Mediaweek - Programming Insider

CBS Wins Thursday Overnights; Fox Expected to Dominate Among Adults 18-49

Marc Berman — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:50:00 EDT

Repeats of CSI and The Mentalist lifted CBS to another Thursday overnight win. But even a deteriorating So You Think You Can Dance should be enough for Fox to dominate among adults 18-49.

America's Got Talent Remains the Hit of Summer 2009

Marc Berman — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:10:00 EDT

Season four remains a charm for NBC reality/competition America's Got Talent, which stands well above anything else this summer.

Respectable Start for The Wendy Williams Show

Marc Berman — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:21:00 EDT

Based on 39 markets (and 44 telecasts), Debmar-Mercury syndicated talker The Wendy Williams Show opened with a weighted 1.1 rating/3 share in the metered markets. Comparably, both the lead-in and year-ago (July 2008) time period averages were similar at a 1.2/ 3 each.

NBC Pushes Parenthood Back to Midseason

Marc Berman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:08:00 EDT

Due to a reported medical evaluation for star Maura Tierney, upcoming NBC drama Parenthood, the second remake of the 1989 Ron Howard theatrical, has been delayed until midseason. Medical drama Mercy, which was scheduled for midseason, will step in this fall and is expected to air in the Wednesday 8 p.m. hour.

Respectable Return for CBS' Big Brother

Marc Berman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:48:00 EDT

In season-premiere news, the 11^th edition of summer addiction Big Brother opened with a dominant 4.2 rating/8 share in the overnights from 8-9 p.m. Comparatively it bested the Thursday 8 p.m. telecast on July 31, 2008 (3.7/ 7, the first time it aired on Thursday last season) by 14 percent. The strength of Big Brother, of course, falls within the young adult demos.

Strong Series Openers on ABC Family and SyFy

Marc Berman — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:55:00 EDT

ABC Family’s 10 Things I Hate About You opened on Tuesday, July 7 as the cable net’s top-rated comedy on record in total viewers, adults 18-34, women 18-34, adults 18-49 and women 18-49. Also on Tuesday, new drama Warehouse 13 debuted on Syfy with a 2.5 rating in households, 3.5 million total viewers, 1.3 million adults 18-49 and 1.7 million adults 25-54

CBS Wins Tuesday Overnights; Slow Start for ABC's Great American Road Trip

Marc Berman — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:05:00 EDT

CBS led this first Tuesday in July in the overnights with its encore combination of NCIS, The Mentalist and 48 Hours Mystery. But it is NBC that is expected to dominate among adults 18-49 care of summer favorite America’s Got Talent. In series-premiere news, NBC reality/competition The Great American Road Trip was stalled at the gate with a second-place 3.1/ 5 from 8-9 p.m.

CBS Wins Monday Overnights

Marc Berman — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:19:00 EDT

CBS continued its Monday overnight winning streak despite airing all repeats, with a noticeable 27 percent advantage over second-place ABC. Third in the metered markets was NBC, followed by Fox and almost invisible The CW.

Lackluster Weekend Rating Results

Marc Berman — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:05:00 EDT

This was little of note on this July 4th holiday weekend, with the most-watched network on Friday and Saturday, CBS, not even able to reach the 5-million viewer mark.

Mr. TV: Tubeys Time

Marc Berman — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:03:00 EDT

If you love TV, you are no doubt familiar with Televisionwithoutpity, Bravo’s online destination for everything TV.

Remembering Karl Malden

Marc Berman — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:38:00 EDT

Oscar winner Karl Malden, who was a familiar face on the small screen in 1970s ABC crime drama The Streets of San Francisco, died yesterday. He was 97.

More Shared Dominance for the Week of June 22

Marc Berman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:39:00 EDT

Three networks shared low-rated leadership on the sleepy week of June 22, with CBS first in households and total viewers; NBC No. 1 among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54; and Fox tops in the adult 18-34 demo.

CBS Scores Monday Overnight Victory

Marc Berman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:45:00 EDT

CBS led this final June Monday in the overnights, followed by NBC, ABC, Fox and the CW. But, as expected, the Eye net’s relocated How I Met Your Mother may not be strong enough to anchor the evening.

Coverage of Michael Jackson Continues to Flood the Airwaves

Marc Berman — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:16:00 EDT

In addition to coverage on the syndicated newsmagazines, NBC’s edition of Dateline tonight will feature a one-hour version of 2003 documentary Living With Michael Jackson. Fox will repeat the American Idol performance show featuring his music. And MyNetworkTV will air an encore telecast of the 2006 World Music Awards, which honored Michael Jackson, on Wednesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. ET.

Mr. TV: Heat Seeker

Marc Berman — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:02:00 EDT

I know, I know, technically the summer has only just officially begun. But it seems like months have passed since the annual “Gone Fishing” sign went up at the broadcast networks after Memorial Day weekend.

Remembering Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson

Marc Berman — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:58:00 EDT

Sadly, Thursday, June 25, 2009 will go down in the record books for the passing of two major icons: Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Both are remembered by Mr. TV.

Race for Midweek Overnight Dominance

Marc Berman — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:03:00 EDT

It was a horse race for first in the Wednesday overnights, with only three-tenths of a rating point separating Fox, NBC and CBS. But either NBC or Fox is expected to win the evening among adults 18-49 on the strength of America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance.

CBS and Fox Dominate the Week of June 15

Marc Berman — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:03:00 EDT

CBS and Fox led this bland fourth week of the summer 2009 season, with CBS first in households, total viewers and adults 25-54, and Fox No. 1 among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. But fewer than seven million viewers and a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49 for the dominant network is nothing to crow about.

Mr. TV Remembers Ed McMahon

Marc Berman — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:51:00 EDT

Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s perennial sidekick on NBC’s The Tonight Show died today at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Hospital. He was 86. According to McMahon publicist Howard Bragman, the entertainer’s passing was from a "multitude of health problems the last few months."

Summer Viewing Continues to Dwindle on the Broadcast Nets

Marc Berman — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:34:00 EDT

CBS was the most-watched network this past Friday and Saturday. But dominance with under 5 million viewers on both evenings means more viewers are flocking to cable in the early summer season.

Mr. TV: Call Me Columbo

Marc Berman — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:04:00 EDT

As we head further into the summer months, I thought it would be fun to delve into some fan favorites from the halls of TV and highlight some things you might not know about these shows and their stars.

NBC Unveils New Drama Merlin on Sunday

Marc Berman — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:44:00 EDT

The classic tale of a young man with extraordinary magical powers is updated on new NBC drama Merlin, which premieres on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.

Letterman vs. Conan Update

Marc Berman — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:44:00 EDT

Based on the fast national rating results for Tuesday, June 16, late night dominance was back in Conan O’Brien’s court, with the new host of NBC’s The Tonight Show beating CBS’ The Late Show with David Lettermanby significant proportions.

ABC Dominates Week of June 8 in Primetime

Marc Berman — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:57:00 EDT

Games three through five of Los Angeles vs. Orlando on The NBA Finals led ABC to victory in total viewers and the three key demos for this third week of the summer season. Comparably, ABC posted single-digit growth from one year earlier, with its top-rated summer week in total viewers and adults 18-49 in five years.

TNT Launches Two New Tuesday Series

Marc Berman — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:32:00 EDT

TNT's summer Tuesday kicks-off tonight with two new series (non-scripted Wedding Day and medical drama Hawthorne, featuring Jada Pinkett Smith) and the third season-premiere of Saving Grace.

Winning Results for The Stanley Cup Finals on NBC Firday

Marc Berman — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:51:00 EDT

NBC reigned supreme on this second Friday in June, with the seventh (and final) game of The Stanley Cup Finals at an above-average 7.51 million viewers and a 3.0 rating/11 share among adults 18-49 from 8-11 p.m. in primetime.

Mr. TV: 10 Years After

Marc Berman — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:02:00 EDT

As I celebrate 10 years at Mediaweek, I thought I would take a look at the small screen over these last 120 months, pinpointing some of the highs and lows. Needless to say, a lot has changed.

Analog Signal Ends Today

Marc Berman — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:41:00 EDT

Stations across the country today are officially cutting their analog signals in favor of all digital broadcast television, which is expected to potentially strand more than one million unprepared homes.

Fox Dances to Wednesday Victory

Marc Berman — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:37:00 EDT

Fox led the midweek troops in the overnights (and will easily dominate among adults 18-49), care of a two-hour edition of So You Think You Can Dance at a 5.3 rating/9 share from 8-10 p.m. Second overall was CBS, followed by ABC, NBC and The CW.

ABC and CBS Dominate the Second Week of the Summer Season

Marc Berman — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:20:00 EDT

It was another week of mixed leadership, with CBS first in households and total viewers and the home of The NBA Finals, ABC, dominant in the three key demos -- adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34.