Prime-Time Ratings:
Wednesday 3/04/09

-Total Viewers:
Fox: 16.35 million, CBS: 8.86, ABC: 7.02, NBC: 5.39, CW: 3.88

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 5.7 rating/15 share, ABC: 2.9/ 8, CBS: 2.2/ 6, CW: 1.8/ 5, NBC: 1.5/ 4

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
American Idol (Fox), Lost (ABC), Criminal Minds R (CBS), CSI: NY R (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers (Excluding Repeats):
Knight Rider (NBC), Life (NBC), Lie to Me (Fox), Life on Mars (ABC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
Led by the live American Idol Results Show, it was no contest on this first Wednesday in March with Fox outdelivering the No. 2 network (CBS in total viewers, ABC among adults 18-49) by 7.49 million viewers and 2.8 rating points in the demo. The CW moved into the fourth-place position among adults 18-49 care of the two-hour season-premiere of cycle 12 of America’s Next Top Model, at 3.88 million viewers and a 1.8 rating/5 share among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

America’s Next Top Model (CW)
8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 3.18 million (#5), A18-49: 1.4/ 4 (#5)
8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 3.45 million (#5), A18-49: 1.6/ 4 (#4t)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.34 million (#5), A18-49: 2.0/ 5 (#4)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.58 million (#5), A18-49: 2.0/ 5 (#4)

Comparably, the fall season opener of America’s Next Top Model on Sept. 3, 2008 and the year-ago midseason premiere on Feb. 20, 2008 performed at similar levels.

Fox’s American Idol led the evening, of course, with 22.50 million viewers and a 7.8/22 among adults 18-49 in the 8 p.m. hour. But one year earlier it was considerably stronger at 28.32 million viewers and a 10.6/26 in the demo, based on the final nationals. And lead-out Lie to Me continues to squander the support, with 10.19 million viewers (#3) and a second-place 3.6/10 among adults 18-49. That put retention for Lie to Me out of American Idol of only 45 percent in total viewers and 46 percent in the demo. And that qualifies it as a “loser.”

Moving on into the top 12 on American Idol are Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre and Jorge Nunez. And the eight contestants competing in the Wild Card tonight are Ricky Braddy, Megan Corkrey, Anoop Desai, Matt Giraud, Jesse Langseth, Jasmine Murray, Von Smith and…gulp…Tatiana Del Toro.

Over at CBS, a night of all repeats -- The New Adventures of Old Christine (Viewers: #3, 5.51 million; A18-49: #3t, 1.5/ 4), Gary Unmarried (Viewers: #3, 5.41 million; A18-49: #4t, 1.6/ 4), Criminal Minds (Viewers: #2, 10.27 million; A18-49: #3, 2.4/ 6) and CSI: NY (Viewers: #1, 11.39 million; A18-49: #1, 2.7/ 8) -- were on par with typical non-original levels. Next was ABC care of a repeat of Lost (Viewers: #4, 4.79 million; A18-49: #2t, 1.7/ 5), the original installment of Lost (Viewers: #2, 10.61 million; A18-49: #1, 4.9/12), and the soon-to-conclude Life on Mars (Viewers: #3, 5.65 million; A18-49: #2, 2.1/ 6). As for Lost, yes, I still enjoy the show. But, let’s be honest: does anyone have any idea what happened last night? It’s truly insane already!

NBC capped off Wednesday with the series-finale of Knight Rider (Viewers: #2, 5.76 million; A18-49: #2, 1.8/ 5), followed by struggling Life (Viewers: #4, 4.62 million; A18-49: #5, 1.3/ 3), and a repeat of Law & Order (Viewers: #2, 5.78 million; A18-49: #3, 1.6/ 5). If there is a lesson to be learned, it is to stop remaking old classic series. They don’t work! Remember the remakes of Family Affair, Little House on the Prairie, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Get Smart?

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

I had to go out last night, my VCR is busted, and I've never done the DVR thing.

So I REALLY have no idea what happened on Lost.

CSI NY was almost on par with typical recent ORIGINAL levels.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
And lead-out Lie to Me continues to squander the support, with 10.19 million viewers (#3) and a second-place 3.6/10 among adults 18-49. That put retention for Lie to Me out of American Idol of only 45 percent in total viewers and 46 percent in the demo. And that qualifies it as a “loser.”

Now we know why FOX did move Lie to Me out of Criminal Minds path. That show cannot compete. FOX will be lucky if it settle at Bones level of ratings.

quote:

Criminal Minds (Viewers: #2, 10.27 million; A18-49: #3, 2.4/ 6)

Not bad for a rerun especially since it was the weakest episode of the season.

quote:

and CSI: NY (Viewers: #1, 11.39 million; A18-49: #1, 2.7/ 8) -- were on par with typical non-original levels.

Good numbers for CSI:NY.

quote:

Next was ABC care of a repeat of Lost (Viewers: #4, 4.79 million; A18-49: #2t, 1.7/ 5), the original installment of Lost (Viewers: #2, 10.61 million; A18-49: #1, 4.9/12),

Always great with the demo but it barely beat CM in total viewers even when CM was in rerun.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
If there is a lesson to be learned, it is to stop remaking old classic series. They don’t work! Remember the remakes of Family Affair, Little House on the Prairie, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Get Smart?

Stop making stupid remakes of classic shows might be better advice. The new Battlestar Galactica worked out just fine.

DEMOS: so? CSI NY and CM... heck, all CBS shows... their repeat numbers are barely down from the original installments. I guess old people don't see the difference between old and new episodes.

Whenever it ends up on its own, I can't see LIE TO ME doing the necessary 18-49 numbers to sustain itself.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
If there is a lesson to be learned, it is to stop remaking old classic series. They don’t work!

On the other hand, Star Trek has been remade / spun-off 4 times successfully.

Lost was all really all over the place last night.

I think considering how KR has held up against AI it has a dedicated fanbase. NBC should consider renewing it for a midseason replacement.

quote:

Marc Berman:
As for Lost, yes, I still enjoy the show. But, let’s be honest: does anyone have any idea what happened last night? It’s truly insane already!

Confusion is part of LOST's charm! It's really not all THAT confusing.

Last night's episode was fun!

Sawyer and Juliet? Whaaa? I dug Juliet's 70s olive green refrigerator complete with a pot plant on top.

The whole statue of four toed statue fame?

But what was 4-year-old (ish) Charlotte doing in 1974 when last season Ben gave her birth year as 1979? And it can't be one of her sisters because Charlotte was the oldest.

Lost all over the place? Hardly! I LOVED it. It may seem confusing at first but by the end of the episode, everything seemed to mesh together quite nicely.

So yes, I can honestly say that I know what happened on Lost last night. And quite honestly, that was one of the best episodes of the season. *claps

Never thought I'd be saying this but Sawyer and Juliet are HOT together.

I don't think Lie To Me's numbers are that bad. There is a lot of competition at the 9pm hour.
Lost was really interesting. Definitely, more questions than answers with this one, but that's what keeps viewers coming back. And the end was great!
And I have to say that Life on Mars had one of its best episodes last nite. Sorry to see it go.

quote:

Originally posted by KSO:

I think considering how KR has held up against AI it has a dedicated fanbase. NBC should consider renewing it for a midseason replacement.

In the morning, NBC is busily considering renewing almost every show they have.

But by afternoon, they are busily considering cancelling almost every show they have.

Remakes are always bad ideas. 90210 is just preposterous. Next year Melrose Place's reboot, should be the most stupid concept ever.

Hopefully, Heather Locklear scores a better job.

Ditto. I'd see how things go at 8 here real soon and if they do poorly, put Glee on Wednesdays after Idol in mid-April until the end of the year.

quote:

Originally posted by Bruce:
Whenever it ends up on its own, I can't see LIE TO ME doing the necessary 18-49 numbers to sustain itself.