Due to the nature of live programming the ratings for CBS (Super Bowl, Post Game Show and Undercover Boss) are approximate and subject to significant revisions in the final numbers.
Many fans on our site weren't happy with CBS' decision to air Undercover Boss following the Super Bowl, but at least compared to recent years, it definitely pulled good rating numbers for CBS in the very preliminary metered market household reporting.
In the early preliminary metered market numbers Undercover Boss had a 20.3/33 (household rating/share) between 10:15pm-11:15pm, the best numbers since Grey's Anatomy in 2006.
By comparison, last year The Office had a 14.4/24 following the Super Bowl.
Well, there is egg on my face.
I watch the show last and it was very good looking foward for next week
I not a fan of reality shows at all, but Undercover Boss was pretty good!
It wasn’t the show, it was the early timeslot.
Much is going to be made about how this is surprising given how many people trashed the pick, but we really need to step back and think about how much UB benefited from the game being over before 10 PM. I’d say considerably.
Dollhouse would’ve gotten better ratings and the publicity it deserved as being Joss’ best show. So what if CBS had the Super Bowl, Fox should have paid for the spot.
Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks, Fox sucks.
I really liked it and so did the Mrs. I was pretty blasé about the whole idea really and may not have watched it otherwise. Why I think it worked is because the editing etc really emphasized the lives of the other workers instead of the fish-out-of-water aspect. I guess I mentally expected the show being more like CEO does The Simple Life. But after seeing an episode we’re looking forward to next week’s episode.
What a fantastic show all bosses of big corportations should do this
i turned off the SB after it finished. UB looked stupid to me. I think it had high ratings b/c the game had high ratings
I liked it, but after this season, it’s going to be tough to keep it going since every other American knows the concept and would be suspicious of any new one day worker with a camera crew.
How is this a surprise?
The Super Bowl appeals to the average American. The average American hates his boss and believes he doesn’t get due appreciation for his job.
Match made in heaven.
Glad the network realized that you don’t go overly quirky or niche with the post-Super Bowl slot.
between this and Avatar I’ve lost all faith in America.
This actually isn’t surprising to me. I’m not generally a fan of reality TV, and yes, I would prefer to see scripted programming. That being said, I think reality TV is simply more accessible to new viewers. There are no plots to have to explain, no character histories, and no backstories. That’s why shows like NCIS and House benefit from the constant reruns on USA. It makes it easier to jump in to the new episodes. Reality TV shows, you pretty much just need to know the concept and you can pick up at any time. It also benefitted in accessibility by being a premier episode.
Now, who knows what it’s ratings are going to be like when it airs during it’s regular time slot. But a big post-game viewer total doesn’t shock me.
All I hope is that TAR and it play well together and CBS finally has something besides just TAR that performs well on Sundays.
quote-Stephanie says:
February 8, 2010 at 7:38 am
What a fantastic show all bosses of big corportations should do this
Next week’s show-Jeff Zucker!
That I’d watch..:D
@John the Mon Don’t be a hater Avatar is the best movie ever
and I loved Undercover Boss, it was a great show!
Grey’s was 37.8 million viewers with a 34 share. Today is going to be huge for CBS.
Whoever didn’t watch “Undercover Boss” is a you know
. I really like “Undercover Boss” it very much. 10/10
TomKH – Shut up your annoying.
Robert/Bill:
A lot of people were saying that CBS made a mistake airing UB because it was assumed it would get lower ratings and therefore less revenue from the ads. Following this logic, it can be assumed that CBS got less money for a 30 second ad during UB than they could have gotten if they had aired something more established such as The Big Bang Theory.
My question is, do you know how the cost of ads are calculated? For example, if the network sold a 30 second ad based on their projection that they would get x rating, and in reality they end up getting x + 20, are the cost of the ads adjusted after the fact? Thanks.
I’m not surprised. The show seemed to have a lot more mass appeal than The Office did last year. My parents made sure to stay tuned after the game.
Although I didn’t watch UB (I was catching up on RedEye), it just happened that my epi ended when the promo for next week came on (Hooters). Watching the promo unfold, really intrigued me — think it will do well next week after TAR.