After 27 days of the February Sweeps, CBS and FOX are now in a virtual tie for the lead in the A18-49 demo with one night remaining of American Idol-inflated demo numbers for FOX. Come Thursday morning, FOX will be crowned as the A18-49 demo champ for the February Sweeps. After 27 days in A18-49 (note: all five networks have had their numbers updated for finals, where available):
1. CBS 5.0 (+42% vs 3.5 in 2006) 2. FOX 5.0 (-2% vs 5.1 in 2006) 3. ABC 3.8 (-28% vs 5.3 in 2006) 4. NBC 2.8 (-42% vs 4.9 in 2006) 5. The CW 1.3 (-11% vs 1.4 WB in 2006, +18% vs 1.1 UPN in 2006)
For the traditionalists amongst us who still keep track of households, after 27 days of the February Sweeps, CBS will most certainly be Master of the Household’s once Sweeps are concluded, with the ranking as follows:
1. CBS 9.4 (+28% vs 7.3 in 2006) 2. FOX 7.2 (even to 5.2 in 2006) 3. ABC 6.7 (-22% vs 8.6 in 2006) 4. NBC 5.4 (-43% vs 9.6 in 2006) 5. The CW 2.1 (-5% vs 2.2 WB in 2006, +17% vs 1.8 UPN in 2006)
If there is a glimmer of hope for NBC (and I always like to look for bloom amidst the gloom), it is in its stronger number four placing in what I call the Ted Baxter Award, that is, the network that serves up to her affiliates the largest A18-49 demo lead-in to local news / syndicated fare (the 10:30 pm half-hourly numbers for ABC, CBS and NBC, and the 9:30 pm half-hourlies for FOX and The CW). In this rank ordering, I do not have year-over-year comparisons readily available, and FOX has held a comfortable lead on this measure for the latter half of the month. After 27 days of the February Sweeps, the best affiliate lead-ins at 10:30/9:30 pm on the Adults 18-49 demographic are:
1. FOX 5.3 2. CBS 4.0 3. ABC 3.7 4. NBC 3.2 5. The CW 1.2
The CBS numbers fell most dramatically from their monthly average because Criminal Minds effectively scattered or scared away most of the Super Bowl demo by the time it finished and turned things over to local newscasts. NBC is up 14% over her average based on a strong complement of 10 pm shows (only Saturdays and Sundays are glaring weaknesses), and The CW is down 9% too based on weaker 9:30 pm half-hourlies than 8:30 half-hourlies (except for The Game and Smackdown).
I have a question for everyone regarding the Smarter Than a 5th Grader show: Why do game shows have such idiots as contestants? When did this trend begin? And I'm not singling out this new Fox show. The phenomenon occurs on 1 vs 100, Show Me The Money, The Rch List, and seemingly every new game show introduced. I mean, don't people want to see Ken Jennings and other super smart people answer ridiculously tough trivia questions? Why aren't the best of the best out there on these shows? I mean, when there's a basketball game, only the best players in Amerca appear on tv. They don't show 5'3" uncoordianted white guys play basketball on the air. Why doesn't this same concept apply to game shows? Why are people so enthralled with wathcing stupid morons stumble on '5th Grade' questions? What am I missing?
If you want cheering up, you could check out TWoP. They're totally celebrating VM's stellar 2.74 million total viewers.
And sadly, I tend to think they're right in thinking it'll probably be enough for CW to renew it.
Oh, TWoP.
The interesting this is that, after watching my DVRed VM, I watched DVRed Gilmore Girls. And there was not ONE promo for VM during the hour. It was ALL about Top Model and Pussycat Dolls. Not. A. Single. One. For. V. M.
If you want cheering up, you could check out TWoP. They're totally celebrating VM's stellar 2.74 million total viewers.
And sadly, I tend to think they're right in thinking it'll probably be enough for CW to renew it.
The people at TWoP will probably be sad later in the day when the finals show a drop in VW's numbers. It was pre-empted in a couple of places for basketball.
Originally posted by TK: I watched "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader." It is a great example of what is wrong with today's game shows. They literally asked 6 questions in the half hour. Jeopardy asks about 50 questions in a half hour. At one point they came back from commercial, asked a lady what R.E.M. stands for, she said she would go with the kid's answer, and they went to commercial before showing us what the kid's answer was. What genius decided that slowing down game shows was an improvement? If that guy was the commissioner of baseball, would he instruct pitchers to wait 5 minutes between each pitch? And then the umpire would look at the camera and say "we'll find out if that was a ball or a strike. . . right after this."
ROFL! That's a GREAT analogy.
Posts: 302 | Location: Indiana | Registered: 29 January 2007
Yea, that did suck a little. But they needed to do that because they went the first 15 minutes without a commercial.
quote:
Originally posted by TK: I watched "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader." It is a great example of what is wrong with today's game shows. They literally asked 6 questions in the half hour. Jeopardy asks about 50 questions in a half hour. At one point they came back from commercial, asked a lady what R.E.M. stands for, she said she would go with the kid's answer, and they went to commercial before showing us what the kid's answer was. What genius decided that slowing down game shows was an improvement? If that guy was the commissioner of baseball, would he instruct pitchers to wait 5 minutes between each pitch? And then the umpire would look at the camera and say "we'll find out if that was a ball or a strike. . . right after this."
Originally posted by TK: I watched "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader." It is a great example of what is wrong with today's game shows. They literally asked 6 questions in the half hour. Jeopardy asks about 50 questions in a half hour. At one point they came back from commercial, asked a lady what R.E.M. stands for, she said she would go with the kid's answer, and they went to commercial before showing us what the kid's answer was. What genius decided that slowing down game shows was an improvement? If that guy was the commissioner of baseball, would he instruct pitchers to wait 5 minutes between each pitch? And then the umpire would look at the camera and say "we'll find out if that was a ball or a strike. . . right after this."
The fact that the woman didn't know what REM stood for is frightning enough.
One theory is that people that smart people are NOT watching TV or feel the need to validate themselves on TV. They probably have jobs that keep them busy/interested 16-20 hours per day.
Meanwhile, us TV Freaks spend most of the work day on a Chat forum talking about the hours and hours of TV we watched.
Isn't America Beutiful!
quote:
Originally posted by Odlaw: I have a question for everyone regarding the Smarter Than a 5th Grader show: Why do game shows have such idiots as contestants? When did this trend begin? And I'm not singling out this new Fox show. The phenomenon occurs on 1 vs 100, Show Me The Money, The Rch List, and seemingly every new game show introduced. I mean, don't people want to see Ken Jennings and other super smart people answer ridiculously tough trivia questions? Why aren't the best of the best out there on these shows? I mean, when there's a basketball game, only the best players in Amerca appear on tv. They don't show 5'3" uncoordianted white guys play basketball on the air. Why doesn't this same concept apply to game shows? Why are people so enthralled with wathcing stupid morons stumble on '5th Grade' questions? What am I missing?
Originally posted by Sorcerer8605: WARNING: slight Veronica Mars discussion below!
And 5th Grader still murdered Veronica Mars; mystery solved. LOL. Damn. I was hoping for a spike in the ratings this week, and there WAS a definite one (400,000 viewers, or so), but not nearly big enough. I never actually thought it WOULD be, though. I guess the last five episodes WILL be the deciding factor. They'll need much stronger signs of life for VM to get its wrap-up season that I want. Just one more, 13 episodes, tops!
Thanks for posting these, Travis!
If you want cheering up, you could check out TWoP. They're totally celebrating VM's stellar 2.74 million total viewers.
And sadly, I tend to think they're right in thinking it'll probably be enough for CW to renew it.
LOL. Thanks. The thing is most of the online VM viewers have only ever watched WB/UPN shows, so they don't know what high ratings look like. The reason they are celebrating is that at LEAST it was higher than last week. My own standards are a little higher: I want to see VM crack the 3.5 million range again, and then go higher. Otherwise, it probably deserves to be canceled soon, especially if it gets renewed and goes through the same thing next year.
I hope they are right, for my sake (and our sake), but I know it won't help The CW get anywhere. But then I don't really care much about The CW, besides the WB shows I want to finish watching (and VM). LOL.
Posts: 302 | Location: Indiana | Registered: 29 January 2007
1. CBS 5.0 (+42% vs 3.5 in 2006) 2. FOX 5.0 (-2% vs 5.1 in 2006) 3. ABC 3.8 (-28% vs 5.3 in 2006) 4. NBC 2.8 (-42% vs 4.9 in 2006) 5. The CW 1.3 (-11% vs 1.4 WB in 2006, +18% vs 1.1 UPN in 2006)
Sorry to keep going back to this, but I don't think it can be underscored enough - NBC's performance this sweeps period has been horrifying.
My thinking as well, SW. I've learned not to get too excited about the little teasers put out by Mr. Auseillo.
Realistically, if CBS has any confidence in its development slate, I think it's fairly safe to predict two of the three are goners at this point based on their trending towards sub 3.0 A18-49 demo numbers.
quote:
Originally posted by SW:
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Nope, according to Ausiello, one of the following shows is very likely to be cancelled: Close To Home, The Unit and Jericho.
Originally posted by meggie: If you want cheering up, you could check out TWoP. They're totally celebrating VM's stellar 2.74 million total viewers.
And sadly, I tend to think they're right in thinking it'll probably be enough for CW to renew it.
2.74 million viewers for a 'finale' (at least of the story arc) is not very good. If those stand alone episodes don't do better than that, VM is gone. I think VM fans need to face the fact that they are the most likely show on CW (right alongside 7th Heaven) to get cancelled.
Originally posted by TravisYanan: The interesting this is that, after watching my DVRed VM, I watched DVRed Gilmore Girls. And there was not ONE promo for VM during the hour. It was ALL about Top Model and Pussycat Dolls. Not. A. Single. One. For. V. M.
VM is going on hiatus. ANTM and Pussycat Dolls are getting set to premiere their runs. ANTM is particularly important since it will debut tonight, the last night of sweeps, and has far more potential than VM to put up a decent ratings number against American Idol.
I think it is more than coincidence that American Idol chooses to put 'ladies night' on against America's Next Top Model'. I'm guessing that there will be a lot (by CW standards) of people watching one and recording the other. If you record Idol it would be easy to watch the whole 90 minute show in less than half an hour.
Why I don't think CW has decided to just renew VM, in spite of ratings--they've announced Supernatural's renewal. If they had definitely decided to keep VM going, they'd have announced VM's renewal at the same time. It would have been good free promotion for the show.
Whereas, if they'd decided to cancel the show, barring a miraculous ratings increase for the final S3 standalone eps, they'd probably keep it on the down-low, because that might actually hurt the ratings.
meggie has a point, though--this is CW. No decision is too stupid.
