Prime-Time Ratings:
Thursday 2/12/09
-Total Viewers:
CBS: 14.20 million, ABC: 12.22, NBC: 7.13, Fox: 4.23, CW: 2.19
-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 4.6 rating/12 share, CBS: 4.0/11, NBC: 3.1/ 8, Fox: 1.4/ 4, CW: 0.9/ 2
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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Survivor: Tocatins (CBS), CSI (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), The Office (NBC), Private Practice (ABC)
-Disappointing:
My Name is Earl (NBC), Ugly Betty (ABC)
-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
Kath & Kim (NBC), The 40th Annual NAACP Awards (Fox), ER (NBC)
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-Ratings Breakdown:
It was a Thursday of split leadership, with CBS the most-watched network (with 1.98 million viewers more than second-place ABC), and ABC No. 1 among adults 18-49 (with a 15 percent advantage over CBS in the demo). NBC was third overall in both categories, followed by Fox and a night of repeats on the CW.
The latest edition of CBS’ long-running Survivor franchise, Tocatins – The Brazilian Highlands, opened with a dominant 13.79 million viewers and a 4.4 rating/13 share among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m. Comparably, that was right on par with the season-premiere of the Gabon edition last fall (Viewers: 13.06 million; A18-49: 4.5/11 on Sept. 25, 2008, based on the final nationals). Amazingly, this is the 18th edition of Survivor.
Tied for the No. 2 and 3 spots in the 8 p.m. hour were NBC’s My Name and Earl and the canceled Kath & Kim and ABC’s hiatus-bound Ugly Betty. Take a look:
Thursday 8-9 p.m.
My Name Is Earl (NBC) – 8 p.m.
Viewers: 6.30 million (#3), A18-49: 2.6/ 8 (#2)
Kath & Kim (NBC) – 8:30 p.m.
Viewers: 5.48 million (#3), A18-49: 2.4/ 6 (#3)
Ugly Betty (ABC)
Viewers: 7.44 million (#2), A18-49: 2.3/ 6 (#3)
Coming up on ABC in the time period on March 26 is new sitcom In the Motherhood and the returning Samantha Who? Ugly Betty will be returning later in the season and is likely to be renewed for the 2009-10 season to have enough episodes for off-network syndication.
Annual special The 40th Annual NAACP Awards was a lackluster option on Fox, meanwhile, at a mere (and fourth-place) 4.23 million viewers and a 1.4/ 4 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. And the CW was in repeats last night with aging core favorites Smallville (Viewers: #5, 2.39 million; A18-49: #5, 0.9/ 3) and Supernatural (Viewers: #5, 1.98 million; A18-49: #5, 0.8/ 2).
Despite the absence of William Petersen, CBS’ veteran CSI remains the show to beat in total viewers, while Grey’s Anatomy on ABC (another crossover with Private Practice) was first among adults 18-49. Take a look:
Thursday 9 p.m.
CSI (CBS)
Viewers: 17.78 million (#1), A18-49: 4.9/12 (#2)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Viewers: 15.07 million (#2), A18-49: 5.9/14 (#1)
You can relax, now CBS. CSI is still rock-solid.
NBC’s competing The Office, meanwhile, got plenty of mileage among adults 18-49 with a healthy third-place 4.6/11 in the demo (and 8.89 million viewers, also third). An hilarious episode of lead-out 30 Rock followed with 7.72 million viewers (#3) and a 3.8/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#3). Worth noting for The Office was growth out of Kath & Kim of 3.41 million viewers and 92 percent in the demo. That makes it a “winner.”
ABC’s Private Practice benefited by another crossover from Grey’s Anatomy, with a dominant 14.15 million viewers and a 5.8/15 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Needless to say, the added exposure will help but there cannot be a crossover episode every week. Second was also hiatus bound Eleventh Hour on CBS (Viewers: 11.04 million; A18-49: 2.7/ 7), followed by NBC’s soon-to-conclude ER (Viewers: #3, 7.25 million; A18-49: #3, 2.6/ 7), which should have ended three seasons ago. Does anyone even care that George Clooney is making an upcoming guest appearance?
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
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