Prime-Time Ratings:
Wednesday 9/26/07
The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data)
-Total Viewers:
ABC: 13.76 million, CBS: 11.01, NBC: 10.88, Fox: 6.14, CW: 3.70
-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 4.2 rating/11 share, NBC: 4.1/11, CBS: 3.3/ 9, Fox: 2.5/ 7, CW: 1.8/ 5
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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Dancing With the Stars (ABC), Private Practice (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), The Bionic Woman (NBC), CSI: NY (CBS), Life (NBC)
-Significant Losses in Week Two:
Kid Nation (CBS), Back To You (Fox), Kitchen Nightmares (Fox)
-Yesterday’s Losers:
‘Til Death (Fox), Gossip Girl (CW)
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Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Also, since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 8.54 percent during premiere week in 2006 to 19.43 million percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.
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-Ratings Breakdown:
Led by Dancing With the Stars, ABC won this first Wednesday of the 2007-08 season in both total viewers and adults 18-49 (with a one-tenth of a rating point advantage over second-place NBC). But the big surprise of the evening was the solid sampling for NBC’s The Bionic Woman.
The Dancing With the Stars Results Show (so long, Josie Maran) opened the evening for ABC with 16.62 million viewers and a 4.0 rating/12 share among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m. Tied for second in the hour were NBC’s Deal or No Deal (Viewers: #2, 8.89 million; A18-49: #3t, 2.6/ 8), and week two of CBS’ Kid Nation (Viewers: #4, 7.61 million; A18-49: #2, 2.8/ 8). One week earlier, Kid Nation opened with 9.38 million viewers and a 3.1/ 9 among adults 18-49 (based on the final nationals). Comparably, that was a loss of 1.77 million viewers and 10 percent in the demo. One year earlier, former occupant Jericho averaged 11.66 million viewers, with a 3.4/10 among adults 18-49 (again, based on the final nationals).
Also in the 8 p.m. hour were Fox sitcoms Back To You (Viewers: #3, 7.54 million; A18-49: #2, 2.8/ 9) and ‘Til Death (Viewers: #4, 6.21 million; A18-49: #5, 2.4/ 7), and America’s Next Top Model on the CW (Viewers: #5, 4.85 million; A18-49: #5, 2.4/ 7). One week earlier, Back To You kicked-off with a considerably higher 9.48 million viewers and a 3.1/10 in the demo.
At 9 p.m., the premiere of ABC’s Private Practice had the total viewer advantage, no doubt, because it led out of Dancing With the Stars. But the bigger news was the debut of NBC’s The Bionic Woman, which won the hour among adults 18-49 (with double-digit growth from lead-in Deal or No Deal). Take a look at the two premieres:
Wednesday 9 p.m.
Private Practice (ABC)
Viewers: 14.24 million (#1), A18-49: 5.1/13 (#2)
Percent Change from Second Half of Dancing With the Stars
Viewers: -18, A18-49: +21
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The Bionic Woman (NBC)
Viewers: 13.59 million (#2), A18-49: 5.5/14 (#1)
Percent Change From Second Half of Deal or No Deal
Viewers: +38, A18-49: +83
Excluding the Olympics, this was NBC’s best performance in the Wednesday 9 p.m. hour since Sept. 29, 2004.
Third in the 9 p.m. hour was the season premiere of CBS’ Criminal Minds (Viewers: 12.71 million; A18-49: 3.5/ 9), followed by the week two episodes of Fox’s Kitchen Nightmares (Viewers: 5.41 million; A18-49: 2.4/ 6), and the CW’s Gossip Girl (Viewers: 2.55 million; A18-49: 1.2/ 3). Compared to their week-ago debuts, Kitchen Nightmares dropped by 1.20 million viewers (6.61 to 5.41 million) and 23 percent among adults 18-49 (3.1/ 8 to 2.4); while Gossip Girl declined by 950,000 viewers (3.50 to 2.55 million) and 25 percent among adults 18-49 (1.6/ 4 to 1.2/ 3).
Considering that Criminal Minds faced the premiere of two dramas and still managed to build out of the second half of Kid Nation by 4.56 million viewers and 17 percent among adults 18-49, make room for another winner in the listings.
In the 10-11 p.m. battle of the two series premieres (ABC’s Dirty Sexy Money and NBC’s Life) versus the season premiere of CBS’ now veteran CSI: NY, the Big Apple forensic crime solvers took the hour in total viewers. But Life was No. 1 among adults 18-49. Take a look:
Wednesday 10 p.m.
CSI: NY (CBS) – season premiere
Viewers: 12.70 million (#1), A18-49: 3.7/10 (#2)
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC) - premiere
Viewers: 10.42 million (#2), A18-49: 3.6/10 (#3)
Life (NBC) – premiere
Viewers: 10.15 million (#3), A18-49: 4.1/11 (#1)
To put these results into perspective for the new shows, let’s take a look at the retention from the lead-in (second half-hour)
Dirty Sexy Money out of Private Practice
Viewers: 76 percent, A18-49: 71 percent
Life out of The Bionic Woman
Viewers: 74 percent, A18-49: 72 percent
While I will acknowledge Life for winning the 10 p.m. hour among adults 18-49 (and admitting I was wrong labeling it a loser based on the overnights), the erosion for both Life and Dirty Sexy Money from their lead-ins and at 10:30 p.m. is an early concern. Take a look at both shows by half hour.
Dirty Sexy Money (ABC)
10:00 p.m. Viewers: 10.80 million (#2), A18-49: 3.8/10 (#2)
10:30 p.m. Viewers: 10.04 million (#2), A18-49: 3.4/10 (#3)
Life (NBC)
10:00 p.m. Viewers: 10.79 million (#3), A18-49: 4.4/12 (#1)
10:30 p.m. Viewers: 9.50 million (#3), A18-49: 3.9/11 (#1)
Life, however, did lift NBC to its best performance in the Wednesday 10 p.m. hour since June 21, 2006.
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
