Prime-Time Ratings:
Thursday 11/29/07

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

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 11.99 million, Fox: 8.80, ABC: 7.15, NBC: 6.92, CW: 2.28

-Adults 18-49:
CBS: 3.5 rating/9 share, NBC: 3.0/ 8, Fox: 2.6/ 7, ABC: 2.5/ 6, CW: 0.9/ 2

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Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Also, since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 9 percent in early 2006-07 to approximately 20 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Survivor: China (CBS), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Fox), CSI R (CBS), Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Fox), Without a Trace R (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
My Name Is Earl (NBC), 30 Rock (NBC), Scrubs (NBC), ER (NBC), Big Shots (ABC)

Note: The listing of winners and losers are subject to change after the fast affiliate ratings are posted at PIFeedback.

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-Ratings Breakdown:
Now that the November sweeps period is over (see Ratings Box below for the full results), repeats have snuck in with 50 percent of last night’s line-up in non-originals. On that note, CBS ranked first in both total viewers and adults 18-49, with a 17 percent advantage over second-place NBC in the demo.

CBS’ Survivor: China opened the evening on a dominant note, with 13.78 million viewers and a 4.5 rating/12 share among adults 18-49. But one year earlier, the Cooks Island edition averaged a healthier 15.63 million viewers and a 5.4/14 among adults 18-49 (on Nov. 30, 2006). That was quite an interesting twist last night, wasn’t it? While I won’t spoil the outcome for anyone who has yet to see the episode, all I can say is woo hoo!!!

Fox game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? remains a vast improvement for the network, with 9.00 million viewers (#2) and a 2.4/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#3). One year earlier, a double dose (original and repeat) of sitcom ‘Til Death average just 4.78 million viewers and a 2.0/ 5 in the demo. Also in the time period were NBC’s My Name is Earl (Viewers: #3, 6.59 million; A18-49: #2, 2.6/ 7) and 30 Rock (Viewers: #3, 5.98 million; A18-49: #2t, 2.5/ 6), a repeat of ABC’s Ugly Betty (Viewers: #3, 6.52 million; A18-49: #4, 1.9/ 5), and a repeat of the CW’s Smallville (#5, 2.71 million; A18-49: #5, 1.0/ 3). Considering ABC and the CW were in repeats, the NBC comedies should have done better. There is just no excuse at this point.

The value of CBS’ CSI in the off-network marketplace prevailed at 9 p.m., with the encore telecast at a still healthy (and dominant) 12.33 million viewers and a 3.4/ 8 among adults 18-49. Comparably, that beat a repeat of Grey’s Anatomy on ABC (Viewers: #2, 8.96 million; A18-49: #2, 3.1/ 8) by 3.37 million viewers and 10 percent in the demo. Elsewhere in the hour, a repeat of NBC’s The Office (Viewers: #4, 5.98 million; A18-49: #3, 3.0/ 7) led into an original installment of Scrubs (Viewers: #4, 5.91 million; A18-49: #2, 3.1/ 7), which clearly needs to retire. Fox got plenty of mileage out of game show Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Viewers: #3, 8.60 million; A18-49: #4, 2.8/ 7), which built from year-ago occupant The O.C. (Viewers: 3.67 million; A18-49: 1.6/ 4) by a whopping 4.93 million viewers and 75 percent among adults 18-49. And a repeat of the CW’s Supernatural averaged 1.84 million viewers and a 0.8/ 2 in the demo.

A repeat of CBS’ Without a Trace was first in total viewers (9.86 million) and second among adults 18-49 (2.5/ 7) at 10 p.m. Just the opposite was NBC’s fading ER, at 8.62 million viewers (#2) and a first-place 3.4/ 9 in the demo. While ER did build from lead-in Scrubs, compared to one year earlier (Viewers: 13.36 million; A18-49: 5.8/15) that was a loss of 4.74 million viewers and 41 percent among adults 18-49. Last, and very least, was ABC’s Big Shots, at a not so big 5.98 million viewers and a 2.4/ 6 in the demo.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Scrubs...

a 3.1 demo and 5.91 mil viewers... that's what one calls a younger skewing show

quote:

Originally posted by Chimera:

quote:

Originally posted by robert:
I declare victory. Well done Shrek

WOW!! I never would have believed this -- well done, Robert -- I bow to you...

I do have to say that I watched it (DVR-delayed) and was not very impressed, but apparently Robert was right about Shrek's HUGE popularity! ABC has to give a supporting shout-out to Dancing with the Stars though, for giving it a huge promotional platform.

Chimera, Dont forget what you said you would do if it hit or was above 20 million.

quote:

Originally posted by Chimera:
I am willing to post every day on here for a week saying "I'm an idiot" if Shrek breaks 20 million... read my [virtual] lips: "it just will not happen"

I have to say I was expecting a bigger decline for Big Shots since it's been off the air for three weeks and had a Grey's repeat as a lead-in. To "only" drop a million viewers (and gone are the huge 10:30pm losses) and 0.5 in the demo from its last airing under those circumstances.... not quite as terrible (but still pretty bad).

30 Rock had decent retention from Earl. Woo hoo!

quote:

Fox game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? remains a vast improvement for the network, with 9.00 million viewers (#2) and a 2.4/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#3).

Fox got plenty of mileage out of game show Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Viewers: #3, 8.60 million; A18-49: #4, 2.8/ 7),

Well, if the Strike lasts for even a little while longer, FOX could be in position to be a very solid #3 for the night, even once Originals start coming back.

Will be interesting to see if viewers who watch UB and Earl, are now switching over to 5th Grader. If they are, will they head back when their new episodes come back?

What happened to Earl? I admit this season isn't as good as previous two but with repeats you'd think it would tick up a significant amount. Did everyone assume everything was a repeat or does NBC's other low-rated shows not give it enough of a promotional kick?

What good is retention if you can't draw in even 6 million viewers?

ABC really needs the strike to end. Of course, it would be better for all of the nets if it ended soon, but ABC is nowhere on Thursdays without originals.

Scrubs "clearly needs to retire" -- when it increased its 18-49 and held most of the office ratings lead in?

do you think that abc will put october road back to thurs?

quote:

Scrubs (Viewers: #4, 5.91 million; A18-49: #2, 3.1/ 7), which clearly needs to retire

Marc, didn't you get the memo that announced that Scrubs was ending after this season? Why do we need to hear week after week that the show "needs to retire" when the announcement has already been made?

Multiple blogs and boards are saying that Journeyman will wrap after 13 and that Bionic Woman is cancelled. I know, shockers.

And what was leaked of NBC's mid-season schedule is terrible. There's no hope of them getting out of the #4 spot.

My Name is Earl is sinking rapidly. I never watched the show so i don't if the quality of the show it's to blame but that's more bad news for NBC. Going against many repeats NBC looks like a big loser. Although by NBC standards ER still does respectable the drop from the previous year is huge.

Good on SURVIVOR!
Even after all these years they still can come up with some outstanding, suspeseful episodes.

I was a big supporter on this board for BIG SHOTS but I found out today there was a new episode on last night that I missed and it didn't even bother me. I found I didn't care any more. I can see the same thing happening to the audience of shows like PUSHING DAISIES and DSM when they dissapear for weeks because of the strike.

Speaking of which I just read on MEDIALIFE site that all the optomism of the strike being settled proved premature and the writers have rejected the latest offer...so it's looking like this strike could be around for a while. The only good news though is it makes the chance of getting a winter BIG BROTHER more possible...

quote:

Originally posted by xwiseguyx:
30 Rock had decent retention from Earl. Woo hoo!

And that episode was definitely not "too inside"! Anyone could relate (or at least laugh along with) Liz's dating adventure.