ratings (18 posts)

ABC/ADAM LARKEY

Splash, splat, waaah…

The sounds of summer TV are distinctive—and popular, with solid premieres last week for Wipeout, I Survived a Japanese Game Show and The Baby Borrowers, per Nielsen Media Research stats.

ABC's Wipeout, a slippery, sloppy obstacle course fit for American gladiators, but tackled by American Joes and Janes, was the most watched show among TV's prized, but ever-dwindling pool of 18-to-49-year-olds.

Overall, it averaged 10 million viewers, posted its network's biggest summer premiere in three years, and ranked second behind NBC's veteran summer show, America's Got Talent (11.7 million).

I Survived a Japanese Game Show, an ABC offering fit for a Survivor-chosen island, but set on, yes, a pads-and-helmets-required Japanese game show, pulled in at 10th place (8 million).

Keep Reading

Disney Channel / Fred Hayes

Camp Rock premiered big and repeated well. Now it only has to keep it up for another, oh, two and a half years.

Like High School Musical.

Giving the Jonas Brothers' vehicle something to shoot for, the original HSM kept on keeping on last week, scoring nearly as many viewers for its 33rd—yes, 33rd—airing as a two-day-old rerun of Camp Rock.

Keep Reading

Disney Channel/John Medland

The question was: Could three Jonases take down one Zac Efron? The answer was yes—and no.

Friday night's premiere of the Jonas Brothers-populated TV musical Camp Rock averaged 8.9 million viewers, the Disney Channel said today.

That's bigger than the original, Efron-led High School Musical, which debuted before 7.7 million viewers. But it's smaller—significantly smaller—than the 17.2 million who turned out for last August's return of Efron in High School Musical 2.

Keep Reading

Disney Channel/John Medland

So, 9-year-old girls are kinda looking forward to Camp Rock, huh?

To quote tween expert Denise Restauri, "Let me just say, omigod!"

All signs—and Camp Rock viewing parties—point to potentially record-setting ratings for the TV-movie musical premiering Friday night on the Disney Channel. The film, about rockin' music campers, as the title suggests, stars Barney & Friends alum Demi Lovato and, oh, yes, a little trio called the Jonas Brothers.

Keep Reading

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

Fueled by the resurgent NBA Finals, TV ratings are going where TV ratings rarely go: up.

Through the first three full weeks of the summer season, the big four broadcast networks have combined to average 6.4 million viewers, up from 6.2 million for the same period last year.

The gain is modest—3 percent—but it's a gain. Unlike the 10 percent decline the big four networks collectively suffered during the just-completed regular season.

The summer, and especially ABC, have benefited from basketball's renewed Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers rivalry.

Keep Reading

Megan Tantillo/Lifetime Television

John McCain and Barack Obama know where the votes viewers are.

The second-season premiere of Lifetime's Army Wives, featuring testimonials from both presidential contenders, soared to the top of the cable ratings.

The Sunday hourlong averaged 4.5 million viewers, per Nielsen Media Research. That's up nearly 30 percent over the show's opener last year, the network said.

Keep Reading

AP Photo/Rich Schultz

It's going to be a weird TV summer.

Prime-time ratings for hockey, that favorite beach-season sport, were way up. But they weren't big enough to beat CBS' foray into brawls. And Kimbo Slice wasn't man enough to take down Regis Philbin.

Well, OK, the Regis thing wasn't all that odd.

Keep Reading

ABC

Lost is what it is.

Last night's two-hour season finale averaged a steady 12.2 million viewers, per Nielsen Media Research estimates. The show peaked in its coffin-revealing final half-hour, with 12.7 million.

The overall performance was on par with its strike-shortened season average (up 4 percent).

It was far off from last year's season finale (down 12 percent) and this year's season premiere (down 24 percent).

Noting that the number marked Lost's lowest-ever season finale is to point out something that's both true and virtually insignificant. Given the ongoing ratings erosion, nearly every show posts its lowest-ever season finale with each successive season.

(Spoilers ahead, consider yourselves warned.)

Keep Reading

ABC/MICHAEL DESMOND

American Idol took the headlines. Grey's Anatomy took the plunge.

While Idol's slippage dominated ratings coverage, the McDoctor show somewhat stealthily lost nearly a quarter of its audience, down 23 percent this past TV year to a series-low 14.4 million viewers.

That was the steepest drop suffered by any of TV's top hits for the strike-addled season that ended Wednesday. And, looking at the final Nielsen Media Research numbers, more than a few top shows suffered. Among them:

• CSI: Miami (down 21 percent to 13.1 million)
• CSI (down 19 percent to 16 million)
• Lost (down 15 percent to 11.7 million)
• House (down 12 percent to 16.2 million)

Idol, by comparison, was a survivor, especially on Tuesdays, when it averaged 27.8 million viewers, and dipped only 6 percent from last year.

Wednesday's Idol took a more substantial hit, down 11 percent, big finale or no, to 26.8 million.

The decline on that night allowed Tuesday's Idol to claim its first season-long win as TV's most watched show.

Grey's Anatomy, meanwhile, fell out of the top 10.

Keep Reading

Monty Brinton/CBS

The odds have caught up with CSI.

For the first time in five years, the Vegas-set crime show will not finish a season as TV's most-watched scripted show.

The 2007-08 season ends Wednesday night.

Desperate Housewives, much maligned for its own ratings slippage over the past couple of years, should finish the season on top among scripted shows, with 18.2 million viewers.

CSI, which currently holds a slight edge for second place over House, ends its eighth season averaging 16.89 million viewers, its least amount ever. The show's previous "low" was 17.8 million, posted during its first season.

The last time CSI didn't wind up as TV's top scripted show was 2001-02, when the departing Friends ruled.

Keep Reading

CW

Take that, Wall Street Journal.

On the same day the nation's leading business newspaper reported that time may be running out for the CW, the network went on to score its biggest second-biggest Monday night. Ever. In its two-year history. Among viewers named Ashley who like venti decafs, except on Fridays when they favor grande chais aged 18 to 34.

Well, anyway, it's something.

And, actually, the season finales of One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl needed no qualifications. Per the CW, they provided the network with its most-watched Monday of the season, and its best Monday performance in its aforementioned two-year history among prized young adults, aged 18-49.

Keep Reading

Monty Brinton / CBS

The curiosity of seeing the fully functioning Britney Spears has waned. But not nearly as much as the novelty of seeing the fully pumped stars of American Gladiators.

Last night's How I Met Your Mother, featuring a return appearance by the comeback-minded Spears, averaged 9 million viewers, Nielsen Media Research estimates showed today.

The number wasn't at all bad. It just wasn't the nearly 11 million viewers—a season high—who caught Spears' March debut on the CBS sitcom.

As for American Gladiators, it might want to consider joining a support group with Speed Racer, because both franchises have lost their mojo.

Keep Reading