In the light of the many gushing "Look At How Great Some New Shows Are Doing!" stories all over the TV media, I thought it would be interesting to look at which returning shows are down big from last season.
Five dramas (90210, CSI, One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives Ghost Whisperer) have retuned this season down more than 20% in the adults 18-49 demo ratings from last season.
The CW's returning shows have fared particularly badly this season compared to early last season. And to put the "hit" status of Vampire Diaries in perspective, after 4 weeks last fall 90210 had an adults 18-49 rating average of 1.8. Vampire Diaries average after 4 weeks of the season: 1.7. Although I realize the CW targets primarily women 18-34, I don't have access to ratings averages in that demo.
On the other hand, the standouts for growth vs. last season are the very well publicized ratings increase of NCIS, and the less well publicized relative growth of the Fox animated comedies (Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy).
On average vs. last season, in the 18-49 demo, Fox is up 10%, CBS is flat, NBC is down 10%, ABC is down 9%, and the CW is flat. These overall network averages include their entire primetime line ups, not just scripted shows in their old timeslots like the table below.
Error Update: I copied and pasted some wrong numbers in the table earlier, and several shows initially had incorrect average ratings. Although there were no big changes in the order, after correction, Desperate Housewives' ratings fall turns out to be greater than Ghost Whisperer's. Also, Family Guy's average includes one repeat airing already this season. Last season's averages *potentially* contain a repeat in the first 4 weeks as well.
Adults 18-49 ratings averages after 4 weeks of the broadcast season in 08-09 and 09-10:
| Show | Net | 2009-10 STD 18-49 Rating (LIVE+SD) | 2008-09 STD 18-49 Rating (LIVE+SD) | Change |
| 90210 | CW | 1.1 | 1.8 | -39% |
| CSI | CBS | 3.8 | 6.2 | -39% |
| One Tree Hill | CW | 1.1 | 1.7 | -35% |
| Gossip Girl | CW | 1.1 | 1.6 | -31% |
| Desperate Housewives | ABC | 4.7 | 6.1 | -23% |
| Ghost Whisperer | CBS | 2.1 | 2.6 | -19% |
| Brothers & Sisters | ABC | 3.1 | 3.8 | -18% |
| CSI:NY | CBS | 3.4 | 4.1 | -17% |
| Numb3rs | CBS | 1.8 | 2.1 | -15% |
| Grey's Anatomy | ABC | 5.8 | 6.6 | -12% |
| Supernatural | CW | 1.2 | 1.4 | -14% |
| The Office | NBC | 4.2 | 4.7 | -11% |
| Criminal Minds | CBS | 3.9 | 4.3 | -9% |
| Two and a Half Men | CBS | 4.7 | 5.1 | -8% |
| CSI: Miami | CBS | 4.1 | 4.4 | -7% |
| New Adventures of Old Christine | CBS | 2.0 | 2.1 | -5% |
| Gary Unmarried | CBS | 2.3 | 2.3 | 0% |
| The Simpsons | FOX | 4.1 | 4.0 | 2% |
| American Dad | FOX | 3.5 | 3.3 | 6% |
| Family Guy | FOX | 4.8 | 4.5 | 7% |
| NCIS | CBS | 4.6 | 3.7 | 24% |
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The table above contains the season to date adults 18-49 ratings averages after the 4th week of the broadcast season for scripted shows on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and the CW that returned in the 2009-10 season to their 2008-9 season timeslot. Cold Case isn't in the list because the ratings average data I have for 2008-9 notes that even for the first 4 weeks it was in more than one timeslot.
Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
Glad to see that Gary Unmarried and Old Christine are keeping most of what little audience they have. Interesting that after twenty years the Simpsons are still going strong.
CSI 4.3? how u count this?
(4.1+4.1+3.5+3.6)/4=3.8
also, NCIS 4.6, Family Guy 5.0 and more more more…
Andrei, you’re right! not sure how that happened. Fixing.
Is Gary Unmarried supposed to be even or down 2%?
Error Update: I copied and pasted some wrong numbers in the table earlier, and several shows initially had incorrect average ratings. Although there were no big changes in the order, after correction, Desperate Housewives’ ratings fall turns out to be greater than Ghost Whisperer’s.
Julia, bah, the two years numbers had two different rounding conventions that caused that discrepancy. I will round everything to a single digit.
Now fixed.
I don’t understant why CBS keeps bringing back Old Christine. Is someone getting blackmailed?
CSI’s writers have run out of ideas. It’s the same old, same old. It was my favorite in its first few seasons. I watched it again recently and can’t believe how much has not changed.
Perhaps Medium is having a negative effect on Ghost Whisperer, which is a copycat version of Medium to begin with. Medium began in January as a mid-season show on NBC. The following September, Paramount knocked off a similar version for CBS. NBC must have been overjoyed.
Huh, I didn’t even notice Ghost being down. Is it maybe because people who don’t want to watch 2 shows on the same night about a woman who talks to ghosts to solve crimes choose either Medium or Whisperer? It does help the look of Numbers’ #’s though. And Desperate’s plunge helps Grey’s look better. It’ll be interesting indeed if more people come to Lost thanks to its being in its last season and edges ahead of Housewives…not that that would be all that helpful as it’ll be over in May, but something to watch all the same.
The CSI up/NCIS down trend is quite interesting.
Oh, I just saw the part about “same timeslot” since I know SVU & Heroes are both down.
Thanks for putting this together, interesting to look at this way.
90210 and CSI leading doesn’t shock me, 90210 started strong due to curiosity and original cast members starring and then quickly faded last season. CSI hadn’t lost Grissom yet so their ratings plunge hadn’t started yet at this time last year.
Was a bit surprised at OTH and GG being down that much, especially since Hill seems to always manage to stick around on the CW season after season. I thought that was more stable.
NCIS is absolutely defying all normal laws of tv physics! I knew it was up, but not by 24% and in season 7. CBS must be ecstatic!
I also think it’s interesting that all 5 of the shows down >20% are (right now anyway) solidly likely to return next season, so good thing they either had a high starting point and/or are on a network that overall is down significantly year over year.
u count family guy’ repeat in the table =)
Andrei, you’re correct, but I meant to do that! There *may* have been repeats in the averages from last season as well. I’m not going to go back and check all 4 weeks worth
I will add a note above.
this is great. Shows I dislike are down and shows I like are up! the only exeption being the office.
Kozy writes, “NBC must have been overjoyed.”
Kelsey Grammer certainly was. CBS turned “Medium” down cold the first time around.
90210 started strong last season then dropped like crazy. Now the show is pretty stable. One Tree Hill got rid of Chad Michael Murray, which is why the ratings for One Tree Hill are down, which brought Gossip Girl down with it.
CBS’ CSIs are getting old now but NCIS is getting stronger. Im sure there will be another NCIS spinoff next year or 2.
WOW CSI has really gone down a lot.
I’m interested in how the returning shows that moved are doing too. It would seem that Fox made an overall good decision moving Fringe and what all since their average is up — but Fringe itself is down just as much (or more) as some of these.
And the CW – I just don’t get what they do or why they do it.
hows medium doing compared to last year
The photographer is Chris Jordan.
http://matadorchange.com/intolerable-beauty-chris-jordan-photographs-american-mass-consumption/comment-page-1/
Where’s Smallville or is this just compared to same day and night from previous season.
I’m also interested in the new year when 24, LOST, IDOL come back.
But i’m guessing it won’t change much, but these shows are as close to much see tv as it gets. Instead of the procedural stuff.
I think this table should be a weekly (or at least monthly) addition…assuming it is not too trying to put together.