Friday 4/17/09
-Total Viewers:
CBS: 6.55 million, NBC: 5.70, ABC: 5.19, Fox: 3.03, CW: 1.28
-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 1.6 rating/5 share, CBS and NBC: 1.4/ 5 each, Fox: 1.0/ 4, CW: 0.5/ 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 20 percent at this same point last year to approximately 28 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.
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-Friday’s Winners:
Nothing
-Friday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
Howie Do It (NBC), Prison Break (Fox), 20/20 (ABC)
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-Ratings Breakdown:
It was a night of split leadership on this particularly uneventful Friday, with CBS the most-watched network and ABC No. 1 among adults 18-49. But, let’s be honest: there is not much you can say when the top-network averages under 7-million viewers and a mere 1.6 rating/5 share in the demo.
On that note, CBS’ below-average performance comes as a result of airing all repeats. An encore telecast of the Eye net’s Ghost Whisperer opened this third Friday in April with 6.58 million viewers (#1) and a 1.3/ 5 among adults 18-49 (#2) at 8 p.m., followed by repeats of Flashpoint (Viewers: #1, 6.38 million; A18-49: #3, 1.3/ 4) and Numb3rs (Viewers: #2, 6.68 million; A18-49: #2, 1.6/ 5) from 9-11 p.m. Chances are you will be seeing something new in the 9 p.m. hour on CBS next season.
ABC had a repeat sandwiched in the middle with its non-scripted line-up of Wife Swap (Viewers: #2, 5.46 million; A18-49: #1, 1.7/ 7), a repeat of Supernanny (Viewers: #3, 4.71 million; A18-49: #1, 1.6/ 5), and veteran 20/20, which dipped to 5.39 million viewers and a 1.4/ 5 among adults 18-49 -- last in both demos. ABC might benefit if it tried to be more aggressive on this crumbling evening next season. Personally, I am not ready to give up on Friday programming, are you?
Over at Fox, Prison Break return to air its remaining episodes with a repeat at 8 p.m. (Viewers: #4, 2.68 million; A18-49: #4, 0.8/ 3), followed by an original installment at 9 p.m. (Viewers: #4, 3.38 million; A18-49: #4, 1.2/ 4). Needless to say, it is indeed time for the four-year-old drama to go.
NBC had nothing of note with its combination of two episodes of Howie Do It (Viewers: #3, avg. 3.34 million; A18-49: #3, avg. 0.9/ 3 from 8-9 p.m.), followed by a two-hour installment of Dateline at 6.33 million viewers and a 1.6/ 5 in the demo from 9-11 p.m. Take a look at the half-hour breakdown for Dateline:
Dateline (NBC)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 5.39 million (#2), A18-49: 1.3/ 5 (#2t)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 6.57 million (#1), A18-49: 1.6/ 5 (#1)\
10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.67 million (#1), A18-49: 1.9/ 6 (#1)
10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 7.93 million (#1), A18-49: 2.0/ 6 (#1)
The expanded Dateline has, of course, replaced low-rated Friday Night Lights, which concluded for the season last week.
Capping off the night was almost invisible the CW with its encore line-up of Everybody Hates Chris (Viewers: 1.44 million; A18-49: 0.6/ 2), The Game (Viewers: 1.31 million; A18-49: 0.5/ 2) and America’s Next Top Model (Viewers: 1.17 million; A18-49: 0.5/ 2). Remember how good a sitcom Everybody Hates Chris once was? Now, no one could care less.
Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)
