Prime-Time Ratings:
Tuesday 10/07/08

-Total Viewers:
ABC: 12.99 million, CBS: 11.24, NBC: 8.63, Fox: 5.75, CW: 2.69

-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 3.6 rating/9 share, NBC: 3.2/ 8, CBS: 2.9/ 7, Fox: 2.3/ 6, CW: 1.4/ 3

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Dancing With the Stars (ABC), NCIS (CBS)

-Disappointing:
90210 (CW)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
Privileged (CW)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
ABC led this atypical Tuesday, which featured the second night of the Presidential Debate, in both total viewers and adults 18-49. Tied for the No. 2 and 3 spots were CBS and NBC (CBS was second in total viewers, NBC No. 2 in the demo), followed by Fox and the CW.

CBS blockbuster NCIS opened on a winning note, beating an 8 p.m. edition of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars by 2.25 million viewers and 12 percent among adults 18-49. Take a look:

Tuesday 8 p.m.
NCIS (CBS)
Viewers: 15.69 million; A18-49: 3.7 rating/10 share

Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
Viewers: 13.44 million, A18-49: 3.3/ 9

Since the departure of injured Misty May Treanor created a void, I understand keeping Rocco DiSpirito in the show another week and combining the scores for all of the competitors from last night. But a better idea might have been letting Rocco go and bringing Kim Kardashian back. After all, we all know Rocco will be exiting next week. Don’t we?

Third from 8-9 p.m. was a one-hour edition of NBC’s The Biggest Loser (Viewers: 7.49 million; A18-49: 3.0/ 8), followed by a repeat of Fox’s House (Viewers: #4, 6.32 million; A18-49: #4, 2.6/ 7) and 90210 on the CW (Viewers: #5, 3.05 million; A18-49: 1.7/ 4). One year earlier, failed former CW occupant Beauty and the Geek averaged 3.21 million viewers and a 1.6/ 5 in the demo. So, the results for 90210 could certainly better.

Coverage of the second Presidential Debate on the Big 3 networks scored as follows from 9-10:30 p.m.

ABC – Viewers: 13.80 million, A18-49: 4.0/ 9
NBC – Viewers: 9.72 million, A18-49: 3.6/ 8
CBS – Viewers: 9.30 million, A18-49: 2.7/ 6

The debate on Fox averaged 5.17 million viewers and a 2.1/ 5 in the demo from 9-10 p.m. So, if you add up the four networks, over 37 million viewers tuned in.

The half-hour analysis of the debate fared as follows at 10:30 p.m.:

ABC – Viewers: 9.64 million, A18-49: 3.0/ 8
NBC – Viewers: 7.63 million, A18-49: 2.7/ 7
CBS – Viewers: 8.13 million, A18-49: 2.2/ 6

Privileged on the CW, meanwhile, did not benefit opposite the lack of entertainment, with just 2.33 million viewers and a 1.1/ 3 among adults 18-49 from 9-10 p.m.
.
Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Marc, you left John McCain out of the Loser's Circle!

Oh wait--Privileged--yeah, I guess that covers him.

quote:

Coverage of the second Presidential Debate on the Big 3 networks scored as follows from 9-10:30 p.m.

ABC – Viewers: 13.80 million, A18-49: 4.0/ 9
NBC – Viewers: 9.72 million, A18-49: 3.6/ 8
CBS – Viewers: 9.30 million, A18-49: 2.7/ 6

The debate on Fox averaged 5.17 million viewers and a 2.1/ 5 in the demo from 9-10 p.m. So, if you add up the four networks, over 37 million viewers tuned in.

Its been a while since I have watched a Presidential debate on TV. Am I correct that there are no Commercials from 9:00pm to about 10:40pm ET, when the Talking Heads start telling us what we think we saw?

Thanks to snap polls (which all showed Obama beating McCain easily), the punditry's post-debate spin has become largely irrelevant.

Good numbers all around

Privileged went up from 1.88 million last week and a 0.9 demo to 2.33 and 1.1. Hey, it's improvement. Not great, but it could be worse.

quote:

Originally posted by pisher:
Marc, you left John McCain out of the Loser's Circle!

Oh wait--Privileged--yeah, I guess that covers him.

Damn pisher you stole my line. I was gonna say Marc forgot the true winner last night: Obama

I don't watch HOUSE but I don't understand why an orginal segment wasn't used at 8PM this early in the season...my only guess is that they are saving orginals to prop up timeslot hit FRINGE?

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Berman:
NCIS (CBS)
Viewers: 15.69 million; A18-49: 3.7 rating/10 share

So NCIS went down 1.5 million in viewers, but up 0.2 in the demo. The drop is kind of understandable with how horrible CBS news does for the debates, but the increase in demo is odd...crossover audience with House?

I actually think that Rocco being the one "eliminated" isn't 100% true- Cloris probably is in last place, and the producers want her to go next week, so they made her safe early so the viewers won't be inclined to vote for her next week- it's also why Lance/Lacey were one of the last couples called- the producers want to subtly tell the audience they might be in trouble, and to vote for them...

and them doing a non-elimination week was about as likely as Jamie Lynn Spears getting preggers again (which the National Enquirer says she is BTW)- Everyone knew it, but the producers are so afraid they'll lose the audience they just wouldn't say it. They could have said no one's getting eliminated right up front and just did a bunch of pro dances...

Just curious, Marc: does anyone know how many folks tune in to CSPAN for events like this? I know I always avoid the networks to avoid the extra babble.

quote:

Originally posted by TV-aholic:

quote:

Coverage of the second Presidential Debate on the Big 3 networks scored as follows from 9-10:30 p.m.

ABC – Viewers: 13.80 million, A18-49: 4.0/ 9
NBC – Viewers: 9.72 million, A18-49: 3.6/ 8
CBS – Viewers: 9.30 million, A18-49: 2.7/ 6

The debate on Fox averaged 5.17 million viewers and a 2.1/ 5 in the demo from 9-10 p.m. So, if you add up the four networks, over 37 million viewers tuned in.

Its been a while since I have watched a Presidential debate on TV. Am I correct that there are no Commercials from 9:00pm to about 10:40pm ET, when the Talking Heads start telling us what we think we saw?

Yes, that's correct.

quote:

Originally posted by TV-aholic:

quote:

Coverage of the second Presidential Debate on the Big 3 networks scored as follows from 9-10:30 p.m.

ABC – Viewers: 13.80 million, A18-49: 4.0/ 9
NBC – Viewers: 9.72 million, A18-49: 3.6/ 8
CBS – Viewers: 9.30 million, A18-49: 2.7/ 6

The debate on Fox averaged 5.17 million viewers and a 2.1/ 5 in the demo from 9-10 p.m. So, if you add up the four networks, over 37 million viewers tuned in.

Its been a while since I have watched a Presidential debate on TV. Am I correct that there are no Commercials from 9:00pm to about 10:40pm ET, when the Talking Heads start telling us what we think we saw?

Right. Unlike some of the single-network primary debates, which had limited commercials, there are no commercials during these debates. I am not sure about the talking heads segments. I watch PBS, so none there.

So, 37 million on the networks. I would guess the cable stations will tout their numbers soon. But, what about PBS? Do we ever get their debate numbers?

quote:

Originally posted by TV-aholic:
Its been a while since I have watched a Presidential debate on TV. Am I correct that there are no Commercials from 9:00pm to about 10:40pm ET, when the Talking Heads start telling us what we think we saw?

No commercials, so the debates shouldn't even count in the weekly averages for the networks.

Maybe the debates count as 'infomercials', though.

quote:

Originally posted by BuffyMars:
Privileged went up from 1.88 million last week and a 0.9 demo to 2.33 and 1.1. Hey, it's improvement. Not great, but it could be worse.

Agreed. Marc was wrong to say that the show did not benefit from the debate coverage.

Also, Biggest Loser benefitted from the reduction to 1 hour of airtime.