CBS Wins, Fox on the Map Care of Game 4 of the ALCS

Week of October 12, 2009

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options 

No Saturday Entry

Note: I am currently on telephone call for potential jury duty, which means The Programming Insider could be pre-empted either tomorrow or Friday.

CBS Wins, Fox on the Map Care of Game 4 of the ALCS

              HH
          Rtg/Shr

-Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Tuesday, October 21, 2008):

NCIS (CBS), American League Championship Series, Game 4 (Fox), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Good Wife (CBS)

Shark Tank (ABC), 90210 (CW), Melrose Place (CW), The Forgotten (ABC), The Jay Leno Show (NBC)

CBS dominated the Tuesday overnights once again, finishing first in every half-hour with its combination of blockbuster NCIS (12.3 rating/20 share), spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles (10.2/16) and The Good Wife (9.3/16). Comparably, that built from the year-ago combination of NCIS, The Mentalist and Without a Trace by an average of 16 percent. But Fox moved into the No. 2 spot care of game four of the Yankees versus the Angels on Major League Baseball’s The American League Championship Series, which averaged an approximate 8.1/13 in primetime (and could lead Fox to victory among adults 18-49 once the fast affiliate results are released). Here is the half-hour breakdown for the game four match-up:

Keep in mind, of course, that results for any live sporting event are approximate.

As always, ABC’s one saving grace on Tuesday is the live Dancing With the Stars Results Show, which finished second in the overnights at 9 p.m. with a 9.4/14. Comparably, that built from soon-to-depart lead-in Shark Tank (#4: 3.8/ 6) by a massive 147 percent. So long, Natalie Couglin, who had better luck competing in the Olympics. As a reminder, the remake of V steps into the Tuesday 8 p.m. hour on ABC on Nov. 3. 

Capping off the evening for the alphabet was once-the-fence crime drama The Forgotten at a distant second-place 4.6/ 8 at 10 p.m. Comparably, retention out of the second half of lead-in Dancing With the Stars (9.8/15 at 9:30 p.m.) was just 47 percent. Equally disappointing was a loss of 18 percent in the overnights at 10:30 p.m. (5.0/ 8 to 4.1/ 7).

Over at NBC, The Biggest Loser averaged a typically respectable 5.3/ 8 in the overnights from 8-10 p.m., building by half-hour as follows:

While this may not look all that spectacular, this will likely translate into a mid-to-high 3-rating among adults 18-49. As reported yesterday, The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels will be featured in a six-episode non-scripted midseason series called Losing It With Jillian.

The Biggest Loser led into ongoing flop The Jay Leno Show, which sunk to a distant third-place 4.1/ 7 at 10 p.m. Comparably, although retention for Jay Leno out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of The Biggest Loser was respectable at 69 percent, it will not be as nearly as high among adults 18-49. 

In the distant No. 5 spot was The CW care of sophomore 90210 (1.5/ 2) and recent entry Melrose Place (1.1/ 2). Heather Locklear, who is slated to return on Nov. 17, will have her hands full trying to “save” this unnecessary revival.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

National Ratings in Prime-Time:

CBS dominated this fourth week of the 2009-10 season, with a first-place finish in households, total viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. Comparably, the Eye net has extended its winning streak to four consecutive weeks in both total viewers and adults 25-54. Fox, which housed the first two games of the American League Championship Series (New York Yankees versus Los Angeles Angels), won the week of Oct. 12 among adults 18-34. Year-to-year, Fox built by margins of 14 to 24 percent in the five surveyed categories, while CBS was consistent. Keep in mind that the year-ago week on Fox featured games four and five of the Philadelphia Phillies versus the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. 

As for the two ALCS games this week, here is how they fared:

American League Championship Series (Fox): Yankees vs. Angels

Viewers: 8.44 million (#32 overall), A18-49: 2.7/ 9 (#41)

Viewers: 9.38 million (#25), A18-49: 3.0/10 (#32t)

Elsewhere, ABC finished second in households and total viewers at levels on par with one year earlier, while tying NBC for third among adults 18-49. NBC rose to second in adults 18-34, with an across-the-board performance close to one year earlier. But the net’s biggest problem remains strip The Jay Leno Show, which ranked as follows:

Monday – Viewers: 5.10 million (#68), A18-49: 1.6/ 4 (#67t)

Tuesday – Viewers: 5.77 million (#61), A18-49: 1.8/ 5 (#60t)

Wednesday – Viewers: 6.15 million (#58), A18-49: 1.8/ 5 (#60t)

Thursday – Viewers: 5.37 million (#65), A18-49: 1.8/ 5 (#60t)

Friday – Viewers: 5.02 million (#72), A18-49: 1.3/ 4 (#74t)

Last-place The CW continues to build steam from one year earlier. But keep in mind that the comparison to the week of Oct. 13, 2008 includes low-rated Sunday in the mix. 

In season-premiere news, NBC’s Emmy winning 30 Rock has not benefited by all the accolades, with 6.39 million viewers (#55) and a 3.0/ 8 among adults 18-49 (#32t) in the Thursday 9:30 p.m. half-hour. Comparably, retention out of lead-in The Office (Viewers: 8.03 million; A18-49: 4.1/10) was 80 percent in total viewers and 73 percent in the demo. Given all the hoopla, this should have been a stronger performance.

Here are the final national ratings for the week of October 12, 2009 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago week in parentheses), followed by the freshman series results, and the top 30 rated programs of the week.   

CBS: 7.5 rating/12 share (+ 3), ABC: 5.8/10 (- 2), Fox: 4.8/ 8 (+14), NBC: 4.7/ 8 (+ 2), CW: 1.5/ 2 (+ 7)

CBS: 11.88 million (+ 3), ABC: 9.03 (- 1), Fox: 8.14 (+21), NBC: 7.41 (+ 3), CW: 2.26 (+ 8)

CBS: 3.2 rating/9 share (no change), Fox: 3.1/ 9 (+24), NBC: 2.6/ 7 (- 4), ABC: 2.6/ 7 (- 7), CW: 1.1/ 3 (+22)

CBS: 4.1/10 (no change), Fox: 3.3/ 8 (+22), ABC: 3.2/ 8 (- 3), NBC: 2.9/ 7 (- 3), CW: 1.0/ 2 (+25)

Fox: 2.9/ 9 (+21), NBC: 2.2/ 7 (- 4), CBS: 2.1/ 7 (no change), ABC: 2.0/ 6 (- 9), CW: 1.3/ 4 (+18)

Freshman Series Results (in order of total viewers)

NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) – Tuesday 9 p.m. ET

Viewers: 15.38 million (#4), A18-49: 3.5/ 9 (#20t)

The Good Wife (ABC) – Tuesday 10 p.m. ET

Viewers: 12.98 million (#17), A18-49: 2.8/ 8 (#37t)

Modern Family (ABC) – Wednesday 9 p.m. ET

Viewers: 9.35 million (#26), A18-49: 3.6/10 (#16t)

FlashForward (ABC) – Thursday 8 p.m. ET

Viewers: 9.07 million (#28), A18-49: 3.1/ 9 (#30t)

Cougar Town (ABC) – Wednesday 9:30 p.m. ET

Viewers: 8.00 million (#39), A18-49: 3.3/ 8 (#25t)

Three Rivers (CBS) – Sunday 10:30 p.m. ET (delayed because of primetime football overrun)

Viewers: 7.83 million (#41), A18-49: 1.9/ 5 (#56t)

Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) – Monday 8:30 p.m. ET

Viewers: 7.73 million (#42), A18-49: 3.0/ 7 (#32t)

Glee (Fox) – Wednesday 9 p.m. ET

Viewers: 7.65 million (#45), A18-49: 3.4/ 9 (#24)

The Cleveland Show (Fox) – Sunday 8:30 p.m. ET

Viewers: 7.62 million (#46), A18-49: 3.8/ 9 (#12t)

The Forgotten (ABC) – Tuesday 10 p.m. ET

Viewers: 7.43 million (#47), A18-49: 2.1/ 6 (#48t)

Mercy (NBC) – Wednesday 8 p.m. ET

Viewers: 7.37 million (#48), A18-49: 1.9/ 6 (#56t)

The Middle (ABC) – Wednesday 8:30 p.m. ET

Viewers: 6.77 million (#54), A18-49: 2.1/ 6 (#48t)

Hank (ABC) – Wednesday 8 p.m. ET

Viewers: 6.15 million (#58t), A18-49: 1.6/ 5 (#67t)

Trauma (NBC) – Monday 9 p.m. ET

Viewers: 5.49 million (#64), A18-49: 1.8/ 4 (#60t)

Shark Tank (ABC) – Tuesday 8 p.m. ET

Viewers: 5.24 million (#67), A18-49: 1.6/ 5 (#67t)

Eastwick (ABC) – Wednesday 10 p.m. ET

Viewers: 5.08 million (#69), A18-49: 1.7/ 5 (#66)

Community (NBC) – Thursday 8 p.m. ET

Viewers: 5.01 million (#73), A18-49: 2.0/ 6 (#52t)

The Vampire Diaries (CW) – Thursday 8 p.m. ET

Viewers: 3.88 million (#77), A18-49: 1.8/ 5 (#60t)

Brothers (Fox) – Sunday 7 p.m. ET

Viewers: 2.27 million (#86), A18-49: 0.8/ 3 (#85)

Melrose Place (CW) – Tuesday 9 p.m. ET

Viewers: 1.38 million (#88), A18-49: 0.7/ 2 (#86t)

NCIS (CBS): 21.04 million, Sunday Night Football (NBC, Chicago at Atlanta): 18.17, Dancing With the Stars – Monday (ABC): 16.79 million, NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) and CSI (CBS): 15.38 each, The Mentalist (CBS): 15.08, 60 Minutes (CBS): 14.32, Two and a Half Men (CBS): 14.17, Dancing With the Stars – Tuesday (ABC): 13.96, Criminal Minds (CBS): 13.92, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): 13.79, Desperate Housewives (ABC): 13.68, House (Fox): 13.50, CSI: NY (CBS): 13.40, CSI: Miami (CBS): 13.27, The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 13.07, The Good Wife (CBS): 12.98, Survivor: Samoa (CBS): 11.78, The Amazing Race (CBS): 10.92, Private Practice (ABC): 10.36, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC): 10.33, Castle (ABC): 9.77, Brothers & Sisters (ABC): 9.72, Bones (Fox): 9.59, Major League Baseball American League Championship Series, Game 2 (NY Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels): 9.38, Modern Family (ABC): 9.35, The Biggest Loser (NBC): 9.14, FlashForward (ABC): 9.07, Law & Order: SVU (NBC): 8.77, The Simpsons (Fox, Treehouse of Horror XX): 8.69

Sunday Night Football (NBC, Chicago at Atlanta): 7.2 rating/18 share, House (Fox): 5.2/13, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): 5.0/13, The Big Bang Theory (CBS): 5.0/12, Two and a Half Men (CBS): 4.8/11, Desperate Housewives (ABC): 4.6/11, NCIS (CBS): 4.5/13, Family Guy R (Fox): 4.2/10, The Simpsons (Fox, Treehouse of Horror XX): 4.1/11, The Office (NBC): 4.1/10, CSI: Miami (CBS): 4.0/11, Private Practice (ABC): 3.8/11, Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, season finale) and Criminal Minds (CBS): 3.8/10 each, The Cleveland Show (Fox): 3.8/ 9, Modern Family (ABC): 3.6/10, Dancing With the Stars – Monday (ABC), How I Met Your Mother and CSI (CBS): 3.6/ 9 each, Survivor: Samoa (CBS) and The Mentalist (CBS): 3.5/10 each, NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) and The Biggest Loser (NBC): 3.5/ 9 each, Glee (Fox): 3.4/ 9, Cougar Town (ABC): 3.3/ 8, CSI: NY (CBS): 3.2/ 9, 60 Minutes (CBS) and Brothers & Sisters (ABC): 3.2/ 8 each, FlashForward (ABC): 3.1/ 9, American Dad (Fox): 3.1/ 7

What follows are the top 10 rated basic cable networks in prime-time for the week of October 12. Keep in mind that TBS continues to benefit by baseball.

ESPN: 3.77 million, TBS: 2.99, USA: 2.87, Fox News: 2.10, Nick at Nite: 1.75, TNT: 1.59, A&E: 1.44, Syfy: 1.42, FX: 1.36, Cartoon Network: 1.28

ESPN: 1.83 million, TBS: 1.41 million, USA: 1.13 million, FX: 779,000, Syfy: 728,000, TNT: 664,000, Discovery: 628,000, Comedy Central: 627,000, A&E: 618,000, VH1: 571,000

ESPN: 1.88 million, TBS: 1.38 million, USA: 1.24 million, Syfy: 772,000, FX: 715,000, TNT: 700,000, A&E: 669,000, Discovery: 626,000, Fox News: 558,000, Spike TV: 541,000

ESPN: 827,000, TBS: 690,000, USA: 501,000, VH1: 392,000, FX: 384,000, Comedy Central: 366,000, MTV: 326,000, BET: 311,000, EN: 308,000, Discovery: 306,000

-E! Reaches a New Zenith:

Based on ratings for the week of Oct. 12, E! rose to its most-watched week in the history of the cable net, with 467,000 viewers. Comparably, that was up by 34 percent from the comparable year-ago period. E! also scored its highest-rated week ever among adults 18-49 (.27 rating), adults 18-34 (.35), women 18-34 (.47) and women 18-49 (.36). 

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

 9:30 p.m. Cougar Town

 8:00 p.m. The New Adventures of Old Christine

 9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds

10:00 p.m. CSI: NY

10:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show

 9:00 p.m. Glee

 8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model

 9:00 p.m. Melrose Place (R)

TV Tidbits:

Notes of Interest

Sophomore ABC crime solver Castle, which is slowly picking up steam, has been renewed for the remainder of the current season, with nine additional episodes ordered.     

-It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Heads to Comedy Central:

Cable net Comedy Central has reached an agreement with Twentieth Television for the exclusive basic cable rights to FX comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia beginning in summer 2010. Following a brief summer window, the half-hour will begin its multi-year run on Comedy Central in January 2011.

-Closer Fans, Take Note:

TNT’s top-rated The Closer will return on Monday, Dec. 7 at 9 p.m. ET to air the first of the three remaining episodes from season five. The Closer leads into Men of a Certain Age, a new relationship drama with Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula as three men on the brink of turning 50. For more on must see Men of a Certain Age, click here. 

-M3 Television Morphs Into M3 Creative:

Marketing organization M3 Creative, formerly known as M3 Television, has broadened its scope and is producing webisodes for American Express, iTunes/Best Buy featurettes for NBC Universal’s Couples Retreat, and on-air spots for Lifetime’s Remarkable Women.    The moniker change reflects M3’s increased focus on cable, web, mobile, EPK and other content.  

-Happy Birthday, Trixie:

Joyce Randolph, who is fondly remembered as Trixie Norton on classic sitcom The Honeymooners, is turning 85 years old today. Bang! Zoom! And all the best, Ms. Randolph! 

Which one of the following series was never regularly scheduled on Saturday?

a)      Eight is Enough

b)      The Golden Palace

c)      Growing Pains

d)      Rhoda

e)      Wonder Woman

The answer to yesterday’s question…

We all, of course, remember Mrs. Beasley as little Buffy’s doll on sitcom Family Affair. But what was the name of Dodie’s doll on long-running My Three Sons?

a)      Bernice

b)      Lizzie

c)      Mrs. Livingston 

d)      Myrtle

e)      Shirley

Is: d) Myrtle. Little moppet Dodie was never without best bud Myrtle. To the masses who answered Mrs. Livingston, the name of the young actors who played Chip and Ernie where Stanley and Barry Livingston. 

Gerry Bixenspan, Peggy Campbell, Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Reid Davis, John Ferlazzo, Arleen Fong, Maureen Goldman (new Grandma to baby Ephrem…congratulations!), Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Deb Kainer, Kathryn Kieser, Synda Kollman, Steven Kurtzer, Carmen McKinley, Debbie Mirr, Michael Murphy, Tony Naldrett, Cindy O’Connor, Gordon Purcell, Colleen Roth, Carol Teichman