Comments on: Updated Thursday Ratings: ABC, NBA Finals, Lakers Crush Rivals

By: Entertainment Link-Off: Warning – Long Entry Ahead! « The Lowdown Blog

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 21:38:24 +0000

[...] There’s a lack of original scripted programming on network TV during the summer… it’s quite boring. I’m desperate enough to watch CTV/NBC’s latest offering “The Listener”. It’s not a bad show, but it’s not great either. At least I’m not losing brain cells as I spend an hour watching this in front of the TV screen. For a Canadian show, it’s actually well executed. I’m a little surprised myself. The premiere of “The Listener” didn’t draw spectacular ratings. While it did beat out “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” (which is a crap show by the way) in overall ratings… it lost out in the 18-49 demos. Is there no justice in this world? (TV by the Numbers) [...]

By: Brian D

Brian D — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:02:34 +0000

The Listener is a great show. I ran across it back in March decided to check it out and was pleasantly surprised. I was sad to see NBC pick it up as NBC frankly has no clue what to do with good shows.

By: Shem

Shem — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:43:22 +0000

Why was Jimmy Kimmel doing at 8pm??

By: jay

jay — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:45:46 +0000

If I recall rightly, the game didn’t become a blowout until near the end of the third quarter – so the viewership for ten to eleven didn’t slip. So that’s why they delay the start of these games … I was surprised to see Kimmel was on, and a little surprised he busted out the competition. Could we be seeing once or twice weekly Kimmel shows on ABC competing with Leno’s time slot in the future? Along with, say, once or twice weekly SNL specials? With the continued popularity of Barbara Walters specials, 20/20 etc, why not give her an extra night a week also? I could definitely see, if the ABC fall schedule crashes and burns as badly as their summer shows have, ten to eleven taken up with filler, and CBS being the last one standing with scripted shows during that time.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:23:12 +0000

Hopefully, NBC airs all 13 episodes of The Listener. It helps that it’s a cheap show like Fox’s Mental, another 13-episode summer series import. Both shows have done similarly in the ratings with around a 5.2, not bad when you consider they’re cost-effective nature and low expectations. If The Listener aired behind Ghost Whisperer on CBS it would likely get 7.5 or higher as it seems compatible.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:09:05 +0000

I wonder if it really is NBC. Perhaps they just can’t land a good show because no one is watching when they are showing promos? Generally (but not always of course) if a series does well ratings-wise in the US, it will in many other parts of the world too.

By: JeffC

JeffC — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:11:54 +0000

Ryan, equating poor acting to something’s origin in Canada is ridiculous. There are currently many major American shows on the air that have a full time Canadian member, probably the majority; and there are quite a few legendary Canadian actors and have been since Mary Pickford arrived in Hollywood.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:29:17 +0000

Thanks,Julia.

By: ryan

ryan — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:34:51 +0000

The Listener wasnt that bad, I liked it. The acting was okay…what do you expect, its Canadian, but other than that i would watch it again.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:34:35 +0000

doh! thanks, Julia.

By: Julia

Julia — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:32:34 +0000

From TFC:

In late-night metered market ratings, NBC’s “Conan” (3.8/9) took the the top spot, defeating ABC’s “Nightline” (2.8/8) and CBS’s “Letterman” (3.2/8). Rounding out the night then were “Kimmel” (1.5/5) on ABC “Ferguson” (1.5/5) on CBS and “Fallon” (1.9/6) and “Daly” (1.2/5) on NBC.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:28:15 +0000

@Michael, I didn’t see any numbers for Conan for Thursday yet and I looked several times.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:43:56 +0000

Does anyone know how Conan did last night?

By: TomSD

TomSD — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:12:53 +0000

NBC is beyonde dumb. Not only did The Listener was up against the NBA finals, it was also up against (and will be for the rest of the summer) Burn Notice.

The time has come to stop ignoring cable when schedualing a show. Mondays are the best example of it, you have Secret Life of the American Teenager, WWE and if I remember corectly The Closer and Saving grace were also on Mondays.

By: Michaela

Michaela — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:56:26 +0000

“Oh my gosh is I’m A Celeb on EVERY SINGLE STUPID NIGHT…??????”

Seriously! What I find even more aggravating than the fact anybody would even make a show about a bunch of has-been sub d-list celebrities whose fifteen minutes of fame was up a long time ago is that there are people who actually watch this crap!

By: cool

cool — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:24:08 +0000

^but ABC is and will be fourth in the summer. The Finals is not 4 months long.

By: ABCFanatic

ABCFanatic — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:03:15 +0000

NBC is fourth again! shame especially they premiere a new show but its an import!

ABC rocks Summer!

By: shelly

shelly — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:43:41 +0000

From the online buzz, I gathered that people were far more interested in watching Royal Pains than The Listener, which is probably what happened, especially since Royal Pains’s lead-in was the immensely popular Burn Notice.

Speaking of, how soon till we get numbers for Royal Pains?

By: jon

jon — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:20:01 +0000

ok, maybe not bad, b/c the series has potential. but the rating overall was lower than last years but it was a blowout. the game finished lower than any world series game except game 3 which was rain delayed.

By: StuckInASewingMachine

StuckInASewingMachine — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:10:21 +0000

When will the ratings for Burn Notice get released? This broadcast stuff is a yawn! Shows like “I’m a Celebrity…” is why people don’t bother to watch network TV in summertime…

By: Derrick

Derrick — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:13:01 +0000

I turned to the Listener thinking i was going to get something bad like Reaper, but instead it was a great show.

i hope it last a long time, its a really good show

By: HogWash

HogWash — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:56:27 +0000

I don’t think the Listener did that bad considering it wasn’t advertised too much and had some stiff competition. I’m sure it met NBC’s liking considering the cost would be much lower. It’s not very often that an imported show does very well in the States (compared to how well US shows do abroad).

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:55:38 +0000

jon, the primetime ratings for the game are certainly not “bad” compared to last year’s first game, although last year’s game ratings were up post 11pm, and last night’s game ratings are almost certainly down post 11pm.

By: jon

jon — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:49:25 +0000

bad numbers for the nba finals. it really does not take a genius to figure out why the numbers were low. i expect them to rise if the magic gain some self-respect and compete with the lakers.

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:30:51 +0000

Interesting how The Listener didn’t do so great. I read somewhere that it did so well in Europe and other places that Fox International was asking CTV for a second season after the fifth episode…

By: Chief

Chief — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:30:25 +0000

Bad news for ABC, unless the Magic do something drastic this looks like it will be a very short series.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:26:07 +0000

gmyers, the game was a blowout by the end of the 3rd quarter and likely lost viewers after 11pm Eastern, but it was remarkably stable through the 10:30-11 half hour which is the last time period we currently have data for.

By: gmyers

gmyers — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:55:22 +0000

So The Mentalist repeat grew out of the CSI repeat. That is interesting. Did the basketball game get less interesting as the Lakers were obvioulsy going to win or was that stregnth on The Mentalist part?

By: Dennis

Dennis — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:39:28 +0000

Good to hear. Go Lakers!

By: Hudson

Hudson — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:23:29 +0000

Aw, the SYTYCD demos are usually a bit higher than that. I guess the NBA finals were the reason why the numbers were low?

On a side note, I love the top 20 the judges picked this year.

By: R.G.

R.G. — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:12:31 +0000

Oh my gosh is I’m A Celeb on EVERY SINGLE STUPID NIGHT…??????

A-N-N-O-Y–I-N-G……..I’d rather someone force me to watch Dancing With the Stars then see this crap of what NBC is airing—!!!

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:49:21 +0000

This is completely off-topic, but I was just thinking how ironic it is that NBC launched the first series based on the movie “Parenthood” back in the fall of 1990, the same time “Law and order” started….and now they’re launching the second series based on the movie “Parenthood” in what will likely be L&O’s LAST season. The Parenthood shows are like bookends for L&O’s run.

By: 5506

5506 — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:45:16 +0000

Incredible (first comment i hope)