Prime-Time Ratings:
Tuesday 2/13/07

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

-Total Viewers:
Fox: 28.47 million, CBS: 12.16, NBC: 9.31, ABC: 8.20, CW: 3.47

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 12.0 rating/28 share, NBC: 3.4/ 8, CBS: 3.3/ 8, ABC: 2.7/ 7, CW: 1.5/ 4

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
American Idol (Fox), NCIS (CBS), House (Fox), Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

-Honorable Mention:
The Unit (CBS), Primetime: The Outsiders (ABC)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
Dateline (NBC), Veronica Mars (CW)

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Fox, as expected, finished well above the Tuesday competition (beating the four remaining networks combined among adults 18-49) as a result of the one-two punch of American Idol (Viewers: 30.97 million; A18-49: 12.9/31) and House (Viewers: 25.97 million; A18-49: 11.1/26). Retention for House out of American Idol remained worth positively noting at 84 percent in total viewers and 86 percent among adults 18-49. Most shows out of American Idol barely hold half of the audience.

Despite the severity of facing American Idol, CBS’ underrated NCIS was on the board with a comfortable, and second-place, 15.67 million viewers and a 3.7/ 9 among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m. As I always say, there is room for more that one big hit show in a time period. Ranking a distant third in the hour was NBC’s Dateline (Viewers: 6.41 million; A18-49: 2.4/ 6), followed by a repeat of America’s Funniest Home Videos on ABC (Viewers: 6.34 million; A18-49: 2.1/ 5), and the CW’s fading Gilmore Girls (Viewers: 4.31 million; A18-49: 2.0/ 5). One year earlier on the WB (and opposite the Winter Olympics on NBC), Gilmore Girls averaged 5.34 million viewers with a 2.2/ 6 in the demo.

At 9 p.m., and a distant second behind Fox’s aforementioned House, was CBS’ The Unit at 12.23 million viewers and a 3.6/ 8 among adults 18-49 – the perfect fit out of NCIS. Third was the launch pf ABC’s Primetime: The Outsiders (Viewers: 8.73 million; A18-49: 3.4/ 8), which built from its repeat America’s Funniest Home Videos lead-in by a hefty 2.39 million viewers and 62 percent among adults 18-49, followed by NBC’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent at 8.58 million viewers and a 2.9/ 7 among adults 18-49. Criminal Intent also grew from its lead-in, Dateline, by 2.17 million viewers and 21 percent in the demo.

Last, and very least, at 9 p.m. was the CW’s struggling Veronica Mars at just 2.62 million viewers and a 1.1/ 3 among adults 18-49. Comparably, that put retention for Veronica out of Gilmore Girls of 61 percent in total viewers and 55 percent in the demo. Note to the die-hard fans of Veronica Mars: please don’t blame the messenger for these lackluster rating results.

Old NBC faithful Law & Order: SVU moved into the 10 p.m. winner’s circle, as usual, with 12.95 million viewers and a 4.9/13 among adults 18-49. Second was ABC’s Boston Legal (Viewers: 9.53 million; A18-49: 2.8/ 7), followed by a repeat of Without a Trace on CBS at 8.58 million viewers and a 2.6/ 6 among adults 18-49. As good a show as Boston Legal is, it would be better if the camera was not constantly moved so abruptly.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

WEIRD that VM has noticeably better retention in total viewers than 18-49.

Just how many VM viewers are actually in their 50's--or older?

Gilmore dropped 400,000 viewers from last week?? WTF?

VM went up 220,000 viewers which is good but that demo sucks

I also note in passing that against AI, NCIS was watched by more people than Lost was last Wednesday, against--well basically, CSI:NY and the local news shows.

I'm not APPLAUDING it, but I'm NOTING it.

Nice to see Boston Legal back up in 2nd place this week. The Unit repeated much better at 10:00 p.m. last week for CBS than Without a Trace did. I find that funny considering that Without a Trace has a larger first run audience.

Nobody should be surprised about the diminished ratings for Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. Regardless of the quality of the programming, they are not performing very well for the CW. I do not expect the CW to renew Veronica Mars based on these numbers.

I am wondering why Law and Order: Criminal Intent didn't get an Honorable Mention. As you stated, it built on its lead in by 2.39 million viewers and 62 percent among adults 18-49. That seems like a daunting task against House and The Unit. Just curious why it didn't qualify.

quote:

Originally posted by pisher:
WEIRD that VM has noticeably better retention in total viewers than 18-49.

Just how many VM viewers are actually in their 50's--or older?

Are you going to use it against me if I say both my parents watch, and they're both 52?

Is cancelation for VM then a done deal, Marc?

Yes, I would imagine so. After three seasons. it's time to throw in the VM towel.

quote:

Originally posted by yomero:
Is cancelation for VM then a done deal, Marc?

Veronica mars is in germany not very popular. Before 4 Months cancelled here.

House 25 Million, what hte hell...
But that`s great for House and for me.

It is interesting that GG dropped--they're starting to do what the fanbase has demanded--get Lorelei the hell away from Christopher and back to Luke.

But see, there is a small minority of the fanbase that prefers Lorelei and Christopher, and has been gloating like crazy this season. And they're not happy at ALL. That could account for part of the drop.

One thing I always admired about GG was the way the show disposed of Lorelei and Rory's various paramours, each of whom had their online adherents, and moved on. One reason I lost faith in the show was that they didn't get rid of Logan (who should have been a one season thing at most), and actually dragged up the Lorelei/Christopher thing, which had been dealt with already, as a delaying tactic.

But actually, the single biggest reason for the drop (other than AI) is probably that people who hoped the show would get better when they started to move Luke and Lorelei back together, realized that no matter who's sleeping with whom, the show just isn't smart and funny anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by Lost Hero:

quote:

Originally posted by pisher:
WEIRD that VM has noticeably better retention in total viewers than 18-49.

Just how many VM viewers are actually in their 50's--or older?

Are you going to use it against me if I say both my parents watch, and they're both 52?

Same here. My dad watches Veronica Mars and he is 59.

I'm happy to see House holding so much of Idol's lead-in. Hugh Laurie is fantastic.

quote:

Are you going to use it against me if I say both my parents watch, and they're both 52?

No. But don't tell any OTH producers, or they'll use it against VM.

I'm not AGAINST people in their 50's. I'm going to be one in a few more years.

Just pointing out that VM doesn't really attract as youthful an audience as some would like to believe.

quote:

Gilmore dropped 400,000 viewers from last week?? WTF?

Last week was a big to-do, storywise, with Papa Gilmore being in the hospital post-carido myopathy (I love that Paris is required to say things like that...)

I think the drop in viewers after two weeks of CW promoing "LORELAI AND CHRISTOPHER ARE ON THE ROCKS OMG OMG THEY'RE BREAKING UP FOR REALZIES PLEASE COME BACK TO THE SHOW" has to do with the fact that Lorelai still hasn't gotten back together with Luke.

I think when a show declines as badly as GG has, and they try a desperate gimmick like that to bring disgusted viewers back, it only works briefly--fact is, when they actually do get Luke & Lorelei back together, they'll be damned lucky if the ratings increase lasts two weeks.

quote:

Same here. My dad watches Veronica Mars and he is 59.

Hahah. My parents both watch, too! I gave my mom a consolitory birthday present when she turned 55 last year with a note that said that now not even news channels care what she watches on TV because she's over 54.

We had a good laugh about that.