Prime-Time Thursday Ratings: CBS Wins; DOA Return of Fox’s The O.C.
Thursday 11/02/06 Metered Market Ratings
Household Rating/Share CBS 10.9/16 ABC 10.1/15 NBC 8.0/12 CW 3.1/ 5 Fox 2.7/ 4
-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 11/03/05) (The CW is compared to the WB’s combination of Smallville and Everwood) ABC: +63, NBC: - 8, CW: -14, Fox: -23, CBS: -25
-Yesterday’s Losers: ‘Til Death (Fox), Happy Hour (Fox), The O.C. (Fox), Six Degrees (ABC)
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-Ratings Breakdown: ABC and CBS split leadership on this first night of the November 2006 sweeps, with CBS first in the overnights and total viewers, and ABC No. 1 among adults 18-49. Working against ABC is the ongoing collapse of new drama Six Degrees, but considerably more alarming was the DOA return of Fox soap The O.C. NBC and the CW were both on par with typical Thursday levels.
Beginning with 8 p.m., the little ABC show that could, Ugly Betty, remained on the winning track with a 10.1 rating/15 share in the overnights (#1), 13.72 million viewers (#2) and a 4.4/11 among adults 18-49 (#2). Comparably, the last ABC series to generate any real interest in Thursday 8 p.m. time period was sitcom Mork & Mindy, and that was 25 years ago! CBS’ deadly-dull Survivor: Cook Islands is down, but far from out, with a 9.2/14 in the overnights (#2), 15.56 million viewers (#1) and a 5.5/14 among adults 18-49 (#1). Comparatively, Survivor: Guatemela on the year-ago evening (Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005) averaged a healthier 10.9/16 in the overnights, with 18.28 million viewers and a 6.6/17 among adults 18-49.
Also in the 8 p.m. hour were NBC sitcoms My Name is Earl (Overnights: #3, 6.3/10; Viewers: #3, 9.57 million; A18-49: #2, 4.1/11) and The Office (Overnights: #3, 6.0/ 9; Viewers: #3, 8.87 million; A18-49: #3, 4.2/10), followed by the CW’s Smallville (Overnights: #4, 3.5/ 5; Viewers: #4, 4.93 million; A18-49: #4, 2.1/ 5), and the low-rated return of Fox comedies ‘Til Death (Overnights: #5, 3.3/ 5; Viewers: #5, 4.31 million; A18-49: #5, 1.7/ 5) and Happy Hour (Overnights: #5, 2.5/ 4; Viewers: #5, 3.18 million; A18-49: #5, 1.4/ 3). As a benchmark, Smallville on the year-ago evening scored a heftier 4.2/ 6 in the overnights, 5.41 million viewers and a 2.4/ 6 among adults 18-49 on the WB, while former 8-9 p.m. Fox occupant The O.C. was at a 4.2/ 6 in the overnights, 6.65 million viewers and a 3.0/ 8 among adults 18-49.
As a reminder, total viewers and adults 18-49 from last night are based on the fast nationals. Any prior results are based on the final nationals.
At 9 p.m., residents of upscale Orange County would be wise to get their bags packed. Season four of Fox’s The O.C. opened with a series-low 2.6/ 4 in the overnights (#4t), 3.38 million viewers (#4t) and a 1.5/ 3 among adults 18-49 (#4). Comparably, the CW’s Supernatural performed at an almost identical 2.6/ 4 in the overnights (#4t), 3.38 million viewers (#4t) and a 1.4/ 3 among adults 18-49 (#5). While the CW can live with this performance, The O.C. sunk by alarming 50 percent in the overnights, 4.12 million viewers and 55 percent among adults 18-49 from its third-season premiere on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005 (Overnights: 5.2/ 8; Viewers: 7.50 million; A18-49: 3.3/10 at 8 p.m.). Growth for The O.C. out of Happy Hour of only 4 percent in the overnights, 200,000 viewers and seven percent among adults 18-49 must mean that Mischa Barton is sorely missed. Chances are Fox will move The O.C. back to Thursday at 8 p.m.
First in the 9 p.m. hour remained ABC’s red-hot Grey’s Anatomy, with a 14.7/21 in the overnights, 20.96 million viewers and a 9.0/21 among adults 18-49. Second, of course, was CBS’ CSI at a 13.7/20 in the overnights, 20.53 million viewers and a 6.9/16 among adults 18-49 (which, year-to-year was down by a noticeable 27 percent in the overnights, 8.20 million viewers and 30 percent among adults 18-49 (Overnights: 18.7/27, Viewers: 28.73 million, A18-49: 9.9/24 on Nov. 3, 2005). NBC’s soon-to-vacate Deal or No Deal (a smart move on the network’s part) was a respectable third with a 7.7/11 in the overnights, 13.09 million viewers and a 4.6/11 among adults 18-49. To anyone wondering how the upcoming return of Scrubs and the move of 30 Rock will do here, don’t expect them to match Deal or No Deal. But consider it a smarter long-term programming maneuver.
First at 10 p.m. was NBC’s ER, with a 10.2/16 in the overnights, 13.77 million viewers and a 5.6/15 among adults 18-49. Second was CBS’ Shark (Overnights: 9.9/16; Viewers: 13.17 million; A18-49: 3.7/10), followed by ABC’s rapidly fading Six Degrees at a series-low 5.4/ 9 in the overnights, 7.59 million viewers and a 3.2/ 9 among adults 18-49 (which I predict will be pulled for the remainder of the November sweep). Retention for Shark out of CSI was 72 percent in the overnights, 64 percent in total viewers and 54 percent among adults 18-49; while Six Degrees out of Grey’s Anatomy was just 37 percent in the overnights, and 36 percent in both total viewers among adults 18-49. Comparably, that’s the worst rate of retention for any series currently on the air.
As for the myth that NBC’s ER is growing by leaps and bounds this season, its year-ago performance was a beefier 11.3/18 in the overnights, 14.29 million viewers and a 6.2/16 among adults 18-49 (out of an 8.6/12 in the overnights, 11.02 million viewers and a 5.0/12 in the overnights for lead-in The Apprentice).
Wow! Ugly Betty goes up from a 4.2 last week to a 4.4 this week, despite facing original NBC comedies.
This show is for real.
CBS has to be concerned with a sinking Survivor, despite the 18-49 advantage.
Personally, I'd like to see Ugly Betty overtake Survivor in at least one metered category and have ABC make as big a deal about it as CBS wants to make over Criminal Minds beating Lost.
Thank you for finally noting that E.R. is NOT having a super-resurgance in viewership this season. It's been a slightly less than 10% increase from last year, almost entirely thanks to Without a Trace moving to Sundays.
Speaking of which, I wonder how WAT would be doing now. 16-18M?
Hmmm...I've noticed Marc has refered to SURVIVOR as dull this season...
I'm not really sure that's the case. No strong villian has emerged-perhaps that might lead to the conclusion its dull.
However its been one of the best casts in a long time (Flicka I'm looking at you-I'll miss you and your crazy free spriit)-in fact over at Television Without Pity there is a lotta love for Yul. I think it's a great season and nowhere near as dull as the waterless AFRICA edition and the goon laded THAILAND episodes (except Shi Ann-still love the She Devil)
Hey A.C., I have yet to miss an episode of Survivor. But I just can't get into this season and still don't even know who all the players are yet. Other than maybe Ozzy, there is no one outstanding...no heroes, no villains, nothing!
Seriously... ABC needs to get that stinker Six Degrees out of the Thursday 10pm (10:01pm) slot ASAP! Move Men In Trees, put on a Grey's repeat... SOMETHING!
I never expected Fox to be fifth for the evening on Thursdays. It's amazing how a show like The OC can go from a watercooler first season to this so quickly. Fox never should've moved it from the protective bubble of American Idol lead-out so soon. It could not anchor an evening in only its second season.
Speaking of AI... with Fox Thursday tanking so hard, what are the chances that AI will move there (let's start that rumor mill running again)?
Posts: 4459 | Location: Los Angeles | Registered: 21 September 2006
Isn't Deal or No Deal at least worthy of an "honorable mention"? After all, snagging over 13 million viewers (almost as many as ER) and a 4.6 18-49 rating against the massive competition it faced, along with hefty improvement in both categories from it's lead-in is pretty impressive.
