Fast national ratings for Wednesday, May 20, 2009.

Keep in ming that Idol ran well into the 10pm half-hour, so its results in finals will go up (but it certainly doesn't seem to be near prior finale levels).

I currently don't have HH ratings, but should for finals.

Network Averages

ABC -- 1.2/3 A18-49, 3.423 million viewers
CBS -- 2.8/8 A18-49, 11.056 million viewers
NBC -- 1.3/4 A18-49, 5.319 million viewers
FOX -- 9.5/27 A18-49, 27.707 million viewers
CW -- 0.4/1 A18-49, 1.268 million viewers, 0.6/2 A18-34

8pm

ABC -- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest -- 0.9/3 A18-49, 3.295 million viewers
CBS -- Old Christine -- 1.6/5 A18-49, 5.649 million viewers
NBC -- Law & Order: Criminal Intent -- 1.0/3 A18-49, 4.707 million viewers
FOX - American Idol -- 7.6/26 A18-49, 22.627 million viewers
CW -- Take the Lead -- 0.4/1 A18-49, 1.233 million viewers, 0.4/1 A18-34

8:30pm

ABC -- PotC: DMC -- 1.1/3 A18-49, 3.538 million viewers
CBS -- Gary Unmarried -- 1.7/5 A18-49, 5.547 million viewers
NBC -- L&O: CI -- 1.1/3 A18-49, 5.218 million viewers
FOX -- American Idol -- 8.7/26 A18-49, 25.876 million viewers
CW -- Take the Lead -- 0.4/1 A18-49, 1.247 million viewers, 0.5/2 A18-34

9pm

ABC -- PotC: DMC -- 1.1/3 A18-49, 3.300 million viewers
CBS -- Criminal Minds -- 3.0/8 A18-49, 12.060 million viewers
NBC -- Law & Order: SVU (R) -- 0.9/2 A18-49, 4.110 million viewers
FOX -- American Idol -- 10.3/28 A18-49, 29.777 million viewers
CW -- Take the Lead -- 0.4/1 A18-49, 1.209 million viewers, 0.5/1 A18-34

9:30pm

ABC -- PotC: DMC -- 1.2/3 A18-49, 3.240 million viewers
CBS -- Criminal Minds -- 3.1/8 A18-49, 12.735 million viewers
NBC -- L&O: SVU (R) -- 1.1/3 A18-49, 4.485 million viewers
FOX -- American Idol -- 11.5/29 A18-49, 32.548 million viewers
CW -- Take the Lead -- 0.5/1 A18-49, 1.380 million viewers, 0.5/2 A18-34

10pm

ABC -- PotC: DMC -- 1.3/3 A18-49, 3.586 million viewers
CBS -- Criminal Minds -- 3.6/9 A18-49, 14.705 million viewers
NBC -- Law & Order -- 1.7/4 A18-49, 6.087 million viewers

10:30pm

ABC -- PotC: DMC -- 1.3/4 A18-49, 3.577 million viewers
CBS -- Criminal Minds -- 4.0/11 A18-49, 15.638 million viewers
NBC -- L&O -- 2.2/6 A18-49, 7.305 million viewers

Hahah American Idol did not even get 30 million viewers for the finale. When was the last time that happend. I love it.

CM held up against Idol so kudos to it. Why did ABC feel the need to put a movie on instead of repeating regular programming?

Demos vs. year-ago evening

Criminal Minds (9-10pm) -6%
American Idol (2 hrs.) -14%
Law & Order -20%

Criminal Minds (10-11pm) vs. year-ago CSI:NY +23%
(Criminal Minds 9-11 pm vs. year-ago Criminal Minds 9-10pm) +3%
Christine/Gary vs. year-ago Price is Right -6%

Idol numbers surprised me as I didn't think they could get over 30 million viewers for the finale but Americans will come to the premiere and finale.

What an ending for Criminal Minds last night with really strong ratings. CSI: NY and CM ended their seasons very well this season.

CBS shouldn't programmed the Happy Hour against Idol b/c they got thumped.

L&O needs the move to Friday to get away from CBS' procedural shadow.

quote:

CBS -- Old Christine -- 1.6/5 A18-49, 5.649 million viewers
CBS -- Gary Unmarried -- 1.7/5 A18-49, 5.547 million viewers

I agree. While making extensive (and mostly needless) changes on several other nights of the week, this is the hour they choose to leave alone. Unreal.

The "NCIS" spinoff would have slotted in nicely here. No procedural competition from FOX now that "Lie to Me" is off the night. But whatever.

Access Hollywood's Billy Bush, just tweeted this: "Source at the top says Votes were NOT close on idol. IE kris blew out adam lambert"

And according to FOX 16, affiliate from Arkansas: "AT&T says about 38 million [out of the 100 million] American Idol votes came from Arkansas last night."

Lastly, I want to have an improptu market game here in this thread before I post them later: which of the markets were the highest-rated and lowest-rated for American Idol & Criminal Minds? From last night, I do have most of the data for the markets up until the #62 market, Fort Myers-Naples, FL.

quote:

Originally posted by Walter:
Hahah American Idol did not even get 30 million viewers for the finale. When was the last time that happend. I love it.

Yet, the Idol finale still managed to still multiply the Knight Rider audience 5x over! Also, get a spell check please!

L&O came in really low. 1 million off it's usual number and .3 in the demo against an ABC movie repeat. I agree that it's ready for a Friday move. It ought to do very well there.

quote:

Originally posted by BlueLick:

L&O needs the move to Friday to get away from CBS' procedural shadow.

New and Updated 2009 Network TV Series Icons

They really need to change the rules to one vote per phone number if the below is true. I mean, I heard via blogs and twitter etc of people voting, like, 400 times. It ceases to be a talent competition and becomes a measure of devotion.

Hm, I guess the word "Idol" in the title is apropos then...

quote:

Originally posted by Douglas:
Access Hollywood's Billy Bush, just tweeted this: "Source at the top says Votes were NOT close on idol. IE kris blew out adam lambert"

And according to FOX 16, affiliate from Arkansas: "AT&T says about 38 million [out of the 100 million] American Idol votes came from Arkansas last night."

Lastly, I want to have an improptu market game here in this thread before I post them later: which of the markets were the highest-rated and lowest-rated for American Idol & Criminal Minds? From last night, I do have most of the data for the markets up until the #62 market, Fort Myers-Naples, FL.

quote:

Access Hollywood's Billy Bush, just tweeted this: "Source at the top says Votes were NOT close on idol. IE kris blew out adam lambert"

Wonder how many viewers Idol lost because it was so adamantly expected that Adam Labert would win?

quote:

Originally posted by BlueLick:
L&O needs the move to Friday to get away from CBS' procedural shadow.

Why do you deem CBS' procedurals as the gold standard? Didn't help 11th Hour much. And CSI can't even beat GA anymore.

You think people who watch NBC or FOX procedurals also watch CBS procedurals? I doubt that.

I can't wait til most of the procedurals are off TV anyway, including that drab one that airs out of DWTS this fall.

If you are a attempting to put a procedural against a CBS crime series, you most likely will lose.

And, yes, If you watch SVU, you are more than likely watching a CSI, NCIS, TM, ect...

I watch both House & Bones plus CSI and TM.

quote:

Originally posted by Douglas:

quote:

Originally posted by BlueLick:
L&O needs the move to Friday to get away from CBS' procedural shadow.

Why do you deem CBS' procedurals as the gold standard? Didn't help 11th Hour much. And CSI can't even beat GA anymore.

You think people who watch NBC or FOX procedurals also watch CBS procedurals? I doubt that.

I can't wait til most of the procedurals are off TV anyway, including that drab one that airs out of DWTS this fall.

quote:

Originally posted by TravisYanan:
They really need to change the rules to one vote per phone number if the below is true. I mean, I heard via blogs and twitter etc of people voting, like, 400 times. It ceases to be a talent competition and becomes a measure of devotion.

Hm, I guess the word "Idol" in the title is apropos then...

Dancing with the Stars has the best method in determining who goes each week: 50% judges' score, 50% public vote. Within that public vote, you're only allowed a limited number of times to vote per phone line and/or ABC.com account.