Prime-Time Ratings:
Monday 4/20/09

-Total Viewers:
ABC: 14.76 million, Fox: 9.33, CBS: 9.18, NBC: 6.59, CW: 2.39

-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 3.5 rating/9 share, CBS: 3.0/ 8, Fox: 2.8/ 7, NBC: 2.6/ 7, CW: 1.2/ 3

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Dancing With the Stars (ABC), Two and a Half Men R (CBS)

-Disappointing:
Gossip Girl (CW), One Tree Hill (CW), Castle (ABC)

-Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):
Chuck (NBC), Heroes (NBC), Surviving Suburbia (ABC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
ABC opened the week on a winning note care of Dancing With the Stars, which averaged a hefty (and above-average) 20.03 million viewers and a 4.7 rating/13 share among adults 18-49 from 8-9:30 p.m. Take a look at the half-hour breakdown:

Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 18.09 million (#1), A18-49: 4.0/11 (#1)
8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 20.82 million (#1), A18-49: 4.8/13 (#1)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 21.93 million (#1), A18-49: 5.2/13 (#1)

Week three of lead-out Surviving Suburbia finished first in total viewers at 9:30 p.m., with 10.86 million. But the retention out of the last half-hour of lead-in Dancing With the Stars was just 48 percent. And it finished fourth among adults 18-49, with a 2.6/ 6 in the demo (with retention of 50 percent out of the 9 p.m. portion of DWTS). That’s a losing performance.

ABC’s on-the-fence Castle at 10 p.m. capped off the evening with 8.44 million viewers (#2) and a last-place 2.2/ 6 among adults 18-49, also disappointing given how strong ABC opened the night.

As for Dancing With the Stars, my picks for the bottom two tonight: Lawrence Taylor and wooden cowboy Ty Murray. Most likely to bid adieu: Lawrence Taylor.

With the exception of an original installment of Rules of Engagement, distant second-place CBS aired all repeats last night (and that included aforementioned The Mentalist in place of CSI: Miami). Here are the overnight results:

CBS/Monday
8:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R) – Viewers: 7.65 million (#3), A18-49: 2.8/ 8 (#2)
8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R) – Viewers: 6.60 million (#3), A18-49: 2.7/ 7 (#2)
9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men (R) – Viewers: 11.41 million (#2), A18-49: 3.9/10 (#2)
9:30 p.m.: Rules of Engagement – Viewers: 10.58 million (#2), A18-49: 3.8/ 9 (#2)
10:00 p.m.: The Mentalist (R) – Viewers: 9.43 million (#1), A18-49: 2.5/ 7 (#2)

Interesting, isn’t it, that CBS replaced CSI: Miami with The Mentalist? Rumor has it that the hit Simon Baker drama is heading to Thursday at 10 p.m. out of CSI next season. If I were CBS, however, I would leave it in the Tuesday 9 p.m. hour. If it’s not broke, why try to fix it?

Fox kicked-off the night with a Monday installment of drama Bones, which finished averaged 8.38 million viewers (#2) and a 2.5/ 7 among adults 18-49m (#3) at 8 p.m. One week earlier, regularly scheduled occupant House was considerably stronger at 12.19 million viewers and a 4.5/12 in the demo, based on the final nationals. Despite the weaker lead-in support, 24 at 9 p.m. was consistent at 10.28 million viewers and a 3.2/ 8 among adults 18-49 – third in both categories.

NBC continues to struggle on Monday with its combination of Chuck (Viewers: #4, 6.05 million; A18-49: #4, 2.3/ 6), Heroes (Viewers: #4, 6.36 million; A18-49: #4, 3.0/ 7) and Medium (Viewers: #3, 7.36 million; A18-49: #1, 2.6/ 7). And despite the hype, the CW’s combination of Gossip Girl (Viewers: #5, 2.36 million; A18-49: #5, 1.2/ 3) and One Tree Hill (Viewers: #5, 2.41 million; A18-49: #5, 1.2/ 3) are disappointing. You can’t spin Mr. TV!

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Surviving Suburbia and Castle are up over last week, but DwtS was up a lot, so their tiny gains aren't impressive. Meanwhile, was it my imagination or was the timeslot runover even bigger than usual?

Only a Few Days Left to Play the 2009 May Sweep Prediction Game

This years May Sweep starts up in just two days, and we have the second annual May Sweep Prediction Game. Everyone who is a registered member of pifeedback.com is eligible to play the game. All are welcome.

This year, the May Sweep runs from Thursday April 23rd to Wednesday May 20th, and all the networks have loaded up their schedules with fresh episodes, guest stars and specials. Most brave of all, the CBS Television Network has brought back a megastar special from yesteryear, and skedded her on a Saturday night. Will Miss Barbra Streisand bring her legendary big Nielsens to CBS on the first Saturday of the Sweep?


On October 6, 1963, Miss Barbra Streisand brought an enormous Sunday night rating to ‘The Judy Garland Show’ and convinced CBS to sign her to a multi-million dollar contract for five CBS television specials; this coming Saturday night, Miss Streisand returns to the Tiffany network, a beacon to households across America to return to Saturday night viewing

So who do you think will win the 2009 May Sweep? Will Miss Streisand’s special help a re-surgent CBS come from behind and move ahead of FOX? Who will take third place...ABC or NBC? Will a plucky MyNetworkTV give The CW another run for Sweep glory?

Just go to the following link below and submit your entry.

LINK TO: The 2009 May Sweep Prediction Game

Good luck to all contestants who enter. Good luck to the networks. Good luck to Miss Streisand! This Sweep just might surprise a few broadcast naysayers with some impressive year-over-year gains for some networks.

Thank you,

Dumont
Sweepmaster
May 2008
dumont

The deadline for final entries will be 8:00 AM on Friday April 24th just before the very first overnight metered market reports are being relayed across the country.

After seeing the ratings, I have to agree. They were very unimpressive and dropped, especially in the demo, from ROE. Lower all but one of the CSI:M repeats also.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:

10:00 p.m.: The Mentalist (R) – Viewers: 9.43 million (#1), A18-49: 2.5/ 7 (#2)

Interesting, isn’t it, that CBS replaced CSI: Miami with The Mentalist? Rumor has it that the hit Simon Baker drama is heading to Thursday at 10 p.m. out of CSI next season. If I were CBS, however, I would leave it in the Tuesday 9 p.m. hour. If it’s not broke, why try to fix it?

24 took a demo hit from its weak lead-in.
FOX should really just lead Bones on Wednesday since that is where it seems to work best.

I rarely, very rarely comment on the winners/losers situation. But how can SS be a loser? If you talk about retention then how can a 50% one be worse than those 40% Fringe retains?

quote:

Originally posted by WlcmLAPD:
After seeing the ratings, I have to agree. They were very unimpressive and dropped, especially in the demo, from ROE. Lower all but one of the CSI:M repeats also.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:

10:00 p.m.: The Mentalist (R) – Viewers: 9.43 million (#1), A18-49: 2.5/ 7 (#2)

Interesting, isn’t it, that CBS replaced CSI: Miami with The Mentalist? Rumor has it that the hit Simon Baker drama is heading to Thursday at 10 p.m. out of CSI next season. If I were CBS, however, I would leave it in the Tuesday 9 p.m. hour. If it’s not broke, why try to fix it?

The Mentalist is not strong enough in the demo to warrant moving it to Monday or Thursday. CBS should be happy to keep it in its 'sweet spot' on Tuesdays.

Bones does work best on Wednesdays, but it provides stability to Thursdays, where is was lacking before. So it's a trade off, higher ratings or stability. I think FOX will choose stability.

quote:

Originally posted by Obveeus:
24 took a demo hit from its weak lead-in.
FOX should really just lead Bones on Wednesday since that is where it seems to work best.

How many episodes does BBT has this season. I knew 24, but then it can't end on the 11th as announced. Just 23 maybe?

You really can't judge how these shows do in repeats and in a special time slot. CBS has a habit of dumping their shows in these special time slots, and not telling anyone that they are on so their regular viewers don't even know the show is on.

My local newspaper has listed for tonight NCIS at 8:00, the Mentalist at 9:00 and WAT at 10:00 when in reality they have sitcoms on at 8:00 with NCIS and The Mentalist each moving back an hour. For some reason CBS loves to hide these special showings from people.

quote:

Originally posted by WlcmLAPD:
After seeing the ratings, I have to agree. They were very unimpressive and dropped, especially in the demo, from ROE. Lower all but one of the CSI:M repeats also.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:

10:00 p.m.: The Mentalist (R) – Viewers: 9.43 million (#1), A18-49: 2.5/ 7 (#2)

Interesting, isn’t it, that CBS replaced CSI: Miami with The Mentalist? Rumor has it that the hit Simon Baker drama is heading to Thursday at 10 p.m. out of CSI next season. If I were CBS, however, I would leave it in the Tuesday 9 p.m. hour. If it’s not broke, why try to fix it?

quote:

Originally posted by Obveeus:
Surviving Suburbia and Castle are up over last week, but DwtS was up a lot, so their tiny gains aren't impressive. Meanwhile, was it my imagination or was the timeslot runover even bigger than usual?

'Dancing With The Stars' had an almost 3 minute overrun (to 9:33 pm), so the final rating for 'Surviving Suburbia' will likely see retention levels fall into the low 40's.

Also, with the best lead-in of the night (a 5.2/13% A18-49 from 'DWTS'), all 'Surviving Suburbia' could manage was a poor fourth in A18-49.

ABC needs to smarten up for the Sweep, and put 'Samantha Who' back on Mondays at 9:30 pm out of 'DWTS'. 'Surviving Suburbia' can return in late Mayt for summer burn-off on Wednesday nights.

quote:

Originally posted by robert:
How many episodes does BBT has this season. I knew 24, but then it can't end on the 11th as announced. Just 23 maybe?

They switched to 23. Some regular poster from Warner Bros. posted in a TV forum that it was the producers decision to air only 23 instead of 24. Why I have no idea ?

quote:

Originally posted by WlcmLAPD:
Bones does work best on Wednesdays, but it provides stability to Thursdays, where is was lacking before. So it's a trade off, higher ratings or stability. I think FOX will choose stability.

You have a point. Also, Thursday is more valuable to advertisers, so I can definitely see FOX keeping Bones on Thursdays to boost their 'income' even if it does mean slightly lower ratings.

FASCINATING that Castle has a significantly older audience than Medium. Who is watching this show? What are they getting out of it?

I watched a bit last night, and it really is some kind of TV fossil with a few new trappings. Fillion's character is literally better at everything than his supposed co-protagonist, who is in reality just a sidekick, there to make him look good. He can even SHOOT better than her! He's a frakkin' NOVELIST!

It gets compared to Remington Steele and Moonlighting, but here's the difference--in the first show, the female lead solved most of the mysteries, while the male lead talked about old movies and pulled the occasional heist.

In the second, it wasn't really about the mysteries, but the female lead owned the detective agency, and the male lead was her employee. Genuine role reversal in the 80's--apparently too modern for ABC in the 00's.

Of course, however much they tried to give the women on Remington Steele and Moonlighting an edge, it was Brosnan and Willis who ended up becoming huge movie stars.

Sorry to tell ya, Nathan, but that's one more way history isn't going to repeat itself here.

Interesting how Chuck actually did worse this week as compared to last week yet no House on, and CBS sitcoms in repeats. I thought it would pick up some this week.