Prime-Time Ratings:
Tuesday 2/21/07

The following results are based on the fast national ratings (Live Plus Same Day data)

-Total Viewers:
Fox: 29.44 million, CBS: 11.65, NBC: 9.05, ABC: 6.65, CW: 3.17

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 11.7 rating/30 share, CBS and NBC: 2.9/ 8 each, ABC: 2.1/ 5, CW: 1.4/ 4

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
American Idol (Fox), NCIS (CBS), Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

-Honorable Mention:
The Unit (CBS), Boston Legal (ABC)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
Dateline (NBC), Primetime: The Outsiders (ABC), Veronica Mars (CW)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
Led by a two-hour edition of American Idol featuring the 12 male finalists, Fox roared to the winning Tuesday finish line with a stellar 29.44 million viewers and an 11.7 rating/30 share among adults 18-49. The half-hour breakdown for blockbuster American Idol is as follows:

8:00 p.m. Viewers: 25.88 million, A18-49: 10.0/27
8:30 p.m. Viewers: 29.63 million, A18-49: 11.6/29
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 31.32 million, A18-49: 12.6/31
9:30 p.m. Viewers: 30.92 million, A18-49: 12.8/31

Of note on American Idol tonight: season three winner Fantasia Barrino, who will perform live and make “a special announcement.”

Second behind the first hour of American Idol was CBS’ still solid NCIS, with a comfortable 15.35 million viewers and a 3.4/ 9 among adults 18-49. With 39 percent of the 8-9 p.m. audience watching either American Idol or NCIS, there was not much left for NBC’s Dateline (Viewers: #3, 5.82 million; A18-49: #3, 2.0/ 5), a repeat of America’s Funniest Home Videos on ABC (Viewers: #4, 5.56 million; A18-49: #4, 1.8/ 5), and Gilmore Girls on the CW (Viewers: #5, 4.00 million; A18-49: #5, 1.8/ 5).

In the battle of the American Idol leftovers from 9-10 p.m., CBS’ The Unit held the distant No. 2 spot, with a respectable 11.56 million viewers and a 3.0/ 7 among adults 18-49. Third was NBC’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Viewers: 9.37 million; A18-49: 2.6/ 6), followed by Primetime: The Outsiders on ABC (Viewers: 5.00 million; A18-49: 1.8/ 4), and the underperforming Veronica Mars on the CW (Viewers: 2.34 million; A18-49: 1.0/ 2). Retention for Veronica Mars out of lead-in Gilmore Girls was weak at just 58 percent in total viewers and 56 percent among adults 18-49. Note to the fans: it’s time to let go.

First at 10 p.m. was NBC’s beginning to fade Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: 11.94 million; A18-49: 4.1/11), followed by ABC’s Boston Legal (Viewers: 9.39 million; A18-49: 2.6/ 7), and a repeat of CBS’ CSI: Miami (Viewers: 8.03 million; A18-49: 2.4/ 7). Worth noting for Boston Legal was growth out of Primetime: The Outsiders of a hefty 4.39 million viewers and 44 percent among adults 18-49. To the posters on PIFeedback speculating on the future of Boston Legal, there is every reason to believe it will be back next season.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Now the VM fans go...crazy.

Wow 2.34 that's interesting. They need to get Kelly Clarkson to come back and make a special announcement imo.

I heard Veronica Mars was preempted in a few areas last night, so the final number will probably be even lower.

I'm honestly surprised that even that many people tuned into VM opposite Idol. And at least it did better than last week's One Tree Hill.

That depends on the final number and it was pre-empted in three markets.

Wow a 2.34. Preemptions, one where VM was the only show preempted, and Idol as competition. And it got a 2.34. That number is better than OTH's last week, but people still call that to be renewed. I think they both should be given the boot, but people just enjoy attacking VM. Why does the fact that a network supports a critically acclaimed but ratings challenge show make everyone so mad?

Better overall than OTH last week, because more older people watch VM than OTH, and AI is less of an attraction for older viewers. However, VM isn't supposed to be drawing an older audience.

And talk about the 18-34's all you like, but CW won't be mentioning them when its ratings-spin press release comes out. Won't be mentioning VM at ALL, most likely.

There's no way that 2.34 is going to stand though. I take back what I said in the Monday thread about the show having a slight boost this week. Looking like ratings have gone down now for 5 straight weeks. And this was with promotion from Entertainment Weekly and US Magazine.

They won't have a press release at all. GG got just 4 mil. That has to be one of the lowest it has gotten.

OTH's renewal can be justified because it does so well with the younger viewers CW is hoping to attract, who will in turn attract their friends.

I wouldn't say renewing it is a GOOD idea, but remember that overall, OTH has had higher ratings than VM this season.

OTH was never a good show, so I don't care that it's crap. VM could have been a contendah--that's why I hate its slimy shipper-pandering guts.

quote:

OTH's renewal can be justified because it does so well with the younger viewers CW is hoping to attract, who will in turn attract their friends.

Its been on four years. Shouldn't the fans already have attracted their friends?

Hey folks: FYI -- I am heading to the airport after getting the PI out on Friday morning. Will be back next Thursday morning. TravisYanan will be posting the fast nationals in my absence. Would anyone want to volunteer filling in the Primetime Schedules in the On the Air section for Monday through Wednesday?

quote:

There's no way that 2.34 is going to stand though. I take back what I said in the Monday thread about the show having a slight boost this week. Looking like ratings have gone down now for 5 straight weeks. And this was with promotion from Entertainment Weekly and US Magazine.

I knew it was going to look worse once we had the more detailed #'s. Just wait until the finals are out.

And as bad as GG was, it was up against the same competition as VM, and still did almost twice as well.

Honestly, don't ask me anymore what I'd do if I were CW. I don't need those kinds of nightmares.

I will volunteer.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
Hey folks: FYI -- I am heading to the airport after getting the PI out on Friday morning. Will be back next Thursday morning. TravisYanan will be posting the fast nationals in my absence. Would anyone want to volunteer filling in the Primetime Schedules in the On the Air section for Monday through Wednesday?