Prime-Time Ratings:
Wednesday 10/14/09

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 11.26 million, NBC: 7.42, Fox: 7.30, ABC: 6.73, CW: 1.99

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 3.1 rating/8 share, CBS: 3.0/ 8, ABC: 2.3/ 6, NBC: 2.1/ 6, CW: 0.9/ 2

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Criminal Minds (CBS), Modern Family (ABC), Glee (Fox), CSI: NY (CBS)

-Honorable Mention:
Law & Order: SVU (NBC), Cougar Town (ABC)

-Nothing Stands Out in the Wednesday 8 p.m. Hour:
Hank (ABC), The Middle (ABC), The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS), Gary Unmarried (CBS), Mercy (NBC), America’s Next Top Model (CW)

-Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):
The Jay Leno Show (NBC), Eastwick (ABC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
CBS was the most-watched network on this fourth Wednesday of the 2009-10 season, while Fox inched past the Eye net by one-tenth of a rating point for dominance among adults 18-49. Mirroring what I have been saying all season, Wednesday from 8-9 p.m. is one of the softest hours of the week in primetime. Take a look at the lackluster results on all five networks:

Wednesday 8 p.m.

ABC
Hank – 8:00 p.m.
Viewers: 6.24 million (#4), A18-49: 1.6/ 5 (#4)

The Middle – 8:30 p.m.
Viewers: 6.74 million (#4), A18-49: 2.0/ 6 (#4)

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CBS
The New Adventures of Old Christine – 8:00 p.m.
Viewers: 7.48 million (#1), A18-49: 2.2/ 7 (#2)

Gary Unmarried – 8:30 p.m.
Viewers: 7.38 million (#2), A18-49: 2.4/ 7 (#2)

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NBC – Mercy
Viewers: 7.32 million (#2), A18-49: 2.0/ 6 (#3)

Fox - So You Think You Can Dance
Viewers: 7.07 million (#3), A18-49: 2.8/ 8 (#1)

CW - America’s Next Top Model
Viewers: 3.09 million (#5), A18-49: 1.4/ 4 (#5)

Compared to one year earlier, Hank and The Middle on ABC were virtually only on par with former failed occupant Pushing Daisies (Viewers: 6.11 million; A18-49: 1.9/ 5 on Oct. 15, 2008). The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried on CBS were also close to year-ago levels, while NBC’s Mercy dropped from former failed occupant Knight Rider (Viewers: 7.47 million, A18-49: 2.3/ 6) by 150,000 viewers and 13 percent among adults 18-49. The CW’s veteran America’s Next Top Model declined by 120,000 viewers and seven percent in the demo from a clips edition (which always scores lower) last year at this time (Viewers: 3.21 million, A18-49: 1.5/ 4). Fox is excluded because baseball aired on the year-ago evening.

Considering how well ABC’s Lost once fared in the Wednesday 8 p.m. hour, the networks may want to retool what they currently have. CBS can live with Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, and The Middle on ABC deserves some acknowledgement for building by 25 percent among adults 18-49 out of Hank. But overall this is a very lackluster hour of television.

CBS’ Criminal Minds won the 9 p.m. hour., with 13.41 million viewers and a 3.7/10 among adults 18-49. But ABC sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town and Fox’s Glee were all successfully on the map among adults 18-49. Take a look:

Modern Family (ABC) – Wed. 9 p.m.
Viewers: 9.29 million (#2), A18-49: 3.6/ 9 (#1t)

Cougar Town (ABC) – Wed. 9:30 p.m.
Viewers: 7.91 million (#3), A18-49: 3.2/ 8 (#3)

Glee (Fox) – Wed. p.m.
Viewers: 7.54 million (#4), A18-49: 3.4/ 9 (#2)

Both Modern Family and Glee posted mionor growth from one week earlier, while Cougar Town was virtually identical. And both Modern Family and Glee built from their lead-ins, clearly earning their full season renewal stripes.

Also occupying the Wednesday 9 p.m. hour was NBC’s relocated Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: #2, 8.78 million; A18-49: #4, 2.7/ 7), which rose to a season high, and a repeat of Melrose Place on the CW (Viewers: #5, 880,000; A18-49: #5, 0.4/ 1). Worth noting for SVU was growth out of the 8:30 p.m. portion of lead-in Mercy (Viewers: 7.49 million; A18-49: 2.1/ 6) of 1.29 million viewers and 29 percent among adults 18-49.

Top-rated 10 p.m. honors fell in CBS’ court, with veteran CSI: NY at a healthy 12.94 million viewers and a 3.2/ 9 among adults 18-49. Tied for the No. 2 and 3 spots was NBC’s The Jay Leno Show and ABC’s Eastwick as follows:

Wednesday 10 p.m.
The Jay Leno Show (NBC)
Viewers: 6.16 million (#2), A18-49: 1.7/ 5 (#2t)

Eastwick (ABC)
Viewers: 5.09 million (#3), A18-49: 1.7/ 5 (#2t)

Both hours declined considerably from their lead-ins and both are clearly “losers.” To the local NBC affiliates who supposedly said they are satisfied with the performance of Jay Leno: What choo talkin’ about???

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

I'd imagine that this is probably the last time we are going to see Eastwick in its current timeslot. It's losing to Leno in both viewers and demos.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:

Top-rated 10 p.m. honors fell in CBS’ court, with veteran CSI: NY at a healthy 12.94 million viewers and a 3.2/ 9 among adults 18-49. Tied for the No. 2 and 3 spots was NBC’s The Jay Leno Show and ABC’s Eastwick as follows:

Wednesday 10 p.m.
The Jay Leno Show (NBC)
Viewers: 6.16 million (#2), A18-49: 1.7/ 5 (#2t)

Eastwick (ABC)
Viewers: 5.09 million (#3), A18-49: 1.7/ 5 (#2t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

quote:

Originally posted by WlcmZapataTexas:
I'd imagine that this is probably the last time we are going to see Eastwick in its current timeslot. It's losing to Leno in both viewers and demos.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:

Top-rated 10 p.m. honors fell in CBS’ court, with veteran CSI: NY at a healthy 12.94 million viewers and a 3.2/ 9 among adults 18-49. Tied for the No. 2 and 3 spots was NBC’s The Jay Leno Show and ABC’s Eastwick as follows:

Wednesday 10 p.m.
The Jay Leno Show (NBC)
Viewers: 6.16 million (#2), A18-49: 1.7/ 5 (#2t)

Eastwick (ABC)
Viewers: 5.09 million (#3), A18-49: 1.7/ 5 (#2t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Tha bums me out cause I like Eastwick.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
Also occupying the Wednesday 9 p.m. hour was NBC’s relocated Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: #2, 8.78 million; A18-49: #4, 2.7/ 7), which rose to a season high, and a repeat of Melrose Place on the CW (Viewers: #5, 880,000; A18-49: #5, 0.4/ 1). Worth noting for SVU was growth out of the 8:30 p.m. portion of lead-in Mercy (Viewers: 7.49 million; A18-49: 2.1/ 6) of 1.29 million viewers and 29 percent among adults 18-49.

Good the see SVU finally beginning to raise in ratings. I hate to admit it, but this was the first week *I* watched it at it's new day and time. Yes, there has been a lot of promotion about it, but I have been used to it at a certain time for years and it was a huge transition for me. I saw my first L&O last Friday at it's new time. When us stubborn people finally get around to turning it on at the right day and time, I think that the ratings will go up again (not to their former highpoints, but it will go back to a respectable number). And Jay? WOW...very sad it you ask me.

With the comedies, ABC has to do a restructuring. I'm assuming that Hank will be 13 and out, if not sooner. Whatever takes that timeslot (Romantically Challenged?) should probably move into the 8:30 PM timeslot, moving The Middle to 8 PM. Part of the problem might be starting the night off with something new. At least The Middle seems to be stabilizing at a smaller audience.

Law and Order: SVU would do better with a stronger lead in. Even with Mercy going up slightly, it's still not as high as Knight Rider last year. That's not good.

Criminal Minds needs a stronger lead in also, as I've said almost every week now. But it's getting more evident each week. It is interesting though that the Wednesday comedies are now at the viewership level of AOP (still more than a half point lower in the demos though) without the benefit of a high rated lead in with HIMYM. So perhaps there's room for them elsewhere on the schedule.

Maybe ABC can pre-empt Hank for animated holiday specials for most of the next few weeks.

Great news for MF, CT and Glee... maintaining or increasing from last week, despite L&O:SVU getting its highest ratings so far this season.

MF even came within a whisker of beating CM in demo's... pretty impressive.

Its pretty sad when just four weeks into the new season we're already using Jay Leno as a barometer for lousiness (i.e. Eastwick).

Not to sound like an idiot, but why would Criminal Minds need a stronger lead-in, as it is in its fifth season? I only recently started to watch the show again, so is its ratings for this season so far lower than it has been in previous seasons?

Last nights episode of Glee was the best episode yet so far IMO.

Christine and GU aren't doing all that bad but they're dragging down CM. Don't know what CBS can do

The Middle has identical viewers from last week but down 2.1 to 2.0 (18-49).
Last night was the best episode ever

Brick: "can we play the radio? radio?"

CM's ratings are lower than I remember them being. I'll have to check back the ratings thread to see how low they are. CM does have a dedicated core of viewers. However, I think the casual viewers that could be carried over from a stronger 8 PM show aren't finding CM. I don't think it's Law and Order: SVU taking the audience away because they are two different tones and with a stronger lead in, I think you would see Law and Order: SVU's ratings rise also.

quote:

Originally posted by wenart25:
Not to sound like an idiot, but why would Criminal Minds need a stronger lead-in, as it is in its fifth season? I only recently started to watch the show again, so is its ratings for this season so far lower than it has been in previous seasons?

Almost everything seems up this Wednesday. Most likely attributable to no baseball this week. Last week we had MLB playoffs and most shows were down.

Fantastic ratings for Modern Family and Glee - ABC has the making of a big comedy hit with MF, considering it built from last week in both viewers and demo, while FOX has a solid hit with Glee, which brings in the demo and probably racks up the money in merchandise, online revenue, etc.

A bit concerning is Cougar Town, though, considering I've been enjoying it a lot more than MF. It's a good show, but a lot of people are tuning out. It shouldn't be going under 8 million, although it's demo is still very good, which causes a lot less need to worry. The Middle is still staying about a 2.0, which I guess is a good thing, while Hank was stable from last week. ABC made a mistake airing this hour on Wednesdays, though. It would have done much better airing Tuesdays at 8pm, not going against the CBS comedies, which are meanwhile holding stable, were up from last week, and are coming out on top in the hour, at least in total viewers.

Mercy is doing okay but should definitely be better than this. Eastwick is definitely a goner, while SVU still remains down a lot from last year. Jay Leno was up for some reason, though - considering it usually does best on Tuesdays, the ratings for it seem to be all over the place night-wise lately.

It is sad, but it is an easy benchmark. With Leno being that cheap, if an expensive scripted show can't beat it, then it signals a problem in scheduling.

quote:

Originally posted by a-mad:

Its pretty sad when just four weeks into the new season we're already using Jay Leno as a barometer for lousiness (i.e. Eastwick).