Prime-Time Ratings:
Thursday 11/13/08
-Total Viewers:
CBS: 14.55 million, ABC: 11.24, NBC: 7.89, Fox: 4.78, CW: 4.14
-Adults 18-49:
CBS: 4.1 rating/10 share, ABC: 3.9/10, NBC: 3.3/ 8, Fox: 2.2/ 6, CW: 1.6/ 4
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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Survivor: Gabon (CBS), CSI (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), ER (NBC)
-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
My Name is Earl (NBC), Kath & Kim (NBC), Kitchen Nightmares (Fox), Life on Mars (ABC)
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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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-Ratings Breakdown:
CBS’ Thursday winning streak continued, with another first-place finish in both total viewers and adults 18-49. Second was ABC, followed by NBC, Fox and the CW.
Beginning with 8 p.m., CBS’ veteran Survivor: Gabon is down, but not out with a dominant 13.02 million viewers and a 4.1 rating/11 share from 8-9 p.m. One year earlier, the China edition averaged 14.68 million viewers and a 4.8/13 in the demo. Now that Charlie is gone, it looks like Corinne the witch, deadly dull Bob and horrific Randy should all have their bags packed.
Second overall in the 8 p.m. hour was ABC’s Ugly Betty (Viewers: #2, 9.20 million; A18-49: 2.8/ 8), followed by NBC’s lackluster My Name is Earl (Viewers: #3, 6.99 million; A18-49: #2, 2.8/ 8) and the awful Kath & Kim (Viewers: #3, 5.08 million; A18-49: #4, 2.1/ 5), Fox’s uneventful Kitchen Nightmares (Viewers: #4, 4.65 million; A18-49: #4, 2.1/ 6), and the CW’s fading Smallville (Viewers: #5, 4.38 million; A18-49: #5, 1.7/ 4). Someone should tell Molly Shannon that Kath & Kim is an ongoing half-hour sitcom, not a sketch on Saturday Night Live.
Leadership was split once again in the 9 p.m. hour as follows:
Thursday 9 p.m.
CSI (CBS)
Viewers: 18.93 million (#1), A18-49: 5.1/12 (#2)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Viewers:
15.59 million (#2), A18-49: 5.9/14 (#1)
But versus one year earlier, both are down significantly as follows:
CSI (CBS)
11/15/07 – Viewers: 21.37 million; A18-49: 6.5/15
11/13/08 – Viewers: 18.93 million; A18-49: 5.1/12
Percent Change – Viewers: -11, A18-49: -22
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
11/15/07 – Viewers: 19.60 million; A18-49: 8.2/19
11/13/08 – Viewers: 15.59 million; A18-49: 5.9/14
Percent Change – Viewers: -20, A18-49: -28
Next were below-average performances for NBC’s The Office (Viewers: #3, 8.18 million; A18-49: #3, 4.0/ 9) and 30 Rock (Viewers: #3, 7.51 million; A18-49: #3, 3.6/ 8), which featured a guest appearance by Jennifer Aniston, followed by another installment of bland Kitchen Nightmares on Fox (Viewers: #4, 4.91 million; A18-49: #4, 2.3/ 5), and Supernatural on the CW (Viewers: #5, 3.91 million; A18-49: #5, 1.6/ 4). With so many other holes to worry about, Supernatural should have no trouble returning next season.
Leadership was also tied in the 10 p.m. hour as follows:
Thursday 10 p.m.
Eleventh Hour (CBS)
Viewers: 11.69 million (#1), A18-49: 3.1/ 8 (#2)
ER (NBC)
Viewers: 9.80 million (#2), A18-49: 3.7/10 (#1)
Keep in mind that ER featured guest appearances by former cast members Anthony Edwards, Laura Innes, Paul McCrane and Abraham Benrubi. And ABC’s Life on Mars, which is heading to Wednesday at 10 p.m. out of Lost in January, was last with 8.94 million viewers and a 2.9/ 8 in the demo. Comparably, that put retention out of the last half of lead-in Grey’s Anatomy (Viewers: 15.77 million; A18-49: 6.0/14 at 9:30 p.m.) of just 57 percent in total viewers and 48 percent among adults 18-49.
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
Good news for NBC and bad news for ABC. Looking ahead, since Cupid isn't going on Monday, it would be smart to try it in the Thursday at 8 PM spot. It should appeal to the same UB audience and hopefully pull in higher demos.
