Prime-Time Ratings:
Tuesday 9/30/08

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 15.05 million, Fox: 11.34, ABC: 8.85, NBC: 8.24, CW: 2.54

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 4.8 rating/13 share, CBS and NBC: 3.2/ 9 each, ABC: 2.4/ 6, CW: 1.3/ 3

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
NCIS (CBS), House (Fox), Dancing With the Stars (ABC), The Mentalist (CBS), Fringe (Fox), Without a Trace (CBS)

-Down but Not Out:
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
Opportunity Knocks (ABC), Privileged (CW), Half Their Size: The People Magazine Weight Loss Challenge

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Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 20 percent at this same point last year to approximately 28 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

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-Ratings Breakdown:
CBS was the most-watched network and Fox No. 1 among adults 18-49 for this second Tuesday of the new season -- a pattern that will likely continue in fourth quarter. CBS’ NCIS (the most-watched show on the network last week) and Fox’s still potent (but declining) House shared leadership in the 8 p.m. hour as follows:

Tuesday 8 p.m.
NCIS (CBS)
Viewers: 17.24 million (#1), A18-49: 3.5 rating/10 share (#2)

House (Fox)
Viewers: 12.66 million (#2), A18-49: 5.3/15 (#1)

Also in the 8-9 p.m. time period was the first half of NBC’s The Biggest Loser (Viewers: #3, 6.72 million; A18-49: #3, 2.6/ 7), week two of ABC clinker Opportunity Knocks (Viewers: #4, 5.91 million; A18-49: #4, 1.8/ 5), and the CW’s fluffy 90210 (Viewers: #5, 3.19 million; A18-49: #5, 1.6/ 5), which built by 250,000 and seven percent among adults 18-49 from its last telecast (Viewers: 2.94 million; A18-49: 1.5/ 4 on Sept. 23, 2008). One week earlier, Opportunity Knocks kicked-off with a very similar 6.56 million viewers and a 1.8/ 5 in the demo.

As for 90210, look at all the trouble Dylan is causing and he is not even there!

At 9 p.m., week two of CBS’ The Mentalist and Fox’s Fringe shared the top spot as follows:

Tuesday 9 p.m.
The Mentalist (CBS)
Viewers: 15.27 million (#1), A18-49: 3.5/ 9 (#3)

Fringe (Fox)
Viewers: 10.04 million (#4), A18-49: 4.3/11 (#1)

Worth noting for The Mentalist was a performance on par with its potent week-ago debut (Viewers: 15.60 million; A18-49: 3.5/ 9 on Sept. 23). Retention for Fringe out of House, meanwhile, was an acceptable 79 percent in total viewers and 81 percent among adults 18-49. ABC’s live Dancing With the Stars Results Show was on the map, meanwhile, with 15.14 million viewers (#2) and a 3.6/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#3), proving there is room for three hit shows in one time period.

Rounding off the 9-10 p.m. time period was the second half of NBC’s The Biggest Loser (Viewers: #4, 7.77 million; A18-49: #4, 3.3/ 8) and the CW’s struggling Privileged, which is anything but in the ratings with a distant 1.88 million viewers and a 0.9/ 3 in the demo. Overall, The Biggest Loser averaged 7.24 million viewers and a 2.9/ 8 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m., building by half hour as follows:

The Biggest Loser (NBC)
8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 6.46 million (#3), A18-49: 2.4/ 7 (#3)
8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 6.97 million (#3), A18-49: 2.7/ 7 (#3)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 7.50 million (#4), A18-49: 3.2/ 8 (#4)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 8.03 million (#4), A18-49: 3.4/ 8 (#4)

At 10 p.m., CBS’ successfully relocated Without a Trace and NBC’s veteran Law & Order: SVY shared leadership as follows:

Tuesday 10 p.m.

Without a Trace (CBS)
Viewers: 12.65 million (#1), A18-49: 2.8/ 8 (#2)

Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
Viewers: 10.02 million (#2), A18-49: 3.7/11 (#1)

Comparatively, Without a Trace increased by 3.46 million viewers and 12 percent in the demo over failed year-ago occupant Cane (Viewers: 9.19 million; A18-49: 2.5/ 7 on Oct. 2, 2007). One year earlier, SVU averaged 11.62 million viewers and a 4.5/12 among adults 18-49.

ABC special, Half Their Size: The People Magazine Weight Loss Challenge capped off the 10 p.m. hour at a mere 5.35 million viewers and a 1.8/ 5 in the demo. I guess The Biggest Loser was enough last night.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Glad to see that The Mentalist kept its result from last week. It's my favourite new show this season.

Ouch for Privileged. Ouch for the CW completely. What a waste.

The Mentalist is kicking @$$ and taking names. It's nice to see a freshman series actually succeed.

Those CBS shows do terrific in total viewers, but they still skew so old. It is amazing how the FOX shows had roughly 2/3 of the viewers yet so much more demo. I guess that is what CBS wants so it is a success for them. I guess it works if you go for large total viewers, and just don't care how old they are.

I can't wait to see how Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy money will do tonight. I hope they both do well.

What do people see in The Mentalist?

Good numbers for Fringe. Looks like it's settled, and should have a good run for the rest of the season. I still only like the show though, I'm not hooked yet.

quote:

Originally posted by Shi Zamoria:
I can't wait to see how Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy money will do tonight. I hope they both do well.

Ditto!

quote:

Originally posted by Lost_Dom:
What do people see in The Mentalist?

A good entertaining show, good writing, good acting

FOX and CW make small gains all night long.
CBS shows stay steady with lots of viewers and coparatively weak demos. ABC takes a big drop with DwtS week to week. NBC treads water.

What's wrong with older viewers? Aren't they normally the viewers who have money to spend?

quote:

Originally posted by Twins12:
Those CBS shows do terrific in total viewers, but they still skew so old. It is amazing how the FOX shows had roughly 2/3 of the viewers yet so much more demo. I guess that is what CBS wants so it is a success for them. I guess it works if you go for large total viewers, and just don't care how old they are.

quote:

Originally posted by Lost_Dom:
What do people see in The Mentalist?

A guy that looks just like a younger version of George Bush.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
What's wrong with older viewers? Aren't they normally the viewers who have money to spend

Aren't you supposed to know more about the ad industry than that?

at OK's numbers. It needs to be pulled now. Below 6 million is unacceptable. Privileged is also way too low.

The Biggest Loser is also disappointing. For a show that survives on its demos, it is now below a 3. People are getting tired it and doing two hour episodes are just intensifying the decline. It needs to go back to an hour. Law and Order: SVU has also dropped a lot.

NCIS and The Mentalist is doing well but Without A Trace is just bringing down the numbers.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
What's wrong with older viewers? Aren't they normally the viewers who have money to spend?

quote:

Originally posted by Twins12:
Those CBS shows do terrific in total viewers, but they still skew so old. It is amazing how the FOX shows had roughly 2/3 of the viewers yet so much more demo. I guess that is what CBS wants so it is a success for them. I guess it works if you go for large total viewers, and just don't care how old they are.

I guess it works for CBS and their advertisers, but I have always heard that advertisers want young viewers. Some of the advertising publications like Advertising Age and Medialife Magazine only report 18-49 demos, and basically ignore the total viewers. Like I said, I guess the CBS model is to just go for total viewers, but I think the younger skewing networks like ABC and FOX make more advertising money.

The Mentalist is doing well for its second week. The prospects for the show are looking good.

Fringe is performing well, I wonder how much is due to having House as a lead-in.

House & L&O: SVU are declining week after week, the numbers are still goodin today's TV landscape, but they aren't what they used to be.