Prime-Time Ratings:
Monday 4/26/09
-Total Viewers:
ABC: 13.99 million, CBS: 11.26, Fox: 10.96, NBC: 6.41, CW: 2.13
-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 3.9 rating/10 share, CBS: 3.8/10, ABC: 3.2/ 9, NBC: 2.5/ 7, CW: 1.0/ 3
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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Dancing With the Stars (ABC), House (Fox), Two and a Half Men (CBS), Rules of Engagement (CBS), CSI: Miami (CBS)
-Honorable Mention:
The Big Bang Theory (CBS), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 24 (Fox)
-Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):
Chuck (NBC), Gossip Girl (CW), Heroes (NBC), Surviving Suburbia (ABC), One Tree Hill (CW), Medium (NBC)
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-Ratings Breakdown:
ABC and Fox shared leadership on this first Monday of the May sweeps, with ABC the most-watched network and Fox first among adults 18-49 -- one-tenth of a rating point ahead of second place CBS in the demo. Fourth in both categories was NBC, followed distant the CW (which relies, of course, on the support of the young female audience).
A 90-minute of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars remains a force to reckon with, at 19.09 million viewers and a 4.3 rating/12 share among adults 18-49 from 8-9:30 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown:
Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 17.25 million (#1), A18-49: 3.8/11 (#2)
8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 19.60 million (#1), A18-49: 4.4/12 (#2)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 20.41 million (#1), A18-49: 4.7/12 (#2)
Comparably, that was right on par with the year-ago telecast. Next on ABC was sitcom Surviving Suburbia at 9.91 million viewers (#3) and a 2.4/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#4) at 9:30 p.m., followed by on-the-fence drama Castle at 8.38 million viewers (#2) and a third-place 2.1/ 6 in the demo. Although no one expects Surviving Suburbia to maintain the Dancing With the Stars lead-in, retention out of the 9:30 p.m. portion was just 49 percent in total viewers and 51 percent among adults 18-49. That makes it a “loser.” As for Castle, renewal for next season is 50/50.
And, regarding Dancing With the Stars, Melissa Rycroft’s unfortunate injury means she is the most likely to be exiting tonight. Poor Tony Dovolani!
CBS had what you could call a consistent Monday, with its combination of laugh-out-loud The Big Bang Theory (Viewers: #2, 9.31 million; A18-49: #3, 3.4/10), compatible How I Met Your Mother (Viewers: #3, 8.87 million; A18-49: #3, 3.7/10), old faithful Two and a Half Men (Viewers: #2, 14.09 million; A18-49: #1, 4.9/12), potentially underrated Rules of Engagement (Viewers: #1, 11.29 million; A18-49: #1, 3.9/10) and veteran CSI: Miami (Viewers: #1, 11.98 million; A18-49: #1, 3.3/ 9). I refer to Rules of Engagement that way because CBS is testing the waters as a potential Wednesday anchor on May 13. We’ll see what happens. While CSI: Miami is still the show to beat at 10 p.m., one year earlier it averaged a heftier 13.88 million viewers and a 3.9/10 among adults 18-49, based on the final nationals.
Fox was on the map, meanwhile, with its successful pairing of House (Viewers: #2, 11.36 million; A18-49: #1, 4.5/12) and 24 (Viewers: #3, 10.56 million; A18-49: #3, 3.4/ 8). NBC left little to be desired with the season (or series) finale of Chuck (Viewers: #4, 6.11 million; A18-49: #4, 2.3/ 6), the season-finale of sinking Heroes (Viewers: #4, 6.39 million; A18-49: #4, 3.0/ 7), and aging Medium (Viewers: #3, 6.72 million; A18-49: #2, 2.2/ 6). If I had to predict, that was probably the last you will ever see of Chuck.
As for the CW, while I understand that the strength of Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill fall within the young female demos, the overall results are not positive. Take a look at last night versus their performances from one year earlier. Based on these results, more concerning is Gossip Girl.
Monday/CW
8:00 p.m. Gossip Girl
4/28/08 – Viewers: 2.53 million; A18-49: 1.3/ 3
4/27/09 - Viewers: 2.02 million; A18-49: 1.0/ 3
Percent Change – Viewers: -20, A18-49: -23
8:00 p.m. One Tree Hill
4/28/08 – Viewers: 2.57 million; A18-49: 1.2/ 3
4/27/09 - Viewers: 2.24 million; A18-49: 1.1/ 3
Percent Change – Viewers: -13, A18-49: - 8
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
