Prime-Time Ratings:
Tuesday 4/15/08

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

-Total Viewers:
Fox: 17.02 million, NBC: 11.91, ABC: 9.36, CBS: 8.82, CW: 1.54

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 6.7 rating/17 share, NBC: 4.5/12, ABC and CBS: 2.3/ 6 each, CW: 0.6/ 2

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Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 13 percent at this same point last year to approximately 23 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
American Idol (Fox), NCIS (CBS), The Biggest Loser (NBC), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

-Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):
According to Jim (ABC), Beauty and the Geek (CW), Big Brother 9 (CBS), 48 Hours Mystery (CBS)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
Chalk up another Tuesday victory for the team called Fox, with its combination of American Idol (Viewers: #1, 22.97 million; A18-49: 8.6 rating/23 share) and Hell’s Kitchen (Viewers: #3, 11.08 million; A18-49: #2, 4.9/12).

The big news at NBC was the two-hour season-finale of The Biggest Loser, which scored a season-high 11.24 million viewers and a 4.4/11 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m., building by half-hour as follows:

The Biggest Loser (NBC)
8:00 p.m. - Viewers: 9.14 million (#3), A18-49: 3.4/10 (#2)
8:30 p.m. - Viewers: 9.78 million (#3), A18-49: 3.8/10 (#2)
9:00 p.m. - Viewers: 12.69 million (#3), A18-49: 5.0/12 (#2)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 13.34 million (#2), A18-49: 5.2/13 (#1)

That led into an original episode of Law & Order: SVU, which won the 10 p.m. hour with a healthy 13.27 million viewers and a 4.7/12 among adults 18-49.

The highlight on ABC, of course, was the live Dancing With the Stars Results Show, which averaged 15.00 million viewers (#1) and a 3.4/ 8 among adults 18-49 (#3) from 9-10 p.m. Comparably, that built from a repeat of According to Jim (Viewers: #4, 3.71 million; A18-49: #4, 1.3/ 3 at 8:30 p.m.) by a whopping 11.29 million viewers and 162 percent among adults 18-49. It was sad to see Priscilla Presley go, wasn’t it?

Earlier in the evening on ABC was an original episode of According to Jim, which finished fourth with a mere 3.86 million viewers and a 1.3/ 4 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. Please, ABC…put According to Jim out of its misery! Capping off the evening for ABC was Boston Legal at a second-place 9.29 million viewers and a 2.2/ 6 in the demo at 10 p.m.

CBS opened the night strong, with old faithful NCIS at a comfortable 14.89 million viewers (#2) and a 3.1/ 8 among adults 18-49 (#3) from 8-9 p.m. But it was downhill from 9-11 p.m. with its combination of Big Brother 9 (Viewers: #4, 6.47 million; A18-49: #4, 2.4/ 6) and 48 Hours Mystery (Viewers: #3, 5.09 million; A18-49: #3, 1.5/ 4). Week-ago occupant Secret Talents of the Stars averaged a similar 4.58 million viewers and a 1.5/ 4 in the demo.

Low-rated the CW was, meanwhile, out of the competitive Tuesday loop with Beauty and the Geek (Viewers: 1.51 million; A18-49: 0.7/ 2) and a repeat of Reaper (Viewers: 1.57 million; A18-49: 0.6/ 2) each at distant last-place finishes.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

I think Boston Legal is in some serious danger.

Great results from a great episode of L&O:SVU.

What a shame, yesterday's episodes of Boston Legal was pure gold. Emotional, strong and funny.

Yeah, I'd have to say this is it for Boston Legal. It just couldn't get an audience in the 18-49 demographic, and that will be it's downfall.

quote:

Please, ABC…put According to Jim out of its misery!

And us as well. I will have a hard time understanding how ABC can justify another season of this show with such pathetic ratings... Say what you will about ABC/Scrubs-- at least that show is pulling moderately good demo numbers and an audience comparable with a lot of other ABC comedies, so the possible renewal to better the syndication dollars for Disney is at least slightly justifiable.

AtJ creates a black hole for whatever night ABC ends up scheduling it. I guess they could throw it to the wolves on Sat.

Boston Legal is in danger with those low demo numbers, but ABC might see the worth in the total viewers and give it a renewal.

NBC: Wow. Week after week, TBL has continued to show it can tangle with the best, and this week was no exception. The final hour actually beating Hell's Kitchen? HK actually does well on it's own, and right now is benefitting from the juggernaut. SVU could've done better... actually dropped slightly from the lead-in (vs. no competition) but still pretty solid. It's actually looking as strong as CSI:Miami these days.

ABC: According to Jim. What can you say? As for DWTS, their demo is really suffering now. Boston Legal is also extremely disappointing in this regard.

CBS: NCIS actually held up well in the demo tonight (for NCIS standards, at least). As for 48Hrs, yeah that was a great idea to put up against a new episode of SVU. Really turning the tide in that "death slot."

Good overall numbers for DWTS, but those demos are shockingly low.

I don't know why, but BB9 losing 25% of its NCIS demo lead-in made me laugh.

Perhaps the next president could issue an executive order calling for the immediate cancellation of According to Jim. One can only hope, right?

It was nice of ABC to go dark during the 8pm hour so as not to present any competition for American Idol and Biggest Loser.

CBS: 48 Hours looks about as good in the ratings as Secret Talents of the Stars. They probably cost about the same to produce as well.

While people proclaim gloom and doom for Boston Legal, take note that from a retention perspective, the show performed much better than Hell's Kitchen.

The predictable strong return for SVU.

And as another pointed out, an excellent episode as well with Hargitay "takin' it to the house."

quote:

Originally posted by Obveeus:
While people proclaim gloom and doom for Boston Legal, take note that from a retention perspective, the show performed much better than Hell's Kitchen.

That's really beside the point, because you're comparing apples to oranges. It almost sounds like spin from a BL fan ;-)

The problem is that FOX doesn't expect any show to retain even 75% of Idol's lead in. And actually as far as lead-outs go, HK does a fantastic job. When Idol was doing bigger numbers, TD and BTY couldn't even keep as much as what HK does on a regular basis.

On the flip side, even though ABC might not expect Dancing's lead-out to keep a vast percentage of it's total audience, getting at least CLOSE to a 3.0 in the demo isn't asking for the moon.

On that note, Boston Legal still won't be cancelled, even with this performance. It skews upscale, and ABC wants that as much as NBC does. Besides MIT can't do double duty and replace both The Bachelore AND Boston Legal ;-)

I actually watched NCIS all the way through last night. A first--I normally just tune in briefly to ogle Abby and Ziva.

I love German Shepherds. My own dog is a shepherd mix. He oughta be in pictures.

quote:

Originally posted by jdinan:
Good overall numbers for DWTS, but those demos are shockingly low.

No kidding. DwtS has become so pathetic in the demo that it is almost down to a CBS level performance.

I hate this season of DWTS. It is so boring.

quote:

Originally posted by the128boy:
actually as far as lead-outs go, HK does a fantastic job.

No, it does not. it is a cheap show and does well for FOX, but it certainly isn't doing a fantastic job as a lead-out; just average.

quote:

When Idol was doing bigger numbers, TD and BTY couldn't even keep as much as what HK does on a regular basis.

Logically, the bigger the number from Idol, the harder it would be to maintain.

quote:

Besides MIT can't do double duty and replace both The Bachelore AND Boston Legal ;-)

Both Boston Legal and Bachelor have more reason to return next season than Men in Trees.