| Scoreboard |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Viewers (million) | 12.03 | 8.47 | 7.17 | 7.04 | 4.06 | 2.87 |
| Rating/Share: Adults 18-49 | 3.4/9 | 2.5/7 | 2.6/7 | 2.4/7 | 1.7/4 | 1.4/4 |
| Rating/Share: Adults 18-34 | 2.1/6 | 2.0/6 | 2.4/7 | 1.9/6 | 1.8/5 | 1.6/5 |
CBS easily won the night in terms of overall viewers, and viewers aged 18-49. Things were not quite as bleak for ABC as I had originally feared based on the very early numbers. Once the fast affiliate ratings arrived we could at least see that ABC carried the night among 18-34 year olds. Things do look bleak however for Pushing Daisies which only scored 6.32 million viewers and did not perform well in either age demographic. Worse, still it lost viewers from the first half hour to the second (6.71 million to 5.96 million). It lost to Knight Rider (7.56 million) in viewers and in the demos.
Things looked slightly better for the premiere of Private Practice. While also way down from its premiere last year it at least cracked the 8 million mark and had good numbers among 18-49 year olds and dominated the hour among 18-34 year olds. If it keeps that up, even with the low overall viewer numbers it may keep it off the list of shows on the bubble.
Dirty Sexy Money didn't go gangbusters at 10pm, though nothing did besides CSI: NY (14.67 million). DSM pulled in 7.15 million viewers and came in second place in both age demos. But it still crushed Lipstick Jungle which drew a mere 5.31 million viewers.
Fox had good luck with Bones in viewers (9.82 million) and won the both age demos for the 8pm hour. But ‘Til Death will be on the death watch until it actually dies, averaging only 4.26 million with poor age demo performance for Fox at 9pm.
CBS plans for a Wednesday comedy block are off to a shaky start with the combination of The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried averaging 6.917 million and a mediocre 2.1/6 among 18-49 year olds between 8p-9p. But the aforementioned CSI: NY was strong and the most-watched show of the night. The next most watched show was also on CBS, Criminal Minds with 14.51 million.
NBC's best effort was America's Got Talent at 9pm, with 12.55 million. But looking at Knight Rider relative to its 8pm peers, it kind of seems like a keeper for the peacocks if these numbers hold up.
America's Next Top Model was able to crack 4 million (barely) and it came in tied for second (with Knight Rider) among 18-34 year olds.
Full details:
| Time | Net | Show | Viewers (Millons) | 18-49 Rating/Share | 18-34 Rating/Share |
| 8:00 | FOX | Bones | 9.82 | 3.2/9 | 2.4/6 |
| NBC | Knight Rider | 7.56 | 2.4/7 | 2.1/7 | |
| CBS | The New Adventures of Old Christine | 6.86 | 2.0/6 | 1.1/4 | |
| ABC | Pushing Daisies | 6.32 | 2.0/6 | 1.7/6 | |
| UNI | Cuidado con el Angel | 4.16 | 1.7/5 | 1.9/6 | |
| CW | America's Next Top Model | 4.01 | 1.8/5 | 2.1/7 | |
| 8:30 | CBS | Gary Unmarried | 6.98 | 2.2/6 | 1.3/4 |
| 9:00 | CBS | Criminal Minds | 14.51 | 3.8/10 | 2.3/6 |
| NBC | America's Got Talent | 12.55 | 3.3/8 | 2.2/6 | |
| ABC | Private Practice | 8.05 | 3.3/8 | 3.5/10 | |
| UNI | Fuego en la Sangre | 4.83 | 1.9/5 | 2.2/6 | |
| FOX | Til Death (2 episodes) | 4.26 | 1.7/4 | 1.4/4 | |
| CW | 90210 (R) | 1.73 | 0.9/2 | 1.2/3 | |
| 10:00 | CBS | CSI: NY | 14.67 | 4.2/11 | 2.8/8 |
| ABC | Dirty Sexy Money | 7.15 | 2.5/7 | 2.1/6 | |
| NBC | Lipstick Jungle | 5.31 | 1.9/5 | 1.5/4 |
Shows are sorted by viewers in each time slot.
Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2008 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
Definitions:
Fast Affiliate Overnight Ratings: Local metered-market ratings service of Nielsen Station Index (NSI) in which household ratings and shares are provided to clients the morning following the day or evening of telecast. While routinely used for "next day" immediate analysis, these fast affiliate ratings are by process inaccurate for programs that air live across a network since they represent affiliate time period performance. For example, last night's 10-11pm affiliate #'s would reflect 10pm on the East Coast but also 10pm on the West Coast which for a live event would not represent the same broadcast or portion of the broadcast.
Rating: Estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (or other specified group) tuned to a program in the average minute. Ratings are expressed as a percent.
Share (of Audience): The percent of households (or persons) using television who are tuned to a specific program, station or network in a specific area at a specific time. (See also, Rating, which represents tuning or viewing as a percent of the entire population being measured.)
LIVE+SD: The number that watched a program either while it was broadcast OR watched via DVR on the same day [through 3AM the next day] the program was broadcast.
For more information see Numbers 101.
CBS has the gramps nitch down.
Robert and Bob, are you guys of the opinion that a show should be canceled quickly if it doesn’t find an audience right out of the gate, or that a network should be patient and give a show time? What should the criteria be? 13 eps? A season? 3 eps?
I’ll let “Bob” (or even Bill!) speak for himself, but I’m of the opinion that because there are some shows that were on the bubble last year that probably only get another shot because of the weird season/WGA Strike last year that there is even a shorter leash for them than normal.
I could be completely mistaken though…
Pushing Daisies is very dangerous, the first season rating is 9.42 million, now is only 6.32 million.
Private Practice also not that good, first season rating got 11.50 million, now is 8.32 million. But demo looks OK.
Dirty Sexy Money looks the same as first season.
So Pushing Daisies, maybe ABC give it 2 eps to see, if not work, then less 13 eps.
Robert & Bill, sorry! Brain fart
I’m disappointed Pushing Daisies didn’t do better, I really like the show. It seems all the 2nd year shows I like PD, Chuck, TSSC, haven’t been able to come back strong.
Old Christine, which did badly in the demo last week slipped another tick down. If that continues, I doubt that CBS will give it some special dispensation from mid-season cancellation just because it had a timeslot shift this season. This is a “what have you done for me lately” world, baby
The Renew/Cancel Index is merciless.
andrea, we have our brain farts alllll the time. Remembering each other’s (and our own) names may be the *only* thing we consistently always get right
Bill, Christine is a weird case though — it obviously can’t carry the 8pm slot currently, but it probably would outperform Worst Week in its original slot following 2.5 Men. Also, I think this is an ABC produced show that ABC would take if CBS gave up on it, if so there may possibly be some gamesmanship that transcends the ratings
The only thing that might help PD is that ABC won almost no Emmys this year and PD got 3 of them. If this were NBC I wouldn’t even be concerned, but I don’t think that will be enough to save it this year.
PD is criminally under watched. I give it 6 more eps. which is sad because it is the best show on TV.
PP DSM and LJ under performing as well. I predict DSM and LJ see the ax.
Real comedy blocks are 2 hours.
You know ‘Til Death is in deep trouble when Fuego en la Sangre does better than it does. How much longer is Fox really going to hold onto that show. I can’t imagine that TSCC would do any worse in this time slot. Heck, PB would probably do better in the time slot.
Fuego en la Sangre is a very popular show, especially in the younger demo.
well PD wasnt as good as i thought it be for an opening episode. it does kinda deserve the low ratings for this ep. but saying that not many shows have had great season openers this yr. greys and DH were terrible too.
You’re nuts, John. DH had a great opening and was hardly down from last year’s season premiere and outperformed last year’s season finale. Grey’s owned 18-49 and 18-34 demos for the week, so that’s hardly “terrible”, but it was down versus last year and did not face off against a new CSI.
Wow, this isn’t really looking like a good season for TV ratings. Everything, well most everything, is down a nice amount from last year. What’s up with that? Did the strike have THAT much of an impact?
1982,
Actually, almost everything on CBS is up or on par from last season. Which says that the old crowd returned after the strike, but the demo audience didn’t. Now the question is…why?
Private Practice joins the Victoria’s Secret Trunk Show premieres.
Private Practice, Chuck, The Fringe and Knight Rider
all featured a “black bra scene” in their curtain raisers,
what gives?
Gerry, Sex sells?
I have to say that Old Christine beating out Pushing Daisies is a good sign. The ratings are still not great, but it is doing decent against some tough competition. I agree with the fact that it would be better than Worst Week in the same slot after 2.5 Men. If CBS understands the timeslot issue, they may put it in Worst Week’s slot if Worst Week keeps performing the way it does (it got 9 mil last time compared to Old Christine’s 12 usually). I hope ABC is still interested if CBS drops the ball.
Speaking of TSCC, I find myself mystified that “Knight Rider” is doing materially better in the ratings than TSCC. I watched the premiere of Knight Rider and thought that show was a total trainwreck.
Anyone know what NBC intends to air in the 9:00 timeslot now that AGT is done?