via CBS press release:
"LATE SHOW" TOPS "THE Tonight Show"
FOR THE 8TH CONSECUTIVE WEEK
"Late Late Show" Tops "Late Night" for the 7th Consecutive Week
Both Shows Grow Audience Over Last Summer
CBS's LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN topped "The Tonight Show" in viewers for the eighth consecutive week and THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON topped "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" for the seventh consecutive week, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending Aug. 28.
LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN delivered a 2.4/06 in households with an average of 3.32m viewers, up +20% in households (from 2.0/05) and +25% in viewers (from 2.65m) compared to the same week last year (a week with delays Monday to Thursday due to the Democratic Convention news coverage). LATE SHOW was even in adults 25-54 (1.0/04), adults 18-49 (0.7/03) and adults 18-34 (0.5/02) compared to the same week last year. Note: Friday, August 28, 2009's broadcast was delayed due to primetime football. Since it aired with an amended title, it was not included in the weekly average.
LATE SHOW beat "The Tonight Show" in households (2.4/06 vs. 1.9/05, +26%) and viewers (3.32m vs. 2.78m, +19%). LATE SHOW has beaten "The Tonight Show" for eight consecutive weeks in both households and viewers.
THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON rebroadcasts posted a 1.2/04 in households with 1.52m viewers, up +20% in households (from 1.0/04) and +21% in viewers (from 1.26m) compared to the same week last year (also a week of rebroadcasts with delays Monday to Thursday due to the Democratic Convention news coverage). THE LATE LATE SHOW was up +20% in adults 25-54 (0.6/03 from 0.5/03) and even in both adults 18-49 (0.4/03) and adults 18-34 (0.3/02) compared to the same week last year. Note: Friday, August 28, 2009's broadcast was delayed due to primetime football. Since it aired with an amended title, it was not included in the weekly average.
THE LATE LATE SHOW (R) beat "Late Night" rebroadcasts in households (1.2/04 vs. 1.0/04, +20%) and viewers (1.52m vs. 1.33m, +14%) for the seventh consecutive week. THE LATE LATE SHOW tied "Late Night" in adults 25-54 (0.6/03 vs. 0.6/04) for the second consecutive week and third time in four weeks.
When will the PR people at NBC just give up and admit Conan is a complete disaster. Jay Leno averaged better 18-49 last year than Conan did this year, and Jeff Zucker says that Conan does so well appealing to the young demographic. And 2.7 million viewers is terrible.
CBS, hope you’re paying attention to the 20% increase in audience over last year for the Late Late Show and you give Craig Ferguson the contract he richly deserves.
I watched two new episodes of Late Late Show in HD this week. They were really good. As Craig joked it was equally crappy but you can see it more clearly (I guess same goes to every HD show), the new episodes feel quite fresh.
Curious to know next week’s results. Hope more people tune in to the Late Late Show, which IMO the funniest one in the late night shows.
Craig’s show looks good in HD. I don’t doubt a spike in ratings for the week because of this.
Craig have not only looked good in HD, his guests have been really really good. Tarantino, Emily Deschanel and especially Mila Kunis last night was a brilliant interview. His monolog and random talk have been the best for years, what new is that he now surpasses everyone (besides letterman with some special guests) when it comes to interviews, he can turn a D-List actress into the most intressting guest and when given a smart funny guest it becomes gold like last night.
the first 3 episodes in HD-funny man…..this man is the best….he is so funny….and the muppets…..damn!!!!
I’m 26 years old, and if young people like Conan and Jimmy Fallon, then I don’t want to be young. Fallon has gotta be the worst host ever, thank god Ferguson overtook him in the ratings. I don’t understand why Fallon does better in 18-49 than Ferguson, i hope that changes.
I just don’t think David Letterman or Craig Ferguson are funny. I loved Conan before and I love him now. I was worried they would make him change, but they didn’t. I do see one problem though, his guests. He is still only getting “Late night” guests, not “Tonight Show” Guests. I agree, Jimmy Fallon is awful.
I’m a longtime Letterman fan. Dave is the intellectual’s late night host. Ferguson is so annoying, even with the audio off I can’t tolerate him. Conan is enjoyable, but I’ve never been a fan and Fallon is up their with the worst hosts ever. I rarely watch Kimmel, but I enjoy him to a certain extent. Letterman is the only show I almost never miss.
Kimmel is comotose.
I would rather listen to a tape loop of someone scratching their fingernails down a chalkboard then suffer through an hour of Conan. He is just dreadful, absolutely dreadful.
I agree Conan is dreadful. And what’s with the bright red hair on an old guy? Come on! It’s just creepy.
IMO, Conan’s move to the “Tonight Show” watered him down a tad bit. A couple of years ago it seems as though the steam was gone from his schtick. Shortly thereafter Craigers started making inroads and I think that Coco was just starting to mark time until he would make the transition to “Tonight.” It will take a while for him to grow in to the new show and for the audience to accept him. Jay Leno went through the same thing.
Ah, yes, Dave is King, has always been the King and I am certain that everyone at the “Late Show” are very happy with their new found ratings success. They are kicking ass and taking names and I cannot wait until Tony Blair’s makes his appearance. Dave is smart, funny and with the times in my opinion. Great to see that CBS’s P.R. Department are finally doing their job. I do not recall EVER reading any releases when Jay was opposite Dave.
Agreed, Conan is absolutely dreadful. For me he is unwatchable.
Conan is the man fallon is decent, by the time he comes on im half asleep anyway. Letterman blows and fergusson isnt much better
Conan is still awkward and I don’t feel comfortable watching him. His monologue is extremely weak. His set is horrid. Fallon is wretched. Someone should buy him some confidence or put him out of his misery. Go back to SNL or whatever you were doing before.
Letterman is a natural but I flip over to Nightline every so often to see their sensational ‘news’ coverage. I like Craig even though I don’t understand half the things he says. He genuinely seems comfortable, confident and happy in his own skin. I like that about him and he’s quite funny in that unstructured way.
Leno used to win in total viewers and 18-49 didn’t he? With decision making like that no wonder NBC are fourth!
Conan O’ Brien is the best late night talk show host there is. He is funnier than the dull Letterman and quirky that the “safe” Leno. With the rest there is no comparison. Don’t care what the ratings say.
If a reality show like American Idol, (which isn’t bad) and Dancing with the Stars (which is really bad) can be the top rated shows rather than well scripted and well produced shows like CSI and Lost, then it just goes to show that ratings don’t mean quality.
Basically Craig Ferguson is the best late night host/interviewer out there for me period! No other host comes even close. Letterman and Peter Lassally struck gold and Ferguson deserves whatever pay increase CBS deigns to offer which likely wouldn’t be enough. I mean when he came back from the writers strike with no guests for the hour and kept me entertained then he’s got it!
Conan sucks at 1130 and Fallon is absolutely unwatchable. Does he need 13 week cycles like Conan had when he started? NBC really has given up and set the barometer for tacky programing in my view. I don’t watch anything on their network anymore. Sad times from the network that owned the 80′s and early 90′s at my house.
Ferguson is freaking hilarious. Wish he was on earlier, though. Love the puppets, love the random, love the self-effacing humour. And he never does a “typical” zzzzzzz interview.