Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 27 percent at this same point last year to approximately 33 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.
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-Friday’s Winners (excluding repeats): Nothing. Baseball on Fox is a vast improvement over regularly scheduled occupants Brothers, ‘Til Death and Dollhouse, but it is still not worthy of being labeled a “winner.”
-Friday’s Losers: NBC News: Secrets of the Lost Symbol, The Jay Leno Show (NBC)
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-Ratings Breakdown: It was a Friday of mixed leadership, with fading CBS still the most-watched network and game one of 2009 American League Baseball Championship leading Fox to victory among adults 18-49. ABC and NBC tied for the No. 3 and 4 spots (NBC was third in total viewers; ABC was No. 3 in the demo), while The CW finished a distant fifth.
Game one of the Los Angeles Angels at the New York Yankees averaged an estimated 7.54 million viewers (#2) wand a first-place 2.4 rating/8 share among adults 18-49 from 8-11 p.m. Results for any live sporting event are, of course, always approximate. Here is the half-hour breakdown:
2009 American League Baseball Championship, Game 1 (Fox) 8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.59 million (#2), A18-49: 2.3/ 8 (#1) 8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 6.82 million (#3), A18-49: 2.1/ 7 (#1t) 9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.47 million (#2), A18-49: 2.3/ 8 (#1) 9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 7.77 million (#2), A18-49: 2.5/ 8 (#1) 10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.71 million (#2), A18-49: 2.6/ 8 (#1) 10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 7.86 million (#2), A18-49: 2.6/ 8 (#1)
CBS came in on par with recent levels despite facing baseball with its combination of Ghost Whisperer (Viewers: #1, 8.21 million; #2, 2.0/ 7), compatible Medium (Viewers: #1, 8.04 million; A18-49: #2, 1.9/ 6) and tired Numbers (#1, 7.77 million; A18-49: #2, 1.8/ 6). While the network can certainly live with this schedule, it will have to be readdressed by next season.
In season-premiere news, ABC’s relocated Ugly Betty opened season four with 5.01 million viewers and a 1.3/ 5 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. -- fourth in both categories. While this may not sound all that positive, Betty rose to ABC’s best performance in the hour among women 18-34 (1.6/ 6) since April 17, 2009, and it finished second among women 18-49, with a 1.9/ 6 in the demo. The prognosis: could be better/could be worse.
A second episode of Ugly Betty performed similarly at 9 p.m., with 5.18 million viewers (#4) and a third-place 1.4/ 4 among adults 18-49. Lead-out 20/20 capped off the evening for ABC with 6.97 million viewers (#2) and a first-place 2.0/ 6 in the demo at 10 p.m.
Over at NBC, granddaddy Law & Order opened the night with 7.60 million viewers (#2) and a third-place 1.6/ 6 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. Next was an NBC News Special themed Secrets of the Lost Symbol (Viewers: #3, 5.69 million viewers; A18-49: #4, 1.3/ 4 at 9 p.m.), followed by lackluster The Jay Leno Show third at 10 p.m. in both total viewers (4.97 million) and adults 18-49 (1.2/ 4). Can NBC really be satisfied with these results for Leno?
The CW closed this fourth Friday of the 2009-10 season with its combination of aging Smallville (Viewers: #5, 2.62 million; A18-49: #5, 1.1/ 4), which has lost a lot of steam since moving to the night but is still an improvement over former occupants Everybody Hates Chris and The Game, and a repeat of America’s Next Top Model (Viewers: #5, 1.33 million; A18-49: #5, 0.6/ 2).
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Marc Berman,
ABC- UB came in very low, almost DOA levels. 1.3 and 1.4 demos are really low. ABC should just run Supernanny/Wife Swap in this spot. It would perform just as well. Scheduling UB here was a mistake, especially since they have Tuesday/Wednesday scheduling problem. 20/20 did well and could have done even better if it had a better led in.
CBS- Solid with their lineup and Numbers seems to be growing a bit.
FOX- Really good numbers for baseball. FOX is just wasting its potential on their current low rated lineup.
NBC- Law and Order did well. It seems to slowly be finding an audience. The Dateline special seems old skewing and again, I can't believe that Southland wouldn't have pulled at least a 1.3 demo like the special did. Jay Leno was lower, probably due to the low rated lead in.
There you go, ABC should be happy: they're killing one of their few established shows. OK, it wasn't doing all that great on Thursdays, but i don't see what's ABC gaining by killing UB as well.
Ugly Betty - I don't know what kind of expectations ABC had, but of course the ratings are far from good. Considering that they killed WMC two years(?) ago, when it had lots of viewers but a low demo, then UGLY BETTY is sadly on its way to tv heaven. I really hope they do a fith season for syndication purposes though, I think a 5-year-run would be perfect for the show and I don't want to lose both Dollhouse and Ugly Betty in only one season.
Poor Betty, last night's 2 hr episode was the best the show has been since it's wonderful 1st season. I was glued to the screen in a way I haven't been to a tv show since about UB Season 1. I really hope we get a full final season.
Posts: 525 | Location: Jay Leno's audience | Registered: 24 February 2007
It was already down under 7 million by last spring and barely a 2.0 in the demo. Had they kept it on Thursday given its year to year track record I see no reason the numbers would have been much better. Maybe 6 million, 1.5 demo.
quote:
Originally posted by robert: There you go, ABC should be happy: they're killing one of their few established shows. OK, it wasn't doing all that great on Thursdays, but i don't see what's ABC gaining by killing UB as well.
SMALLVILLE delivered its largest audience (2.62mil) and best adults 18-49 (1.1/4) of the season. In fact, this was our best performance in the time period in these categories since our last Smackdown on 9/26/08.
Adults 18-34 remains steady at a 1.1/4.
quote:
Originally posted by curious: Great numbers for Smallville - please, tell me it wasn't pre-empted anywhere and that it won't drop in the final numbers?
No preemptions that I'm aware of but the numbers will probably drop slightly in the finals, they did last week.
I'm really interested to see if UB took even more of SV's female demo away.
quote:
Originally posted by curious: Great numbers for Smallville - please, tell me it wasn't pre-empted anywhere and that it won't drop in the final numbers?
Hey, Smallville might yet get its tenth season with numbers like that on a Friday. HA! How people continue to flock to that crappy show is a mystery, but they do it. I give it up to it this week. Exactly what material will they cover in a tenth pre-Superman season?
It boggles the mind. How long can Welling play 22 years old? LOL! He can put the Grecian formula for his temples in his red blue blur pockets.
Originally posted by morrigan: No preemptions that I'm aware of but the numbers will probably drop slightly in the finals, they did last week.
They went up the first week though(2.5->2.57), and it's hard to tell what would have happened in week 2 because it was pre-empted in NY.
As for Mark:
If Smallville is in the losers category because you comparing it's ratings to last year(when it was on Thursday) then why isn't Ugly Betty in the loser category, it seems to have the same drop in viewership to it's average rating last season?
Originally posted by morrigan: No preemptions that I'm aware of but the numbers will probably drop slightly in the finals, they did last week.
They went up the first week though(2.5->2.57), and it's hard to tell what would have happened in week 2 because it was pre-empted in NY.
As for Mark:
If Smallville is in the losers category because you comparing it's ratings to last year(when it was on Thursday) then why isn't Ugly Betty in the loser category, it seems to have the same drop in viewership to it's average rating last season?
Smallville is doing great. It even does better then most of their other shows. And Smallville airs on fridays and it still manage to pull better ratings then thei other shows except TVD of course
Smallville will definitely get a final 10th season. No other show for the CW will perform this great for them then smallville
How long can Welling play 22 years old? LOL! He can put the Grecian formula for his temples in his red blue blur pockets.
