Prime-Time Ratings:
Tuesday 11/21/06

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

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 12.81 million, ABC: 10.86, Fox: 10.04, NBC: 9.94, CW: 3.61

-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 4.7 rating/13 share, Fox: 4.2/11, CBS: 3.4/ 9, NBC: 2.6/ 7, CW: 1.6/ 4

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

-Yesterday’s Losers:
Tony Bennett: An American Classic (NBC), Standoff (Fox), Veronica Mars (CW), 3 Lbs. (CBS)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
Now that ABC’s Dancing With the Stars has wrapped up its fall season, Tuesday dominance is up for grabs. That is, of course, until Fox’s American Idol returns in January. On that note, ABC and CBS shared leadership, with CBS the most-watched network and ABC No. 1 among key adults 18-49. Fox finished second among adults 18-49, while NBC and the CW ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.

The 2006 American Music Awards on the alphabet net averaged a respectable 10.86 million viewers (#2) with a first-place 4.7 rating/13 share among adults 18-49 from 8-11 p.m., peaking in the 9 p.m. half hour with 12.14 million viewers and a 5.2/13 in the demo. Comparatively, the year-ago telecast averaged 11.67 million viewers and a 4.4/11 among adults 18-49 on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005.

CBS opened the evening with underrated NCIS at a healthy 17.00 million viewers (#1) and a 4.3/12 among adults 18-49 (#2) at 8 p.m. That led into compatible, albeit non-spectacular, The Unit at 12.20 million viewers (#2) and a 3.4/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#2) at 9 p.m. Unfortunately for CBS, week two of 3 Lbs. remained third in the 10 p.m. hour with a so-so 9.22 million viewers and a 2.7/ 8 among 18-49. Last week, 3 Lbs. debuted at a slightly higher 9.86 million viewers and a 2.9/ 8 among adults 18-49. The final telecast of former failed time period occupant Smith, meanwhile, averaged a similar 8.38 million viewers with a 2.8/ 8 in the demo on Oct. 3. In other words, 3 Lbs. is really no better than Smith (and Smith was canceled after just three episodes).

As a reminder, any results outside of last night are based on the final nationals.

NBC got off to a weak start as a result of 8 p.m. special, Tony Bennett: An American Classic, at 6.42 million viewers (#3) and a mere (and last-place) 1.0/ 3 among adults 18-49. Sorry, Mr. Bennett, but it’s off to the loser’s listing for you! The Tony Bennett hour led into Law & Order: Criminal Intent at a typical 9.26 million viewers (#4) and a 2.3/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#4) at 9 p.m. (#3), followed by the always reliable Law & Order: SVU at a dominant 14.15 million viewers and a 4.5/12 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Worth positively noting, of course, was the considerable growth for Criminal Intent out of Tony Bennett: An American Classic.

Over at Fox, the network may want to reconsider the additional episodes it ordered for Standoff given the freshman drama remained buried at 4.93 million viewers (#4) and a 2.1/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#3) at 8 p.m. Despite the lack of lead-in support, breakout House remained just that with a first-place 15.15 million viewers and a 6.4/17 among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. Comparably, House built from Standoff by a whopping 10.22 million viewers and 205 percent in the demo.

The CW’s deteriorating Gilmore Girls ranked fourth with 4.35 million viewers and a 1.9/ 5 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. Comparably, that was off by 1.95 million viewers and 32 percent in the demo from its performance on the WB on the year-ago evening (Viewers: 6.30 million; A18-49: 2.8/ 7 on Nov. 22, 2005). That led into Veronica Mars, the show everyone loves, but few people watch, at a mere 2.88 million viewers and a 1.2/ 3 among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. That put retention for Veronica Mars out of Gilmore Girls of 66 percent in total viewers and 68 percent in the demo.

I'm honestly surprised at those numbers for Veronica Mars, considering that the LA market was supposedly showing a basketball game instead of CW. I'm betting those numbers will change come fast nationals, but for now it's an improvement over last week. But still, how sad.

So even with Dancing With the Stars gone, Veronica Mars still can't reach 3 million viewers? That truly sucks

L&O: CI 6 share in 18-49?? This has to be a record low even against DH. Yeah, it grew compared to horrible lead-in, but I can't help but wonder how much better CI would do if it weren't against House and Unit. Nice to see NCIS "pop" this week. Have a great Turkey Day, Marc!

The slight improvement from the last few weeks is the only good news for us VM fans.

As I always say, there's always next week. Although, I'm guessing that won't go on for much longer (and that's not just because next week is the Mystery 1 finale).

I think L&O: Criminal Intent almost deserves an honorable mention out of its extremely older skewing and low rated in general lead in. A 1.0! Wow, NBC must be kicking itself for pulling FNL this week! That may cost them the second place this sweeps period.

I can't believe that Veronica Mars, is not doing better this season. I think the show is as good as Buffy and could hope for those numbers. Hopefully, something will happen that help Ms. Mars on a fourth season deal.

Hey Marc, Have a Great Thanksgiving! Rest up...we have another week of sweeps left!! It looks like it is going to be an interesting one.

I think CBS will be dominant on Tuesdays until AI returns to Fox.

Oh yeah, have a great Thanksgiving, Marc! It's going to be rough without your ratings reports, but I'm sure we'll all be back on Monday when you return!

The fact that Veronica Mars can't top 3 million now that Dancing with the Stars is gone is truly an embarassment. The CW is, no doubt, going to cancel this show after this season. That slot should have gone to much-higher-rated Everwood this year.

House is truly the real thing, with a humiliating lead-in like Standoff. WOW!

Not to mention that Veronica Mars will ONLY continue to get worse once American Idol returns with some 2-hour events in January and through the entire winter. But even if it's one hour, we all know how HUGE House is when it airs out of AI...often increasing to 22 million!

Sorry folks, Veronica Mars is dead.

quote:

Originally posted by mrpotato531:
Sorry folks, Veronica Mars is dead.

I wish. It should've been dead about 4 times by now, but it continues to get more chances. Dude, it got seven more eps even now as the ratings, which started out sub-par, have been falling. They're determined to make this show a hit, but it is never going to happen.

Although, I'm thinking EW giving this episode a D this week probably didn't help with the ratings this week.

Won't the numbers go down between fast nationals and finals for GG and VM because of the LA preemption, or are they already sifted out of fast nationals? If they're already sifted out of fast nationals, then VM probably would have gotten about 3 million viewers without the preemption.

quote:

Originally posted by mrpotato531:
Not to mention that Veronica Mars will ONLY continue to get worse once American Idol returns with some 2-hour events in January and through the entire winter. But even if it's one hour, we all know how HUGE House is when it airs out of AI...often increasing to 22 million!

Sorry folks, Veronica Mars is dead.

I think Standoff will get the post American Idol slot with House moving to Thursday's at 8:00pm. to kick start FOX's Thursday schedule.