX and NBC which both had a 2.4/6 among 18-49 year olds. CW easily won the 18-34 demo (among both males and females) with a 3.1/9. The nearest competitor was Univision with a 2.2/6.
| Time | Net | Show | Viewers (Millons) | 18-49 Rating/Share | 18-34 Rating/Share |
| 90210 Half Hour Detail | |||||
| 8:00 | CW | 90210 | 4.54 | 2.5/8 | 2.8/9 |
| 8:30 | CW | 4.88 | 2.7/7 | 3.2/10 | |
| 9:00 | CW | 5.14 | 2.7/7 | 3.2/9 | |
| 9:30 | CW | 5.06 | 2.7/7 | 3.1/8 |
You can see the full night's details (all shows) hour by hour here.
James Hibberd reports this is CW's highest rated scripted series premiere ever.
Bill will have the full night's details up soon. America's Got Talent was easily the most watched show, and during the 8p-10p period beat 90210 among 18-49 year olds (convention coverage at 10pm then dragged down NBC's demo average).
Well, looking at the early metered-market ratings is often folly as it was yesterday in the case of Gossip Girl. But I'll do it anyway because it kills the hour or two between the "fast nationals" which provide a better picture as well as viewer numbers and demo numbers.
Marc Berman is reporting the CW Network's premiere of 90210 scored a 3.9/6 (household rating/share) in the early metered market ratings (excluding New Orleans). That's certainly significantly better than Gossip Girl (in total, not necessarily any of the demographics) if it holds up. If it holds up, that projects out to about 4.5 million households. Remember, all shows average more than one viewer per household, and how many people are watching per screen can't be discerned from household ratings projections.
Informally, Bill and I had a little over/under wager -- nothing on the line this time but pride. The bar was set at 5.5 million viewers. I took the over, Bill took the under. If the 3.9 household rating holds up, a little over 1.2 people per screen need to be watching. Gossip Girl (on a household rating/share of 2.3/4) wound up with 3.379 in the fast nationals, about 1.28 viewers per household. If 90210's 3.9 holds up and it's people per screen were as high, it will clear 5.5 million viewers. It may even have a shot at 6 million viewers.
Lots of "ifs". We'll know for sure soon enough, but based on the early data, 90210 looks to be about where I thought it would be. Providing it does well in the target demos, specifically the 18-34 female demo (which we will probably not see unless CW issues a press release) I imagine CW will be please. One nice piece of news for CW if the metered markets is that although it had fewer viewers the second hour than the first hour, it only lost 7% in the second hour according to Marc Berman.
well the question is if it will keep the viewers next week.. its one thing to watch the premiere, its another to keep watching
there is no doubt that the premieres generate more buzz and the the question is “can you keep them”. On the other hand, you can’t keep what you didn’t attract to begin with.
Like you, Robert, I’m not impressed with The CW’s delusional take on Gossip Girl, but I watched the original 90210 for seven years, and I was very pleased with what the Executive producers were able to accomplish. I feel like they captured the original essence of the show, especially with the establishing shots, but also gave the show a more sleek, nocturnal feel with the nightclub scenes.
I wouldn’t really call it a spin-off because it really straddles the line of a remake, but I felt it really delivered. I’m not sure if you’ve had the time to view it, but it has enough continuity from the original series (as far as Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth’s characters are concerned), yet has enough interest built around the new cast to possibly thrive should Doherty and Garth decide to take the high road after the first season.
I must say I’ve enjoyed your website ever since you started covering Jericho. This is the only place I visit for ratings news.
Anyway, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the show had higher numbers than you’re expecting. Maybe 6 million, though 5.5 million is a fair number. After all this is The CW. The last time I ever heard of a CW show reaching five million was during Season 6 of Smallville when the Justice League showed up, but we’ll see.
P.S. As for Gossip Girl, it’s pretty sad when a show like One Tree Hill that’s been on for FIVE years can retain 3.3 million viewers in one night as opposed to a show that’s only in it’s second season. Mindblowingly impressive-not, CW!
Andrew, thanks for the kind words. I think 6 million is possible and always did, but as I told Bill when I brought up the over/under, I was too much of a coward to set the bar at 6 million. I think you’re right about CW as far as scripted shows, though I believe (I didn’t go back and check) that ANTM may have done 5 million or more a few times since we launched the site a year ago.
Like the new site layout . . . where can I get final numbers for shows? I’d like to know how Gossip Girl dipped. And 90210 especially — I KNOW that one dropped because they were broadcasting baseball on the CW here in Chicago, and I was under the impression that fast nationals count anyone who watches a show on a station at a certain time, regardless of whether or not it was sports or the actual show.
The numbers are OK, nothing more. I certinly expected at least 6 million, and it might get close with the preemption
Anyway the good part is that it build in its second hour
Bob, preemption does not drive viewers numbers up, it lowers them.
It didn’t get close to 6 million :-/ 4.9 million in the fast nationals.
Angie: Thanks, we don’t post final numbers on a daily basis because we do not usually wind up seeing any of the afternoon data from Nielsen. We do get this data on a weekly basis, however and generally post it in the top 20 lists on Tuesdays and the “Top 20 by Network” (see ABC, CBS, etc in the navigation) on Wednesdays. Nielsen’s publishing schedule of the data is off by a day this week due to the Labor Day holiday but we hope to have the data for last week up today in the aggregate top 20s, and by tomorrow on a network by network basis (for last week’s shows).
Angie, I keep an on on this page: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=27
He posts the final ratings for each day, though it usually takes a few days to get them, but it’s far easier than trying to find a final ratings post that may or may not have shown up on Marc Berman’s forum.
@Julia: that’s what i said (maybe i said it wrong), without the preemption maybe it would’ve got close to 6 million
I missed the premier though I plan on watching. ( Also for the first time I plan on watching the celebrity hoofers. The leggy female lineup looks awesome.) Anyway, I have nothing at stake so I will go with the over as well. I never really got 90201 but that was eras ago. Gossip Girl also was surprisingly good. Am waiting for Greeks to come back on. Eye candy uber alles.
Of course it won I mean…what else was on TV??? They were the only ones with a premiere right? Impresive? Impresive if they manage to have that rating (or over 4 million) with Dr. House back to work.
Gabriela, while I hate to give any praise to CW, and it does seem like 90210 underperformed by a lot based on predictions I’ve been seeing, you have to admit that this is the first time they are FIRST in the demo, on any night other than Friday, which is a big accomplishment no matter what. Let them have their one day of glory.
I am not taking them away any credit for wining its demos etc, but we have to be realistic if they tell me they got that results on October when virtually all the networks will be already in their fall season then hands down and that will be really impressive. Congratulations for last night now we have to see how they work in the “real” world and not alone.
Be interesting how much that falls when they don’t go up against a rerun of house and when other shows are off reruns as well.
Actually people watched 90210 because it was a clone of a popular show. And the most important reason why it did so well… it was promoted to death. Something the CW has failed to do for Supernatural. I mean if you don’t know something is out there how do get people to watch. People knew about the hype of 90210. If more people were AWARE of Supernatural, I am sure it would do better. Because those of us who did find Supernatural know it is worth the watch. Although it is on at the same time as CSI and Grey’s Anatomy, I still prefer Supernatural.