Prime Time Ratings:
Tuesday 5/22/07
The following results are based on the fast national ratings (Live Plus Same Day data)
-Total Viewers:
ABC: 17.81 million, Fox: 16.74, CBS: 13.28, NBC: 7.47, CW: 1.98
-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 6.7 rating/18 share, ABC: 5.3/14, CBS: 2.8/ 7, NBC: 2.7/ 7, CW: 0.8/ 2
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-Yesterday’s Winners:
American Idol (Fox), Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
-Honorable Mention:
NCIS (CBS)
-Yesterday’s Losers:
Dateline (NBC), On the Lot (Fox), Veronica Mars (CW)
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-Ratings Breakdown:
The two-hour season-finale of Dancing With the Stars pushed ABC past American Idol-ignited Fox in total viewers on this last Tuesday of the May 2007sweeps. But even the disappointing debut of reality/competition On the Lot could not stop Fox from dominating among adults 18-49. CBS finished third in both total viewers and adults 18-49, followed by NBC and The CW.
The final battle between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis on American Idol scored 24.51 million viewers with a 9.3 rating/27 share among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m. As strong a performance as that is, keep in mind that the year-ago telecast of American Idol (also the final competition) notched 31.78 million viewers with a 12.3/34 in the demo, based on the final nationals. Comparably, that’s a loss of 7.27 million viewers and 24 percent among adults 18-49. Although last night was pretty much a draw, I think it’s pretty obvious who is going to be crowned the next American Idol: Jordin Sparks. And she is only 17!
A distant second in the 8 p.m. hour was the season-finale of CBS’ underrated NCIS, with 13.88 million viewers and a 3.3/ 8 among adults 18-49. The next time someone tells you no show can compete with American Idol, remind them of NCIS. Older viewers are good too! Third from 8-9 p.m. was ABC special The Bachelor: After the Final Rose (Viewers: 8.03 million; A18-49: 2.7/ 8), followed by NBC’s Dateline (Viewers: 5.65 million; A18-49: 1.6/ 4) and the first of two final episodes of The CW’s Veronica Mars (Viewers: 1.83 million; A18-49: 0.8/ 2).
Viewers en masse headed over to the expanded season-finale of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, which racked up a season-high 22.70 million viewers with a 6.6/17 from 9-11 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown for Dancing With the Stars:
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 21.08 million, A18-49: 5.9/15
9:30 p.m. Viewers: 23.30 million, A18-49: 6.8/17
10:00 p.m. Viewers: 23.49 million, A18-49: 7.0/18
10:30 p.m. Viewers: 22.95 million, A18-49: 6.9/18
Opposite Dancing With the Stars, CBS got some mileage with the latest older-skewing Jesse Stone made-for (Sea Change) at 12.98 million viewers and a 2.5/ 6 among adults 18-49 from 9-11 p.m. As I always say, two very different shows can succeed in a time period.
In series-premiere news, Fox’s On the Lot did not take advantage out of the American Idol lead-in, with 8.97 million viewers (#3) and a 4.1/10 among adults 18-49 from 9-10 p.m. (#2). While no one expected the reality/competition to hold the American Idol audience, retention of just 37 percent in viewers and 44 percent among adults 18-49 is disappointing, and a double digit decline in the second half hour is even worse. Take a look:
On the Lot (Fox)
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 11.27 million, A18-49: 5.0/13
9:30 p.m. Viewers: 6.67 million, A18-49: 3.2/ 8
Percent Change – Viewers: -41, A18-49: -36
Also in the 9 p.m. hour was a repeat of NBC’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Viewers: #4, 6.55 million; A18-49: 2.3/ 6), and the series-finale of The CW’s Veronica Mars (Viewers: #5, 2.14 million; A18-49: #5, 0.9/ 2). Sorry Veronica Mars fans -- it’s officially over.
Opposite the second half of Dancing With the Stars and Jesse Stone: Sea Change at 10 p.m. was the season-finale of NBC’s rapidly declining Law & Order: SVU, at 10.21 million viewers (#3) and a second-place 4.1/10 among adults 18-49. Given the ongoing losses for SVU this season, upcoming CBS drama Cane could have a shot.
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
) I'll be happy if it does Heroes numbers (13 million) but I have a feeling it'll do 12, and most people will watch AI live and DVR Lost.
