Prime-Time Ratings:
Wednesday 2/21/07
The following results are based on the fast national ratings (Live Plus Same Day data)
-Total Viewers:
Fox: 30.33 million, CBS: 12.39, ABC: 7.77, NBC: 7.12, CW: 3.12
-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 12.2 rating/31 share, CBS: 3.5/ 9, ABC: 3.3/ 8, NBC: 2.1/ 5, CW: 1.4/ 4
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-Yesterday’s Winners:
American Idol (Fox)
-Honorable Mention:
Criminal Minds (CBS), Lost (ABC), CSI: NY (CBS)
-Disappointing:
Jericho (CBS)
-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
George Lopez (ABC), The Knights of Prosperity (ABC), Friday Night Lights (NBC), Beauty and the Geek Reunion (CW), One Tree Hill (CW), Medium (NBC)
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-Ratings Breakdown:
Led by another two-hour edition of mega-hit American Idol, Fox roared past the Wednesday competition, with 30.33 million viewers and a 12.2 rating/31 share among adults 18-49. Take a look at the half hour breakdown for Idol:
8:00 p.m. Viewers: 26.14 million, A18-49: 10.1/29
8:30 p.m. Viewers: 31.84 million, A18-49: 12.5/32
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 31.41 million, A18-49: 12.9/31
9:30 p.m. Viewers: 31.95 million, A18-49: 13.5/31
Labeling American Idol a winner just does not seem strong enough.
In return series news, CBS drama Jericho returned to the slate with disappointing results at 8 p.m. Jericho officially kicked-off the second half of its freshman season with a distant second-place finish in both total viewers (8.65 million) and adults 18-49 (2.4/ 6). Comparably, the first half of the season averaged 10.78 million viewers and a 3.3/ 9 among adults 18-49, based on the final nationals.
The first hour of American Idol (Viewers: 28.99 million; A18-49: 11.3/31) actually beat the four competing networks combined -- the aforementioned Jericho, ABC’s George Lopez (Viewers: 5.92 million; A18-49: 2.2/ 6) and The Knights of Prosperity (Viewers: 4.17 million; A18-49: 1.6/ 4), NBC’s Friday Night Lights (Viewers: 5.37 million; A18-49: 1.8/ 5) and the Beauty and the Geek reunion show on the CW (Viewers: 3.09 million; A18-49: 1.3/ 3) -- by a hefty 6.84 million viewers and 53 percent among adults 18-49.
At 9 p.m., only CBS’ Criminal Minds managed to stand up well opposite the second half of American Idol (Viewers: 31.68 million; A18-49: 13.3/31), with a respectable 14.44 million viewers and a 4.0/ 9 in the demo. Comparably, that was up from lead-in Jericho by 5.79 million viewers and 67 percent among adults 18-49. Also in the hour was NBC’s soon-to-move Deal or No Deal (Viewers: #3, 8.14 million; A18-49: #3t, 2.2/ 5), followed by a repeat of ABC’s Lost (Viewers: #4, 5.38 million; A18-49: #3t, 2.2/ 5), and the CW’s One Tree Hill, which got crushed with a mere 3.15 million viewers and a 1.5/ 4 among adults 18-49
Before I get into 10 p.m., let me clarify something about ABC’s Lost. I do not, by any means, think the show is nearing cancellation. But I do have to be honest when I say the strength of my still favorite serialized drama is clearly not what is used to be. Lost ranked second in total viewers (12.89 million) behind CBS’ CSI: NY (14.08 million), but first among adults 18-49 (5.7/15). CSI: NY averaged a 4.1/11 in the demo. Comparably, that built from its repeat lead-in by 7.51 million viewers and 159 percent among adults 18-49, and it remained a marked improvement over former time period occupants The Nine and Invasion. But compared to its Wednesday 9 p.m. average in fourth quarter (Viewers: 16.67 million; A18-49: 6.9/17), it was a loss of a hefty 3.78 million viewers and 17 percent in the demo.
Third at 10 p.m. was NBC’s Medium, with just 7.85 million viewers and a 2.5/ 6 among adults 18-49.
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
