via press release:
CBS's "LATE SHOW" AND "THE LATE LATE SHOW" CONTINUE THEIR WINNING WAYS
"Late Show" Tops "The Tonight Show" in Viewers and Adults 25-54
"The Late Late Show" Places First in Viewers, Adult 18-49 and Adults 25-54
CBS's LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN topped "The Tonight Show" in viewers and adults 25-54 while THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON placed first in viewers and key demos (tied), according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending Dec. 1.
LATE SHOW posted a 3.1/08 in households with an average of 4.40m viewers, 1.4/06 in adults 25-54 and 1.0/04 in adults 18-49. LATE SHOW beat "The Tonight Show" broadcasts in households by +63% (vs. 1.9/05), viewers by +66% (vs. 2.65m) and +17% in adults 25-54 (vs. 1.2/05).
THE LATE LATE SHOW posted a 1.4/05 in households with 1.95m viewers, 0.6/03 in adults 18-49 and 0.7/04 in adults 25-54. LATE LATE SHOW beat "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" in households (vs. 1.1/04, +27%), viewers (vs. 1.50m, +30%) and tied in both adults 25-54 and adults 18-49. LATE LATE SHOW also beat "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in households (vs. 1.3/04, +8%), viewers (vs. 1.70m, +15%) and tied in adults 25-54 and adults 18-49.
Kimmel should be canceled. Simple as that. There’s no real reason for that show to exist, if it consistently loses to a show that costs next to nothing to produce (My boy Fergie). Nightline’s become my second favorite show of the evening – I’d love an additional half hour of it, ABC!
I read a few articles today (mostly rumour/speculation I’m sure) that NBC is quietly looking for possible replacements to Conan O’Brien…and Jerry Seinfeld was named as a possible candidate.
Pretty “out there” I suppose, but Jerry would be quite an interesting choice if that were true.
Craig Ferguson has beaten Jimmy Fallon many times in the total viewers count, but I guess the sponsors feel that if you are not a 25 year old male..you don’t count. I really feel that’s such an archaic view. Most young males ( & females) are NOT brand loyal these days.
Not to mention Ferguson is funnier than any of his competition. Hell, I wouldn’t be remiss about saying that he’s the funniest man on television.
So when I’m looking at this, the Late Show has an overall rating of 3.1/8 and the Tonight Show has a 1.9/5, right? The CBS press releases are the only place to find these ratings, aren’t they? NBC certainly doesn’t mention them.
I think if I were NBC I would call Craig Ferguson and see if I could get him to take over the Tonight Show. I’m not sure if he would or not since David Letterman hired him at CBS. Right now I believe Craig Ferguson is the best late night talk show host.
The NBC experiment is a complete failure. Now rumor has it that NBC wants Jerry Seinfeld to take over the Tonight Show. Just give the Tonight Show back to Jay Leno and Conan can go back to 12:35 AM. NBC WAS the late night leader and now is late night last! Admit your mistake and fix it…. seems simple enough! Seinfeld is not needed – Just move everybody back to their original spot…. This is not rocket science! Apparently NBC just doesn’t get it…. Fail with a new idea so come up with another new idea! DUH!!
Good to see Craig beating Fallon so handily. Doesn’t look like that will stop any time soon.
Rich, first, that rumor about Seinfeld is completely made up. According to Seinfeld’s agent as well as a spokesman from the NBC, it’s not based in any sort of reality.
Second, if you think that NBC can just move back to last year’s lineup and pretend nothing ever happened, you’re crazy. There is no way that Conan would say “Demotion? Okay!” and willingly go back to Late Night. He would leave the network all together. He would immediately be offered a show on a different network, and I’m willing to bet he’d accept. The move would seriously piss off Conan fans and would completely alienate Fallon fans.
Also, I highly doubt that putting Leno back at 11:35 would help the Tonight Show ratings at this point. People aren’t saying, “We miss Leno!” They’re saying, “Eh, we don’t like Conan.” I have a feeling that Letterman would still be on top if they made the move.
Don’t forget that Letterman will likely be gone in a few years. Also, don’t overlook the fact that Conan’s fans are growing up. It’s not that Conan appeals to “younger people” than Letterman does. It’s that he appeals to a (currently) younger generation. And that generation is growing up.
Mark states Letterman should call Ferguson and let him take over the Tonight Show. If this were to happen then the result would be the same as Conan. Ferguson’s comedy, thought I think it’s great, is NOT suited for the 11:30 PM time slot. This is what makes Ferguson so great. He can say what he thinks without much hassle by the censors. I love Ferggy right where he is. I’ll be a fan forever and stay up to watch him ‘live’. Like he says, “What can they do? Put me on Later”. YOU GO GUY!!!!!!
Simplest solution: Make Nightline an hour. Kick Kimmel to the curb already, nobody has ever given a crap about him or that show and then Conan goes to ABC and back to 12:30 where he belongs.
Leno moves back to 1130 and people watch the show again because it’s like a baby being given back his old wubbie blankee. Yes, it stinks, but he’s happy.
Merry Merry.