Prime-Time Ratings:
Tuesday 2/26/08

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

-Total Viewers:
Fox: 24.40 million, NBC: 8.67, CBS: 8.28, ABC: 5.46, CW: 2.49

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 9.4 rating/23 share, NBC: 2.6/ 7, CBS: 2.3/ 6, ABC: 1.8/ 5, CW: 1.1/ 3

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
American Idol (Fox), Primetime: What Would You Do? (ABC)

-Honorable Mention:
NCIS R (CBS), The Biggest Loser 5 (NBC), One Tree Hill (CW)

-Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):
Just for Laughs (ABC), According to Jim (ABC), Carpoolers (ABC), Quarterlife (NBC), Jericho (CBS)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
Fox, of course, led the Tuesday troops care of American Idol, which averaged a typically hefty 28.45 million viewers and an 11.0 rating/27 share among adults 18-49 from 8-9:30 p.m. While this is, no doubt, the season of teenage phenomenon David Archuleta, I personally think the “gosh, golly, gee whiz mentality” is going to wear thin. And I also just heard that he was a contestant on CBS’ recent revival of Star Search. Is it fair for him to now be competing on American Idol if he was already on Star Search?

Leading out of American Idol was the return of sitcom Back To You, which rose to a series-high (and first-place) 12.33 million viewers and a 4.5/11 among adults 18-49 at 9:30 p.m. As good as that was, keep in mind that the retention out of the last half-hour of Idol (Viewers: 29.38 million, A18-49: 11.4/26 at 9 p.m.) was just 42 percent in total viewers and 39 percent in the demo. So, in essence, it is really not that great.

In series-premiere news, MySpace.com drama Quarterlife debuted on NBC with an almost invisible 3.86 million viewers and a 1.6/ 4 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Considering the performance at 10:30 p.m. dipped by 960,000 viewers (4.34 to 3.38 million) and 22 percent among adults 18-49 (1.8/ 5 to 1.4/ 4), the few viewers who tuned in apparently did not like what they saw. Retention for Quarterlife out of the last half-hour of lead-in The Biggest Loser (Viewers: 9.70 million; A18-49: 3.8/ 9 at 9:30 p.m.) was a mere 40 percent in viewers and 42 percent among adults 18-49.

Overall, The Biggest Loser 5 averaged a comfortable 8.07 million viewers (#3) and a 3.1/ 8 among adults 18-49 (#2) from 8-10 p.m., building in each half-hour as follows:

The Biggest Loser 5
8:00 p.m. Viewers: 6.91 million (#3), A18-49: 2.6/ 7 (#2)
8:30 p.m. Viewers: 7.28 million (#3), A18-49: 2.9/ 7 (#2)
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 8.38 million (#2), A18-49: 3.2/ 7 (#2)
9:30 p.m. Viewers: 9.70 million (#2), A18-49: 3.8/ 9 (#1)

Over at CBS, a repeat of NCIS was on the map with a respectable 11.20 million viewers (#2) and a 2.1/ 5 among adults 18-49 (#3) from 8-9 p.m. Next was Big Brother 9 (Viewers: #3, 6.74 million; A18-49: #3, 2.6/ 6), which built by 24 percent among adults 18-49 out of the NCIS encore, followed by Jericho second in both total viewers (6.90 million) and adults 18-49 (2.2/ 6) at 10 p.m. Considering Jericho faced NBC’s DOA Quarterlife, the results should have been better. As for Big Brother, please…and I am begging…evict whiny Amanda! That voice!!!

ABC remained out of the competitive loop from 8-10 p.m. with its line-up of Just for Laughs (two episodes, original and repeat: #4, avg. 4.68 million; A18-49: #4, avg. 1.3/ 3), According to Jim (Viewers: #4, 4.63 million; A18-49: #4, 1.4/ 3) and Carpoolers (Viewers: #4, 3.48 million; A18-49: #4, 1.2/ 3). But themed newsmagazine Primetime: What Would You Do Now? garnered some interest at 10 p.m., with a first-place finish in both total viewers (7.64 million) and adults 18-49 (2.9/ 8). Comparably, that built from Carpoolers by a hefty 4.16 million viewers and 142 percent among adults 18-49.

A repeat of the CW’s Reaper (Viewers: #5, 1.81 million; A18-49: #5, 0.7/ 2) led into One Tree Hill at an above-average 3.17 million viewers and a 1.4/ 3 among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. Comparably, One Tree Hill outdelivered the Reaper encore by 1.36 million viewers and 100 percent in the demo, building in the second half hour as follows:

One Tree Hill (CW)
9:00 p.m. Viewers: 3.00 million, A18-49: 1.3/ 3
9:30 p.m. Viewers: 3.33 million, A18-49: 1.5/ 4

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

It looks like American Idol is starting to settle in this season. I think David A. was simply amazing last night. For a 17 year old to sing that...WOW. It looks like this season will have more personality than last. I think it should be Jason Yeager and Luke Menard packing their bags. Jason has yet to sing a good sone and Luke is boring. I do think Mr. Johns had an off night, but he should get another shot. Sad to see low numbers for Back To You cuz last night's episode was the funniest to date. I don't think even FOX advertised new episodes after AI too much this week. I didn't even know it was on til AI was finished.

Looks like this for sure will be the last season of Jericho. Wonder if it will last the whole order. BB9 is still getting beat. I just hope CBS doesn't decide this will be the last season of BB9 due to the Winter editions numbers. It should only be a summer show. How are they gonna juggle this show once new episodes start coming back to the regular CBS line-up.

NBC was solid with the Biggest Loser...pretty big jump in the 9:30 hour, wonder why... What was this quarterlife about? Anyone see it? Those are really sad numbers for NBC. Is that close to an all-time low for them?

ABC needs to cancel all those comedies and start from scratch. Only thing on their schedule worth watching was a special. I bet they can't wait for DWTS to start up.

I'll throw in OTH...pretty decent numbers for that show against the AI comp.

quote:

Leading out of American Idol was the return of sitcom Back To You, which rose to a series-high (and first-place) 12.33 million viewers and a 4.5/11 among adults 18-49 at 9:30 p.m.

Not horrible, but not good either. It needed to be at least 50%.

But, the episode itself was really good last night. Pleanty of laugh out loud moments. Fred Willard's character was a little more with it, and funnier, in this episode. Not so much the Spacy Old Sportscaster.

Very surprised how weak Back to You was, considering Til Death's retention on Wednesdays was usually in the upper 50s.

Jericho and Primetime no doubt got a little help from the gigantic flop of Quarterlife. The only question now is whether NBC will pull the plug before its first Sunday airing.

ABC is renewing Jim despite the fact that it brought in a whole 4 million viewers and lost viewers from its lead in. Why oh why?! Good news however for Primetime.
Kudos to Big Brother for growth in the demo and fairly decent viewership considering its incompatible with its NCIS lead in. Jericho remains a modest option but if they switched it with Big Brother, I think the night as a whole would improve. Back to You did have a season high but retention was disappointing. Lets hope it picks up tonight. Good news for OTH and not half bad for a repeat of Reaper.

quote:

Big Brother 9 (Viewers: #3, 6.74 million; A18-49: #3, 2.6/ 6), which built by 24 percent among adults 18-49 out of the NCIS encore, followed by Jericho second in both total viewers (6.90 million) and adults 18-49 (2.2/ 6) at 10 p.m.

if these numbers hold, BB9 wil be near/top season highs. plus thats a 1.4 million viewer jump from last Tuesdays episode.

Jericho even saw a jump in about 1 million viewers from last week.

I wonder if this is the start for BB9 to start climbing in the ratings as the season unfolds.

I never expected OTH will do this good in its fifth season.

Past time for CW to get the scythe out for Reaper.

Kudos to Primetime.

quote:

Originally posted by TV-aholic:

quote:

Big Brother 9 (Viewers: #3, 6.74 million; A18-49: #3, 2.6/ 6), which built by 24 percent among adults 18-49 out of the NCIS encore, followed by Jericho second in both total viewers (6.90 million) and adults 18-49 (2.2/ 6) at 10 p.m.

if these numbers hold, BB9 wil be near/top season highs. plus thats a 1.4 million viewer jump from last Tuesdays episode.

Jericho even saw a jump in about 1 million viewers from last week.

I wonder if this is the start for BB9 to start climbing in the ratings as the season unfolds.

Well as skanky as this edition has been, I'm not surprised viewership hasn't been higher.

quote:

Originally posted by pisher:
Past time for CW to get the scythe out for Reaper.

They're repeats and they're doing a half million better than repeats of OTH, Gossip Girl, and some of the original telecasts of the comedies.

ABC should be thrilled with a 2.9 in the demo for Primetime, especially considering the horrible lead-in. The good news is that it'll be on for a few more weeks, so hopefully ABC will add to its episode order. I know they have several "flavors" of Primetime, but this seems to be doing better than its "Medical Mysteries" series.

As far as future Tuesdays, until DWTS returns on March 18, as I did last week, I still recommend the following:

8pm Women's Murder Club (rerun)
9pm 20/20 Special
10pm Primetime: What Would You Do?

quote:

They're repeats and they're doing a half million better than repeats of OTH, Gossip Girl, and some of the original telecasts of the comedies.

CW just decided not to re-up with the WWE--because it was too oriented towards young male viewers.

Reaper's first-run numbers are awful, and I don't seem to recall ever hearing much about its large female audience.

Of course, I'm in favor of the whole network being canceled, so maybe I shouldn't even bother to single out individual flops anymore.

quote:

In series-premiere news, MySpace.com drama Quarterlife debuted on NBC with an almost invisible 3.86 million viewers and a 1.6/ 4 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Considering the performance at 10:30 p.m. dipped by 960,000 viewers (4.34 to 3.38 million) and 22 percent among adults 18-49 (1.8/ 5 to 1.4/ 4), the few viewers who tuned in apparently did not like what they saw.

Ouch! I'm having visions of SVU reruns returning sooner than planned and the quarterlife people looking for new jobs (or just going back to myspace).

quote:

Originally posted by Holly:

quote:

In series-premiere news, MySpace.com drama Quarterlife debuted on NBC with an almost invisible 3.86 million viewers and a 1.6/ 4 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Considering the performance at 10:30 p.m. dipped by 960,000 viewers (4.34 to 3.38 million) and 22 percent among adults 18-49 (1.8/ 5 to 1.4/ 4), the few viewers who tuned in apparently did not like what they saw.

Ouch! I'm having visions of SVU reruns returning sooner than planned and the quarterlife people looking for new jobs (or just going back to myspace).

Or they could go the Carpoolers route (which actually did even worse) and inexplicably keep it on the air week after week when almost anything else (even AtJ reruns) would be performing better...