Prime-Time Ratings:
Thursday 1/17/08

The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data)

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 12.15 million, Fox: 10.14, NBC: 7.73, ABC: 7.24, CW: 2.52

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 3.5 rating/9 share, NBC: 3.2/ 9, CBS: 2.9/ 8, ABC: 2.5/ 7, CW: 1.0/ 3

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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 9 percent in early 2006-07 to approximately 20 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Fox), CSI R (CBS), Celebrity Apprentice (NBC), Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Fox), Without a Trace (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
Big Shots (ABC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
Despite two-thirds of its line-up in repeats, CBS was still the most-watched network on Thursday. Fox was No. 1 among adults 18-49. Sadly, almost one-half (46 percent, actually) of last night’s schedule were non-originals.

Fox’s underrated Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? led the 8 p.m. hour, with a healthy 11.50 million viewers and a 3.7 rating/10 share among adults 18-49. Comparably, this was an improvement of an average 6.14 million viewers and 85 percent among adults 18-49 over year-ago occupants ‘Til Death (Viewers: 5.10 million; A18-49: 2.1/ 6) and The War at Home (Viewers: 4.32 million; A18-49: 1.9/ 5). Congratulations, Jeff Foxworthy and J.P. Williams! Second was ABC’s Ugly Betty at 9.52 million viewers and a 3.0/ 8 among adults 18-49. One year-earlier, however, Ugly Betty was considerably stronger at 14.10 million viewers and a 4.5/12 in the demo.

Rounding off the 8 p.m. hour was a repeat of CBS’ Without a Trace (Viewers: 9.09 million; A18-49: 1.8/ 5), repeats of NBC’s My Name is Earl (Viewers: 5.63 million; A18-49: 2.4/ 7) and The Office (Viewers: 4.82 million; A18-49: 2.2/ 6), and a repeat of the CW’s Smallville (Viewers: 2.68 million; A18-49: 1.1/ 3). Damn that dreaded “R” word!

First from 9-10 p.m. was a repeat (there is that word again!) of CBS’ CSI at a still 14.15 million viewers (#1) and a 3.5/ 9 among adults 18-49 (#2). Comparably, that was the most-watched show of the evening. First among adults 18-49 (start bragging, Donald) was NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice at a 3.9/10 -- up by 77 percent from The Office encore. Celebrity Apprentice was second in the hour in total viewers, with 8.99 million.

As for Celebrity Apprentice, can anyone explain why NBC showed previews of the next two telecasts? As a fan, did I really need to know now who will still be around in two weeks? That took away all the anticipation.

Also present at 9 p.m. was Fox’s Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Viewers: #3, 8.77 million; A18-49: #3, 3.4/ 9), a repeat of Grey’s Anatomy on ABC (Viewers: #4, 7.41 million; A18-49: #4, 2.5/ 6), and a repeat of the CW’s Supernatural (Viewers: #5, 2.36 million; A18-49: #5, 0.9/ 2). Compared to year-ago occupant The O.C. (Viewers: 3.96 million; A18-49: 1.7/ 4 on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007), Don’t Forget the Lyrics was up by a massive 4.81 million viewers and 100 percent in the demo.

Top honors at 10 p.m. were shared between CBS’ Without a Trace and NBC’s ER, but ER was down by 19 percent among adults 18-49 out of the second half-hour of Celebrity Apprentice (4.3/11). Time to retire, ER!

Thursday 10 p.m.
Without a Trace (CBS)
Viewers: 13.22 million (#1), A18-49: 3.3/ 9 (#2)

ER (NBC)
Viewers: 8.97 million (#2), A18-49: 3.5/ 9 (#1)

Last, and very least at 10 p.m., was ABC’s Big Shots at just 4.78 million viewers and a 1.8/ 5 among adults 18-49.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Repeats of Smallville and Supernatural beat first run episodes of Crowned.

Too bad about BIG SHOTS. I really liked it when it first came on but I can't bring myself to watch it anymore knowing that its essentially a dead show and there will be no resolution to the stories and characters so I might as well give up now.

Nice repeat numbers for both SV and SN.

Yes they do Galveston and to think the CW wants another season of Crowned. Go figure.

Peace!!

"Ugly Betty" was pretty good last night. They figured out a way to get Claire Meade out of jail while getting in the line "my womb is closed to evil spawn!" in a scottish accent.

It's too bad the numbers make it look like its in a sophmore slump.

Also, any numbers for "Make me a Supermodel" on BRAVO?

Mediocre performance by DFTL, third in the hour against mostly repeats. ER beats it in viewers and in the demo and kept all of its lead-in total viewers, unlike DFTL that lost 24% of 5th grader audience.

I wonder how much it really costs to produce ER this year (supposedly the astronomical price has come down in recent years). If they can get the price down low enough ($3 million an episode maybe?), maybe they'll renew it for another year out of desperation. Although of course they're much less desperate now that AG has come along. But creatively, I agree with Marc that it does NOT deserve to continue.

Yikes, Ugly Betty is down by about one-third from a year ago.

How long can CSI continue to repeat this well?

AYSTA5G? and DFTL hit season highs.

Crowned must have an episodic budget of $37, wenart. That's all I can think of.

Who loved the boardroom last night on Celeb Apprentice. Though Gene Simmons wasn't very smart in the boardroom (maybe because he really wanted to go), but he was very entertaining. That was the most entertaining boardroom in a long time on the Apprentice.

It's a Kodak world. Welcome!

quote:

Originally posted by Elvis Bus:
"Ugly Betty" was pretty good last night. They figured out a way to get Claire Meade out of jail while getting in the line "my womb is closed to evil spawn!" in a scottish accent.

It's too bad the numbers make it look like its in a sophmore slump.

Actually, after all the discussion in the other thread the Ugly Betty was down, 9.5 million viewers is much closer to a season high than a season low. Considering that anchor Grey's was a rerun, I'd say UB did really good, especially in light of ABC's woes elsewhere.

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

It seemed pretty clear to me that Gene Simmons wanted to go. He made his bona-fides clear and now it was time to get off the rotting boat that is Trump's Apprentice.

quote:

Originally posted by Ike:

Yikes, Ugly Betty is down by about one-third from a year ago.

I don't really remember UB getting over 14 million viewers last season, especially in the second half where it started to fall off. I think its best ratings were in November of season 1, and those were around 12 million. Marc, are you sure that's not a typo??

I think given the strike, NBC should renew ER for one last final season out of respect. Sure, the show's not as good as it once was. (of course i was young when it was on, but have since gotten all the dvd releases)They should bring some of the old cast back like they did with Gloria Reuben a few weeks ago. ER practically defined NBC back in the 90's with Friends, Frasier, Seinfeld, and to an extent Will & Grace.

Sidenote: Marc u listed Ghost Whisperer and Moonlight as reruns..they're new tonight

quote:

Originally posted by galveston:
Crowned must have an episodic budget of $37, wenart. That's all I can think of.

That is too funny Galveston, but I think it could be true!

Peace!