# 2011-12 Season Ratings - Spring



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

This thread continues the 2011-12 broadcast TV season ratings. Earlier threads were 2011-12 Season Ratings - Fall and 2011-12 Season Ratings - Winter.

The next four weeks will be the "runup" to the April 26 - May 23, 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps.

Here's the first Thursday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*ABC* has a revised lineup for Spring. It's begins with "Missing" which has been running since March 15 to terrible ratings and will get worse by sweeps month. They are going to premier "Scandal" next week at 10:00 and move "Private Practice" to Tuesdays at 10:00 in two weeks. I guess they hope that "Grey's Anatomy", which still gets decent ratings though seeing a slow deterioration, will hold Thursday together. Or we'll see if "Grey's" will see a slightly faster deterioration by the end of Sweeps.

*CBS*. "Person of Interest" at 9:00 is typical of the CBS strategy. It's successfully been building its 18-49 demo and is far ahead of "Grey's" in the 50+ crowd. "Big Bang Theory" at the 8:00 half hour again beat "American Idol" in the 18-49 demo and has a large piece of the 50+ folks. And "The Mentalist" consistently wins 10:00 in both age groups. The CBS lineup will be the lineup to beat and even "American Idol" has trouble doing that.

*Fox* tied CBS in the two hour competition last night even though it only won one half hour time slot. "Touch" at 9:00 ran #2 but that was against reruns on ABC and NBC. "American Idol" saw a slight increase from week-to-week. But last year the show pulled 6.7/20 -22.02 million compared to this year's 4.2/13 -15.27 million. The 18-49 demo is down 37% and the 50+ is down 27%. This kind of drop represents serious losses in future advertising revenue.

*NBC*'s Thursday Spring lineup is in successful competition against The CW's lineup, barely.

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## John Strk (Oct 16, 2009)

Thanks for the updates phrelin. Any word on what's going on with The Firm on NBC? I know it was moved to Saturday nights and I assume it's not coming back for another season?


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

NBC committed to 22 episodes of "The Firm" and apparently is burning off all of them on Saturdays, I guess. Your assumption is the same as mine and all the pundits, but NBC hasn't said that the show is canceled. I don't see any news reports about the stars in other TV shows, though several of them are in movies at various stages of post-production.

The show is produced by the Canadian company Entertainment One and NBC just acquired their medical drama "Saving Hope" for its Summer schedule. NBC may be just trying to keep a good relationship with Entertainment One which is the source of ABC’s "Rookie Blue", Syfy’s "Haven", and AMC’s "Hell on Wheels".


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Friday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








The fact is that the average number of viewers on this Friday compared to Thursday (yesterday) during the two hour competition is 45% fewer in the 18-49 demo and 33% fewer in the 50+ crowd.

And the contrasting fact is that at 10:00 the demo was 6.5% higher than Thursday and the 50+ was 16% higher than Thursday.

*ABC* ranked #2 for the night and in the two hour competition, even though "Shark Tank" was a rerun. And "20/20" won the demo at 10:00.

*CBS* won the night overall without getting above a 1.8 in the demo. The important thing to note is that in the 50+ crowd total for the night CBS nearly doubled the number watching ABC. After two weeks of NCAA Basketball "Undercover Boss" returned lower. After a bit of a hiatus "CSI:NY" came back close to its last new episode. "Blue Bloods" returned to its normal ratings.

*Fox*. The "Kitchen Nightmares" season finale dropped a bit. "Fringe" gained a little coming back to its February Sweeps average.

*NBC*'s "Who Do You Thing You Are" genealogy reality show does well in the 50+ crowd. "Grimm" and "Dateline" not so much.

*The CW*'s rating are almost relevant of Fridays, almost.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Sunday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*CBS* carried from 8:00 - 11:00, and won the night with, "The Academy of Country Music Awards" last night which means that the ratings tell us nothing about the future of any of the regular Sunday TV shows on any network during that time period.

*NBC* decided to carry from 8:00 - 11:00 three hours of "Celebrity Apprentice" pulling average ratings for the show in all three hours. It did beat their 8:00 regular "Harry's Law" in the 18-49 demo but pulled only slightly more than half the 50+ viewers.

*ABC* ran its regular lineup which saw slightly lower ratings against a popular awards show on CBS.

*Fox* other than a "The Simpsons" rerun at 8:00 ran its regular liineup which saw slightly lower ratings against a popular awards show on CBS.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Monday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*CBS*. We need to get this out of the way. If you were on the East Coast, the NCAA Basketball Championship Game shows up in these ratings from 9:00 -11:00. If you were on the West Coast, the Game which began at 6:00 shows up in these ratings from 8:00 - 8:30. The only thing one can say about this is that the Game pulled a large audience which has no meaning for the regular CBS schedule.

*ABC*. "Dancing with the Stars" and "Castle" took a hit because of the game.

*NBC*. "The Voice" took a hit because of the game. "Smash" did not suffer much.

*Fox*. Despite all my fearful ranting to the contrary, at this new day and time "Bones" was up over its Thursday last new episode and above ratings for "House" in this time slot. And "House" at 9:00 was up over its last new episode at 8:00 as well as scoring well above "Alcatraz." Of course, this was not against the regular schedule on CBS. Fox still finished #4 in the 8:00 - 10:00 competition. But it was a much higher scoring #4 than in the past few months. :sure:

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## Church AV Guy (Jul 9, 2007)

I know it's not on the list, but do you know how the premier of "The Killing" did compared to last year? Many of its viewers were really unhappy about the NONresolution of the investigation and vowed to never watch it again. I was wondering if that actually happened, or if most forgot their ire, and just watched it anyway.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

On occasion, its worth noting the cable channel ratings, including premiums, such as this past Sunday. Keep in mind that the ratings shown are the top 100 cable shows for adults 25-54 with some interpolation from additional sources. So there is no apples-to-apples info available except where the channel releases info which is, of course, spin control.

While the times are a little off for West Coast viewers, it's worth noting that top cable shows during the 9:00 hour attracted a demo of 9.7 and 25.4 million total viewers while as we noted above broadcast networks attracted 10.1 and 32.6.

The basic cable and premium models are different from the broadcast system. The three showings of the premier of "Game of Thrones" on HBO attracted a 3.3 demo and 6.28 million total, but there will be additional showings throughout the week. HBO isn't selling ratings to advertisers, but they do have to make sure their subscribers are interested in what they offer.

Ratings for "Ax Men" on the History Channel regularly beat anything on The CW.

And "The Killing" on AMC premiered down this year. Whether that was because the fans are angry at how AMC handled the show's season finale last year is hard to say. But cable channels do sell ads.

This reminds us that there are a lot of regular TV viewers watching cable channels, not broadcast TV.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Tuesday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








Next Tuesday the big four will return to their regular schedule, which makes last night a ratings yawn.

*CBS*, which generally controls Tuesday nights, ran all reruns.

*NBC* ran new episodes of its entire schedule giving it an 18-49 demo ratings win in the 8:00 - 10:00 competition while coming in a distant #3 in the 50+ crowd. And "Fashion Star" did not do well at 10:00 given that CBS was running a rerun.

*ABC*'s "Dancing with the Stars Encore" at 8:00 didn't seem to do better than the regularly scheduled "Last Man Standing". But combined with the "DWTS Results" it gave the network #2 in the demo and #1 in the 50+ crowd against the CBS reruns in the 8:00 to 10:00 competition. "Body of Proof" won in the 10:00 slot.

*Fox* appears to have created a problem for "New Girl." During the last Sweeps, "Glee" averaged 3.0/8 - 7.36 milion giving "New Girl" a solid lead in allowing it to average 3.2/8 - 6.56 million in the 9:00 half hour slot.

Not liking success, Fox replaced "Glee" with a dismal comedy lineup, allow "New girl" to drop to a 2.3/6 - 4.58 million last night. The show that used to edge out new episodes of "NCIS: LA" fell to #3 when "NCIS: LA" was a rerun.

Yes, I know that "DWTS" and "The Voice" results shows are tough live viewer competition. But what will happen next week when CBS is back with new episodes?

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Wednesday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








Next Wednesday will see all new episodes of the complete Spring lineup. But this week gives a hint of what it's going to look like.

*ABC* ran reruns through all but 9:30 of the primetime schedule. This means that from 8:00 to 9:30 its strong comedy lineup wasn't competing against the offerings of others. And at 10:00 they ran another rerun of "MIssing", I guess trying to get as much revenue as possible from a weak show.

*Fox*, of course, controlled the 8:00 - 10:00 competition with "American Idol", but down from last week and way down from last year:








Losing 35% of its 18-49 demo is a potentially big revenue problem for Fox next year.

*CBS*. "Survivor" and "Criminal Minds" were both down slightly and, though not as bad as "Idol", compared to last year for CBS the 8:00 - 10:00 also was off from last year:








*NBC*. Without any new episode competition from ABC's comedy lineup, "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" and "Best Friends Forever" premiered to pathetic ratings. "Bent's" two episodes finale ratings looked like a The CW program, as did "Brian Williams" at 10:00.

It's clear that next week isn't likely to see much improvement for Wednesdays. This night is open to an all new schedule next fall for the peacock network.

*The CW*'s "One Tree Hill" two-hour series finale ended a nine season, 187 episode run for the show, but certainly not on a ratings high.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Thanks for the good work.

Sort of a shame about Bent, I enjoyed it. Of course once I've seen something I don't watch it again so all the re-runs had no interest for me.

Last night for example I watched Bent, CSI, Bent, ABC News. Somewhere in there I tried to watch BFF, tried.
Maybe tonight I'll watch Psych.

Anyway thanks again for the charts, I find them interesting.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

TBoneit said:


> Thanks for the good work.
> 
> Sort of a shame about Bent, I enjoyed it. Of course once I've seen something I don't watch it again so all the re-runs had no interest for me.
> 
> ...


Thanks. It's good to know people find the information interesting. And like you, we don't watch reruns so we have been watching "Bent" which we thought was a pretty good sitcom.

Here's the second Thursday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*CBS* won the night in every time slot but 8:30. "The Mentalist" of course won 10:00. "Person of Interest" won the 18-49 demo and pulled double the 50+ audience against #2 "Grey's Anatomy." "Big Bang Theory" again beat "American Idol" in the 8:00 half hour.

*Fox*. Ignore everything you might see headlined about ratings elsewhere. Here's the headline-worthy fact of last night's ratings:








In the 8:00 -10:00 competition CBS ratings compared to last year _climbed_ 11% ± 1%. Fox's ratings compared to last year _dropped_ 33% ± 2%.

Last year "American Idol" pulled 6.1 million in the demo. This year 3.8 million, a drop of 37%. Last year "Bones" pulled a 3.4 million in the demo. This year "Touch" pulled a 2.3 million, a drop of 32%. Fox's programming has always been targeted at the demo. "Touch" came in #3.

Fox has a problem and it's not a simple one to resolve as it's at the corporate level.

*ABC* also has a problem.

"Missing" at 8:00 is a ratings disaster.

At 9:00 the aging "Grey's Anatomy" is now running well behind "Person of Interest" in total viewers and slightly behind in the demo.

At 10:00 "Scandal" _premiered_ at #2 well behind "The Mentalist" and it looks like it's going to be under 2.0 in the demo in the future with no chance in the 50+ crowd.

I'm not quite sure where ABC is coming from, but it's 10:00 lineup paints a picture.

Sunday we have "GBC" which IMHO has no significant male leads.
Monday we have "Castle" which has a strong female detective even though the show's namesake is a male, troubled and sensitive, surrounded at home by a mother and daughter.
Tuesday we have "Body of Proof" with two strong women leads, soon to be replaced by "Private Practice", a show that Kate Walsh's character has been made into the lead even though it has other strong women characters and some really interesting men characters played by strong actors.
Wednesday we have "Revenge", starring Emily VanCamp whose character is pitted against Madeleine Stowe's character.
Thursday we have "Scandal" which I haven't seen yet but ABC describes as a show that "delves into the behind-the-scenes machinations of a mesmerizing top crisis manager, Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington)."
If you add to that Sunday's "Once Upon a Time" and Wednesday's "Missing", I see a big picture forming related to gender.

I know that "Desperate Housewives" which started in 2004 and "Grey's Anatomy" which started in 2005 were hits. But is this programming really going to work? The ratings don't indicate it.

And what's the deal with these Shonda Rhimes shows. The only real hit she has given us is "Grey's Anatomy" which propped up her "Private Practice." Her "Off the Map" was a ratings disaster and "Scandal" appears to have started out in that direction without the benefit of a "Grey's" with high ratings.

*NBC*, is the network neither ABC nor Fox should emulate, the network that let one viewpoint control its programming.

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## Galaxie6411 (Aug 26, 2007)

As A Community fan, and one of the very few Broadcast shows I watch, I am happy to see it beating everything else NBC has on Thursday. Of course that probably means it will get a Friday slot to kill the ratings then cancelled.

I was wondering last night how The Soup does, I am guessing a lot of viewers watch both.

I also think Grimm, Supernatural and Fringe being on at the same time can't help any of those shows. Of course being Friday night means they are all doomed anyway.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Galaxie6411 said:


> As A Community fan, and one of the very few Broadcast shows I watch, I am happy to see it beating everything else NBC has on Thursday. Of course that probably means it will get a Friday slot to kill the ratings then cancelled.
> 
> I was wondering last night how The Soup does, I am guessing a lot of viewers watch both.
> 
> I also think Grimm, Supernatural and Fringe being on at the same time can't help any of those shows. Of course being Friday night means they are all doomed anyway.


No ratings info is available for "The Soup."

NBC has picked up "Grimm." "Fringe" is probably on its way out, but nobody knows with Fox.

"Supernatural" appears to have a continued life. According to Deadline Hollywood:


> There is a change afoot at the helm of the CW's veteran drama series Supernatural. Sera Gamble, who has been with the show since the beginning, serving as co-showrunner alongside Robert Singer for the past two seasons, will be stepping down. Word is that she opted not to renew her contract to focus on development. Jeremy Carver, executive producer/co-showrunner of Syfy's Being Human, is joining Supernatural as an executive producer and will co-run the series with Singer next season. The CW has not made any formal renewal decisions yet but Supernatural is one of the network's stronger ratings performers and is fully expected to return in the fall....


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the second Friday of the Spring 2012 season:







And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*CBS* won the night in every time slot in both the 18-49 demo and 50+ crowd.

*Fox* moved "The Finder" to Friday's at 8:00. In its last new episode on Thursday at 9:00 it pulled a 2.3/6 - 5.0 - 7.28 million and during Sweeps it averaged 2.2/6 - 6.8 - 8.96 million.

But apparently the suits at Fox thought that "Touch" would do better in that Thursday slot. Actually "Touch" has already declined from its premier to fewer viewers.

In the meantime, "The Finder" in its new slot last night was down 57% in the 18-49 demo and 60% in the 50+ crowd. Way to go Fox, using that traditional "gain nothing, lose a lot" scheduling system you've cleverly developed.

"Fringe" continued its slide in the demo, but did better in the 50+ crowd with a better lead in in that group than it got from "Kitchen Nightmares."

*NBC*'s "Grimm" continues to hold on. Maybe it will improve since they've gotten a second season.

*ABC*'s ratings were normal for the night.

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## texasmoose (May 25, 2007)

"_The Finder_" is a gr8 show! Dang FOX! _Nielsen_ Ratings System is wack too!


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the second Sunday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*CBS* had a long overrun of The PGA Masters in the East which basically makes these overnight ratings useless. I'll try to clean them up for next week, as we don't even have real numbers for the season finale of "CSI: Miami."

*ABC* was given an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that "GBC" has a future when it aired two new episodes with the 9:00 episode given the gift of CBS running a rerun of "The Good Wife." What we learned is that "GBC" appears to have a demo ceiling of 1.9 and is losing 0.3 million 50+ viewers with each airing.

*Fox* ran reruns except for "Family Guy" at 9:00. Because of the golf overrun on CBS it's a little unclear, but it appears "Family Guy" won the demo at 9:00.

*NBC*'s "Harry's Law" pulls a really strong 50+ rating. Again, until the final CBS ratings are in, we can't determine 10:00 with any clarity. But "Celebrity Apprentice" appears to have gained.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the second Monday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*NBC & ABC*. This Spring season Monday night, particularly from 8:00 - 10:00, gives us a curious snapshot.

In the first two weeks of Spring, NBC's "The Voice" has averaged 43% higher ratings in the 18-49 demo than ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." But "DWTS" pulls over twice the viewers in the 50+ group.

Taking a look at the 10:00 hour which to some degree gets a boost from the lead in, last night cannot be counted because of ABC running a rerun of "Scandal". But in the previous three weeks, ABC's "Castle" averaged a 2.3 in the 18-49 demo and a 9.6 in the 50+, while NBC's "Smash" averaged a 2.2 in the demo and but only 4.3 in the 50+.

Is this just a function of the older group relating more to ballroom dancing and the older stars in "DWTS"? And maybe the younger group relates more to younger people being able to aspire for a better life?

Or are we seeing a hint of a serious future divide in entertainment choices? And if so, are advertisers going to consider the demo more valuable even if it is only somewhere between a half to two-thirds the number of viewers than those in the 50+ group?

*CBS* offers a comedy lineup in the 8:00 to 10:00 period that ranked second to NBC's demo and ABC's 50+. At 10:00, when all three networks run new episodes, "Hawaii Five-0" tends to beat "Castle" in the demo and "Smash" in the 50+.

*Fox*. Technically, last week "Bones" pulled a higher rating than its previous new episode on Thursday, but that was at 8:00 in January, not its regular time and the rating was 2.4/6 - 8.63 million total viewers. It did not pull that last night and we have to note when the show ran somewhat regularly on Thursday at 9:00 last fall season it had ratings averaging around 2.8/7 - 9 million total viewers.

While Fox has renewed "Bones" for 2012-13, it appears the show will see a decline in ratings on Monday at 8:00 partly because of the competition and partly because viewers get tired of trying to find their shows.

Which brings us to "House." As we might remember, when Fox moved "House" back to 8:00 in January it's ratings recovered. Realizing that they had higher ratings, Fox decided to move it back to 9:00 where it could again garner lower ratings, since getting lower ratings seems to be the overall goal at Fox this year.

*The CW* ran the first new episode since February 27 of "Hart of Dixie", the only show on The CW that we watch, mostly because it's cute and the music is great. But in terms of ratings...:shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the second Tuesday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*ABC*. "Last Man Standing" continues to struggle with ratings but not as badly as "Cougar Town." "Dancing with the Stars Results" dropped. But the "Body of Proof" finale (season or series?) won 10:00.

*CBS*. "NCIS" won the 8:00 hour with 31% 18-49 demo and with 55% of the 50+ crowd. "NCIS: LA" found itself in a three way tie for second in the 9:00 hour with 31% 18-49 demo and firmly as second with 35% of the 50+ crowd slighly behind "DWTS." "Unforgettable" ran second against the "Body of Proof" finale.

Next week the "Unforgettable" ratings will be interesting. ABC will move "Private Practice" into the 10:00 slot. While "DWTS Results" seems like it would give a good lead in much like "Grey's Anatomy" has on Thursdays, actually "Grey's" gave the show a strong 18 - 49 demo lead with a 70% retention rate during Sweeps. "DWTS Results" doesn't do real well in the demo. And neither "Grey's" nor "PP" did particularly well in the 50+ crowd where "DWTS" is strongest. I may be surprised, but over the next few weeks "PP" is likely to see ratings fall and "Unforgettable" will be the 10:00 winner without seeing particularly high ratings.

*Fox*. "Glee" returned down 10% in the demo as Fox continues to reject the possibility of having good ratings by playing "where's my show" with its viewers. "New Girl" did receive a boost with the return of "Glee" but saw only 84% of its Sweeps average. "Raising Hope", also part of Fox's "where's my show" game, did gain from its temporary 8:00 slot but ran 86% of its Sweeps demo average.

*NBC* appears to be the big winner in its scheduling. Compared to Sweeps averages, last night it was the only network to show a gain in the 8:00 hour, up 5% in the demo and 19% among the older crowd. At 9:00 it saw a whopping 52% increase in the demo over Sweeps averages though a 3% drop in the 50+ crowd. "The Voice" gave NBC a demo win at 9:00 and a top demo in the 8:00 - 10:00 competition. While "The Voice" and "The Biggest Loser" are not my type of shows, it's still good to see NBC gaining.

*The CW*. "Ringer" had a new episode last night. :shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the second Wednesday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*Fox*'s "American Idol" won the 8:00 - 10:00 competition with about 42% of the viewers in all categories. But as I've noted on previous Wednesdays and Thursdays, Fox suits must be worrying:








*ABC*. On the surface, it appears that ABC's comedy lineup isn't doing as well as earlier in the year. But the fact is that in the 8:00 - 10:00 competition for all networks compared to February Sweeps, the number of viewers in the demo is down 12% and in the 50+ crowd down 6%. ABC's comedy lineup is down from Sweeps 10% in the demo and 7% in the 50+ crowd. So ABC suits shouldn't worry at this point.

*CBS* was second in the 8:00 to 10:00 competition if one uses the 50+ ratings as a tie breaker. "CSI" saw its lead trimmed against NBC's "L&O: SVU" switching with "Brian Williams."

*NBC*. Wednesday is not the Peacock Network's night.

"Betty White's Off Their Rocker" and "Best Friends Forever" appear to be pulling the same miserable ratings as the shows they replaced, "Whitney" and "Are You There, Chelsea". I guess in fairness I should note that Betty White does draw more 50+ viewers than Whitney Cummings.

"Brian Williams" did beat The CW's "America's Next Top Model" in the demo,_ but only in the 9:30 half hour_. They tied during the 9:00 half hour.:eek2:

"Law & Order: SVU" during sweeps at 9:00 averaged 1.8 in the demo and 4.2 in the 50+ group. Last nights 10:00 airing with 1.6 and 3.8 wasn't necessarily bad. But these aren't numbers NBC should be striving for.

*The CW*. Well, they did tie for #4 in the demo in the 9:00 half hour. :sure:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third Thursday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*CBS* ran a curious schedule last night:

8:00 Big Bang Theory (rerun)
8:30 Rules of Engagement
9:00 Big Bang Theory (rerun)
9:30 2 Broke Girls (rerun)
10:00 Person of Interest
Since they have to run reruns to have enough episodes of regularly scheduled programs to finish out the season, presumably they also derive some data related to scheduling and the strength of programs from this switching around. Whatever the data is, I don't get it.

*Fox*. "American Idol" won the 8:00 slot last night with no new episode of "BBT" on CBS to challenge it in the first half hour. But "AI" still should worry the Fox suits:








"Touch" seems to have found its rating levels. A year ago "Bones" pulled 3.7 million in the demo and 8.2 million of the 50+ crowd compared to "Touch" with 2.3 (-38%) and 5.9 (-28%).

*ABC*'s schedule is no longer the Thursday powerhouse it was. In the 18 - 49 demo "Missing" ran even with NBC's comedy lineup. And "Scandal" did not gain from CBS running a rerun of another show in "The Mentalist" slot. "Grey's Anatomy" can no longer carry the Thursday schedule on its own.

*NBC*'s Thursday lineup is still beating The CW's lineup.

"Awake" has found its audience at below 1.0 in the demo and below 2.0 in the 50+ group. :nono2:

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third Friday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








It was Friday the 13th. The highest demo rating was ...drum roll... 1.7 million. The hour with the most viewers was 8:00. 

*CBS* got that highest demo rating for its "Undercover Boss" in the 8:00 hour. It ran a "Lionel Richie & Friends in Concert" from 9:00 to 11:00 which gave the 50+ crowd something to watch though the network's regular lineup does better.

*Fox*'s powerful combination of "The Finder" and "Fringe" couldn't get 1.0 million in the demo.

*NBC*'s "Grimm" saw a significant jump at 9:00, but I fear it was just the demo looking for something other than a 62-year-old Lionel Richie to watch.

*ABC* won the demo at 10:00, again because the demo looking for something other than a 62-year-old Lionel Richie to watch.

*The CW* couldn't attract a million total viewers in either hour. :shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

If you are trying to read my posts on this thread and are not getting the ratings tables, I apologize. The problem may be this:



> 04/15/12
> 
> *06:46 AM PST: Comcast/XFINITY users unable to connect to some Yahoo! Small Business web sites*
> 
> ...


I even can't see my own web site, grumble, grumble....

But at least I don't have a small business to generate income.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third Sunday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*ABC*. "Funniest Home Videos" at 8:00 was a new episode and won it's time slot in the demo. On the other hand "GBC" dropped at 10:00. That probably was because its lead in was the last hour of "Titanic" the mini-series which sunk taking the network's demo rating for 9:00 down with it. And the network ran a rerun of "Once Upon A Time." It was not a good night for ABC.

*CBS*. The "60 Minutes" tribute to Mike Wallace pulled in a strong 50+ crowd. On the other hand, that group did not stay for "The Amazing Race" but it won the demo. The 50+ crowd came back for "The Good Wife" but the demo moved on. The premier of "NYC 22" at 10:00 tied for #2 in the demo but carried the 50+ crowd. It wasn't too bad a night for CBS.

*Fox*. The new episodes of the animated lineup did reasonably well.

*NBC*. If one totals the viewers over the four hours in the demo, the 50+, and total, NBC won the night in the demo by a large margin and ran a a very, very close second to CBS in the 50+ group, giving it a win for the night. And yet, it won the demo only at 10:00 and the 50+ at 8:00.

Overall, the night is likely to become very competitive during the May Sweeps.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third Monday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








This night has become an interesting "dancing with the voice" generational ratings competion.

*NBC*. "The Voice" was clearly the 8:00 to 10:00 winner in the ages 18-49 demo averaging 3.7 million or 29.4% of this younger audience. In the 9:00 half hour "Two and a Half Men" offered some competition with 3.7 million versus "The Voice" with 3.9. At 10:00, however, we see a different story with "Smash" continuing its slow decline in the demo.

*ABC*. "Dancing with the Stars" was clearly the 8:00 to 10:00 winner in the 50+ group averaging 13.5 million or 44% of the older audience. "Castle" won the 10:00 ratings.

*CBS* came in second in the 8:00 to 10:00 demo competition. However, "Mike & Molly" only tied with "DWTS" at 9:30. "Hawaii Five-0" was a rerun, but it offers an interesting set of numbers. It appears its demo fan base mostly just doesn't watach anything else while the 50+ fans will watch "Castle."

*Fox* has achieved its apparent ratings target - a lock on 4th place in all age groups.

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third Tuesday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*ABC*. "Last Man Standing" is slipping in the ratings. "Cougar Town", which already slipped beyond redemption, is slipping more. "Dancing With The Stars Results" was #3 in the demo and #1 in the 50+ crowd, but "NCIS: LA" was a rerun. ABC, apparently following the Fox business model, moved "Private Practice" to Tuesday so that it could get a series low in its ratings, though ironically it was #1 in the demo because "Unforgettable" was a rerun. That was predictable.

*CBS* won the 8:00 to 10:00 competition in the 50+ crowd (almost double the ABC average) while taking #2 in the demo even though "NCIS: LA" was a rerun. An "Unforgettable" rerun also appealed to the 50+ crowd.

*Fox*'s lineup is now not winning anything in any time slot. In the February Sweeps "Glee" averaged a 3.0/8 demo and "New Girl" a 3.2/8 demo, while "Raising Hope averaged a 2.2/5 demo giving up 31% of the demo lead in. Upon noticing this, Fox immediate rectified the problem by moving "Raising Hope" 8:00 and pairing it with the ratings bomb "I Hate My Teenage Daughter" giving "New Girl" a 1.4/5 lead in which crushed it's ratings thereby achieving Fox's goal of getting rid of those pesky viewers. Soon Fox will have no viewers while charging $1 a month for you to be able to not watch their shows. It's a solid business model.

*NBC*, on the other hand, has come back winning the 8:00 to 10:00 demo because of "The Voice". "Fashion Star" is cheap filler at 10:00.

*The CW*'s "Ringer" apparently has found it's numbers at 0.5/1 demo - 1.16 million total. A few years ago, the show would have been cancelled midseason. Now it's about average for the network in a 9:00 slot.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third Wednesday of the Spring 2012 season:








And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*Fox*, of course, controlled the 8:00 to 10:00 competition with "American Idol", but:








*ABC* ran a rerun of "The Middle", leaving "Surburgatory" with no lead in though it still did ok. "Modern Family" still continues to do well though it is down from the February Sweeps averages like everything else. "Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23" is doing ok, around the Sweeps Averages for "Happy Endings." The first-in-awhile new episode of "Revenge" pulled a series low, but nothing catastrophic.

*CBS*. Other than "Survivor: One World" which did ok against "AI", CBS ran reruns.

*NBC* might as well write off Wednesday.

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## Church AV Guy (Jul 9, 2007)

phrelin said:


> *The CW*'s "Ringer" apparently has found it's numbers at 0.5/1 demo - 1.16 million total. A few years ago, the show would have been cancelled midseason. Now it's about average for the network in a 9:00 slot.


Oh great! It has FINALLY found its numbers now that it has had its series finale.

This was the best (very) low-rated show this year, by far. I really enjoyed it, and I couldn't understand why it had such consistently absymal numbers. TV by the numbers says here that it's virtually guaranteed to not be renewed. SMG did a good job of depicting the two characters she played so you knew which one she was at any given time without them saying it, which was itself misleading as they were impersonating each other during the course of the show.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the fourth and final Spring Thursday before the Nielsen May Sweeps:

​
And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*CBS* had reruns with the exception of "Rules of Engagement" at 8:30. "Big Bang Theory", "Person Of Interest", and "The Mentalist" have all been renewed for next year. Odds are pretty good that "Rules of Engagement" will be renewed for at least 13 episodes to use as schedule filler when needed.

*Fox*'s "American Idol" won the 8:00 competition, but the sports and game show network can't ignore the following forever:








"Touch" ran #3 and only because CBS was running reruns. I expect Fox to renew it, but Sweeps ratings may raise some red flags.

*ABC* has yet to renew a prime time show. But "Grey's Anatomy" is a must renew. There's no ratings reason to renew "Missing" and it will take the Sweeps ratings to see if "Scandal" can stay above a 1.9 demo against "The Mentalist."

*NBC* has not renewed anything on its Thursday schedule since the only show that pulls more than a 1.9 demo is "The Office". Most certainly, "Awake" is dead pulling The CW level ratings.

*The CW* has not renewed anything. Maybe they're going to have to rethink their business model.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the fourth and final Spring Friday before the Nielsen May Sweeps:

​
And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*ABC* won the night in the demo without a clean win in any hour. "Shark Tank" tied for 1st at 8:00, "What Would You Do" tied for 1st at 9:00, and "20/20" was 2nd at 10:00. ABC hasn't renewed any shows for next year yet. Of course, "20/20" will be back. But there is a good chance the other two will be back.

*CBS* ran reruns the entire night. But they won the 50+ crowd at 9:00 and 10:00. "Blue Bloods" has already been renewed. "CSI:NY" has an uncertain future.

*Fox* tied for 2nd in the 8:00 to 10:00 with a 1.1 in the demo. "The Finder" tied for 1st at 8:00 and "Fringe" ran 3rd at 9:00. Both shows are among the four drama's with an uncertain status. The other two are "Touch" and "Alcatraz." The only drama that has been renewed for next year is "Bones." Because it's Fox, I have no idea. Based on the network's scheduling needs and I would cancel "Fringe" and renew "The Finder" because of its ratings on Thursday. But they'll probably wait until May Sweeps is over.

*NBC*. "Grimm" has been renewed. If you haven't recorded it and want to get caught up, you can record six episodes on Syfy next Thursday which would probably be enough episodes along with the upcoming last few of this season.

*The CW* has not renewed anything. Maybe they're going to have to rethink their business model. Oh, I said that yesterday.:sure:


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

phrelin said:


> *The CW* has not renewed anything. Maybe they're going to have to rethink their business model. Oh, I said that yesterday.:sure:


There was an article in the WSJ the other day about CW and their business model. They are depending some on online streaming.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

klang said:


> There was an article in the WSJ the other day about CW and their business model. They are depending some on online streaming.


Thanks for mentioning that. I looked it up and found CW Network's Rush to Web Rankles Some TV Stations:


> When the TV show "The Vampire Diaries" made its debut on the youth-oriented CW network nearly three years ago, Brie Bagwell watched it regularly on her TV. This year, she still watches-but has dropped her pricey cable subscription and checks the show out free online.
> 
> ...As the CW prepares for its annual presentation to advertisers at next month's TV ad-sales bazaar, the network is increasingly relying on a wave of viewers like Ms. Bagwell. Nearly a fifth of CW viewers are watching on the Web, double from this time last year, the network says, while the average prime-time audience watching CW shows on regular television is down 14% to 1.8 million, according to Nielsen data.
> 
> ...The "business model was challenged," says Bruce Rosenblum, a CW board member and president of Time Warner's Warner Bros. Television Group. "Maybe this is now beginning to evolve into a different kind of network-a multiplatform, multiscreen network."


The article covers the problem this creates for the local broadcast stations. It also offers this graphic:








The graphic covers "watching TV at any given time of day." My guess is that the viewer loss would be substantially higher for prime time broadcast network regularly scheduled programming.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the fourth and final Spring Sunday before the Nielsen May Sweeps:

​
And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*ABC*. "Once Upon a Time" did well last night as the nework's only regularly scheduled show with a new episode. The "Hallmark Hall of Fame: Firelight" did about as well as "GBC." As mentioned in a previous post, ABC is hold their plans for next year close to the vest. But one would expect "Once Upon a Time" to be renewed which "GBC" is going to have to make it in the upcoming Nielsen Sweeps.

*CBS*. "60 Minutes" and "Amazing Race" did about average and would expect to see them on the schedule next year. "The Good Wife" has been renewed. Newbie "NYC 22" isn't doing as well as "CSI:Miami." I don't think the Sweeps period will save it.

*Fox* celebrated it's 25 Anniversary with a reairing of the "Married with Children" and "The Simpsons" pilots and a 25th Anniversary Special. The ratings weren't particularly special.

*NBC*. "Celebrity Apprentice" did well and "Dateline" is cheap to produce. "Harry's Law' won the 50+ crowd at 8:00 but gets terrible demo ratings. It's hard to imagine it being renewed, but who knows?

Which brings up the generation split again. The winners for the 50+ crowd were "Harry's Law" at 8:00, "The Good Wife" at 9:00, and "GBC" at 10:00. The winners for the 18-49 demo were "Once Upon a Time" at 8:00, a three-way tie at 9:00, and "Celebrity Apprentice" at 10:00.


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

Ratings-wise this seems like a pretty bad season for all five networks. Most the old hits are fading and the new shows are hitting the middle of the range at best. CBS is doing okay, but the rest are in pretty rough shape. It'll be interesting to see the final wrap up of full season ratings at the end of May.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the fourth and final Spring Monday before the Nielsen May Sweeps:

​
And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*CBS* ran reruns.

*NBC* won the night in the 18-49 demo with "The Voice" and "Smash". Of course, at 10:00 CBS ran a rerun and ABC ran a "DWTS" special.

*ABC* won the night in the 50+ crowd with a full night of "Dancing with the Stars".

*Fox*'s "Bones and "House" was able to place third among all ages with CBS running reruns.

*The CW*. :shrug:



mreposter said:


> Ratings-wise this seems like a pretty bad season for all five networks. Most the old hits are fading and the new shows are hitting the middle of the range at best. CBS is doing okay, but the rest are in pretty rough shape. It'll be interesting to see the final wrap up of full season ratings at the end of May.


In a New York Times article Sunday Prime-Time Ratings Bring Speculation of a Shift in Habits we learn:


> It is the police procedural that has network executives scratching their heads this season: The Case of the Disappearing Viewers.
> 
> Across the television landscape, network and cable, public television and pay cable, English-language and Spanish, viewing for all sorts of prime-time programming is down this spring - chiefly among the most important audience for the business, younger adults.
> 
> In the four television weeks starting March 19, NBC lost an average of 59,000 viewers (about 3 percent) in that 18-to-49 age category compared with the same period last year, CBS lost 239,000 (8 percent), ABC lost 681,000 (21 percent) and Fox lost 709,000 (20 percent).


The article explains that at least one TV exec acknowledges that live viewers don't know when a show is back while those who record see that they have a new episode, something that doesn't surprise us here.

He calls it "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing." You should read about what he said about he and his son watching AMC's "The Walking Dead."

And, of course, AdAge has an article about Hulu's new series programming:


> there was a line down 41st Street. There were celebrities like Adrian Grenier, Seth Meyers and Mario Batali. There were green cocktails. And, yes, there were some new shows. In short, Hulu's big event for advertisers at the Times' Center looked like it was supposed to: a lot like a TV network upfront.
> 
> The resemblance is exactly, and explicitly, what Hulu wanted to show the crowd of about 500, including several of the most prominent digital-ad buyers on Madison Avenue and executives from marketers such as BMW and Samsung. "We want you to think of us as a cable-TV network, or a slice of the prime time," said sales chief JP Colaco.
> 
> ...David Cohen, chief media officer at Universal McCann, said that while digital media has been making its case for TV dollars for a long time, this year feels different. "We have been talking about video across screens for years, but the stars are aligning across a number of dimensions to make the fluidity of dollars more real for agencies and marketers," he said.


Keep in mind Hulu's ownership:
NBCUniversal (32%)
Fox Entertainment Group (31%)
Disney-ABC Television Group (27%)
Providence Equity Partners (10%)​


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the fourth and final Spring Tuesday before the Nielsen May Sweeps:

​
And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*CBS* ran reruns. I'll be curious to see if "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing" (see discussion in previous post) will cause problems for "Unforgettable" in the Sweeps, the only Tuesday night show not yet renewed for next year.

*ABC* has not renewed any shows, as mentioned before. "Private Practice" grew over last week as it overcomes "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing" while CBS ran a rerun. Whether "Last Man Standing" or "Cougar Town" will be renewed may depend on the Nielsen May Sweeps.

*Fox*. "Glee" and "New Girl" have been renewed for next year.

*The CW* premiered at incredibly low ratings a new scripted show at 9:00, "The La Complex", to demonstrate to critics why all the rest of its 2011-12 lineup should be renewed.


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## Church AV Guy (Jul 9, 2007)

> The CW premiered at incredibly low ratings a new scripted show at 9:00, "The La Complex", to demonstrate to critics why all the rest of its 2011-12 lineup should be renewed.


Yeah... It kinda makes the CW long for the days of Ringer, doesn't it? I tried to watch it, wanted to, but had to turn it off after fifteen minutes or so. It was just THAT unwatchable for me! And I really, REALLY liked Ringer, so it isn't the CW.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the fourth and final Spring Wednesday before the Nielsen May Sweeps:

​
And here's the 8:00 to 10:00 two hour competition:








*Fox*'s "American Idol" easily won the first two hours. But we continue to see this:








As noted in the article I reference in Monday ratings post:


> The losses could not have come at a worse time for the networks, which are about to enter the television upfronts, the traditional season when advertising dollars are committed for the fall season.
> 
> "These numbers are going to affect the upfronts," said Brad Adgate, the senior vice president for research at Horizon Media. "These numbers represent billions of dollars in sales."


*ABC* ran reruns in the first two hours except for "Don't Trust The B____ in Apartment 23". "Revenge" at 10:00 seems to be suffering from "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing." As noted in previous posts, ABC has not renewed anything, creating its own dramatic scene approaching the upfronts.

*CBS* ran reruns except for "Survivor". Both "Criminal Minds" and "CSI" have been renewed.

*NBC*'s first hour comedy lineup isn't doing very well, even Betty White's show. "Law & Order: SVU" hasn't been renewed yet, but it's still one of the stronger performers for NBC.

*The CW*. :shrug:

Tonight will be the first night of the Nielsen May Sweeps. This will lead to the "upfronts" which as noted in Wikipedia are meetings hosted television network executives, attended by the press and major advertisers. It is so named because its main purpose is to allow marketers to buy television commercial airtime "up front", or several months before the television season begins. Held in New York, this year's broadcast network upfront schedule is:








Generally, last minute renewals are announced just before a network's upfront presentation begins. Oddly, the Nielsen May Sweeps ratings period will continue for another week after the upfronts.

Those last minute decisions about renewals will depend on ratings we'll see beginning tomorrow for two weeks.

FYI the online sources (Hulu, Youtube, etc.) held the "NewFronts" this week. The cable networks have been holding their "upfronts" over the past three weeks.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Thursday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages compare using the two-hour Fox-The CW prime time system and the three hour ABC-CBS-NBC prime time system:








*ABC*. "Missing" is not doing well. "Grey's Anatomy" is down about 10% from last year but won the 18-49 demo at 9:00. "Scandal" tied for the lead in the demo at 10:00. While ABC has not renewed anything yet, my guess is that "Missing" is dead, of course "Grey's" will be renewed, and "Scandal" has a chance at renewal.

*CBS* won the 50+ crowd for the night. It also won the demo in the three hour competition, but was slightly behind Fox in the two hour competition though it beat Fox in every half hour but 8:30.

All Thursday shows have been renewed except "Rules of Engagement" and I expect they will order something like 13-episodes for next year because it is such a good filler when some other comedy tanks.

There was a hint of "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing" impacting on "The Mentalist" which averaged 2.8 in the demo during February Sweeps. I know CBS has already made most of its renewal decisions and is the top network overall, but next year they're going to have to watch out for that.

*Fox*. The first half hour of "American Idol" pulled "only" 3.6 in the demo compared to "Big Bang Theory" getting 4.0. That an "Idol" episode has consistently lost to a CBS sitcom this year is surprising. "Touch" is getting weak ratings, but is likely to be renewed.

*NBC*'s comedy lineup except for "The Office" is very weak. "Awake" is asleep in all age groups. None of these shows have been renewed yet.

*The CW*'s "Vampire Diaries" is it's strongest show. But none of the network's shows have been renewed yet.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Friday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








One can't help but note that if you compare the two-hour-prime-time totals you find only 53% of Thursday's 18-49 demo present and 68% of the 50+. But at 10:00 78% of Thursdays 18-49 demo is present and 96% of the 50+.

*ABC*'s first two hours of throw-away programming gets mediocre ratings putting it at #2 in the demo race.

*CBS* wins the night with an average 1.5 demo and a lead in the 50+ crowd in every hour. "CSI:NY" has not yet been renewed or cancelled. "Blue Bloods" has been renewed.

*Fox* renewed "Fringe" but not because of its ratings. "The Finder" is in the worst possible slot at 8:00 on Friday. At 9:00 on Thursday during February Sweeps it averaged 2.2 in the demo which was higher than "Touch" is getting in that Thursday slot.

*NBC* has renewed "Grimm", only one of two shows renewed for next year so far.

In passing, I should note that NBC pulled the Wednesday sitcom "Best Friends Forever" from the lineup before the first May Sweeps Wednesday. They really didn't want to see that 0.8 demo rating in the Sweeps period leading to the Upfronts.

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Sunday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the Sunday-four-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*ABC*. While ABC has yet to renew any show for next season, "Once Upon A Time" is likely to be renewed. "GBC" is a question mark. ABC overall did well in the 18-49 demo.

*CBS*. "The Good Wife" has been renewed. "NYC 22" appears to be a non-starter. CBS is going to have to consider renewing "CSI: Miami" for the Sunday at 10:00 slot, as the show seems to do an adequate job of attracting viewers. I know they would prefer a show with less seasoned actors who work for less money, but....

*Fox* came in second in the demo in the 8:00-10:00 competition which is its focus. The network has renewed "The Cleveland Show", "The Simpsons",
"Family Guy", and "American Dad". "Bob's Burgers" somehow loses it's lead in - maybe the audience goes out for a burger?

*NBC* has only one show in the current Sunday lineup to argue about. "Harry's Law" is one of those generation gap shows. NBC has no other scripted show that consistently pulls anywhere near 6.5 million in the 50+ crowd. It would be foolish to cancel the show. But it's NBC....


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Monday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*CBS* Monday night lineup appears to have been renewed with "Two-and-a-Half Men" being the only question mark. According to news reports today it appears Kutcher, Cryer, and Jones have all but signed. CBS won the three-hour 18-49 demo competition and tied for 1st in the demo in the two hour competition. The only half-hour they lost was at 9:30.

*ABC* won the the 50+ crowd in every half-hour, and by a substantial margin overall for the night. Given the ratings for "Castle" it's hard to imagine they won't renew it, but have not renewed any shows.

*NBC* tied CBS in the demo in the 8:00 - 10:00 competition. "Smash" has been renewed.

*Fox*. "House" is in its final season.

"Bones" has been renewed, but Fox cleverly has placed it at 8:00 Monday so that there will be nearly no following for the show by next fall. In the process, they have given away ratings at 9:00 on Thursday to avoid any chance to make any money for that time slot in the upcoming Upfronts.

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

The CW is a real head-scratcher. Some of their shows are pretty good and should be popular in their target younger demographic. But those ratings are just horrible. I know many of them watch shows online, but I don't think that makes up for the low numbers. Have they just completely written off this network or traditional 1 hour dramas???


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## Church AV Guy (Jul 9, 2007)

I agree. The CW has some very good shows, but no ratings to justify the expense. I really don't know what the future of the "network" could be.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Tuesday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*CBS* appears to have won both the two-hour and three-hour competitions in all ages for the night. But appearances can be deceiving.

"NCIS" handily won its time slot. "NCIS: LA" came in a close second in the 18-49 demo and handily won the 50+ group in its time slot. Both shows have been renewed.

"Unforgettable" came in second in the 18-49 demo, but not a close second. It did handily win the 50+ group. But by CBS standards the show, which has not yet been renewed, is running a little weak. This final Sweeps period of the season will determine what happens to it - cancel or Friday next year?

*NBC* ran second in the demo overall last night, but that was due to "The Voice" at 9:00. Still, it's a win financially as viewers were watching three "reality competition" shows which are cheaper to produce.

*Fox* placed 3rd in the two hour 18-49 demo races where the network wants to compete. "Glee" and "New Girl" have both been renewed but their broadcast TV live+same day ratings are sagging. Fox is where we see "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing" demonstrated perfectly. On the other hand, Fox was out front in grabbing money directly from all viewers and is building a strong web "authentication" system.

*ABC*. The combo of "Last Man Standing" and "Cougar Town" dumped the network deeply into 4th in the first hour 18-49 demo. "Dancing with the Stars Results" was firmly in 3rd and in the running for 4th. And yet, "Private Practice" won the 10:00 demo with ratings not too far below what it pulled on Thursdays at 10:00 during February Sweeps. Perhaps the suits at ABC saw a weakness in the CBS lineup and took advantage of it.

*The CW*.


mreposter said:


> The CW is a real head-scratcher. Some of their shows are pretty good and should be popular in their target younger demographic. But those ratings are just horrible. I know many of them watch shows online, but I don't think that makes up for the low numbers. Have they just completely written off this network or traditional 1 hour dramas???





Church AV Guy said:


> I agree. The CW has some very good shows, but no ratings to justify the expense. I really don't know what the future of the "network" could be.


:scratchin Yep.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

For those who, like me, are puzzling over The CW business model, perhaps you'll get some insight from CW President Mark Pedowitz Opens Up about Ratings, Profits and "Vampire Diaries" (Q&A) in which among other things he says:


> I would have spent the first six months not looking at ratings. I would have saved myself a lot of aggravation. I had an epiphany in December, when I started looking at the social-media grids like Get Glue, where our shows constantly are in the top 10. Or look at live-plus seven numbers, which we don't get paid for, and we're tripling our women 18-to-34 ratings. You start to realize that these shows are working, but the key -- and part of our development slate this year is going to be an attempt to do this -- is to find a way to get them to come back to view the shows live.


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## Church AV Guy (Jul 9, 2007)

> part of our development slate this year is going to be an attempt to... find a way to get them to come back to view the shows live.


Good luck with that. Many of the Iphone, Ipad crowd have all but abandoned the "traditional" modes of receiving television shows. I guess the Authentication process is an attempt to rein in the chaos a bit. Still, that won't prevent the viewers from watching the shows form the WB web site, though I guess THOSE numbers will be counted in some way.

I really don't get it at all. I have a 55 inch television, and I know (much younger) people who watch almost all of their television on their 3", 4", or 5" smart phone screens. That makes the HD debate seem awfully silly. Costco around here is featuring a new 80 inch television, and people are using their smart phones.:shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the first Wednesday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








Finally, Wednesday was the last day of Nielsen May Sweeps week 1 and here are average numbers for the week:








*Fox* was, of course, the winner of the two hour competition with "American Idol" pulling 4.6 in the 18-49 demo and 11.7 in the 50+ crowd. But, as I've noted before, "AI" is taking a year-to-year ratings hit, with the show last year getting a 6.4 in the demo and a 14.2 in the 50+ group.

The ratings reality for Fox is that without the two hours of "AI" on Wednesday and one hour results show on Thursday, its weekly averages for the two hours it defines as prime time would be 1.9 in the 18-49 demo and 3.4 in the 50+.

In other words, absent "AI" ratings Fox's lineup stinks from a ratings viewpoint.

*CBS*, without a single _must-see-live_ smash-hit-game-show, still won the weekly demo and 50+ contests in both definitions of prime time. On the other hand, it should worry all the broadcast networks that CBS won the week with an average hourly viewership of less than 11 million. (FYI both "CSI" and "Criminal Minds" have been renewed.)

*NBC*. Betty White apparently can't draw many more folks than Brian Williams, making Wednesday one of the Rebuilding Network's worst nights. If you pull "The Voice" ratings out of NBC's averages for the week, they still beat The CW. :sure:

*ABC*. In the ABC and Disney executive suites one should be able to see worried looks and frowns. Mickey Mouse's broadcast network was able to stay ahead of NBC last night.

But when you look at the weekly averages knowing that NBC has some really bad nights, ABC's average ratings for the week aren't looking too good. They also have some real weakness in their lineup.

So far they haven't renewed anything. With regard to some of their shows considered doubtful by pundits, news reports indicate they are discussing a 13 episode order of "Private Practice" which won the demo in its new time slot Tuesday at 10:00 this week.

*The CW* must have really had to work to find such a ratings loser in "The LA Complex.":nono:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the second Thursday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*CBS* won the night in the demo and 50+. And yet, only "Big Bang Theory" and "The Mentalist" won the demo in their time slots while only "Person of Interest" and "The Mentalist" won the 50+ crowd in their time slots.

As I noted last week, all CBS Thursday shows have been renewed except "Rules of Engagement" and I expect they will order something like 13-episodes for next year because it is such a good filler when some other comedy tanks. And it appears that "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing" on "The Mentalist" was not long term as live viewers discovered it was back from rerun hiatus.

*ABC*. "Missing" will be missing next year. "Grey's" won the demo at 9:00 and will be renewed. "Scandal" is holding its own. It will be interesting to see if ABC orders a full season or 13 episodes of this newcomer.

*Fox*. "American Idol" continues to run #2 in the demo behind "Big Bang Theory". Compared to last year, it was down in the demo 36% and in the 50+ crowd down 24%.

The combination of "Idol" being down plus "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing" resulted in "Touch" compared to last year's "Bones" being down in the demo 36% and down in the 50+ 39%. Still, for a Fox scripted show "Touch" is hanging in there.

*NBC*. "Awake", which I think is an interesting show, is a ratings nightmare. The Thursday comedy lineup should be axed except for "The Office."

*The CW* tied for 4th in the demo in the 8:00 hour! :sure:


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## frederic1943 (Dec 2, 2006)

If the May sweeps numbers are so important why are so many CBS shows having their season finales halfway through the month?


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

frederic1943 said:


> If the May sweeps numbers are so important why are so many CBS shows having their season finales halfway through the month?


CBS has made decisions about most current shows and has announced them. Only a few are left.

IMHO renewals are still possible for "CSI:NY" and "CSI:Miami".
IMHO "A Gifted Man", "NYC 22", and "Unforgettable" are toast.
IMHO "Two and a Half Men" will get a full season, "Rules of Engagement" likely will get 13 episodes and "Rob" won't be renewed.
Fox has made most of their decisions and announced many. ABC has yet to announce anything, but probably has made most of their decisions. NBC and The CW are still deciding in a panic.

Basically, by the end of next week, the decisions about all shows will have to be made. As I posted on April 26:


phrelin said:


> Tonight will be the first night of the Nielsen May Sweeps. This will lead to the "upfronts" which as noted in Wikipedia are meetings hosted television network executives, attended by the press and major advertisers. It is so named because its main purpose is to allow marketers to buy television commercial airtime "up front", or several months before the television season begins. Held in New York, this year's broadcast network upfront schedule is:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the second Friday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*ABC*'s ratings showed a significant 18-49 demo gain as it won every hour.

*CBS* won the 50+ group in every hour but "Undercover Boss" took a hit in both the demo and the 50+. "CSI:NY" is still a possible renewal, but....

*Fox*. "The Finder" and "Fringe" both went down slightly in the demo. Again, "The Finder" did fine on Thursday at 9:00, but the Friday at 8:00 slot may kill the show. Then again, they did renew "Fringe" for a final season of 13 episodes.

*NBC* has renewed "Grimm."

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the second Sunday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the Sunday-four-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*ABC* won the 18-49 demo in all time slots but 10:00. "Once Upon A Time" will be renewed, though ABC has yet to announce any renewals. "Desperate Housewives" is in its final season. "GBC" is not running stronger in the demo than "Pan Am" did in the last week of October and first two week s of November when NBC had "Sunday Night Football" and CBS had "CSI: Miami". Speculation is that ABC is looking to pick up six new dramas. Whether "GBC" will be replaced is unknown, but....

*CBS* won the 50+ crowd for the night. But "NYC 22" isn't likely to be picked up.

*Fox*'s animation night shows have been renewed except for "Bob's Burgers".

*NBC* is the great unknown heading into the Upfronts. Whether "Harry's Law" could be picked up solely on it's 50+ crowd ratings is ...well... probably not a good bet. Of course, "Sunday Night Football" will fill Sunday nights during the first part of the 2012-13 season, so who knows what they'll do with the second part.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Inside Wall Street: CBS storms back into prime time
The No. 1 broadcasting network in the US is seen as big turbo-charged winner.

http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=9f8a870b-bc63-41ae-9b47-49cdf5de0762



> "CBS's prime-time lineup is very strong," notes Martin, topped by three different CSI series, The Mentalist, The Good Wife, several solid comedy shows, and Survivor.
> 
> The broadcast network cycle, says Martin, is measured in decades, with the network that is on top staying up there for a long time. Many of CBS's most popular shows are not old, with several of them less than three-years old, which implies another decade of relevance, says Martin.


As Phrelin keeps saying  CBS and its Scripted lineup rule.



> Atorino says CBS remains the only network to see year-on-year gains in all three key measures: ratings, households and demographics. With CBS's success in prime time and signs of recovery in TV advertising demand, Atorino says, CBS is set to perform well again this year.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Very interesting article.

I'm not so sure that "the broadcast network cycle is measured in decades" any more, but it is clear that on a year-to-year basis the other networks consistently are having trouble breaking the CBS dominance. In their effort to win in the short term, they are not picking winning scripted programming, but are using reality/game show content instead.

Sunday's 9:00 EDT airing of HBO's "Game of Thrones" pulled a live-plus-same-day 2.0 18-49 demo. No reason exists to not watch a later airing, record it and watch some other day, or watch it through HBO GO. People pay $13± a month for this premium channel.

I realize the advertising-based economic model for TV is different. But there is a market out there for creative scripted programming, albeit if you have to appeal to the 18-49 demo it is complicated. But CBS is wisely keeping a close eye on the 50+ group which is a group of people who likely won't watch on demand TV on a smart phone. They (we) do buy stuff.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the second Monday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*CBS*. Since we're talking about CBS today, I'll start with their Monday night since Monday fits right in with the discussion. The three other networks put their strongest programming up against CBS in the 8-10 competition. Indeed NBC's "The Voice" won the 18-49 demo and ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" won the 50+ crowd. But CBS ran a very strong #2 in the 18-49 demo with sitcoms that will continue that strength the entire 2012-13 season, just as they did this season from September 2011 through now. But....

*ABC*'s "Castle" is finishing strong in the 10:00 slot, beating "Hawaii Five-0" across the board. This 10:00 contest a good example of how things can go if you look at the Nielsen 2012 Fall Sweeps averages:








"Castle" was running #3 last fall against the NBC newby "Smash" which premiered the first week of that sweeps period. Apparently "Hawaii Five-0" did not attract those who have abandoned "Smash" but "Castle" did attract them.

My guess is that ABC, which so far hasn't announced any renewals, will renew "Castle" unless their crazy.

*NBC* has already renewed "Smash" but they may have waited too many episodes to get rid of the show's creator, a playwright, who misunderstood the appeal of the show, thinking that her own and others in the biz she knows had really interesting personal lives that would make good TV.

*Fox* handily beat The CW by using "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing" to make sure their entire scripted lineup is completely destroyed. In this case Fox has demolished "Bones" which last year during the equivalent week on Thursday at 9:00 pulled a 3.4 in the demo and 7.6 in the 50+ crowd.

*The CW*. Attracting a million total viewers is getting to be tough for "The Cute Women" network. The "Gossip Girl" women aren't that popular, but "Hart of Dixie" women are, apparently. But then we record and watch the latter as much for the music as the light stories.:sure:


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

phrelin said:


> My guess is that ABC, which so far hasn't announced any renewals, will renew "Castle" unless their crazy.
> 
> *NBC* has already renewed "Smash" but they may have waited too many episodes to get rid of the show's creator, a playwright, who misunderstood the appeal of the show, thinking that her own and others in the biz she knows had really interesting personal lives that would make good TV.


Castle is easily my favorite non-Game of Thrones show, and Smash is losing me quickly, regardless of my experience in theater. I think they absolutely waited too long.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

As I was "out-of-office" yesterday, I'm posting both Tuesday and Wednesday ratings today.

Here's the second Tuesday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*CBS* suits, having renewed almost everything for next season, should be sitting back waiting to see how the Upfront sales go. But Tuesday's 10:00 show "Unforgettable" is a big question mark in the renewal discussion in the executive suite. The fact that it jumped in the 18-49 demo ratings when "The Voice" season finale was on NBC had to stir some anxiety.

*ABC* hasn't renewed anything, but we now know that "Cougar Town" will be on TBS next year. "Private Practice" will be renewed but whether it will be renewed as a final season is not clear.

*Fox* has renewed "Glee" and "New Girl", both of which did better last night than last week.

*NBC*'s "The Voice" is a powerhouse for them while "Fashion Star" had better be cheap to produce.

*The CW*. :shrug:

Here's the second Wednesday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*NBC* has renewed "Law & Order: SVU". I don't know what they're going to do with Betty White nor Brian Williams' prime time fiasco.

*CBS* has renewed "Criminal Minds" and "CSI".

*ABC* will probably renew their entire Wednesday lineup, but they're holding things "close to the vest" so far?

*Fox* continues to see a year-to-year slide in "American Idol" dominating ratings. Last year it pulled 6.9 in the demo and 15.5 in the 50+ crowd, compared to this year's 4.4 and 11.7.

*The CW*. :shrug:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third and last competitive Thursday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








Because this is the last Thursday before the Upfronts and this week the networks have been announcing renewals for next season, I added the averages column to the ratings. Thursday is the most competitive night this spring, so it's interesting to see what the ratings look like.

*ABC* announced some renewals today. Not surprisingly "Grey's Anatomy" was among them and "Missing" was not. So what about "Scandal" in the scheme of things?

The Spring Sweeps has to be compared to the Fall Sweeps with the understanding that total viewership is down, and the 18-49 demo for the 10:00 Thursday slot is down 20%. When one compares "Scandal" ratings to "Private Practice" ratings that factor has to be considered. While total demo ratings are down 20%, ABC using "Scandal" has seen a drop of only 14% and while "Private Practice" pulled only 29% of the total viewers "Scandal" is pulling 32%. IMHO "Scandal" is competitive. Whether ABC will think it is, who knows?

"Grey's Anatomy" won the 9:00 hour in the demo.

*CBS* has renewed everything but "Rules of Engagement" which they probably will also renew. What's interesting about Thursdays is that CBS won the two hour competition overall, tying in the demo with Fox but pulling more 50+ viewers. And yet it did so winning only the 8:00 half hour slot with "Big Bang Theory." CBS also won the three hour competition winning the 10:00 hour with "The Mentalist".

*Fox* managed to screw up a winning hand.

There is probably nothing they could have done about "American Idol" dropping from year-to-year or it getting clobbered by "Big Bang Theory." But you know something's wrong when you realize that last year "Idol" pulled a 6.3 demo and 15.3 in the 50+ group compared to last night's 3.9 and 11.2. That's a 38% drop in the demo which is what Fox is all about.

And a year ago "Bones" pulled a 3.4 in the demo compared to "Touch" with 2.0, a 41% drop. As a comparison, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" last year pulled a 3.2 in the demo compared to this year's 3.4. So Fox's suits can't claim "fewer viewers" this year as an excuse. They're stuck with being labeled really, really stupid.

*NBC*'s plans for next year are truly confusing. I know their Thursday comedies are cult favorites, particularly with the "New York smart crowd." But with the possible exception of "The Office" these shows pull terrible ratings. I know they need more episodes of these shows for syndication, so I guess they'll focus on other days to try to become a competitive network. "Try" is the critical word if one looks at "Awake's" ratings which would be weak on The CW.

*The CW*'s only show of the week that has ratings to mention in passing is "Vampire Diaries" which in the demo competes well against ABC's "Missing." That, of course, says more about ABC.:sure:


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## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

Nikita picked up for 3rd season. :up:


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## David Ortiz (Aug 21, 2006)

klang said:


> Nikita picked up for 3rd season. :up:


:icon_da:


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third and last competitive Friday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








Because this is the last Friday before the Upfronts and this week the networks have been announcing renewals for next season, I added the averages column to the ratings.

*ABC*'s cheap-to-produce gave it an 18-49 demo win for the night and a win in every hour except for 10:00 where it tied for a demo win.

*CBS*, because it wins handily among the 50+ viewers, won the total viewers for the night and in every hour. "CSI: NY" is one of the few CBS shows that still has not been picked up or canceled. Those who have or will watch last night's episode, it's a tough place to leave it.

*Fox* has canceled "The Finder" but given "Fringe" a final season.

*NBC* is renewed "Grimm."

*The CW* has renewed both "Nikita" and "Supernatural."

Friday is becoming a tough night. Over the past three weeks the 8:00 hour has attracted an average of only 22 million viewers, while the same hour on Thursday attracted 40 million. The Friday 9:00 hour 23 million, Thursday 34 million. On the other hand, 10:00 Friday's 20 million compared to Thursday's 21 million isn't bad. The significant viewer loss is in the demo, however, which affects advertising revenue.

The Upfronts begin Monday so most decisions about renewals have been made. You can see a complete status list here which is interesting if for no other reason, CBS has the most shows still undecided.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

I guess I'll be waiting to watch CSI NY then based on the adverts for that episode. 

CBS has four undecided that I watch and has cancelled one that I watch, All their renewals I do watch except for The Good Wife. I just couldn't get into it.

NBC has cancelled four shows I watch and kept one that I watch (Grimm), Oh well.

Fox is down to two shows that I watch after cancelling the other two I watch.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third Sunday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the Sunday-four-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








In the 1956-57 TV season, we had three primary broadcast TV networks plus a couple of other struggling upstarts. We had 38.9 million TV households. On Sundays "The Ed Sullivan Show" attracted a season average of 14.94 million live viewers.

In the 2011-12 TV season, we had three full schedule broadcast TV networks plus Fox, and The CW which is struggling. In 2012 we have nearly 114.7 million TV households which is 2.95 times the number of TV households. During the past three weeks the most viewers any one show could attract on any Sunday night was 11.44 million.

There is a certain irony that advertisers are focusing on a segment of broadcast TV viewers when as a percentage of people in TV households the number of live+same day viewers has become nearly irrelevant.

Over the past three weeks from 7:00 to 11:00, ABC was the 18-49 demo average winner with 2.4 million, CBS was the average 50+ winner with 7.1 million, Fox averaged 1.9 million in the demo and 2.3 million in the 50+ group while NBC averaged 1.3 million in the demo and 4.4 million in the 50+ group.

These ratings should be considered a disaster in the vast wasteland.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third and last competitive Monday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*CBS* won or tied for the 18-49 demo in every half our except 9:30 last night. On average, for the past three weeks CBS ran a very close second in the demo and a very close third in the 50+ crowd in the 8-10 pm competition and first in the demo and second in the 50+ group in the 8-11 pm competition.

*ABC*'s 8 to 10 pm "Dancing with the Stars" on average for the past three weeks has run a distant third in the demo though it easily won the 50+ crowd with double all others. "Castle" competes well at 10:00.

*NBC*'s "The Voice" gave it a winning two hours this spring. "Smash" was an early renewal. It won't be back until next January and supposedly they are reworking it. Maybe "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing" in this case will be to the show's advantage as its ratings do not imply a winner.

*Fox*, as mentioned on previous Mondays, rescheduled its Monday lineup often enough to succeed in using "the cumulative effect of nonlinear viewing" to assure its scripted lineup gets low ratings which apparently is the network's goal.

*The CW* has renewed both "Gossip Girl" and "Hart of Dixie" (the latter being the one CW fluff show on our schedule this year). I don't know why they renewed them, but obviously live+same day ratings are no longer an issue for The CW. Who knows, maybe Fox is seeking to emulate The CW.


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## Holydoc (Feb 18, 2008)

Well with the reveal of the cancelled and renewed shows, I have discovered these things about myself.

1) ABC is my most watched channel with 6 shows
ABC cancelled 3 other shows I had also watched
2) FOX is my next most watched channel with 3 shows
FOX cancelled 4 other shows I had also watched. Guess my opinion does not matter.
3) NBC is my third most watched channel with 3 shows
NBC cancelled 3 other shows I had also watched
4) CBS is my least watched channel with 3 shows
CBS cancelled only 1 other show I had watched


So comparing that to Phrelin's rating report, it looks like I am almost exactly opposite the general population. CBS, which tends to get the most viewers, is my least watched. FOX on my chart is above both NBC and CBS.

What did we learn? Do NOT depend on my tastes when picking a show.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third and last competitive Tuesday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*NBC* has an early summer 18-49 demo winner in "America's Got Talent" which means profits for the network. "Fashion Star" at 10:00 was just a cheap filler.

*CBS*. "NCIS" is America's most popular scripted program. Nothing else even comes close as Mark Harmon get's a little older each year.

"NCIS: LA" has also become a total viewer winner, even beating "Dancing with the Stars Results" in the 50+ age group. Last night's two hour finale reminds us that a scripted show can get above a 3.0 in the demo at the 10:00 hour.

*ABC* suits are going "whew" as they get rid of rating disaster "Cougar Town" without alienating its fans because TBS picked it up. "Private Practice" doesn't look like it would hold up too well against serious competition. Whether CBS' new show "Vegas" and NBC's "Parenthood" will be that competition next fall remains to be seen.

*Fox*'s "Glee" did pretty well over a two hour period last night. That should worry the suits at Fox as the show did as well as "New Girl" in recent weeks.

*The CW*. "The LA Complex" is the worst ratings disaster I've seen from The CW. Of course, the are going to have some Summer shows, so things could get worse.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Here's the third and last competitive Wednesday of the 2012 Nielsen May Sweeps:








And here's the network averages to compare using the two-hour Fox-CW-prime-time-system" and the three-hour-ABC-CBS-NBC-prime-time-system:








*ABC*'s much vaunted Wednesday two-hour sitcom lineup is looking pretty weak. "Modern Family" which averaged 4.1 in the 18-49 demo. The other three slots averaged a 2.0 which left the network at #3 in the demo in the 8:00-10:00 competition and they didn't do any better with the 50+ crowd. "Revenge" at 10:00 did ok, but it isn't exactly a powerhouse going into the 9:00 Sunday slot next fall.

*CBS* is sticking with its lineup next fall because its strong enough to compete against Fox's "The X-Factor" and "American Idol". In fact, CBS shows tied "The X-Factor" last fall several times.

At 10:00 the aging "CSI" still held the lead this year. But both ABC and NBC are throwing new shows at it in the Fall.

*Fox* has to be worried about "American Idol". In the comparable week last year it pulled a 7.2 demo, 15.8 50+, 23.04 total viewers. This year its down 37% in the demo and 24% in the 50+ group. The problem for Fox, and indeed for all the broadcast networks and their advertisers, is that the 18-49 demo will continue to quit watching live+same day TV in droves. Fox, of course, has already established that to make up for nobody watching their stuff it will tax everyone subscribing to cable, telco, or satellite TV a buck a month.:sure:

*NBC* has decided to make another futile attempt to get sitcom viewers in the 8:00-9:00 Wednesday slot next year and to run the aging "L&O:SVU" at 9:00. They will be trying "Chicago Fire" at 10:00. This year their Wednesday lineup was a complete failure.

*The CW*'s lineup every night seemed like a complete live+same day ratings failure. So except for "The Vampire Diaries" at 8:00 on Thursday, next year all renewed shows will be on a different night and/or time with several new shows added. I don't see that altering the live+same day ratings, but apparently they don't matter too much for The CW as their fans are in the demo that don't watch shows on TV, but instead stream them on smart phones, tablets, and computers.

This is my last ratings post for the 2011-12 TV season even though, ironically, the Nielsen 2012 May Sweeps continues.

No meaningful information about nightly ratings will be available. Virtually all decisions about renewals have been made by the networks, the 2012-13 season lineups have been announced, and except for tonight CBS has run the season finales of every show.

Next September we'll see how well this lineup attracts viewers:


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