Prime-Time Ratings:
Thursday 4/30/09

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 12.45 million, ABC: 10.20, Fox: 7.90, NBC: 6.20, CW: 3.11

-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 3.5 rating/10 share, CBS: 3.2/ 9, NBC and Fox: 2.5/ 7 each, CW: 1.3/ 4

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Survivor: Tocantins (CBS), CSI (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), The Office (NBC), Criminal Minds R (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
My Name is Earl (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), Southland (NBC)

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Note: Ratings from the prior year are based on the final nationals.

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-Ratings Breakdown:
ABC and CBS shared leadership on this below-average Thursday, with CBS the most-watched network and NBC No. 1 among adults 18-49. If anyone cares, this is the second Thursday (and eighth day) of the May 2009 sweeps.

CBS’ Survivor: Tocantins opened the evening on another winning note, with 11.73 million viewers and a 3.6 rating/11 share among adults 18-49. SPOILER ALERT: It sure was frustrating seeing “Coach” win immunity last night, wasn’t it?

Tied for second in the hour were Fox’s underrated Bones and NBC’s My Name is Earl and Parks and Recreation as follows:

Thursday 8-9 p.m.
Bones (Fox)
Viewers: 8.83 million (#2), A18-49: 2.2/ 7 (#2t)

My Name is Earl (NBC) – 8 p.m.
Viewers: 5.27 million (#4), A18-49: 2.2/ 7 (#2)

Parks and Recreation (NBC) – 8:30 p.m.
Viewers: 5.29 million (#4), A18-49: 2.3/ 7 (#3)

Capping off the 8 p.m. hour was ABC returnee Ugly Betty (Viewers: #3, 6.81 million; A18-49: #4, 2.0/ 6), which is an improvement over recent occupants In the Motherhood and Samantha Who?, and the CW’s veteran Smallville (Viewers: #5, 3.26 million; A18-49: 1.4/ 4), which continues to lose steam.

CBS’ CSI and Grey’s Anatomy on ABC tied for dominance from 9-10 p.m., with CSI the most-watched show and Grey’s Anatomy on ABC No. 1 among adults 18-49. But both drama were down significantly from one year earlier. Take a look:

Thursday 9 p.m.
CSI (CBS)
5/01/08 – Viewers: 18.01 million (#1), A18-49: 5.1/13 (#2)
4/30/09 – Viewers: 15.30 million (#1), A18-49: 3.6/ 9 (#2)
Percent Change – Viewers: -15, A18-49: -29

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
5/01/08 – Viewers: 15.31 million (#2), A18-49: 6.1/16 (#1)
4/30/09 – Viewers: 13.94 million (#2), A18-49: 5.0/13 (#1)
Percent Change – Viewers: - 9, A18-49: -18

What is going on? Are we just getting plain bored of these shows?

Also airing from 9-10 p.m. were NBC’s The Office (Viewers: #3, 7.31 million; A18-49: #2, 3.7/10) and 30 Rock (Viewers: #4, 5.97 million; A18-49: #3t, 2.9/ 7), Hell’s Kitchen on Fox (Viewers: #3, 6.97 million; A18-49: #4, 2.8/ 7) and Supernatural on the CW (Viewers: #5, 2.96 million; A18-49: #5, 1.3/ 3), which always fits well out of Smallville.

CBS was back on the 10 p.m. map care of a repeat of Criminal Minds in place of Saturday bound Harper’s Island, tying the season-finale of ABC’s Private Practice for first-place as follows:

Thursday 10 p.m.
Criminal Minds R (CBS)
Viewers: 10.33 million (#1), A18-49: 2.4/ 7 (#2)

Private Practice (ABC)
Viewers: 9.85 million (#2), A18-49: 3.5/10 (#1)

Last was NBC’s recently introduced Southland at a series-low 6.68 million viewers and a 2.1/ 6 among adults 18-49. Comparably, that was a loss of 28 percent from lead-in 30 Rock in the demo.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Southland looks more and more like a goner. P&R as well

UB did worse than before the hiatus, not encouraging at all

CBS should think about airing CM post CSI next season. Those 2 show might help each other.

Quick thoughts on last night's tv:

Survivor - If Coach didn't win immunity he would have gone home instead of Sierra. I liked Sierra a lot. I'm predicting Stephen will win the whole thing.

Supernatural - Not great. Who cares about Castiel's vessel? The best thing about the episode was the promo for the finale, now THAT looks good!

Harpers Island - I don't care at all who the killer is. I'm totally watching for Katie Cassidy. She looks amazing in this show! And it's a fun cast.

I'll still watch The Office, but i've given up on Southland for now. When they cast a hot love interest for Ben McKenzie i'll tune in again, I don't care about the cop storylines.

What is happening with SOUTHLAND? Why is a good s how like this collapsing?

IT's bad enough that there are so many dullards that would rather watch a REPEAT of a CBS Procedural than give fresh programming a chance...a procedural repeat that is ONLY THERE because the same audience couldn't rise above their stagnation and give orginal occupant HARPER'S ISLAND a chance either.

Very disheartening....

Re: SURVIVOR...please don't let limp noodle Stephen win this whole thing. He's very boring.
J.T. WILL when though if his alliance doesn't realize he will be a jury favorite and dump him.
If everyone is smart they will take someone who CAN'T win to the final with them...in other words DEBBIE.

quote:

Supernatural on the CW (Viewers: #5, 2.96 million; A18-49: #5, 1.3/ 3)

The overall viewers are definitely not good, rather dissapointing, but it's good that it kept its usual 18-49 demo.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: curious,

quote:

What is going on? Are we just getting plain bored of these shows?

I believe I have three answers.

1) Yes.

2) No, it's just (non-same day) DVR usage masking things.

3) No, Nielsen recently said that it may be understating ratings by an average of 8% due to people not using the Local People Meter buttons correctly (and far more often forgetting to press a button that said they were watching the forgetting to turn a button off to indicate they were no longer watching), and that shows that people watched in larger groups (either "family" shows like Idol, or perhaps simply more popular shows) were more affected than others.

Fast nat demos compared to year-ago evening

Ugly Betty -17%
Grey's Anatomy -17%
Survivor -10%
CSI -28%
Earl -21%
Office -5%
30 Rock +12%
Smallville -7%
Supernatural +30%

Private Practice vs. year-ago Lost -27%
Parks & Recreation vs. year-ago Scrubs -21%
Southland vs. year-ago ER -30%
Bones vs. year-ago 5th Grader even
Hell's Kitchen vs. year-ago Don't Forget the Lyrics +12%

It's a shame because the show is pretty good. I think NBC will give it a chance though. I fully expected Betty to struggle as it has been, especially coming back from a long break. ABC may have to rethink bringing it back, since I'd guess its not a cheap show to produce and is barely cracking a 2.0 in the demo

quote:

Originally posted by robert:
Southland looks more and more like a goner. P&R as well

UB did worse than before the hiatus, not encouraging at all

CBS should think about airing CM post CSI next season. Those 2 show might help each other.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
and the CW’s veteran Smallville (Viewers: #5, 3.26 million; A18-49: 1.4/ 4), which continues to lose steam.

Actually that is not quite accurate. Last week it had 3.05 million so its UP. And also Smallville is the highest rated show the CW has. And season 8 has been amazing except the whole lana story. But otherwise this season has been very stellar. Can't wait for season 9 as the show moves closer to the myhology of the legenday Man of Steel.

quote:

Originally posted by spotupj:
Fast nat demos compared to year-ago evening


Smallville -7%
Supernatural [b]+30%[/B]

That's awesome, but I hope next year SPN does worse, because I REALLY want the show to end next season.

Southland is way down. I don't watch it live but usually see it on hulu and I thought it was pretty good. I would have liked seeing it renewed.

Parks is barely getting over 5 million viewers but from what I read it has a good chance of renewal. I guess this is because NBC likes Amy Pohler (spelling?) and they're hoping it becomes the next Office or 30 Rock. However, 30 Rock and The Office have always received great reviews and were both considered great shows. Parks received mediocre reviews and wasn't considered very good.

quote:

Originally posted by robert:
Southland looks more and more like a goner.

This is almost like watching two different shows, the way they alternate between detectives and cops every other week. Overall, the 'documentary film style' may just be too different for TV viewers to be comfortable with.

quote:

P&R as well

Why? The NBC 8pm sitcoms are now even with Bones and ahead of Ugly Betty.

quote:

UB did worse than before the hiatus, not encouraging at all

This show should not have been renewed.

quote:

Originally posted by Mredman:
Smallville is the highest rated show the CW has.

No, it is not. ANTM is the highest rated show, by a significant margin. Additionally, if you get into CW's target demos, I think the Monday shows both beat out Smallville.

Weel southland is gone. Sad, Sad that NBC can mot get a hit what so ever. CSI was amazing last night

quote:

Originally posted by Obveeus:

quote:

Originally posted by Mredman:
Smallville is the highest rated show the CW has.

No, it is not. ANTM is the highest rated show, by a significant margin. Additionally, if you get into CW's target demos, I think the Monday shows both beat out Smallville.

No they don't beat Smallville or Supernatural in the demo.
And merchandise sellings for these 2 alone beats those tween shows hands down!