In Today's Issue

Prime-Time Metered Market Wednesday Ratings:
CBS and Fox Lead Overnights; NBC Poised for Adult 18-49 Victory

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
Lucy in Disguise

_______________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME METERED MARKET WEDNESDAY RATINGS:
CBS and Fox Lead Overnights; NBC Poised for Adult 18-49 Victory

Wednesday 7/20/11
Note: The overnight data now includes DVR playback until 3 a.m. local time. One year earlier it was based on Live data only.  All times are ET/PT.

Household Rating/Share
CBS and Fox: 4.3/ 7 each, NBC: 4.0/ 7, ABC: 2.6/ 5, CW: 0.7/ 1

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening (Wednesday 7/21/10):
CBS: + 2, Fox: - 2, ABC: -10, CW: -12, NBC: -18

Yesterday’s Winners:
America’s Got Talent (NBC)

Ongoing Summer Successes:
Big Brother (CBS), So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)

Ratings Breakdown:
It was a Tuesday of shared overnight leadership between CBS and Fox, but dominance among adults 18-49 should fall in NBC’s corner. Third overall in the metered markets was NBC, followed by distant ABC and The CW. Fifty-four percent of last night’s line-up was in repeats.

The two-hour edition of So You Think You Can Dance averaged a 4.3 rating/7 share from 8-10 p.m., with the half-hour breakdown as follows:

So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
8:00 p.m.: 4.3/ 8 (#2)
8:30 p.m.: 4.5/ 8 (#1)
9:00 p.m.: 4.2/ 7 (#2)
9:30 p.m.: 4.1/ 7 (#3)

Compared to one year earlier (also a two-hour edition), this was a loss of only 2 percent.

Big Brotheron CBS tied the first half of So You Think You Can Dance for No. 1 from 8-9 p.m., with a 4.4/ 8.  Comparably, that was on par from one year earlier. Next on CBS was a repeat of Criminal Minds (#2: 4.3/ 7 at 9 p.m.), followed by an encore telecast of relocated CSI at 10 p.m., which won the time period with a 4.3/ 8. There is every reason to believe that veteran CSI will be the most-watched show in the time period this fall (opposite Law & Order: SVU on NBC and new drama Revenge on ABC).

Over at NBC, a repeat of the first episode of game show It’s Worth What? finished fourth at 8 p.m. with a 2.8/ 5 in the overnights. Next was the top-rated show of the evening, America’s Got Talent, on NBC at a 6.4/11 at 9 p.m., followed by week four of Love in the Wild at a second-place (and series-low) 2.9/ 5 at 10 p.m. Although Love in the Wild is expected to win the time period among adults 18-49, retention out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of America’s Got Talent (6.8/11) was just 43 percent.

Elsewhere, ABC aired repeats of sitcoms The Middle (two episodes - #3, avg. 2.9/ 5 from 8-9 p.m.), Modern Family (#4: 3.0/ 5) and Happy Endings (#4: 1.9/ 3) from 8-10 p.m., followed by summer magazine Primetime Nightline—Beyond Belief at a third-place 2.7/ 5. The CW filled the evening with two repeat episodes of America’s Next Top Model at an average 0.7/ 1 from 8-10 p.m. This fall, new CW comical reality hour H8R opens Wednesday, leading into the first all-star edition of America’s Next Top Model at 9 p.m.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

_______________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Cable Scorecard – Tuesday, July 19:
USA dramas Covert Affairs and White Collar remain the two most-watched shows on Tuesday, while Teen Mom on MTV held the top spot among adults 18-49, with a 1.8 rating in the demo. In the specials department, Hef’s Runaway Bride on Lifetime was not much of an option at No. 23 (out of 25 entries) in total viewers and tied for No. 20 in the demo, with a 0.3. Here are the results (in order of total viewers) for the 25 basic cable entries on Tuesday, July 19.

Covert Affairs (USA) - Viewers: 4.55 million (#1 overall), A18-49: 1.2 rating (#4t)
White Collar (USA) - Viewers: 4.18 million (#2), A18-49: 1.2 (#4t)
Teen Mom (MTV) - Viewers: 3.15 million (#3), A18-49: 1.8 (#1)
Deadliest Catch (Discovery) – Viewers: 3.01 million (#4), A18-49: 1.3 (#3)
Memphis Beat (TNT) – Viewers: 2.87 million (#5), A18-49: 0.6 (#12t)
Tosh.O (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 2.78 million (#6), A18-49: 1.6 (#2)
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family) – Viewers: 2.53 million (#7), A18-49: 0.9 (#6t)
HawthoRNe (TNT) – Viewers: 2.25 million (#8), A18-49: 0.7 (#10t)
Gene Simmons Family Jewels (A&E, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 2.14 million (#10), A18-49: 0.9 (#6t)
Hardcore Pawn (truTV, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 2.14 million (#10), A18-49: 0.8 (#8t)
Alaskan Monster Hunt: Hillstranded (Discovery) – Viewers: 2.05 million (#11), A18-49: 0.8 (#8t)
The Looney Tunes Show (Cartoon Network) – Viewers: 1.92 million (#12), A18-49: 0.3 (#20t)
Chopped (Food Network) – Viewers: 1.70 million (#13), A18-49: 0.7 (#10t)
Storage Hunters (truTV, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.68 million (#14), A18-49: 0.6 (#12t)
Auction Hunters (Spike) – Viewers: 1.40 million (#15), A18-49: 0.5 (#14t)
Nine Lives of Chloe King (ABC Family) – Viewers: 1.26 million (#16), A18-49: 0.4 (#17t)
Cupcake Wars (Food Network) – Viewers: 1.13 million (#17), A18-49: 0.5 (#14t)
19 Kids and Counting (TLC, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.12 million (#18), A18-49: 0.4 (#17t)
The Little Couple (TLC, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.08 million (#19), A18-49: 0.3 (#20t)
Toya: A Family Affair (BET) – Viewers: 979,000 (#20), A18-49: 0.4 (#17t)
Flipping Out (Bravo) – Viewers: 946,000 (#21), A18-49: 0.5 (#14t)
Monster Kitchen – Viewers: 881,000 (#22), A18-49: 0.3 (#20t)
Hef’s Runaway Bride (Lifetime) – Viewers: 696,000 (#23), A18-49: 0.3 (#20t)
Drug King Hippos – Viewers: 593,000 (#24), A18-49: 0.2 (#25)
Million Dollar Decorators (Bravo) – Viewers: 579,000 (#25), A18-49: 0.3 (#20t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

________________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR TONIGHT:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Thursday 7/21/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Wipeout
8:30 p.m. Expedition Impossible
9:00 p.m. Rookie Blue

CBS:
8:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R)
8:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement (R)
9:00 p.m. Big Brother
10:00 p.m. The Mentalist (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. Community (R)
8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation (R)
9:00 p.m. The Office (R)
9:30 p.m. 30 Rock (R)
10:00 p.m. Love Bites (series finale)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. So You Think You Can Dance Results Show
9:00 p.m. Glee (R)

CW
8:00 p.m. The Vampire Diaries (R)
9:00 p.m. Plain Jane (R, return)

_______________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

TV Land Picks Up Happily Divorced:
Freshman TV sitcom Happily Divorced, headlined by Fran Drescher, has been renewed for a second season, with an order for 12 new episodes to begin airing in spring 2012. Happily Divorced is averaging 2.2 million viewers to-date, with a 1.3 rating among target women 25-54 and solid retention out of lead-in Hot in Cleveland.

Also at TV Land:
Production will begin this week on new TV Land sitcom, The Exes, the tale of three divorced men (Donald Faison, Wayne Knight, and David Alan Basche) who live together across the hall from their divorce attorney (Kristen Johnston), who also happens to be their landlord. The Exes premieres on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT out of season three of Hot in Cleveland.

More Finding Bigfoot:
Animal Planet has renewed freshman entry Finding Bigfoot for a second, with an order for 10 new episodes in 2012. The new season begins in early 2012.

Weed Wars on Discovery Channel:
Discovery Channel will introduce a new series this fall called Weed Wars, which will follow Oakland’s Harborside Health Center, the nation’s largest cannabis dispensary with over 80,000 patients. No official premiere date has been announced yet.

Original Wilfred on IFC:
IFC will air a marathon of the entire first season of the original Australian version of comedy Wilfredon Sunday, July 31. Eight consecutive half-hour episodes will air beginning at 12 p.m. ET/PT.

FX Fall Premiere Dates:
FX has announced the start dates for its original programming this fall. The new season of Sons of Anarchy gets underway with a 90-minute episode on Tuesday, Sept. 6 and is regularly scheduled in the Tuesday 10 p.m. ET/PT hour. Sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia begins season seven on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Up next is new drama American Horror Story on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, followed by season three of The Leagueon Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (beginning on Sept. 6). In addition, animated comedy Archerwill have a three-week run behind It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Sept. 15, 22, and 29.

The Shahs of Sunset on Bravo:
Bravo is developing a new reality series with Ryan Seacrest tentatively titled The Shahs of Sunset, which will focus on the Iranian community in Los Angeles. No official production date has been announced yet.

_____________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA TIME:
Lucy in Disguise

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE.

Where did Lucy pretend to be from in the episode of I Love Lucy when she pretended to be a princess who came to New York just to see Ricky?

a) Franistan
b) Goldolia
c) Mertzania
d) Moldavia
e) Ork

The answer to yesterday’s question…

Which one of the following performers has yet to compete on Dancing With the Stars?

a) Shirley Jones
b) Wayne Newton
c) Kelly Osbourne
d) Priscilla Presley
e) Ian Ziering

Is:  a) Shirley Jones. Mama Partridge has not put on her dancing shoes yet.

Current kudos goes to:
Barbara Bloomfield, Andrew Bradner, Jordan Breslow, Steve Clements, Larry Collins, Harold Cooper, Andy Ehlen, Michael Fruchtman, Gail Goins, Maureen Goldman, Jen Good, Martha Gonzalez, Jen Good, Michael Holland, Julie Hurwitz, Marie Lefevre Karp, Todd Koerner, Synda Kollman, Frank Nicotero, Aaron Paquette, Alan Perris, Gordon Purcell, Lisa Tatum-Roehrig, Colleen Roth, Mary Ryan, Anthony Salerno, Mindy Staley, Joe Swaney, Kristen Strauss, Jeanne Yonkers

In Today's Issue



Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings:
CBS Wins; Love Bites on NBC Fades into the Sunset

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air This Weekend:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
Long Lost Mrs. Miller

_____________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME METERED MARKET THURSDAY RATINGS:
CBS Wins; Love Bites on NBC Fades into the Sunset

Thursday 7/21/11

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.2/ 7, ABC: 3.6/ 6, Fox: 3.1/ 5, NBC: 1.6/ 3, CW: 0.7/ 1

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 7/22/10):
CBS: - 7, Fox: -16, ABC: -18, CW: -30, NBC: -36

Yesterday’s Winners:
The Big Bang Theory R (CBS), Big Brother (CBS)

Ongoing Summer Success:
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)

Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
Love Bites (NBC)

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS led this third Thursday in July in the overnights, with a 17 percent advantage over second-place ABC. Third overall was Fox, followed by NBC and distant The CW.  Fifty-four percent of last night’s line-up were repeat telecasts.

CBS finished first in five of the six half-hours, with its combination of repeats of The Big Bang Theory (#1: 4.8 rating/9 share) and Rules of Engagement (#3: 3.7/ 7) from 8-9 p.m., the live eviction episode of Big Brother (#1: 4.5/ 8 – so long, Cassi) and a repeat of The Mentalist (#1: 4.0/ 7). Big Brother, no doubt, will be the highest-rated show of the evening among adults 18-49. 

ABC had nothing unusual to report with its combination of Wipeout (#2: 3.9/ 7), which is not the summer favorite it once was due to already airing all season, Expedition Impossible (#2: 3.1/ 5) and Canadian drama Rookie Blue (#2: 3.9/ 7), which was already picked-up for a third season.

In series-finale news, Love Bites on NBC exited with a mere 1.4/ 2 in the overnights at 10 p.m., which will probably translate into the vicinity of 2 million viewers. Any planned fall starter that is delayed until summer is a definite clinker. Earlier in the evening on NBC were low-rated repeats of comedies Community (#4: 1.5/ 4), Parks and Recreation (#4: 1.5/ 3), The Office (#4: 1.8/ 3) and 30 Rock (#4: 1.8/ 3) from 8-10 p.m. Minus Steve Carell, aging The Office is expected to lose more steam next season, which will not benefit new sitcom lead-out Whitney.

Over at Fox, the live So You Think You Can Dance Results Show (#2: 4.1/ 7 at 8 p.m.) led into a repeat of Glee at a third-place 2.2/ 4 at 9 p.m. The CW filled the evening with repeats of The Vampire Diaries (#5: 0.7/ 1) and failed reality/competition Plain Jane (#5: 0.7/ 1).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

_______________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Cable Scorecard – Wednesday, July 20:
USA’s normally total viewer dominant  Royal Pains took a backseat to the 10:30 p.m. installment of Storage Wars, which led A&E to its best performance for any series in the history of the network. The back-to-back episodes from 10-11 p.m. is now A&E’s No. 1 season opening performance for any series in the history of the network.  Also notably positive was sitcom Hot in Cleveland on TV Land, which built by 24 percent in total viewers over the prior week. On the downside, in contrast, were two more episodes of Lifetime’s recently introduced Roseanne’s Nuts, which features the comedian and former sitcom star running a macadamia nut farm in Hawaii.

Here are the results, ranked in order of total viewers, for Wednesday, July 20:

Storage Wars (A&E, 10:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 5.09 million (#1 overall), A18-49: 2.2 (#1)
Royal Pains (USA) – Viewers: 5.03 million (#2), A18-49: 1.4 (#3)
Storage Wars (A&E, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 4.50 million (#3), A18-49: 2.0 (#2) – season premiere
Necessary Roughness (USA) – Viewers: 4.20 million (#4), A18-49: 1.2 (#4)
Hot in Cleveland (TV Land) – Viewers: 2.44 million (#5), A18-49: 0.6 (#7)
Franklin & Bash (TNT) – Viewers: 2.34 million (#6), A18-49: 0.8 (#5t)
Sons of Guns (Discovery) – Viewers: 2.09 million (#7), A18-49: 0.9 (#6)
Operation Repo (truTV, 9:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.89 million (#8), A18-49: 0.7 (#8)
Happily Divorced (TV Land) – Viewers: 1.72 million (#9), A18-49: 0.4 (#19t)
The Challenge Rivals (MTV) – Viewers: 1.66 million (#10), A18-49: 1.0 (#5)
South Beach Tow (truTV, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.63 million (#11), A18-49: 0.6 (#9t)
South Beach Tow (truTV, 10:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.57 million (#12), A18-49: 0.5 (#15t)
Toddlers & Tiaras (TLC) – Viewers: 1.56 million (#13), A18-49: 0.5 (#15t)
Operation Repo (truTV, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.52 million (#14), A18-49: 0.6 (#9t)
One Man Army (Discovery) – Viewers: 1.38 million (#15), A18-49: 0.6 (#9t)
Rescue Me (FX) – Viewers: 1.36 million (#16), A18-49: 0.6 (#9)
Ghost Hunters International (Syfy) – Viewers: 1.26 million (#17), A18-49: 0.5 (#15t)
Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) – Viewers: 1.30 million (#18), A18-49: 0.5 (#15t)
Deadliest Warrior (Spike) – Viewers: 1.14 million (#19), A18-49: 0.4 (#19t)
Dude, What Would Happen (Cartoon Network) – Viewers: 1.11 million (#20), A18-49: 0.1 (#31t)
Dance Moms (ABC Family) – Viewers: 1.10 million (#21), A18-49: 0.4 (#19t)
South Park R (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 1.09 million (#22), A18-49: 0.5 (#15t)
Legend Quest (Syfy) – Viewers: 1.08 million (#23), A18-49: 0.4 (#19t)
Roseanne’s Nuts (Lifetime, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.04 million (#24), A18-49: 0.4 (#19t)
Roseanne’s Nuts (Lifetime, 9:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 977,000 (#25), A18-49: 0.4 (#19t)
Melissa & Joey (ABC Family) – Viewers: 975,000 (#26), A18-49: 0.4 (#19t)
Destroy Build Destroy (Cartoon Network) – Viewers: 961,000 (#27), A18-49: 0.1 (#31t)
State of Georgia (ABC Family) – Viewers: 790,000 (#28), A18-49: 0.3 (#27)
Jon Benjamin Has a Van (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 676,000 (#29), A18-49: 0.4 (#19t)
Rocco’s Dinner Party (Bravo) – Viewers: 622,000 (#30), A18-49: 0.2 (#28t)
Hostage in Paradise (Animal Planet – Viewers: 504,000 (#31), A18-49: 0.1 (#31t)
I Shouldn’t Be Alive (Animal Planet) – Viewers: 392,000 (#32), A18-49: 0.1 (#31t)
Famous Food (VH1) – Viewers: 333,000 (#33), A18-49: 0.2 (#28t)
The World According to Paris (Oxygen) – Viewers: 274,000 (#34), A18-49: 0.2 (#28t)
The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants (Showtime) – Viewers: 183,000 (#35), A18-49: 0.1 (#31t)
Clean House (Style) – Viewers: 116,000 (#36), A18-49: 0.0 (#36t)
Inside NASCAR (Showtime) – Viewers: 18,000 (#37), A18-49: 0.0 (#36t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

_______________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR THIS WEEKEND:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Friday 7/22/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Shark Tank (R)
9:00 p.m. Prime: What Would You Do?
10:00 p.m. 20/20

CBS:
8:00 p.m. Flashpoint (R)
9:00 p.m. CSI: NY (R)
10:00 p.m. Blue Bloods (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. Who Do You Think You Are?
9:00 p.m. Dateline (two hours)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Bones (R)
9:00 p.m. House (R)

CW
8:00 p.m. Nikita (R, new day and time)
9:00 p.m. Supernatural (R)


Saturday 7/23/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Movie – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (R)

CBS:
8:00 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles (R)
9:00 p.m. NCIS (R)
10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery

NBC:
8:00 p.m. Who Do You Think You Are? (R)
9:00 p.m. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (R)
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: Los Angeles (R)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Cops (R)
8:30 p.m. Cops (R)
9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R)
9:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show (R)


Sunday 7/24/11

ABC:
7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos (R)
8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (R)
9:00 p.m. Castle (R)
10:00 p.m. Body of Proof (R)

CBS:
7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes 
8:00 p.m. Big Brother
9:00 p.m. Same Name (series premiere)
10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami (R)

NBC:
7:00 p.m. Dateline 
8:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (R, two hours)
10:00 p.m. The Marriage Ref

Fox:
7:00 p.m. American Dad (R)
7:30 p.m. Bob’s Burgers (R)
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons (R)
8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show (R)
9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R)
9:30 p.m. American Dad (R)

New Program Descriptions

Same Name (CBS)
Celebrities change places with strangers who have the same name. First up: David Hasselhoff heads to a small Texas town to meet and trade lives with an electrical technician/landscaper.

Of Note on Cable:
-Entourage (HBO, 10:30 p.m.) – season premiere

_____________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

Sharon Osbourne to Exit CBS’ The Talk:
CBS daytime chatfest The Talk, which debuted last October and has already lost one of its hosts, Marissa Jaret Winokur, is losing another: Sharon Osbourne. Osbourne is quitting the show to spend more time with her legendary hubby, Ozzie. There is no word at present on a replacement for Osbourne.

All-American Muslim on Discovery:
TLC will introduce a new series called All-American Muslim, which focuses on the world of Muslim Americans. Set in Dearborn, Mich., home to the largest mosque in the U.S., the daily lives of five Muslim families will be profiled. It premieres in November.

Upcoming on Nicktoons:
Professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek (Rob & Big, Fantasy Factory) will be the subject of upcoming animated half-hour comedy Wild Grinders on Nicktoons, inspired by Dyrdek’s real-life experiences. The 26-episode series is produced in partnership with Home Plate Entertainment, Moonscoop, and Dyrdek’s Wild Grinders LLC, and will premiere on Nicktoons in 2012.

_______________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA TIME:
Long Lost Mrs. Miller

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE. Do not click Reply

Who play Barney Miller’s wife in the critically acclaimed 1975-82 sitcom?

a) Barbara Barrie
b) Lainie Kazan
c) Linda Lavin
d) Anne Meara
e) Susan Sullivan

The answer to yesterday’s question…

Where did Lucy pretend to be from in the episode of I Love Lucy when she pretended to be a princess who came to New York just to see Ricky?

a)Franistan
b) Goldolia
c) Mertzania
d) Moldavia
e) Ork

Is: a) Franistan. Lucy was the The Maharincess of Franistan.

Current kudos goes to:
Steve Albright, Mary Bancroft, Gerry Bixenspan (2x), Kimay Bloch, Larry Collins, Audrey Davis, Martha Gonzalez, Bob Ingersoll, Marie Lefevre Karp, Synda Kollman, David Primuth, Gordon Purcell, Lance Ross, Anthony Salerno, Maxine Shulman, Mark Simmons, Mindy Staley, Joe Swaney, Linda Weeks, John Welliver, Abbott Wool

In Today's Issue:


Prime-Time Ratings:
Weekend Results

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
Frankly Mr. TV, I Don’t Give a Damn!

____________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME RATINGS:
Weekend Highlights

Friday 7/22/11
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.0/ 8, NBC: 2.9/ 5, ABC: 2.6/ 5, Fox: 1.5/ 3, CW: 0.5/ 1

Total Viewers:
CBS: 6.08 million, NBC: 4.24, ABC: 4.12, Fox: 2.26, CW: 985,000

Adults 18-49:
ABC: 1.1 rating/4 share, CBS and NBC: 1.0/ 4 each, Fox: 0.6/ 2, CW: 0.4/ 1

Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals.  Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 33 percent at this same point last year to approximately 38 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS was the most-watched network on this fourth Friday in July (and tied for second overall among adults 18-49) with its combination of Canadian drama Flashpoint (#1, 6.18 million; A18-49: #1, 1.1 rationg/5 share at 8 p.m.) and repeats of CSI: NY (Viewers: #1, 5.97 million; A18-49: #3, 0.9/ 3) and Blue Bloods (Viewers: #1, 6.09 million; A18-49: #3, 0.8/ 3) from 9-11 p.m.  First among adults 18-49 (with just a 1.1 rating in the demo) was ABC’s lineup of a repeat ofShark Tank at 8 p.m. (Viewers: #2, 3.80 million; A18-49: #2, 1.0/ 4), followed by Primetime: What Would You Do? (Viewers: #3, 4.21 million; A18-49: #1, 1.1/ 4) and 20/20 (Viewers: #3, 4.36 million; A18-49: #2, 1.2/ 4) from 9-11 p.m.  At press time, ABC has still not confirmed what it will air in the Friday 8 p.m. hour now that Shark Tank has been pushed back until midseason.

In time period premiere news, an encore telecast of The CW’s Nikita finished a distant fifth in the 8 p.m. hour, with 1.00 million viewers and a 0.4/ 2 among adults 18-49.  That led into a repeat of Supernatural at 970,000 viewers (#5) and a 0.4/ 1 in the demo (#5) at 9 p.m.  Comparably, Nikita is similar to the recent repeats of concluded Smallville and will probably perform at Smallville levels next season.

Elsewhere, NBC populated the night with a repeat of Who Do You Think You Are?(Viewers: #3, 3.25 million; A18-49: #3, 0.7/ 3 at 8 p.m.), which returns in midseason, followed by two-hours of Dateline at 4.73 million viewers (#2) and a first-place 1.2/ 4 in the demo from 9-11 p.m.  Here is the half-hour breakdown:

Dateline (NBC)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.15 million (#3), A18-49: 1.0/ 4 (#2)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.36 million (#2), A18-49: 1.0/ 3 (#1t)
10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.93 million (#2), A18-49: 1.3/ 4 (#1)
10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 5.48 million (#2), A18-49: 1.5/ 5 (#1)

Fox capped off the evening with repeats of Bones (Viewers: #4, 2.71 million: A18-49: #4, 0.6/ 2) and House (Viewers: #4, 1.81 million; A18-49: #4, 0.5/ 2).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)


Saturday 7/23/11
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 3.4/ 7, NBC: 2.1/ 4, ABC: 1.9/ 4, Fox: 1.6/ 3

Total Viewers:
CBS: 5.01 million, ABC: 3.28, NBC: 3.08, Fox: 2.54

Adults 18-49:
ABC: 1.0 rating/4 share, Fox: 0.8/ 3, CBS: 0.7/ 3, NBC: 0.6/ 2

Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals.  Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 33 percent at this same point last year to approximately 38 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS was the most-watched network on this typically mundane Saturday, while ABC finished first among adults 18-49.  But neither network, as usual, had anything to boast about.  CBS aired repeats of NCIS: Los Angeles (Viewers: #1, 3.93 million; A18-49: #3, 0.5 rating/2 share) and NCIS (Viewers: #1, 5.95 million; A18-49: #2t, 0.7/ 3) from 8-10 p.m., followed by long-running 48 Hours Mystery at 5.15 million viewers (#1) and a 0.9/ 3 in the demo (#3) at 10 p.m.  A repeat of theatrical Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on ABC finished second overall in total viewers (3.28 million) and first among adults 18-49 (#1: 1.0/ 4) from 8-11 p.m.

Elsewhere, two repeat episodes of Cops on Fox (Viewers: #2, avg. 3.15 million; A18-49: #1, avg. 0.9/ 4 from 8-9 p.m.) led into encore telecasts of Family Guy (Viewers: #4, 2.09 million; A18-49: #2, 0.8/ 3) and The Cleveland Show (Viewers: #4, 1.79 million; A18-49: #3, 0.7/ 3 ) from 9-10 p.m.  And NBC filled the evening with repeats of Who Do You Think You Are? (Viewers: #4, 2.01 million; A18-49: #4, 0.4/ 2), which returns in midseason, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Viewers: #3, 2.67 million; A18-49: #4, 0.5/ 2) and Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: #2, 4.56 million; A18-49: #2, 1.0/ 3).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)


Sunday 7/24/11
Note: The following results are based on the metered markets.

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.3/ 8, ABC: 2.8/ 5, NBC: 2.8/ 5, Fox: 1.9/ 3

Note: The year-to-year percent comparisons are not available today. The fast affiliate results for Sunday will be posted at PIFeedback.com by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Sunday, July 24, 2011.

Yesterday’s Winners:
60 Minutes (CBS), Big Brother (CBS)

Yesterday’s Losers:
The Marriage Ref (NBC)

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS led the Sunday overnights, with an advantage over second-place ABC and NBC of a noticeable 54 percent.  Fourth was a night of all repeats on Fox.  Seventy-three percent of last night’s lineup, in fact, were encore telecasts.

In series-premiere news, non-scripted Same Name on CBS, featuring David Hasselhoff, opened with a dominant 3.5 rating/6 share at 9 p.m.   While retention out of the 8:30 p.m. portion of lead-in Big Brother (4.3/ 7) was an acceptable 81 percent, a 3.5 is…well…still only a mid-3 overnight rating.  Overall, Big Brother finished first in the 8 p.m. hour with a 4.5/ 8.  Note to Allison Grodner: the ongoing “Brenchel” romance is an absolute riot!

Earlier in the evening on CBS was granddaddy 60 Minutes at a 6.1/12, which was the highest rated series of the evening in the overnights.  At 10 p.m., a repeat of CSI: Miami finished first with a 3.3/ 6.

Excluding canceled The Marriage Ref, NBC was in all repeats last night.  An encore of Dateline (#2: 3.3/ 6 at 7 p.m.) led into a second-place 2.8/ 5 in the overnights for a two-hour repeat of America’s Got Talent from 8-10 p.m.  The Marriage Ref was third at 10 p.m. with a 2.3/ 4.

Elsewhere, the remainder of the lineup was repeat telecasts.  ABC aired America’s Funniest Home Videos (#3: 3.0/ 6), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (#3: 2.7/ 5), Castle (#3: 2.6/ 5), and Body of Proof (#2: 2.8/ 5).  And Fox populated the night with American Dad (#4: 1.2/ 2), Bob’s Burgers (#4: 1.2/ 2), which returns in midseason, The Simpsons (#4: 2.3/ 4), The Cleveland Show (#4: 1.9/ 3), Family Guy (#4: 2.3/ 4), and another episode of American Dad (#4: 2.2/ 4).  Castle and Body of Proof, of course, will move into their regularly scheduled time periods (Castle: Monday 10 p.m.; Body of Proof: Tuesday 10 p.m.) once the season begins in September.  Countdown to the start of the new TV season: 56 days.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

____________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Premios Juventud Leads Univision to Victory:
Annual youth awards show Premios Juventud lifted Univision to victory on Thursday, July 20 among adults 18-49 (2.6 million), adults 18-34 (1.6 million), men 18-49 (1.1 million), men 18-34 (612,000), women 18-49 (1.6 million), women 18-34 (961,000), kids 2-11 (667,000), teens 12-17 (342,000), and persons 12-34 (1.9 million).  Univision held a strong advantage over its closest competitor on Thursday night, delivering 78 percent more adult 18-34 viewers (+687,000) and 14 percent more adult 18-49 viewers (+316,000) than CBS (which included summer favorite Big Brother).

Cable Scorecard – Thursday, July 21:
The sophomore season finale of Swamp People on History moved into the top spot in prime time in both total viewers adults 18-49.  USA dramas Burn Notice and compatible Suits followed, with the return of game show Family Brain Surge on Nickelodeon fourth overall in total viewers, with 2.51 million.

Here are the results, ranked in order of total viewers, for Thursday, July 21:

Swamp People (History, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 5.52 million (#1 overall), A18-49: 1.5 (#1 overall) – season finale
Burn Notice (USA, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 5.39 million (#2), A18-49: 1.5 rating (#2t)
Suits (USA, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 4.38 million (#3), A18-49: 1.5 (#2t)
Family Brain Surge (Nick at Nite, 8 p.m.) – Viewers: 2.51 million (#4), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 2.45 million (#5), A18-49: 1.1 (#3)
Impact Wrestling (Spike) – Viewers: 1.79 million (#6), A18-49: 0.5 (#10t)
The First 48: Missing Persons (A&E, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.77 million (#7), A18-49: 0.6 (#7t)
Top 20 Most Shocking (truTV) – Viewers: 1.47 million (#8), A18-49: 0.6 (#7t)
Wilfred (FX, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.44 million (#9), A18-49: 0.7 (#4t)
Futurama (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.41 million (#10t), A18-49: 0.7 (#4t)
House Hunters (HGTV, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.41 million (#10t), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
NY Ink (TLC, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.38 million (#12), A18-49: 0.7 (#4t)
Ancient Aliens (History, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.29 million (#13), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
World’s Dumbest (truTV, 9 p.m.)– Viewers: 1.27 million (#14), A18-49: 0.6 (#7t)
Selling New York (HGTV, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.18 million (#15), A18-49: 0.3 (#19t)
Extreme Chef (Food Network, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.11 million (#16), A18-49: 0.5 (#10t)
Sons of Guns (Discovery, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.09 million (#17), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
Alaskan Monster Hunt (Discovery, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.06 million (#18), A18-49: 0.3 (#19t)
World’s Dumbest (truTV, 8 p.m.)– Viewers: 1.03 million (#19), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
Louie (FX, 10:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 869,000 (#20), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

_______________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR TONIGHT:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Monday 7/25/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. The Bachelorette
10:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition (season finale)

CBS:
8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R)
8:30 p.m. Mike & Molly (R)
9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men (R)
9:30 p.m. Mike & Molly (R)
10:00 p.m. Hawaii Five-O (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (R)
9:00 p.m. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (R)
10:00 p.m. Harry’s Law (R)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Masterchef (R)
9:00 p.m. Masterchef

CW:
8:00 p.m. Gossip Girl (R)
9:00 p.m. One Tree Hill (R)

_____________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

Upcoming on A&E:
A&E will begin production in August on Stephen King’s Bag of Bones, a four-hour miniseries that tells the story of a grieving novelist (Pierce Brosnan) who becomes involved in a custody battle between the daughter of an attractive young widow and the child’s wealthy grandfather.  The two-night event from Sony Pictures Television is slated to begin in fourth quarter 2011.

BBC America Programming Update:
BBC America has ordered two new nonscripted series: Would You RatherWith Graham Norton and Hard DriveWith Richard Hammond.  Described as a comedy game show, Would You Rather With Graham Norton will test the wits of the best U.S. comics and will premiere later this year as part of BBC America’s comedy franchise, The Ministry of Laughs.  Hard Drive With Richard Hammond will feature the Top Gear host traveling the country and competing with local experts driving some of America’s toughest and most extraordinary vehicles.

Also in development at BBC America are James May’s Main Lab U.S., Auto Biography, Battlemondo, No Kitchen Required, and Shock Therapy, which attempts to help addicted young people by pairing them with an extreme version of themselves in order to “shock” them to change their lives and habits for the better.

______________________________________________________________ 

TV TRIVIA TIME
Frankly Mr. TV, I Don’t Give a Damn!

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE. Do not click Reply

Which one of the following series was shot on the same set as the Atlanta scenes in 1939 theatrical classic Gone With the Wind?

a) The Andy Griffith Show
b) Father Knows Best
c) Gunsmoke
d) I’ll Fly Away
e) The Wonder Years

The answer to Friday’s question...

Who played Barney Miller’s wife in the critically acclaimed 1975-82 sitcom?

a) Barbara Barrie
b) Lainie Kazan
c) Linda Lavin
d) Anne Meara
e) Susan Sullivan

Is: a) Barrie Barrie, who played Elizabeth Miller.   When the comedy abandoned Barney’s home life after the first season, Barrie (and the actors playing Barney’s daughter Rachael and son David) were phased out.

Current kudos go to:
John Beadle, Gerry Bixenspan, Barbara Bloomfield, Kevin Brault, John Carlo, Larry Cauble, Steve Clements, Bruce Cohen, Larry Collins, Audrey Davis, Robert Eisenstaedt, Michael Fruchtman, Todd Galloway, Maureen Goldman, Robert Gori, Michelle Harrington, Brad Hight, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Ken Jobe, Mary Kalnin, Marie LeFevre Karp, Kathryn Kieser, Synda Kollman, Cathy Looze, Tony Naldrett, Jodi Perris, Michael Ratliffe, Colleen Roth, David Ruckman, Anthony Salerno, Carly Schinzing, Michelle Stanton, Phyllis Stewart, Ronnie Tallant, Carol Teichman, Larry Weinstock, Abbott Wool
 

In Today's Issue


Prime-Time Metered Market Monday Ratings:
ABC Leads Atypical Evening

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
How I Met Your Father

_____________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME METERED MARKET MONDAY RATINGS:
ABC Leads Atypical Evening

Monday 7/25/11

Household Rating/Share:
ABC: 5.4/ 9, CBS: 3.4/ 6, Fox: 3.3/ 5, NBC: 2.8/ 5, CW: 0.5/ 1

Note: Comparisons to the year-ago period are not included today.

Yesterday's Winners:
The Bachelorette (ABC), Hell’s Kitchen (Fox)

Coverage on President Obama's Speech in the 9 p.m. Half-Hour:
ABC: 5.9/ 9, CBS: 3.6/ 6, NBC: 3.4/ 5, Fox: 2.9/ 5 (all results are approximate)

Ratings Breakdown:
Note: Due to coverage of President Obama’s speech on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox from approximately 9-9:25 p.m. on the East Coast, individual program results are approximate.

ABC opened the week on a winning note, as usual, care of The Bachelorette and the season-finale of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. The Bachelorette was above-average with a 5.7 rating/9 share in the overnights from 8-9 p.m., and an approximate 5.6/ 9 from 9:30-10:30 p.m.  Coverage of President Obama on ABC in the 9 p.m. half-hour was dominant at a 5.9/ 9. At 10:30 p.m., the first half of the Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition season-ender finished first with a 3.9/ 7. While it was no blockbuster by any means, there is every reason to believe Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition will be back next summer.

CBS populated the 8 p.m. hour with encore telecasts of How I Met Your Mother and Mike & Molly, which each averaged a fourth-place 3.1/ 5 in the overnights. Coverage of President Obama on CBS at 9 p.m. averaged a 3.6/ 6 (#2), leading into another repeat of underrated Mike & Molly (#2: 3.7/ 6 at 9:30 p.m.) and an encore of Hawaii Five-O at 10 p.m. (#2: 3.4/ 6). Did you know that the actress who plays Carl’s grandmother, Cleo King, is only seven years older than Reno Wilson? She is 48 and he 41.

Over at Fox, demo-friendly Hell’s Kitchen (#2: 4.0/ 7 at 8 p.m.), which is expected to run neck-and-neck with ABC’s competing The Bachelorette among adults 18-49, led into President Obama (#4: 2.9/ 5 at 9 p.m.) and a repeat of Masterchef, which finished third in the 9:30 p.m. half-hour with a 2.5/ 4 (results in the 10 p.m. half-hour were not available for Fox).

Next was NBC with its lineup of a one-hour repeat of America’s Got Talent (#3: 3.4/ 6), coverage of President Obama’s speech (#3: 3.4/ 5 at 9 p.m.), an abridged repeat of game show It’s Worth What? (2.1/ 4 from 9:30-10:30 p.m.) and an encore telecast of Harry’s Law (#3: 2.4/ 4). The CW capped off the evening with repeats of relocated Gossip Girl (#5: 0.6/ 1) and One Tree Hill (#5: 0.5/ 1), which returns for its ninth and final season in midseason.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

____________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What's Hot/What Not

Lackluster Start for Same Name on CBS:
New CBS nonscripted entry Same Name, which featured David Hasselhoff in the opener, launched with 5.27 million viewers and a 1.5 rating/ 4 share among adults 18-49 in the Sunday 9 p.m. hour on July 24, based on the fast affiliate results. While that was good enough for a first-place time period finish in total viewers, demographically it finished second behind Fox’s encore combination of The Simpsons and The Cleveland Show. And retention out of lead-in Big Brother (Viewers: #1: 6.90 million; A18-49: #1, 2.4/ 7 at 8 p.m.) was 76 percent in total viewers and only 62 percent among adults 18-49.

Speaking of Sunday:
Here are the results by network on July 24:

Total Viewers:
CBS: 6.42 million, ABC: 4.30, NBC: 4.13, Fox: 2.88

Adults 18-49:
CBS: 1.5 rating/5 share, Fox: 1.4/ 4, NBC: 1.0/ 3, ABC: 0.9/ 3

Cable Scorecard – Friday, July 25:
What follows are the top 20 rated series on cable in total viewers and adults 18-49 for Friday, July 25:

Total Viewers:
Movie: Toy Story (Disney, 7 p.m.): 3.67 million, Friends for Charge Games (Disney, 8:30 p.m.): 3.08, American Restoration (History, 10 p.m.): 2.93, My Babysitters (Disney, 10 p.m.): 2.85, WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Syfy, 8 p.m.): 2.82, Prankstars (Disney, 9 p.m.): 2.51, So Random (Disney, 10:30 p.m.): 2.47, The O’Reilly Factor (Fox News): 2.46, Pawn Stars (History, 9:30 p.m.): 2.43, American Restoration (History, 10:30 p.m.): 2.39, American Dad (Adult Swim, 10:30 p.m.): 2.38, NCIS (USA, 9 p.m.): 2.34, My Babysitters (Disney, 9:30 p.m.): 2.32, Pawn Stars (History, 9 p.m.): 2.28, Big Time Rush (Nickelodeon, 8 p.m.): 1.95, Haven (Syfy, 10 p.m.): 1.84, FX Movie (8 p.m.): 1.83, American Dad (Adult Swim, 10 p.m.): 1.77, Hannity Special (Fox News, 9 p.m.): 1.71

Adults 18-49:
American Restoration (History, 10 p.m.): 1.0 rating, American Dad (Adult Swim, 10:30 p.m.): 0.88, American Restoration (History, 10:30 p.m.): .80, WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Syfy, 8 p.m.): .78, Movie: Toy Story (Disney, 7 p.m.): .75, FX Movie: .71, Pawn Stars (History, 9:30 p.m.): .69, Pawn Stars (History, 9 p.m.): .63, American Dad (Adult Swim, 10 p.m.): .60, Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids (TLC, 10 p.m.): .58, Friends for Change Games (Disney, 8:30 p.m.): .57, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network): .55, NCIS (USA, 9 p.m.) and Whale Wars (Animal Planet): .53 each, King of the Hill (Adult Swim, 9:30 p.m.) and Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta (TLC): .52 each, Swamp Loggers (Discovery, 10 p.m.): .49, Family Guy (TBS, 8:30 p.m.): .48, Haven (Syfy): .47

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

_______________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR TONIGHT:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Tuesday 7/26/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Wipeout (R)
8:30 p.m. 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show
9:00 p.m. Combat Hospital

CBS:
8:00 p.m. NCIS (R)
9:00 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles (R)
10:30 p.m. The Good Wife (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. It’s Worth What?
9:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (two hours)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Hell’s Kitchen
8:30 p.m. Masterchef

CW:
8:00 p.m. 90210 (R)
9:00 p.m. Shedding for the Wedding (R)

______________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

Me-TV Celebrates Lucy’s 100th:
Cable net Me-TV, memorable entertainment television, will celebrate the upcoming 100th birthday of the legendary Lucille Ball with “Lucy’s 100th Birthday Celebration.”  For four days—Friday, Aug. 5 beginning at 12 a.m. ET/PT through Monday, Aug. 8 at 8 a.m. ET/PT—Me-TV will air 100 of the most popular episodes.

Whale Wars Spin-Off on Animal Planet:
Animal Planet favorite Whale Wars will spin off a new half-hour tentatively titled The Faroe Islands Project, which will follow Capt. Paul Watson and Peter Hammerstedt as they head to the Faroe Islands to stop the annual hunt for pilot whales. Production on the series is expected to begin this month.

_________________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA TIME:
How I Met Your Father

Who plays Barney Stinson’s father on sitcom How I Met Your Mother?

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE.

a) Alan Alda
b) Bob Barker
c) John Lithgow
d) Jerry Stiller
e) Jeffrey Tambor

The answer to Friday’s question…

Which one of the following series was shot on the same set as the Atlanta scenes in 1939 theatrical classic Gone With the Wind?

a) The Andy Griffith Show
b) Father Knows Best
c) Gunsmoke
d) I’ll Fly Away
e) The Wonder Years

Is: a) The Andy Griffith Show, which was set in the fictional town of Mayberry, N.C.

Current kudos goes to:
Gerry Bixenspan, Larry Collins, Jim Forkan, Maureen Goldman, Bob Ingersoll, Mary Kinoshita, Synda Kollman, Tony Naldrett, Gordon Purcell, Kurt Weil, Ted Zavales

In Today's Issue
 

Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings:
CBS Wins; ABC and Fox Tied for No. 2

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air This Weekend:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
Four Legged Starlet

________________________________________________________________

Note:The Programming Insider will be going on a brief hiatus until Monday, August 8.

________________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME METERED MARKET THURSDAY RATINGS:
CBS Wins; ABC and Fox Tied for No. 2

Thursday 7/28/11

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.1/ 7, ABC and Fox: 3.4/ 6 each, NBC: 2.0/ 3, CW: 0.7/ 1

Yesterday’s Winners:
The Big Bang Theory R (CBS), So You Think You Can Dance (Fox), Big Brother (CBS)

Note: The year-to-year overnight comparisons are not available today.

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS led this fourth Thursday in July, beating No. 2 ABC and Fox by seven-tenths of a rating point.  Fourth overall was NBC, followed by more encore telecasts on The CW.  Fifty-four percent of last night’s line-up were repeats.

CBS opened with encores of sitcoms The Big Bang Theory (#1: 4.7 rating/9 share), which was the top-rated show of the evening, followed by a repeat of Saturday bound Rules of Engagement at a third-place 3.6/ 7 at 8:30 p.m.  Next was the live eviction episode of Big Brother (#1: 4.3/ 7 – so long, Dominic), which is expected to lead the evening among key adults 18-49, followed by an encore telecast of The Mentalist at a dominant 3.9/ 7 at 10 p.m.

ABC filled the evening with original episodes of Wipeout (#2: 3.9/ 7), which is not the big summer hit it once was because it aired all season, Expedition Impossible (#2: 3.0/ 5), which has lost steam since Big Brother stepped into the 9 p.m. hour, and Canadian drama Rookie Blue (#2: 3.4/ 6).  Fox aired the live So You Think You Dance Results Show (#1: 4.5/ 8), which holds up every summer, and a repeat of failed reality/competition Plain Jane (#5: 0.6/ 1), which is certainly no better the second time around.

Elsewhere, NBC filled the evening with repeats of Community (#4: 1.5/ 3), Parks and Recreation (#4: 1.5/ 3), The Office (#4: 1.9/ 3), 30 Rock (#4: 1.7/ 3) and Law & Order: SVU (#3: 2.6/ 5).  And The CW capped it off with encore telecasts of The Vampire Diaries (#5: 0.8/ 1) and Plain Jane (#5: 0.6/ 1).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

_______________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Record Gene Simmons Family Jewels:
A&E non-scripted reality staple Gene Simmons Family Jewels closed the sixth season on Tuesday with its most-watched episode ever (3.0 million viewers) and a record performance in adults 18-49 (1.7 million) and adults 25-54 (1.9) at 10 p.m.  Comparably, season six netted double-digit percent increases versus season five, including 29 percent in total viewers, 33 percent in adults 25-54 and 29 percent in adults 18-49.

Cable Scorecard – Wednesday, July 27:
USA scripted drama staple Royal Pains was the most-watched show, while the 10 p.m. edition of A&E’s red-hot Storage Wars led the adult 18-49 troops.  Here are the results, ranked in order of total viewers, for Wednesday, July 27:

Royal Pains (USA) – Viewers: 4.84 million (#1), A18-49: 1.4 (#3)
Storage Wars (A&E, 10:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 4.38 million (#2), A18-49: 1.3 (#4)
Necessary Roughness (USA) – Viewers: 4.21 million (#3), A18-49: 1.3 (#4)
Storage Wars (A&E, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 4.19 million (#4), A18-49: 1.7 (#1)
Franklin & Bash (TNT) – Viewers: 2.84 million (#5), A18-49: 0.9 (#6t)
Sons of Guns (Discovery) – Viewers: 2.31 million (#6), A18-49: 0.9 (#6t)
Family BrainSurge (Nickelodeon) – Viewers: 1.99 million (#7t), A18-49: 0.4 (#15t)
The Challenge Rivals (MTV) – Viewers: 1.99 million (#7t), A18-49: 1.2 (#5)
Hot in Cleveland (TV Land) – Viewers: 1.84 million (#9), A18-49: 0.5 (#12t)
Operation Repo (truTV, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.75 million (#10), A18-49: 0.6 (#10t)
Rescue Me (FX) – Viewers: 1.56 million (#11), A18-49: 0.7 (#8t)
Toddlers & Tiaras (TLC) – Viewers: 1.51 million (#12), A18-49: 0.6 (#10t)
South Beach Tow (truTV, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.51 million (#13), A18-49: 0.5 (#12t)
Happily Divorced (TV Land) – Viewers: 1.39 million (#14), A18-49: 0.4 (#15t)
One Man Army (Discovery) – Viewers: 1.35 million (#15), A18-49: 0.7 (#8t)`
History Special: Meat America – Viewers: 1.09 million (#16t), A18-49: 0.3 (#24t)
South Park R (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 1.09 million (#16t), A18-49: 0.5 (#12t)
Deadliest Warrior (Spike) – Viewers: 1.09 million (#18), A18-49: 0.4 (#15t)
Destroy Build Destroy (Cartoon Network) – Viewers: 1.08 million (#19), A18-49: 0.2 (#29t)
Dude, What Would Happen (Cartoon Network) – Viewers: 1.06 million (#20), A18-49: 0.2 (#29t)
Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) – Viewers: 1.04 million (#21), A18-49: 0.4 (#15t)
Ghost Hunters International (Syfy) – Viewers: 941,000 (#22), A18-49: 0.4 (#15t)
Dance Moms (ABC Family) – Viewers: 928,000 (#23), A18-49: 0.3 (#24t)
Roseanne’s Nuts (Lifetime, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 885,000 (#24), A18-49: 0.4 (#15t)
Melissa & Joey (ABC Family) – Viewers: 883,000 (#25), A18-49: 0.4 (#15t)
Roseanne’s Nuts (Lifetime, 9:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 822,000 (#26), A18-49: 0.3 (#24t)
E! True Hollywood Story: Snooki (Lifetime, 9:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 757,000 (#27), A18-49: 0.4 (#15t)
Jon Benjamin Has a Van (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 743,000 (#28), A18-49: 0.4 (#15t)
Legend Quest (Syfy) – Viewers: 732,000 (#29), A18-49: 0.3 (#25t)
Rocco’s Dinner Party (Bravo) – Viewers: 610,000 (#30), A18-49: 0.3 (#24t)
State of Georgia (ABC Family) – Viewers: 564,000 (#31), A18-49: 0.2 (#29t)
I Shouldn’t Be Alive (Animal Planet) – Viewers: 550,000 (#32), A18-49: 0.1 (#33t)
Famous Food (VH1) – Viewers: 354,000 (#33), A18-49: 0.2 (#29t)
Clean House (Style) – Viewers: 255,000 (#34), A18-49: 0.1 (#33t)
The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants (Showtime) – Viewers: 96,000 (#35), A18-49: 0.0 (#35)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

_______________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR THIS WEEKEND:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Friday 7/29/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Shark Tank (R)
9:00 p.m. Prime: What Would You Do?
10:00 p.m. 20/20

CBS:
8:00 p.m. Flashpoint (R)
9:00 p.m. CSI: NY (R)
10:00 p.m. Blue Bloods (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. Who Do You Think You are?
9:00 p.m. Dateline (two hours)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Bones (R)
9:00 p.m. House (R)

CW
8:00 p.m. Nikita (R, new day and time)
9:00 p.m. Supernatural (R)


Saturday 7/30/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Movie – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (R)

CBS:
8:00 p.m. The Mentalist (R)
9:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery
10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery

NBC:
8:00 p.m. Who Do You Think You Are? (R)
9:00 p.m. Law & Order: Criminal Intent (R)
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: Los Angeles (R)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Cops (R)
8:30 p.m. Cops (R)
9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R)
9:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show (R)

Sunday 7/31/11


ABC:
7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos (R)
8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (R)
9:00 p.m. The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All

CBS:
7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes 
8:00 p.m. Big Brother
9:00 p.m. Same Name (series premiere)
10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami (R)

NBC:
7:00 p.m. Dateline 
8:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (R, two hours)
10:00 p.m. The Marriage Ref

Fox:
7:00 p.m. American Dad (R)
7:30 p.m. Bob’s Burgers (R)
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons (R)
8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show (R)
9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R)
9:30 p.m. American Dad (R)

Of Note on Cable:
-Shark Week (Discovery) – begins at 9 p.m. ET
 

______________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

ION Acquisitions:
ION Television has acquired the off-network rights to scripted dramas Psych and Monk from NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution and House from Universal Media Studios.  The deal includes all six seasons and any future seasons of Psych, all eight seasons of Monk, and two episodes per week of House for one year beginning in fall 2012.

John O’Hurley on All My Children:
Former Seinfeld co-star and game show host John O’Hurley will make several appearances on ABC daytime drama All My Children.  He will play a producer who approaches Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) to make a movie from the new book she has just written.

Upcoming at BBC America:
BBC America has announced its first original scripted drama, Copper, which is set in 1860s in New York City and centers on a young Irish cop.  Ten episodes have been ordered, with the planned debut date next summer.

Cable Renewals:
TLC has renewed Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids for a second season, with an order for 18 new half-hour episodes.  Over at Hallmark Channel, freshman Martha Bakes, hosted by hostess extraordinaire Martha Stewart, will open season two on Sept. 26 with the first of 13 new episodes.

HBO Series and Season Premiere Dates – Mark Your Calendars:
HBO has announced the following fall start dates for five of its new and returning series.  The new season of multi Emmy nominated Boardwalk Empire kicks of on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.  Next is sitcom Hung, which opens season three on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.  Upcoming How to Make It in America, which focuses on two twentysomething year olds as they hustle their way through New York City, follows Hung at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Also at HBO, Bored to Death launches seasons three on Monday, Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, leading into comedy Enlightened with the first of its 10 initial episodes at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.  Combining comedy and drama, Enlightened focuses on a self-destructive woman (Laura Dern) who has a spiritual awakening after a meltdown.

_______________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA:
Four Legged Starlet

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE.

What did Charlotte name her Cavalier King Charles spaniel on Sex and the City?

a) Joan Crawford
b) Bette Davis
c) Greta Garbo
d) Meryl Streep
e) Elizabeth Taylor

The answer to Wednesday’s question…

Which one of the following actors from critically acclaimed political drama The West Wing did not win an Emmy Award for his or her role on the series?

a) Stockard Channing
b) Richard Schiff
c) Martin Sheen
d) John Spencer
e) Bradley Whitfield

Is: c) Martin Sheen.  Our small screen president, Josiah “Jed” Bartlet, went home empty handed, but Sheen did win the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy in 1994 for sitcom Murphy Brown.

Current kudos goes to:
Gerry Bixenspan, Barbara Bloomfield, Jordan Breslow, Andrew Bradner, Steve Clements, John Ferlazzo, Robert Gori, Miachael Holland, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Marie Lefevre Karp, Tom Kilgallon, Steven Kurtzer, Katie Kuyper, Kathy Martin, Matthew Morse, Tony Naldrett, Gordon Purcell, Colleen Roth, Greg Salerno, Michelle Stanton, Myndi Weinraub

 

In Today's Issue



Prime-Time Metered Market Tuesday Ratings:
NBC Wins; Lackluster Original Game Shows on ABC and NBC

National Ratings in Prime-Time:
Week of Aug. 1, 2011

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
Scrub Up

______________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME METERED MARKET TUESDAY RATINGS:
NBC Wins; Lackluster Original Game Shows on ABC and NBC

Tuesday 8/09/11
Note: Tulsa is excluded from the following averages

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 5.5/ 9, CBS: 5.2/ 9, Fox: 4.3/ 7, ABC: 2.9/ 5, CW: 0.6/ 1

Note: The year-to-year overnight comparisons are not available today.

-Yesterday’s Winners:
NCIS R (CBS), America’s Got Talent (NBC)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
It’s Worth What? (NBC), Take the Money and Run (ABC), Combat Hospital (ABC)

Ratings Breakdown:
Led by summer favorite America’s Got Talent, NBC finished first in the overnights on this second Tuesday in August. No. 2 overall was CBS, followed by Fox, ABC and distant The CW, which featured encore telecasts of 90210 (#5: 0.7 rating/1 share) and Shedding for the Wedding (#5: 0.4/ 1).

Two hours of America’s Got Talent on NBC averaged a 6.8/11 in the overnights from 9-11 p.m., finishing a solid first in each of the four half-hours as follows:

America’s Got Talent (NBC)
9:00 p.m.: 6.8/11 (#1)
9:30 p.m.: 7.0/11 (#1)
10:00 p.m.: 7.0/11 (#1)
10:30 p.m.: 6.5/11 (#1)

Comparably, America’s Got Talent built from lead-in game show It’s Worth What? (#4: 2.9/ 5 at 8 p.m.) by a hefty 134 percent.

CBS was in all repeats last night with its combination of NCIS (#1: 6.5/11), spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles (#2: 4.8/ 8) and a Tuesday 10 p.m. telecast of The Mentalist (#2: 4.3/ 7).

In Week 2 news, ABC game show Take the Money and Runfinished fourth in the 9 p.m. hour, with a 2.8/ 4 in the overnights.  Comparably, that decreased by 12 percent from it’s week-ago opener (3.2/ 5 on Aug. 2), with retention out of lead-in Wipeout (#3: 3.8/ 7 at 8 p.m.) of 74 percent. Like so many other original nonscripted summer entries, Take the Money and Run is nothing to boast about. ABC capped off the evening with Canadian drama Combat Hospital at a distant last-place 2.1/ 4 at 10 p.m.

Elsewhere, Fox filled the evening with young adult demo favorites Hell’s Kitchen (#2: 4.5/ 8) and Masterchef (#3: 4.3/ 7), which both feature loudmouth Gordon Ramsay.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

____________________________________________________________

NATIONAL RATINGS IN PRIME-TIME:
Week of August 1, 2011

CBS and Fox dominated this first week of August, with the Eye net tops in households, total viewers, and adults 25-54, and Fox No. 1 among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. Particularly beneficial to CBS remained summer favorite Big Brother, which finished in the top 10 for each of its three weekly telecasts as follows:

Big Brother (CBS)
Wednesday 8 p.m. – Viewers: 6.90 million (#10), A18-49: 2.5 rating/8 share (#7)
Thursday 9 p.m. – Viewers: 7.43 million (#9), A18-49: 2.8/ 8 (#3t)
Sunday 8 p.m. – Viewers: 7.84 million (#8), A18-49: 2.9/ 9 (#2)

The most obvious observation of this seven-day period, and it was not positive, was across-the-board erosion for each of the five broadcast networks. The biggest loser once again was The CW, which has not benefited by a lack of any original programming this summer and second-run telecasts of failed reality/competitions Shedding for the Wedding and Plain Jane.

There were two series premieres this week, game show Take the Money and Run on ABC and sitcom Friends With Benefits on NBC. Take the Money and Run opened in the Tuesday 9 p.m. hour with 5.28 million viewers (#29 overall) and a 1.9 rating/5 share among adults 18-49 (#14). Comparably, retention out of lead-in Wipeout (Viewers: 6.60 million; A18-49: 2.0/ 7 at 8 p.m.) was 80 percent in total viewers and a solid 95 percent among adults 18-49. Two episodes of NBC’s Friends With Benefits, which is nothing more than a burn-off maneuver no doubt, performed as follows in the Friday 8 p.m. hour:

Friends With Benefits (NBC)
8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 2.34 million (#75), A18-49: 0.7/ 3 (#69t)
8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 1.96 million (79#), A18-49: 0.6/ 2 (#74t)

Recent entries Same Name on CBS and It’s Worth What? on NBC (see rankings below) only prove how the majority of the audience shifts to cable in the summer.

In original made-for movie news, Procter & Gamble sponsored Who Is Simon Miller? on NBC lagged at 3.33 million viewers (#58) and a 0.5/ 2 among adults 18-49 (#81t) in the Saturday 8-10 p.m. block.  Needless to say, NBC was not expecting much by scheduling it on a Saturday in August. In the specials department, The 2011 Teen Choice Awards on Fox disappointed with 3.22 million viewers (#60) and a 1.1/ 3 in the demo (#38) in the Sunday 8-10 p.m. block.

What follows are the live-plus-same-day ratings for the week of Aug. 1, 2011 (with percent change versus the comparable year-ago week in parentheses), followed by the freshman summer series report card, the top 20 rated programs for the week, and the top rated networks on basic cable.

-Households: 
CBS: 3.8 rating/7 share (- 5), ABC: 3.1/ 5 (-11), NBC: 2.8/ 5 (-20), Fox: 2.4/4 (-14), CW: 0.5/ 1 (-29)

-Total Viewers: 
CBS: 5.92 million (- 3), ABC: 5.03 (- 9), NBC: 4.56 (-20), Fox: 4.01 (-13), CW: 760,000 (-30)

-Adults 18-49: 
Fox: 1.5 rating/5 share (-12), ABC: 1.4/ 5 (-12), CBS: 1.3/ 4 (- 7), NBC: 1.1/ 4 (-39), CW: CW: 0.3/ 1 (-25)

-Adults 25-54:
CBS: 1.8/ 5 (- 5), ABC: 1.8/ 5 (-10), Fox: 1.7/ 5 (-11), NBC: 1.5/ 4 (-29), CW: 0.3/ 1 (-25)

-Adults 18-34: 
Fox: 1.3/ 5 (-19), ABC: 1.1/ 4 (-15), CBS: 0.8/ 3 (-20), NBC: 0.8/ 3 (-43), CW: 0.3/ 1 (-25)

Freshman Series Report Card (ranked in order of total viewers)

Take the Money and Run (NBC) – Tuesday 9 p.m. – series premiere
Viewers: 5.28 million (#29), A18-49: 1.9/ 5 (#14)
Grade: B-

Same Name (CBS) – Sunday 9 p.m.
Viewers: 5.00 million (#33), A18-49: 1.6/ 4 (#17t)
Grade: C-

It’s Worth What? (NBC) – Tuesday 8 p.m.
Viewers: 4.87 million (#35), A18-49: 1.2/ 4 (#32t)
Grade: C-

Expedition Impossible (ABC) – Thursday 9 p.m.
Viewers: 4.82 million (#36), A18-49: 1.4/ 4 (#22t)
Grade: C-

Love in the Wild (NBC) – Wednesday 10 p.m.
Viewers: 4.69 million (#40), A18-49: 1.4/ 4 (#22t)
Grade: C-

Combat Hospital (ABC) – Tuesday 10 p.m.
Viewers: 3.72 million (#55), A18-49: 1.0/ 3 (#48t)
Grade: F

Friends With Benefits (NBC) – Friday 8 p.m. – series premiere
Viewers: 2.34 million (#75), A18-49: 0.7/ 3 (#69t)
Grade: F

Friends With Benefits (NBC) – Friday 8:30 p.m.
Viewers: 1.96 million (#79), A18-49: 0.6/ 2 (#74t)
Grade: F


Top 20 Rankings

-Total Viewers:
America’s Got Talent– Tuesday (NBC): 11.92, America’s Got Talent– Wednesday (NBC): 9.96, The Bachelorette (ABC, season finale): 9.75, NCIS R (CBS): 9.69, The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose (ABC): 9.31, 60 Minutes R (CBS): 8.86, NCIS: Los Angeles R (CBS): 8.13, Big Brother– Sunday (CBS): 7.84, Big Brother– Thursday (CBS): 7.43, Big Brother– Wednesday (CBS): 6.90, Wipeout– Thursday (ABC): 6.64, Wipeout– Tuesday (ABC): 6.60, Flashpoint (CBS): 6.33, Hell’s Kitchen– Tuesday (Fox): 6.32, The Big Bang Theory R (CBS): 6.30, Criminal Minds R (CBS): 6.02, Blue Bloods R (CBS): 6.01, CSI: NY R (CBS) and The Mentalist R (CBS): 5.90 each, Masterchef– Tuesday (Fox): 5.87

-Adults 18-49:
America’s Got Talent– Tuesday (NBC): 3.1/ 9, Big Brother – Sunday (CBS): 2.9/ 9, The Bachelorette (ABC, season finale), The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose (ABC) and Big Brother– Thursday (CBS): 2.8/ 8 each, Hell’s Kitchen– Tuesday (Fox): 2.7/ 9, Hell’s Kitchen– Monday (Fox) and Big Brother– Wednesday (CBS): 2.5/ 8 each, Masterchef– Tuesday (Fox) and America’s Got Talent– Wednesday (NBC): 2.5/ 7, Masterchef– Monday (Fox): 2.3/ 6, Wipeout – Tuesday (ABC) and Wipeout– Thursday (Fox): 2.0/ 7 each, Take the Money and Run (ABC): 1.9/ 5, So You Think You Can Dance– Wednesday (Fox): 1.8/ 6, So You Think You Can Dance– Thursday (Fox): 1.7/ 6, The Big Bang Theory R (CBS): 1.6/ 6, Same Name (CBS): 1.6/ 4, Modern Family R (ABC) and Rules of Engagement R (CBS): 1.5/ 5 each, NCIS: Los Angeles R (CBS): 1.5/ 4


CABLE

What follows are the top 10 rated networks on cable in prime-time for the week of Aug. 1 based on total viewers and the three key demos.

-Total Viewers:
UA: 3.54 million, Disney Channel: 3.00, TNT: 2.52, History: 2.01, Fox News: 1.85, A&E: 1.60, Discovery: 1.46, ESPN: 1.35, MTV: 1.31, FX: 1.30

-Adults 18-49:
USA: 1.27 million, TNT: 920,000, History: 861,000, Discovery: 848,000, MTV: 824,000, A&E: 796,000, TBS: 751,000, FX: 666,000, ESPN: 592,000, Disney Channel: 578,000

-Adults 25-54:
USA: 1.39 million, TNT: 1.07 million, History: 984,000, A&E: 859,000, Discovery: 765,000, FX: 677,000, TBS: 647,000, Food Network: 643,000, AMC: 628,000, ESPN: 618,000

-Adults 18-34:
MTV: 634,000, USA: 541,000, Discovery: 487,000, TBS: 431,000, Comedy Central: 375,000, ABC Family: 356,000, Adult Swim: 354,000, History: 342,000, TNT: 334,000, A&E: 329,000

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat; t = tie)

________________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Rizzoli & Isles Tops 9 Million Viewers:
Based on the live-plus-seven-day ratings for the July 18 episodes, TNT crime solver Rizzoli & Isles hit the 9-million viewer mark for the fourth time in the show’s history. Results among adults 18-49 (2.5 million) and adults 25-54 (3.3 million) were each up by 7 percent from the show’s second season premiere.

Cable Scorecard – Sunday, Aug. 8:
The season finale episodes of Falling Skies on TNT led the cluttered Sunday cable troops in total viewers, while True Blood on HBO finished first among adults 18-49. Here are the results (in order of total viewers) for the 37 cable series entries on Sunday, Aug. 8:

Falling Skies (TNT, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 5.70 million (#1 overall), A18-49: 1.9 rating (#2t)
Falling Skies (TNT, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 5.54 million (#2), A18-49: 1.9 (#2t) – season finale
True Blood (HBO) – Viewers: 5.14 million (#3), A18-49: 2.9 (#1)
ESPN MLB Sunday Night Baseball– Viewers: 4.72 million (#4), A18-49: 1.5 (#5)
In Plain Sight (USA) – Viewers: 4.08 million (#5), A18-49: 0.9 (#11t)
Good Time Charlie (Disney Channel) – Viewers: 3.76 million (#6), A18-49: 0.6 (#18t)
Next Food Network Star (Food Network) – Viewers: 3.25 million (#7), A18-49: 1.1 (#7t)
Keeping Up With the Kardashians (E!) – Viewers: 3.16 million (#8), A18-49: 17 (#4)
Ice Road Truckers (History) – Viewers: 3.15 million (#9), A18-49: 1.1 (#7t)
So Random (Disney Channel, 7:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 2.78 million (#10), A18-49: 0.3 (#32t)
Entourage (HBO) – Viewers: 2.36 million (#11), A18-49: 1.3 (#6)
Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime) – Viewers: 2.36 million (#12), A18-49: 0.7 (#14t)
Real Housewives of New Jersey (Bravo) – Viewers: 2.32 million (#13), A18-49: 1.0 (#10)
The Glades (A&E) – Viewers: 2.26 million (#14), A18-49: 0.7 (#14t)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – Viewers: 2.05 million (#15t), A18-49: 0.9 (#11t)
Ice Loves Coco (E!) – Viewers: 2.05 million (#15t), A18-49: 1.1 (#7t)
Sunday Best (BET) – Viewers: 1.96 million (#17), A18-49: 0.7 (#14t)
Teen Spirit (ABC Family) – Viewers: 1.89 million (#18), A18-49: 0.6 (#18t)
Top Gear (BBC America) – Viewers: 1.83 million (#19t), A18-49: 0.8 (#13)
Breaking Bad (AMC) – Viewers: 1.83 million (#19t), A18-49: 0.7 (#14t)
Against the Wall (Lifetime) – Viewers: 1.77 million (#21), A18-49: 0.5 (#23t)
Iron Chef America (Food Network) – Viewers: 1.53 million (#22), A18-49: 0.6 (#18t)
Hillbilly Handfishin’ (Animal Planet) – Viewers: 1.50 million (#23), A18-49: 0.6 (#18t)
Vegas Strip (truTV, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.39 million (#24), A18-49: 0.5 (#23t)
Bait Car (truTV, 9:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.32 million (#25), A18-49: 0.4 (#27t)
Food Network Challenge (Food Network) – Viewers: 1.30 million (#26), A18-49: 0.4 (#27t)
Bait Car (truTV, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.28 million (#27), A18-49: 0.4 (#27t)
My Strange Addiction (TLC, 10:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.28 million (#28), A18-49: 0.6 (#18t)
Bar Rescue (Spike TV) – Viewers: 1.19 million (#29), A18-49: 0.5 (#23t)
Curiosity (Discovery) – Viewers: 1.17 million (#30), A18-49: 0.5 (#23t)
Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking (Discovery) – Viewers: 1.02 million (#31), A18-49: 0.4 (#27t)
My Strange Addiction (TLC, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 949,000 (#32), A18-49: 0.4 (#27t)
The Creation Question (Discovery) – Viewers: 930,000 (#33), A18-49: 0.3 (#32t)
The Glee Project (Oxygen) – Viewers: 912,000 (#34), A18-49: 0.3 (#32t)
Celebrity Rehab (VH1) – Viewers: 713,000 (#35), A18-49: 0.3 (#32t)
Curiosity (TLC) – Viewers: 490,000 (#36), A18-49: 0.2 (#36t)
Behind the Music (VH1) – Viewers: 438,000 (#37), A18-49: 0.2 (#36t)
Curiosity (Animal Planet) – Viewers: 402,000 (#38), A18-49: 0.1 (#38t)
Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes (OWN) – Viewers: 345,000 (#39), A18-49: 0.1 (#38t)
The Creation Question (TLC) – Viewers: 335,000 (#40), A18-49: 0.1 (#38t)
American Ninja Warrior (G4, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 329,000 (#41), A18-49: 0.1 (#38t)
American Ninja Warrior (G4, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 292,000 (#42), A18-49: 0.1 (#38t)
Ryan & Tatum: The O’Neals (OWN, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 284,000 (#43), A18-49: 0.1 (#38t)
Ryan & Tatum: The O’Neals (OWN, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 279,000 (#44), A18-49: 0.1 (#38t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

__________________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR TONIGHT:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Wednesday 8/10/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. The Middle (R)
8:30 p.m. Modern Family (R)
9:00 p.m. Modern Family (R)
9:30 p.m. Happing Endings (R)
10:00 p.m. Primetime Nightline – Psychic Power

CBS:
8:00 p.m. Big Brother
9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds (R)
10:00 p.m. CSI (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. Minute to Win It
9:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent
10:00 p.m. Love in the Wild

Fox:
8:00 p.m. So You Think You Can Dance (two hours, season finale performance show)

CW
8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (R)
9:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (R)

________________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

America’s Supernanny on Lifetime:
Lifetime Television has picked-up a new nonscripted series called America’s Supernanny, which will be the first true U.S. version of the hit global series (which aired on ABC for five seasons). In preparation for this new installment of the series, Lifetime and producer Shed Media U.S. have launched an open casting call for the country’s best nanny to star in the program. America’s Supernanny will launch later in the year.

Updated Friends Off-Net-Clearances:
The upcoming third cycle of Warner Bros. sitcom Friends has now been cleared in off-network syndication in 90 percent of the country. Available for the first time in TrueHD, 130 markets to date have signed up for Friends, with represented station groups including Tribune Broadcasting, the Sinclair Broadcast Group, CBS, Raycom, Cox, Hearst, Meredith, Local TV, Titan, Nexstar, Grant, New Vision, Univision, Weigel, New Age, Gocom, Comcorp, Bonten, and Venture Tech.

_____________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA TIME:
Scrub Up

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE.

What was the name of the fictional hospital on long-running sitcom Scrubs?

a) Chicago Hope
b) County General
c) Lowell Memorial
d) Presidio Medical Center
e) Sacred Heart

The answer to Monday’s question…

What was the specialty of the house when the Ricardos and the Mertzes stopped off at the rundown restaurant in Cincinnati en route to California on I Love Lucy?

a) cheese sandwich
b) chili
c) ham sandwich
d) hot dog
e) pecan pralines

Is: a) cheese sandwich. All Mr. Skinner had was those stale cheese sandwiches.

Current kudos goes to:
Steve Albright, Gerry Bixenspan, Kimay Bloch, Larry Collins, Joseph DiVincenzo, Gerry Gibbons, John Hezlep, Bob Ingersoll, Marie Lefevre Karp, Tom Kilgallon, Kathy Martin, Alan Perris, Gordon Purcell, Lisa Tatum-Roehrig, Colleen Roth, Michelle Stanton, Terry Vandergrift, Ted Zavales

In Today's Issue:



Prime-Time Ratings:
Weekend Results

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
A Mel Brooks Production

_______________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME RATINGS:
Weekend Highlights

Friday 8/12/11
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

Household Rating/Share 
CBS: 4.6/ 9, NBC: 3.2/ 6, Fox: 2.9/ 6, ABC: 2.5/ 5, CW: 0.8/ 1

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 6.84 million, Fox: 4.78, NBC: 4.67, ABC: 3.99, CW: 1.16

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 1.6 rating/6 share, CBS: 1.3/ 5, ABC and NBC: 1.0/ 4 each, CW: 0.4/ 1

Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals.

-Friday’s Winners:
Nothing

-Friday’s Losers:
Friends With Benefits (NBC), Karaoke Battle U.S.A. (ABC)

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS was the most-watched network on this second Friday in August (and No. 2 overall among adults 18-49) with its combination of Canadian drama Flashpoint (Viewers: #1, 7.38 million; A18-49: #2, 1.5/ 6), a repeat of CSI: NY (Viewers: #1, 6.86 million; A18-49: #2, 1.3/ 5), and an encore installment of Blue Bloods (Viewers: #2, 6.29 million; A18-49: #2, 1.1/ 4).  As a reminder, new drama A Gifted Man steps into the Friday 8 p.m. hour this fall.

First for the evening among adults 18-49 was Tampa Bay at Kansas City on NFL Pre-Season Football on Fox at an estimated 1.6 rating/6 share in the demo (and a second-place 4.78 million viewers). As a reminder, results for any live sporting event are always approximate.

In series-premiere news, the two-hour opening installment of reality/competition Karaoke Battle U.S.A.was a bust a 4.01 million viewers and a 1.0/ 3 among adults 18-49 from 9-11 p.m. Comparably, that ranked fourth in total viewers and adults 18-49 from 9-10 p.m., and third in both benchmarks in the 10 p.m. hour. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

Karaoke Battle USA (ABC) – series premiere
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 3.90 million (#4), A18-49: 1.0/ 3 (#3t)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 3.98 million (#4), A18-49: 1.0/ 3 (#4)
10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.13 million (#3), A18-49: 1.1/ 3 (#2t)
10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.01 million (#3), A18-49: 1.0/ 3 (#2t)

Earlier in the evening on ABC was a repeat of Shark Tank at 3.95 million viewers (#3) and a 1.1/ 4 in the demo (#3) at 8 p.m. In other words, Karaoke Battle U.S.A. did not pick up any steam.

At press time, ABC has still not confirmed what will air in the Friday 9 p.m. time period this fall out of relocated Extreme Makeover: Home Edition now that Shark Tank has been pushed back until midseason.

In week two news, two more burn-off episodes of NBC sitcom Friends With Benefits were a complete bust as follows:

Friends With Benefits (NBC)
8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 2.44 million (#4), A18-49: 0.6/ 3 (#4)
8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 2.19 million (#4), A18-49: 0.7/ 3 (#4)

That led into a two-hour installment of Dateline at an improved 5.84 million viewers (#2) and a 1.2/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#2t) from 9-11 p.m. Although NBC will air new drama Grimm in the Friday 9 p.m. hour effective on Oct. 21, there is every reason to believe Dateline will be expanded back to two hours within weeks.

The CW capped off the night with repeats of relocated Nikita (Viewers: #5, 1.16 million; A18-49: #5, 0.4/ 2) and Supernatural (Viewers: #5, 1.17 million; A18-49: #5, 0.4/ 1).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

----------

Saturday 8/13/11
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

Household Rating/Share 
CBS: 3.3/ 6, NBC: 2.4/ 5, ABC: 2.3/ 4, Fox: 2.2/ 4

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 4.83 million, NBC: 3.82, ABC: 3.69, Fox: 3.63

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 1.2 rating/4 share, NBC: 1.1/ 4, ABC: 1.0/ 4, CBS: 0.9/ 3

Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 33 percent at this same point last year to approximately 38 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

-Saturday’s Winners:
Nothing

-Saturday’s Losers:
Wrestlemania (NBC)

Ratings Breakdown:
It was another Saturday of low-rated leadership (so what else is new?), with CBS the most-watched network (at under 5-million viewers) and Fox No. 1 among adults 18-49 (with a 1.2 rating in the demo).  CBS opened the evening with a repeat of NCIS: Los Angeles (Viewers: #1, 4.29 million; A18-49: #4, 0.8 rating/3 share at 8 p.m.), followed by two repeat episodes of 48 Hours Mystery as follows:

48 Hours Mystery R (CBS)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.70 million (#1), A18-49: 0.8/ 3 (#4)
10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 5.51 million (#1), A18-49: 1/0/ 3 (#3)

Fox aired two repeat episodes of Cops (Viewers: #2, avg. 4.18 million; A18-49: #1, avg. 1.3/ 5 from 8-9 p.m.), followed by encore telecasts of Family Guy (Viewers: #4, 3.28 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.1/ 4) and The Cleveland Show (Viewers: #4, 2.89 million; A18-49: #3, 1.0/ 3).  At press time, Fox has still not confirmed what it will air in the Saturday 9 p.m. hour next season in place of America’s Most Wanted.

The moving of sitcom Rules of Engagement into the Saturday 8 p.m. time period this fall on CBS a burn-off maneuver because of the deal it struck with Sony Pictures Television to produce more original episodes for off-network syndication.

Elsewhere, ABC populated the evening with a repeat of theatrical Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which averaged 3.69 million viewers (#3) and a 1.0/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#3) from 8-11 p.m. And NBC aired a repeat of Who Do You Think You Are? (Viewers: #4, 3.46 million; A18-49: #3, 0.9/ 4), original special Wrestlemania (Viewers: #3, 3.64 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.1/ 4) and an encore telecast of Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: #2, 4.35 million; A18-49: #1, 1.2/ 4).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

----------

Sunday 8/13/11

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.9/ 8, ABC: 3.5/ 6, NBC: 2.7/ 5, Fox: 1.8/ 3

Note: The year-to-year percent comparisons are not available today.

Note: The fast affiliate results for Sunday will be posted at PIFeedback.com by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Sunday, Aug. 15, 2011.

-Yesterday’s Winners:
PGA Golf (CBS), 60 Minutes (CBS)

-Ongoing Summer Success:
Big Brother (CBS)

-Not Expected Back Next Summer:
Same Name (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
i.am.First: Science Is Rock and Roll (ABC), Minute to Win It (NBC), The Marriage Ref (NBC), In the Flow With Affion Crockett (Fox)

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS won this mid-August Sunday in the overnights, with a 40 percent advantage over second-place ABC. Third overall was NBC, followed by last-place Fox. Note: Results on CBS are approximate because the regularly scheduled line-up was pushed back one hour for PGA Golf at 7 p.m., which won the hour with an approximate 6.8 rating/12 share in the overnights. An 8 p.m. edition of 60 Minutes on CBS followed with a first-place 5.8/ 9 at 8 p.m., followed by summer favorite Big Brother (#2: 4.4/ 7 at 9 p.m.) and recent entry Same Name (#2: 3.0/ 5).

In series-premiere news, two episodes of Fox sketch comedy In the Flow With Affion Crockett was a bust, with a last-place 1.7/ 3 in the overnights from 9-10 p.m., and the half-hour breakdown as follows:

In the Flow With Affion Crockett (Fox)
9:00 p.m.: 1.8/ 3 (#4)
9:30 p.m.: 1.6/ 3 (#4)

Comparably, this was a loss of 29 percent from a repeat of Family Guy at 8:30 p.m. (#3: 2.4/ 4). Earlier in the evening on Fox were encore telecasts of American Dad (#4: 1.4/ 3), Bob’s Burgers (#3: 1.3/ 2), and The Simpsons (#4: 2.1/ 4) from 7-8:30 p.m.

In specials news, the annual CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock on ABC was above-average with a 4.4/ 7 in the overnights from 8-11 p.m., and the half-hour breakdown as follows:

CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock (ABC)
8:00 p.m.: 3.7/ 6 (#2)
8:30 p.m.: 4.2/ 7 (#2)
9:00 p.m.: 4.5/ 7 (#2)
9:30 p.m.: 4.5/ 7 (#1)
10:00 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#1)
10:30 p.m.: 4.1/ 7 (#1)

One year earlier, The CMA Awards averaged a 4.0/ 7 in the overnights on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010 (which translated into 6.01 million viewers and a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49).

Earlier in the evening on ABC was 7 p.m. special i.am.First: Science Is Rock and Roll at a distant third-place 1.4/ 3.

Over at NBC, a one-hour edition of Dateline (#2: 4.6/ 9 at 7 p.m.) and lackluster game show Minute to Win It (#4: 2.2/ 4 at 8 p.m.) led into two episodes of canceled The Marriage Ref at a weak 2.0/ 3 in the overnights from 9-11 p.m.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

_________________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Cable Scorecard – Thursday, August 11:
Episode 2 of the new season of Jersey Shoreon MTV stood head and shoulders above the competition, beating the No. 2 program on basic cable for the evening (USA’s Burn Notice in total viewers; the Seahawks versus the Chargers on NFL Preseason on ESPN) by 2.62 million viewers and 118 percent among adults 18-49.  Here are the results, ranked in order of total viewers, for Thursday, Aug. 11:

Jersey Shore (MTV) – Viewers: 7.37 million (#1 overall), A18-49: 3.7 (#1 overall)
Burn Notice (USA) – Viewers: 4.75 million (#2), A18-49: 1.2 rating (#3t)
NFL Preseason: Seahawks vs. Chargers (ESPN) Viewers: 4.39 million (#3), A18-49: 1.7/ (#2)
Suits (USA) – Viewers: 3.96 million (#4), A18-49: 1.2 (#3t)
Project Runway (Lifetime) – Viewers: 2.81 million (#5), A18-49: 1.1 (#5)
Family Brain Surge (Nick at Nite) – Viewers: 1.91 million (#6), A18-49: 0.3 (#17t)
After The First 48 (A&E) – Viewers: 1.77 million (#7), A18-49: 0.6 (#8)
Impact Wrestling (Spike) – Viewers: 1.54 million (#8), A18-49: 0.5 (#9t)
Futurama (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 1.46 million (#9), A18-49: 0.7 (#6t)
Ancient Aliens (History) – Viewers: 1.32 million (#10), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
Wilfred (FX) – Viewers: 1.23 million (#11), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
NY Ink (TLC, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.12 million (#12), A18-49: 0.5 (#9t)
World’s Dumbest (truTV)– Viewers: 1.09 million (#13), A18-49: 0.5 (#9t)
Russian Dolls (Lifetime) – Viewers: 975,000 (#14), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
Top 20 Most Shocking (truTV) – Viewers: 891,000 (#15), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
Ugly Americans (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 888,000 (#16), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)
Extreme Chef (Food Network) – Viewers: 844,000 (#17), A18-49: 0.3 (#17t)
Louie (FX) – Viewers: 733,000 (#18), A18-49: 0.4 (#12t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

________________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR TONIGHT:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Monday 8/15/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Bachelor Pad (two hours)
10:00 p.m. Castle (R)

CBS:
8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R)
8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R)
9:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R)
9:30 p.m. Mike & Molly (R)
10:00 p.m. Hawaii Five-O (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (R, two hours)
10:00 p.m. Harry’s Law (R)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Hell’s Kitchen
9:00 p.m. Masterchef (season finale, part one)

CW:
8:00 p.m. Gossip Girl (R)
9:00 p.m. One Tree Hill (R)

_______________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

More Leverage:
TNT has renewed drama Leveragefor a fifth season, with an order for 15 new episodes to begin airing in summer 2012. After the show’s Aug. 28 summer finale, Leverage will return to finish up its fourth season with new episodes in November and December. Comparably, Leverage has grown year-to-year by 10 percent in total viewers (4.8 million), six percent in adults 18-49 and nine percent in adults 25-54 (2.3 million).

Breaking Bad to Conclude on AMC:
AMC has given critically acclaimed drama Breaking Bada 16-episode order for its final season. Production is set to begin in early 2012, with the air dates yet to be determined.

Hard Times for RJ Berger:
MTV has canceled scripted comedy The Hard Times of RJ Berger after two low-rated seasons. Results on Monday this past season (Viewers: 963,000; A18-49: 0.4 rating) were considerably below former occupants Skins (Viewers: 1.39 million; A18-49: 0.6) and Teen Wolf (Viewers: 1.66 million; A18-49: 0.6), which has a confirmed pickup for a second season. 

_________________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA TIME:
A Mel Brooks Production

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE.

Which one of the following sitcoms was created by Mel Brooks?

a) Car 54, Where Are You?
b) Hogan’s Heroes
c) Holmes and Yoyo
d) Soap
e) When Things Were Rotten

The answer to Thursday’s question…

Where was the character of Brenda Walsh shopped off when Shannen Doherty exited long-running Beverly Hills, 90210 in 1994?

a) Athens
b) Berlin
c) Edinburgh
d) London
e) Paris

Is: d) London. Shannen Doherty as Brenda was not seen again until the first season of revival 90210 in the 2008-09 season.

Current kudos goes to:
Don Abel, Michelle Yarborough-Bauer, John Beadle, Gerry Bixenspan, Kimay Bloch, Barbara Bloomfield, Jordan Breslow, John Brooker, Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Larry Corsa, Andy Ehlen, John Ferlazzo, Michael Fruchtman, Todd Galloway, Gail Goins, Maureen Goldman, Martha Gonzalez, Brad Hight, Gordon Howard, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Ken Jobe, Kevin Jones, Deb Kainer, Adrian Kimberly, Kristopher Koller, Synda Kollman, Steven Kurtzer, Katie Kuyper, Mark Misiano, Paul Neace, Keri O’Keeffe, Joe Pedri, Alan Perris, Jodi Perris, Gordon Purcell, Colleen Roth, David Ruckman, Barry Singer, Michelle Stanton, Kristen Strauss, Joe Swaney, Carol Teichman, Nina Lisa Tomlinson, Terry Vandergrift, Larry Weinstock, Abbott Wool, Ted Zavales

In Today's Issue



Prime-Time Metered Market Monday Ratings:
Fox Wins; Bachelor Pad Keeps Monday Alive for ABC

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
Not Spun Off

__________________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME METERED MARKET MONDAY RATINGS:
Fox Wins; Bachelor Pad Keeps Monday Alive for ABC

Monday 8/15/11

Household Rating/Share
Fox: 4.4/ 7, ABC: 4.1/ 7, CBS: 3.2/ 5, NBC: 2.8/ 5, CW: 0.4/ 1

Note: Comparisons to the year-ago period are not available today.

-Yesterday’s Winners:
Bachelor Pad (ABC), Hell’s Kitchen (Fox), Masterchef (Fox)

-Percent of Line-Up in Repeats: 69

Ratings Breakdown:
Two hours of chef Gordon Ramsay led Fox to overnight Monday victory, with Hell’s Kitchen tied for No. 1 (with the first hour of Bachelor Pad on ABC) with a 4.6 rating/8 share at 8 p.m., and part one of the season-finale of Masterchef at a second-place 4.3/ 7 from 9-10 p.m. Comparably, Fox bested second-place ABC by three-tenths of a rating point in the overnights, and is expected to win the evening among adults 18-49. Third overall was a night of repeats on CBS, followed by all encore telecasts as well on NBC and The CW.

Over at ABC, two-hours of sophomore Bachelor Pad resonated, with a comfortable 4.6/ 7 in the overnights from 8-10 p.m. and the half-hour breakdown as follows:

Bachelor Pad (ABC)
8:00 p.m.: 4.7/ 8 (#1)
8:30 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#2)
9:00 p.m.: 4.6/ 7 (#1)
9:30 p.m.: 4.7/ 7 (#1)

Comparably, Bachelor Pad is right on par with recent occupant The Bachelorette. A repeat of Castle, which airs out of returning Dancing With the Stars this fall, closed the night for the alphabet network with a second-place 3.0/ 5 in the overnights at 10 p.m.

Elsewhere, CBS filled the evening with encore telecasts of two episodes of How I Met Your Mother (#4: avg. 2.8/ 5 from 8-9 p.m.), Two and a Half Men (#3: 3.8/ 6), Mike & Molly (#3: 3.5/ 5) and Hawaii Five-O (#1: 3.2/ 5). NBC aired repeats of America’s Got Talent (3.0/ 5 from 8-10 p.m. - #3 from 8-9 p.m.; #4 from 9-10 p.m.) and Harry's Law (#3: 2.4/ 4 at 10 p.m.), which moves into the Wednesday 9 p.m. hour (out of new comedy Free Agents) this fall. And The CW capped it off with repeats of Gossip Girl (#5: 0.4/ 1) and One Tree Hill (#5: 0.3/ 0), which returns in midseason for its ninth, and final season.

As a reminder, here is what is coming up on Monday this fall (with new shows in caps):

ABC
8:00 p.m.: Dancing With the Stars (two hours)
10:00 p.m.: Castle

CBS
8:00 p.m.: How I Met Your Mother
8:30 p.m.: 2 BROKE GIRLS
9:00 p.m.: Two and a Half Men
9:30 p.m.: Mike & Molly
10:00 p.m.: Hawaii Five-O

NBC
8:00 p.m.: The Sing-Off (two hours, new time)
10:00 p.m.: The PLAYBOY CLUB

Fox
8:00 p.m.: TERRA NOVA
9:00 p.m.: House (new time)

CW
8:00 p.m.: Gossip Girl (new time)
9:00 p.m.: HART OF DIXIE

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

________________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Lackluster Start for In the Flow with Affion Crockett on Fox:
New Fox sketch comedyIn the Flow with Affion Crockett was off, but not necessarily running on Sunday. The two-episode debut finished fourth in the 9 p.m. hour in total viewers (2.45 million), with a third-place 1.2 rating/3 share among adults 18-49, according to the fast affiliate results.  Erosion out of a repeat of lead-in Family Guy (Viewers: 3.52 million; A18-49: 1.7/ 5 at 8:30 p.m.) was 70 percent in total viewers and 29 percent in the demo. Effective this Sunday, Aug. 21, In tThe Flow with Affion Crockett airs at 9:30 p.m. out of an encore telecast of Family Guy.

Speaking of Sunday:
Here are the fast affiliate results by network in total viewers and adults 18-49 for Aug. 14:

Total Viewers:
CBS: 7.30 million, ABC: 5.77, NBC: 3.82, Fox: 2.57

Adults 18-49:
CBS: 1.9 rating/5 share, ABC: 1.4/ 4, Fox: 1.2/ 4, NBC: 1.0/ 3

Cable Scorecard – Friday, Aug. 12:
Disney Channel led the Friday troops in total viewers care of A.N.T. Farm and PrankStars, while WWE Smackdown! on Syfy was top-rated among adults 18-49, with a 0.8 rating in the demo.  Here are the results, ranked in order of total viewers, for Friday, Aug. 12:

A.N.T. Farm (Disney Channel) – Viewers: 3.72 million (#1), A18-49: 0.4 (#6t)
PrankStars (Disney Channel) – Viewers: 3.40 million (#2), A18-49: 0.4 (#6t)
WWE Smackdown (Syfy) – Viewers: 2.64 million (#3), A18-49: 0.8 (#1)
Haven (Syfy) – Viewers: 1.89 million (#4), A18-49: 0.5 (#4t)
Thundercats (Cartoon Network) – Viewers: 1.84 million (#5), A18-49: 0.6 (#2t)
Four Weddings (TLC) – Viewers: 1.15 million (#6), A18-49: 0.4 (#6t)
Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta (TLC, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.14 million (#7), A18-49: 0.3 (#9t)
The Soup (E!) – Viewers: 1.03 million (#8), A18-49: 0.6 (#2t)
Whale Wars (Animal Planet) – Viewers: 964,000 (#9), A18-49: 0.5 (#4t)
Man vs. Wild (Discovery) – Viewers: 944,000 (#10), A18-49: 0.3 (#9t)
Fashion Police (E!) – Viewers: 772,000 (#11), A18-49: 0.3 (#9t)
Surviving the Cut (Discovery) – Viewers: 612,000 (#12), A18-49: 0.3 (#9t)
Whale Wars: War Stories (Animal Planet) – Viewers: 598,000 (#13), A18-49: 0.3 (#9t)
Whale Wars: The Battle Unfolds (Animal Planet) – Viewers: 503,000 (#14), A18-49: 0.2 (#14)
ArenaBowl XXIV (ESPN) – Viewers: 280,000 (#15), A18-49: 0.1 (#15)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

_________________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR TONIGHT:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Tuesday 8/16/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Wipeout (R)
8:30 p.m. Take the Money and Run 
9:00 p.m. Combat Hospital

CBS:
8:00 p.m. NCIS (R)
9:00 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles (R)
10:30 p.m. Hawaii Five-O (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. It’s Worth What?
9:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (two hours)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Masterchef (season finale, two hours)

CW:
8:00 p.m. 90210 (R)
9:00 p.m. Shedding for the Wedding (R)

_______________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

TLC Cancels Kate Plus 8:
For the first time in four years, TLC will be without a Gosselin. The cable network has canceled docudrama Kate Plus 8, which started as Jon & Kate in 2007 as they raised a pair of twins and their young sextuplets. After Jon and Kate called it quits, TLC pared the show down to Kate and her brood only, but the novelty quickly wore off. TLC is hoping to feature periodic specials on the family in the future.

The Talk on CBS Axes Two:
CBS daytime chatfest The Talk, which returns for season two Sept. 6, is not expected to be inviting back co-hosts Leah Remini and Holly Robinson Peete. Originally hosted by a crowded panel of six, The Talk fired outside correspondent Marissa Jaret Winokur just three months into its run in January, paring it down to five. Only Julie Chen, creator Sara Gilbert and Sharon Osbourne, who will be taking a temporary family leave, are expected to be back, with no word at present who will fill the empty chairs.

More Awkward on MTV:
MTV has picked-up scripted comedy Awkward for a second season, with an unconfirmed number of new episodes in 2012. Last week’s Tuesday installment rose to a series-high 2.0 rating among persons 12-34, which built by 21 percent from one week earlier.

Upcoming at Travel Channel This Fall:
Travel Channel will air three original series on Tuesdays, beginning Oct. 4. The night will open with Made in America, a 13-episode series at 8 p.m. ET/PT hosted by George Motz as he explores 39 different factories that produce some of the most unusual products in the country. Next at 9 p.m. ET/PT is Mysteries at the Museum, a 12-episode series that follows explorer Don Wildman as he unearths treasures from the past that helped shape our history. And 10 p.m. ET/PT will feature returning Off Limits, also hosted by Don Wildman, as he travels to hidden and unseen places across America. Seven new episodes have been ordered.

__________________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA TIME:
Not Spun Off

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE. Do not click Reply

Four of the following five TV movies segued into TV series. Which one did not?

a) Foul Play
b) Freebie and the Bean
c) Goodfellas
d) Paper Moon
e) Serpico

The answer to yesterday’s question…

Which one of the following sitcoms was created by Mel Brooks?

a) Car 54, Where Are You?
b) Hogan’s Heroes
c) Holmes and Yoyo
d) Soap
e) When Things Were Rotten

Is: e) When Things Were Rotten, which was a satire on Robin Hood that briefly aired on ABC in the fall of 1975.

Current kudos goes to:
Mark Binda, Gerry Bixenspan, Barbara Bloomfield, John Brooker, Paul Certo, Steve Clements, Bruce Cohen, Larry Collins, Larry Corsa, Audrey Davis (2x), Robert Eisenstaedt, Jan Frazier, Julie Friedlander, George Gardner, Gerry Gibbons, Maureen Goldman, Ed Griffis, Michael Holland, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Ken Jobe, Marie Lefevre Karp, Todd Koerner, Synda Kollman, Steve Kurtzer, Paul Neace, Aaron Paquette, Greg Phelan, Francine Purcell, Gordon Purcell, Cynthia Qualich, Michael Ratliffe, Colleen Roth, David Ruckman, Mindy Staley, Michelle Stanton, Ronnie Tallant, Carol Teichman, Larry Weinstock, Rob Wilson, Abbott Wool, Jim Wright, Ted Zavales

In Today's Issue:



Prime-Time Metered Market Thursday Ratings:
Preseason Football Leads Fox to Victory

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air This Weekend:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
“I’m a Survivor”

_______________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME METERED MARKET THURSDAY RATINGS:
Preseason Football Leads Fox to Victory

Thursday 8/18/11

Household Rating/Share
Fox: 5.8/11, CBS: 4.2/ 7, ABC: 3.1/ 5, NBC: 2.0/ 3, CW: 0.7/ 1

Note" the comparisons to one year earlier were not available today.

-Yesterday’s Winners:
Exhibition Football: Eagles vs. Steelers (Fox), The Big Bang Theory R (CBS), Big Brother (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
Expedition Impossible (ABC)

Ratings Breakdown:
The Eagles vs. Steelers NFL Exhibition match-up on Fox won this third Thursday in August, with an estimated 5.8 rating/10 share in the overnights from 8:15-11 p.m. Earlier in the evening was the Pre-Game at an estimated 4.9/10 from 8-8:15 p.m. Results for any live sporting event are approximate.

Demo friendly Big Brother, which is enjoying a stellar summer season both creatively and by the numbers, was the top-rated show on CBS with a 4.7/ 8 from 9-10 p.m. Comparably, that built on a repeat of lead-in Rules of Engagement (#2: 3.8/ 7 at 8:30 p.m.) by 24 percent and is expected to win the evening among adults 18-49. For more news on Rules of Engagement, see TV Tidbits below.

Earlier in the evening on CBS was a repeat of multi Emmy nominated The Big Bang Theory at a second-place 4.8/ 9 at 8 p.m., which only proves its upcoming positive value in off-network syndication. At 10 p.m., a repeat of The Mentalist finished at an atypical second (behind football), with a 3.7/ 7.

ABC ranked in the distant No. 3 spot with its line-up of Wipeout (#3: 3.6/ 7), which is not the summer hit it once was due to the exposure all season, on-the-fence Expedition Impossible (#3: 2.7/ 5), and Canadian drama Rookie Blue (#3: 3.2/ 6). Chances are we will not be seeing either Expedition Impossible back for season two.

The rest of the evening was populated with all repeats. NBC aired encore telecasts of Community (#4: 1.6/ 3), Parks and Recreation (#4: 1.4/ 4), The Office (#4: 2.0/ 3), 30 Rock (#4: 1.8/ 3) and Law & Order: SVU (#4: 2.5/ 5). And The CW ran encore telecasts of The Vampire Diaries (#5: 0.8/ 2) and failed reality/competition Plain Jane (#5: 0.7/ 1), which did not deserve a second airing.  With only 31 days until the official start of the new TV season, here is a reminder of what lies ahead:

ABC
8:00 p.m.: CHARLIE’S ANGELS
9:00 p.m.: Grey’s Anatomy
10:00 p.m.: Private Practice

CBS
8:00 p.m.: The Big Bang Theory
8:30 p.m.: HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN
9:00 p.m.: PERSON OF INTEREST
10:00 p.m.: The Mentalist

NBC
8:00 p.m.: Community
8:30 p.m.: Parks and Recreation (new time)
9:00 p.m.: The Office
9:30 p.m.: WHITNEY
10:00 p.m.: PRIME SUSPECT

Fox
8:00 p.m.: THE X FACTOR (Results Show)
9:00 p.m.: Bones

The CW
8:00 p.m.: The Vampire Diaries
9:00 p.m.: THE SECRET CIRCLE

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

________________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Cable Scorecard – Wednesday, Aug. 17:
USA drama Royal Pains moved back into the top position in total viewers, with lead-out Necessary Roughness just three rankings below at No. 4. But the retention out of Royal Pains—78 percent in total viewers, 75 percent in adults 18-49—could have been better. First overall among adults 18-49 was the 10:30 p.m. installment of Storage Warson A&E at a 2.1 in the demo. In season-finale news, TV Land sitcom Happily Divorced concluded its first season with 1.64 million viewers and a 0.4 among adults 18-49, which demo-wise was right on par with lead-in Hot in Cleveland.

Here are the results, ranked in order of total viewers, for Wednesday, Aug. 17:

Royal Pains (USA) – Viewers: 5.43 million (#1 overall), A18-49: 1.6 rating (#3)
Storage Wars (A&E, 10:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 5.01 million (#2), A18-49: 2.1 (#1)
Storage Wars (A&E, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 4.58 million (#3), A18-49: 2.0 (#2)
Necessary Roughness (USA) – Viewers: 4.21 million (#4), A18-49: 1.2 (#4t)
Sons of Guns (Discovery) – Viewers: 2.23 million (#5), A18-49: 1.0 (#6)
You Don’t Know Dixie (History) – Viewers: 2.18 million (#6), A18-49: 0.6 (#9t)
The Challenge Rivals (MTV) – Viewers: 1.99 million (#7), A18-49: 1.2 (#4t)
Operation Repo (truTV, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.83 million (#8), A18-49: 0.8 (#7)
Hot in Cleveland (TV Land) – Viewers: 1.77 million (#9), A18-49: 0.4 (#14t)
South Beach Tow (truTV) – Viewers: 1.71 million (#10), A18-49: 0.7 (#8)
Happily Divorced (TV Land) – Viewers: 1.64 million (#11), A18-49: 0.4 (#14t) – season finale
Dude What Would Happen (Cartoon Network) – Viewers: 1.41 million (#12), A18-49: 0.1 (#30t)
Rescue Me (FX) – Viewers: 1.39 million (#13), A18-49: 0.6 (#9t)
Dance Moms (ABC Family) – Viewers: 1.36 million (#14), A18-49: 0.5 (#11t)
Destroy Build Destroy (Cartoon Network) – Viewers: 1.27 million (#15), A18-49: 0.1 (#30t)
Melissa & Joey (ABC Family) – Viewers: 1.14 million (#16), A18-49: 0.5 (#11t)
Ghost Hunters International (Syfy) – Viewers: 1.11 million (#17), A18-49: 0.4 (#14t)
One Man Army (Discovery) – Viewers: 1.03 million (#18), A18-49: 0.5 (#11t)
Melissa & Joey (ABC Family) – Viewers: 979,000 (#19), A18-49: 0.4 (#14t)
I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant (Discovery Health, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 919,000 (#20), A18-49: 0.4 (#14t)
Legend Quest (Syfy) – Viewers: 909,000 (#21), A18-49: 03 (#21t)
Deadliest Warrior (Spike TV) – Viewers: 893,000 (#22), A18-49: 0.4 (#14t)
I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant (Discovery Health, 9:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 851,000 (#23), A18-49: 0.4 (#14t)
Outrageous Kid Parties (TLC, 10:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 803,000 (#24), A18-49: 0.3 (#21t)
Outrageous Kid Parties (TLC, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 742,000 (#25), A18-49: 0.3 (#21t)
Rocco’s Dinner Party (Bravo) – Viewers: 741,000 (#26), A18-49: 0.3 (#21t)
State of Georgia (ABC Family, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 738,000 (#27), A18-49: 0.3 (#21t)
State of Georgia (ABC Family, 9:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 587,000 (#28), A18-49: 0.2 (#26t)
Bedbug Apocalypse (Animal Planet) – Viewers: 587,000 (#29), A18-49: 0.2 (#26t)
Confessions: Animal Hoarding (Animal Planet, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 406,000 (#30), A18-49: 0.2 (#26t)
Famous Food (Food Network) – Viewers: 359,000 (#31), A18-49: 0.2 (#26t)
Confessions: Animal Hoarding (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 348,000 (#32), A18-49: 0.1 (#30t)
Ton of Cash (VH1) – Viewers: 312,000 (#33), A18-49: 0.2 (#26t)
The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants (Showtime) – Viewers: 110,000 (#324, A18-49: 0.0 (#34t)
Inside NASCAR (Showtime) – Viewers: 68,000 (#35), A18-49: 0.0 (#34t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

_________________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR THIS WEEKEND:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Friday 8/19/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Shark Tank (R)
9:00 p.m. Karaoke Battle U.S.A.
10:00 p.m. 20/20

CBS:
8:00 p.m. Flashpoint (season finale)
9:00 p.m. CSI: NY (R)
10:00 p.m. Blue Bloods (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. Friends With Benefits
8:30 p.m. Friends With Benefits
9:30 p.m. Dateline (two hours)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. NFL Football Pre-Game
8:30 p.m. NFL Pre-Season Game: Atlanta at Jacksonville

CW
8:00 p.m. Nikita (R)
9:00 p.m. Supernatural (R)


Saturday 8/20/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Movie – Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across The 2nd Dimension
10:00 p.m. Rookie Blue (R)

CBS:
8:00 p.m. CSI (R)
9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds (R)
10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. 2011 U.S. Gymnastics Championship
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Cops (R)
8:30 p.m. Cops (R)
9:00 p.m. Family (R)
9:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show (R)


Sunday 8/21/11

ABC:
7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos (R)
8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (R)
9:00 p.m. 20-20 – The Sixth Sense

CBS:
7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes 
8:00 p.m. Big Brother
9:00 p.m. Same Name
10:00 p.m. The Good Wife (R)

NBC:
7:00 p.m. Dateline 
8:00 p.m. NFL Pre-Season Football Post game
8:08 p.m. NFL Pre-Season Football: San Diego at Dallas

Fox:
7:00 p.m. American Dad (R)
7:30 p.m. Bob’s Burgers (R)
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons (R)
8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show (R)
9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R)
9:30 p.m. In the Flow With Affion Crockett

________________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

Perception on TNT:
TNT has begun production on the first of 10 episodes of a new scripted drama called Perception, which tells the story of an eccentric neuroscientist who helps solve complex criminal cases. Eric McCormack, Rachael Leigh Cook, Arjay Smith and Kelly Rowan star. It premieres in summer 2012.

CBS Pulls Same Name:
CBS has removed summer entry Same Name, which featured a celebrity and everyday person with the same name switching lives, from the line-up. Stepping into the Sunday 9 p.m. hour immediately will be repeats of The Good Wife on its new night and time.

Speaking of CBS:
The network has delayed the return of Rules of Engagement for two weeks. Originally slated to debut on Sept. 24, the sitcom has been pushed back to Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT to begin burning off the new batch of original (and, no doubt, final) episodes.

The Ultimate Fighter to Conclude on Spike TV:
Veteran The Ultimate Fighter, which will be heading into its 14th edition, will officially conclude on Spike TV next season. 
 

________________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA TIME:
“I’m a Survivor”

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE.

Which one of the following sitcom featured an opening theme song called “I’m a Survivor”?

a) Alice
b) Family Ties
c) Rhoda
d) Reba
e) Roseanne

The answer to Wednesday’s question…

We all, of course, remember Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock on classic sci-fi drama Star Trek. But who was initially offered the role?

a) Michael Cole
b) Bill Daily
c) Martin Landau
d) Michael Landon
e) Lyle Waggoner

Is: c) Martin Landau, who appeared on Mission: Impossible instead (and was ironically replaced by Leonard Nimoy three years into the series’ run).

Current kudos goes to:
Mark Amato, Gerry Bixenspan, Barbara Bloomfield, John Brooker, Larry Collins, Michael Fruchtman, Maureen Goldman, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Mary Kinoshita, Steven Kurtzer, Francine Purcell, Gordon Purcell, Lisa Tatum-Roehrig, David Ruckman, Maxine Shulman, Michelle Stanton, Ted Zavales

In Today's Issue:



Prime-Time Ratings:
Weekend Results

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
Happy 200th

______________________________________________________________

PRIME-TIME RATINGS:
Weekend Highlights

Friday 8/19/11
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.1/ 8, NBC: 3.4/ 6, ABC: 2.9/ 5, Fox: 2.5/ 5, CW: 0.6/ 1

Total Viewers:
CBS: 6.21 million, NBC: 5.09, ABC: 4.51, Fox: 4.044, CW: 989,000

Adults 18-49:
NBC and Fox: 1.4 rating/5 share each, ABC: 1.3/ 4, CBS: 1.2/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 1

Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals.

-Friday’s Winners:
Nothing

-Friday’s Losers:
Friends With Benefits (NBC), Karaoke Battle U.S.A. (ABC)

Ratings Breakdown:
It was a Friday of low-rated split leadership, with CBS the most-watched network, and NBC and Fox tied for No. 1 among adults 18-49. The season finale of Canadian drama Flashpoint opened the evening for CBS with a dominant 6.87 million viewers and a 1.4 rating/5 share among 18-49 at 8 p.m. Next on CBS were repeats of CSI: NY (Viewers: #1, 6.00 million; A18-49: #3t, 1.1/ 4) and Blue Bloods (Viewers: #2, 5.75 million; A18-49: #3, 0.9/ 3) from 9-11 p.m. NBC populated the evening with two more burn-off episodes of sitcom Friends With Benefits (Viewers: #4, avg. 3.09 million; A18-49: #4, avg. 0.9/ 4 from 8-9 p.m.) and a two-hour edition of Dateline, which rose to first in both total viewers (6.09 million) and adults 18-49 (1.6/ 5) from 9-11 p.m.

Over at Fox, Atlanta versus Jacksonville on Pre-Season Football averaged an approximate 4.04 million viewers (#4) and a 1.4/ 5 among adults 18-49 (#1t) in prime time.

Elsewhere, week two of Karaoke Battle U.S.A. on ABC was a bust, with just 3.82 million viewers (#4) and a 1.1/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#3t) at 9 p.m. Comparably that could not even hold the audience from a repeat of Shark Tank at 8 p.m. (Viewers: #2, 4.85 million; A18-49: #2t, 1.3/ 5).  Needless to say, the last thing we needed was another singing competition. At 10 p.m., 20/20 on ABC increased to 4.87 million viewers (#3) and a second-place 1.4/ 4 in the demo.

At press time, ABC has still not confirmed what it will air in the Friday 9 p.m. hour this fall now that Shark Tank has been pushed back until midseason.

The CW capped off the evening with encore telecasts of new 8 p.m. occupant Nikita (Viewers: #5, 1.03 million; A18-49: #5, 0.4/ 1) and Supernatural (Viewers: #5, 951,000; A18-49: #5, 0.4/ 1).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)


Saturday 8/20/11
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

Household Rating/Share 
CBS: 3.4/ 7, NBC: 2.4/ 7, ABC and Fox: 1.8/ 3 each

Total Viewers:
CBS: 5.02 million, NBC: 4.12, ABC: 3.22, Fox: 3.05

Adults 18-49:
NBC: 1.2 rating/4 share, Fox: 1.0/ 4, CBS: 0.9/ 3, ABC: 0.8/ 3

Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 33 percent at this same point last year to approximately 38 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

-Saturday’s Winners:
Nothing

-Saturday’s Losers:
The night overall

Ratings Breakdown:
There was nothing of note, as usual, on this third Saturday in August with CBS first overall in total viewers and NBC No. 1 among adults 18-49. CBS populated the evening with repeats of CSI (Viewers: #1, 3.81 million; A18-49: #4, 0.5/ 2), Criminal Minds (Viewers: #1, 5.52 million; A18-49: #2, 1.0/ 3), and 48 Hours Mystery (Viewers: #1, 5.75 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.2/ 4). And NBC aired two-hour sports-themed Visa Championships: Gymnastics (Viewers: #2, 3.94 million; A18-49: #1, 1.2/ 5 from 8-10 p.m.) and a repeat of Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: #2, 4.48 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.2/ 4).  As a reminder, CBS will open this low-rated night with the last round of original episodes of sitcom Rules of Engagement beginning in October.

Elsewhere, ABC filled the night with kids movie Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension (Viewers: #4, 2.87 million; A18-49: #3, 0.8/ 3 from 8-10 p.m.) and a repeat of America’s Funniest Home Videos (Viewers: #2, 3.92 million; A18-49: #3, 1.0/ 3 at 10 p.m.). And Fox aired two repeat episodes of Cops (Viewers: #2, avg. 3.68 million; A18-49: #1t, 1.1/ 5) and encore telecasts of Family Guy (Viewers: #4, 2.45 million; A18-49: #2, 0.9/ 3) and The Cleveland Show (Viewers: #4, 2.37 million; A18-49: #4, 0.8/ 3). Effective this fall, repeats of new Monday drama Terra Nova will populate the Saturday 9 p.m. time period in place of departed America’s Most Wanted.  

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

Sunday 8/21/11
Note: The following results are based on the metered markets.

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 6.3/11, CBS: 4.0/ 7, ABC: 3.3/ 6, Fox: 1.8/ 3

Note: The year-to-year percent comparisons are not available today. The fast affiliate results for Sunday will be posted at PIFeedback.com by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Sunday, Aug. 21, 2011.

-Yesterday’s Winners:
60 Minutes (CBS), Pre-Season Football: San Diego vs. Dallas (NBC), Big Brother (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
In the Flow With Affion Crockett (Fox)

Ratings Breakdown:
Pre-Season Football led NBC to Sunday overnight victory, with the matchup between San Diego and Dallas at an estimated 7.1 rating/12 share from 8-11 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

Pre-Season Football: San Diego vs. Dallas (NBC)
8:00 p.m.: 7.0/12 (#1)
8:30 p.m.: 7.5/13 (#1)
9:00 p.m.: 8.1/13 (#1)
9:30 p.m.: 7.0/11 (#1)
10:00 p.m.: 6.8/12 (#1)
10:30 p.m.: 6.3/11 (#1)

Keep in mind, of course, that results for any live sporting event are always approximate. Earlier in the evening on NBC was Dateline (which could include part of the football game in the Central Time zone) at a second-place 4.2/ 8 at 7 p.m. That led into the Pre-Season Football Pre-Game at an estimated 6.2/11 (#1) from 8-8:15 p.m.

CBS was on the Sunday overnight map from 7-9 p.m. with its combination of old-skewing granddaddy 60 Minutes (#1: 5.5/11) and younger-skewing summer hit Big Brother (#2: 4.9/ 9).  But a repeat of legal drama The Good Wife in its new fall time period (and in place of yanked Same Name) dipped to a distant third-place 2.3/ 4 at 9 p.m. Next was a repeat of CSI: Miami at a last-place 3.3/ 6 at 10 p.m.

Over at ABC, the two-hour debut of late summer newsmagazine 20/20: The Sixth Sense was sampled at a 3.8/ 7 in the overnights from 9-11 p.m., with consistency by half-hour as follows:

20/20: The Sixth Sense (ABC)
9:00 p.m.: 3.6/ 6 (#2)
9:30 p.m.: 3.9/ 6 (#2)
10:00 p.m.: 3.9/ 7 (#2)
10:30 p.m.: 3.9/ 7 (#2)

Compared to an encore telecast of lead-in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (#3: 2.7/ 4 at 8 p.m.), that was an increase of a noticeable 41 percent. Don’t forget that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition moves into the Friday 8 p.m. time period next season. Earlier in the evening on the alphabet net was an encore telecast of veteran America’s Funniest Home Videos at a 3.0/ 6 (#3) at 7 p.m.

On Fox, recently introduced sketch comedyIn the Flow With Affion Crockett remains a bust, with a last-place 1.7/ 3 in the overnights at 9:30 p.m. Comparably, that dipped from a repeat of Family Guy (#3: 2.5/ 4 at 9 p.m.) by 32 percent. Also on Fox were repeats of American Dad (#4: 1.3/ 2); Bob’s Burgers (#4: 1.3/ 2), which is being held back until midseason; The Simpsons (#4: 2.2/ 4);  and The Cleveland Show (#4: 2.0/ 3) from 7-9 p.m.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

________________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Cable Scorecard – Thursday, August 18:
Jersey Shore on MTV stood well above the Thursday basic cable competition once again, with an advantage over the No. 2 ranked occupant (Burn Notice on USA in total viewers; Burn Notice and lead-out Suits in adults 18-49) of 2.48 million viewers and 180 percent in the demo. For Mr. TV’s thoughts on the Jersey Shore phenomenon in New York, click here.

Here are the results on basic cable, ranked in order of total viewers, for Thursday, August 18:

Jersey Shore (MTV) – Viewers: 7.80 million (#1 overall), A18-49: 4.2 (#1 overall)
Burn Notice (USA) – Viewers: 5.32 million (#2), A18-49: 1.5 rating (#2t)
Suits (USA) – Viewers: 4.45 million (#3), A18-49: 1.5 (#2t)
Project Runway (Lifetime) – Viewers: 3.11 million (#4), A18-49: 1.2 (#4t)
Beyond Scared Straight (A&E) – Viewers: 2.65 million (#5), A18-49: 1.2 (#4t)
The First 48 (A&E) – Viewers: 2.13 million (#6), A18-49: 0.8 (#6)
Ancient Aliens (History) – Viewers: 1.67 million (#7), A18-49: 0.5 (#11t)
Impact Wrestling (Spike) – Viewers: 1.45 million (#8), A18-49: 0.5 (#11t)
Futurama (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 1.38 million (#9), A18-49: 0.7 (#7)
LA Ink (TLC) – Viewers: 1.31 million (#10), A18-49: 0.6 (#8t)
World’s Dumbest (truTV)– Viewers: 1.28 million (#11), A18-49: 0.5 (#11t)
Wilfred (FX, 10 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.18 million (#12), A18-49: 0.6 (#8t)
Top 20 Most Shocking (truTV) – Viewers: 1.14 million (#13), A18-49: 0.5 (#11t)
Wilfred (FX, 10:30 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.04 million (#14), A18-49: 0.6 (#8t)
Ugly Americans (Comedy Central) – Viewers: 782,000 (#15), A18-49: 0.3 (#15t)
Russian Dolls (Lifetime) – Viewers: 772,000 (#16), A18-49: 0.3 (#15t)
2011 Do Something Awards (VH1) – Viewers: 464,000 (#17), A18-49: 0.2 (#17)
Prostitution: Leaving the Life (OWN) – Viewers: 251,000 (#18), A18-49: 0.1 (#18)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

________________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR TONIGHT:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Monday 8/22/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Bachelor Pad (two hours)
10:00 p.m. Castle (R)

CBS:
8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R)
8:30 p.m. How I Met Your Mother (R)
9:00 p.m. The Big Bang Theory (R)
9:30 p.m. Mike & Molly (R)
10:00 p.m. Hawaii Five-O (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (R)
9:00 p.m. American Ninja Warrior

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Hell’s Kitchen (two hours)

CW:
8:00 p.m. Gossip Girl (R)
9:00 p.m. One Tree Hill (R)

______________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

Return Date for Shake It Up on Disney Channel:
Season 2 of Disney Channel dance-themed sitcom Shake It Up, which leads the basic cable rankings in kids 6-11 and tweens 12-17, will return on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Guest stars for next season include The Middle’s Atticus Shaffer, Ben Savage of Boy Meets World fame, and Tony Award winner Marissa Jaret Winokur.

Law & Order: The DVD Collection:
If you just can’t get enough of former NBC occupant Law & Order, all 456 episodes (20 seasons worth) will be available in a 104 DVD-disc set that hits the stores on Nov. 8. Added footage will include interviews with series creator Dick Wolf and the late Jerry Orbach, who played Det. Lennie Briscoe from 1992-2004.

___________________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA TIME:
Happy 200th

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE.

Which one of the following long-running series will be celebrating its 200th episode next season?

a) American Dad (Fox)
b) CSI: Miami (CBS)
c) Desperate Housewives (ABC)
d) House (Fox)
e) NCIS (CBS)

The answer to Friday’s question…

Which one of the following sitcoms featured an opening theme song called “I’m a Survivor”?

a) Alice
b) Family Ties
c) Rhoda
d) Reba
e) Roseanne

Is: d) Reba. For the lyrics, sung by Reba McEntire, click here:

Current kudos goes to:
Gerry Bixenspan, Barbara Bloomfield, John Brooker, Larry Collins, Denise Dyson, John Ferlazzo (2x), Ed Griffis, Barb Hemberger, Heidi Hoffmeister, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Ken Jobe, Mary Kinoshita, Synda Kollman, Katie Kuyper, Kelly Lafargue, Tony Naldrett, Michael Ratliffe, Michelle Stanton, Joe Swaney, Larry Weinstock, Abbott Wool, Ted Zavales

In Today's Next-to-Last Issue:



Prime-Time Metered Market Monday Ratings:
Hell’s Kitchen "Double Pop" Leads Fox to Victory

Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

On the Air Tonight:
Prime-Time Programming Options

TV Tidbits:
Notes of Interest

TV Trivia Time:
So Long, Bob

________________________________________________________________

Note: The Programming Insider will not be published on Wednesday or Thursday this week.  See you back on Friday for the final issue.  

________________________________________________________________

Prime-Time Metered Market Monday Ratings:
Hell’s Kitchen "Double Pop" Leads Fox to Victory

Monday 8/22/11

Household Rating/Share
Fox: 4.4/ 7, ABC: 4.0/ 6, CBS: 3.2/ 5, NBC: 2.6/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 1

-Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Monday, Aug. 23, 2010):
Fox: +42, ABC: +11, CBS: -29, CW: -33, NBC: -40

-Yesterday’s Winners:
Bachelor Pad (ABC), Hell’s Kitchen (Fox)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
American Ninja Warrior (NBC)

Ratings Breakdown:
Two episodes ofHell’s Kitchen led Fox to Monday victory, with a metered market advantage over normally dominant ABC of four-tenths of a rating point. Third overall was CBS, followed by NBC and very distant The CW. Fifty-four percent of last night’s schedule was encore telecasts.

The two episodes of Hell’s Kitchen, which is expected to also lead Fox to nightly victory among adults 18-49, averaged a 4.4 rating/7 share in the overnights from 8-10 p.m., with the half-hour breakdown as follows:

Hell’s Kitchen (Fox)
8:00 p.m.: 4.2/ 7 (#2)
8:30 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#1t)
9:00 p.m.: 4.5/ 7 (#1)
9:30 p.m.: 4.5/ 7 (#1)

Neck-and-neck with Hell’s Kitchen was Bachelor Pad on ABC, which scored a 4.5/ 7 from 8-10 p.m. with its half-hour breakdown as follows:

Bachelor Pad (ABC)
8:00 p.m.: 4.5/ 8 (#1)
8:30 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#1t)
9:00 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#2)
9:30 p.m.: 4.5/ 7 (#1t)

Comparably, this is very similar to recent occupant The Bachelorette, which should keep Bachelor Pad on in the summer for years into the future. Bachelor Pad led into a repeat of Castle at a second-place 2.9/ 5 in the overnights at 10 p.m.

In original specials news, two-hour American Ninja Warrior on NBC was a bust at a 2.6/ 5 from 9-11 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

American Ninja Warrior (NBC)
9:00 p.m.: 2.5/ 4 (#4)
9:30 p.m.: 2.5/ 4 (#4)
10:00 p.m.: 2.6/ 4 (#3)
10:30 p.m.: 2.6/ 5 (#3)

Rule of thumb: Always be wary of an original network special that is scheduled at the tail end of the summer.

Earlier in the evening on NBC was a one-hour repeat of America’s Got Talent tied for third in the 8 p.m. hour (with two-repeat episodes of How I Met Your Mother on CBS) at a 2.8/ 5. Leading out of How I Met Your Mother on CBS were encore telecasts of Two and a Half Men (#3: 3.9/ 6), Mike & Molly (#3: 3.5/ 5), and Hawaii Five-O (#1: 3.0/ 5) from 9-11 p.m.

Capping off the evening with virtually no audience were repeats of Gossip Girl (#5: 0.5/ 1) and One Tree Hill (#5: 0.4/ 1) from 8-10 p.m.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

_______________________________________________________________

RATINGS BOX:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

Solid Sampling for 20/20: The Sixth Sense on ABC:
Late summer ABC newsmagazine 20/20: The Sixth Sense kicked off in the Sunday 9-11 p.m. block on Aug. 21 with 5.91 million viewers and a 1.4 rating/4 share, finishing second in the time period behind NFL Pre-Season coverage (Dallas at San Diego) on NBC. Comparably, 20/20: The Sixth Sense ranks as ABC’s largest summer audience in the time period since Aug. 27, 2006, with the best adult 18-49 rating since Aug. 24, 2008. Growth out a repeat of lead-in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Viewers: 4.71 million; A18-49: 1.1/ 3 at 8 p.m.) was 1.20 million viewers and 27 percent in the demo.

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension:
Based on the Live Plus 7 Day results for the week of Aug. 1, the Friday, August 5 debut of Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension ranks as cable’s No. 1 entertainment telecast of 2011 (with 10.7 million viewers overall) and cable’s most-watched animated telecast of all time in kids 2-11 (6.23 million). This expanded edition of Phineas and Ferb was also cable’s most-watched animated telecast in kids 6-11 (4.67 million) and tweens 9-14 (3.58).

Cable Scorecard – Friday, Aug. 19:
Disney Channel had the three most-watched shows on Friday (Wizards of Waverly Place, A.N.T. Farm, and Fish Hooks), while WWE Smackdown! on Syfy led the basic cable troops among adults 18-49. Unlike other weeknights and Sunday, cable on Friday is predominantly a variety of kids programming and lightweight fare. Here are the results, ranked in order of total viewers, for Friday, Aug. 19:

Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel) – Viewers: 3.60 million (#1 overall), A18-49: 0.5 (#4t overall)
A.N.T. Farm (Disney Channel) – Viewers: 3.50 million (#2), A18-49: 0.4 (#8t)
Fish Hooks (Disney Channel) – Viewers: 3.34 million (#3), A18-49: 0.4 (#8t)
WWE Smackdown (Syfy) – Viewers: 2.92 million (#4), A18-49: 0.9 (#1)
Thundercats (Cartoon Network) – Viewers: 1.75 million (#5), A18-49: 0.6 (#2t)
Haven (Syfy) – Viewers: 1.74 million (#6), A18-49: 0.5 (#4t)
Four Weddings (TLC) – Viewers: 1.55 million (#7), A18-49: 0.6 (#2t)
Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta (TLC, 9 p.m.) – Viewers: 1.45 million (#8), A18-49: 0.5 (#4t)
The Soup (E!) – Viewers: 1.16 million (#9), A18-49: 0.5 (#4t)
Man vs. Wild (Discovery) – Viewers: 972,000 (#10), A18-49: 0.4 (#8t)
Surviving the Cut (Discovery) – Viewers: 781,000 (#11), A18-49: 0.3 (11t)
Tanked (Animal Planet) – Viewers: 754,000 (#12), A18-49: 0.3 (#11t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

_________________________________________________________________

ON THE AIR TONIGHT:
Prime-Time Programming Options

Tuesday 8/23/11

ABC:
8:00 p.m. Wipeout (R)
8:30 p.m. Take the Money and Run 
9:00 p.m. Combat Hospital

CBS:
8:00 p.m. NCIS (R)
9:00 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles (R)
10:30 p.m. Hawaii Five-O (R)

NBC:
8:00 p.m. It’s Worth What?
9:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (two hours)

Fox:
8:00 p.m. Glee (R, 90 minutes)
9:30 p.m. Raising Hope (R)

CW:
8:00 p.m. 90210 (R)
9:00 p.m. Shedding for the Wedding (R)

____________________________________________________________

TV TIDBITS:
Notes of Interest

New Cast for CBS’ Survivor:
Veteran reality/competition Survivor, which opens its next edition on CBS in the South Pacific with a 90-minute launch on Wednesday, Sept. 14, has unveiled the latest round of competitors. The two returning players are still up in the air. For a complete list, click here.

A New Twist to an Old Game Show Favorite:
The upcoming 10th season of Disney-ABC syndicated game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, hosted by Meredith Vieira, will offer viewers at home a chance to win prizes (including $1 million as a contestant on the show) in a new twist called Club Millionaire. Viewers can enter Club Millionaire, which will offer exclusive deals and weekly sweepstakes specifically designed for Millionaire viewers, by clicking on MillionaireTV.com. The new season of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire begins on Monday, Sept. 5.

__________________________________________________________________

TV TRIVIA TIME:
So Long, Bob

Note: To respond to the trivia, please click HERE.

With The Programming Insider officially concluding on Friday, I will leave it up to you to decide what show you would like the final trivia question to focus on. Please give me you input here.  I will pick the series with the most responses.

As for today’s question, what state did Bob and Emily Hartley move to when sitcom The Bob Newhart Show ended on April 1, 1978?

a) Iowa
b) Nevada
c) Oregon
d) Pennsylvania
e) Vermont

The answer to yesterday’s question…

Which one of the following long-running series will be celebrating its 200th episode next season?

a) American Dad (Fox)
b) CSI: Miami (CBS)
c) Desperate Housewives (ABC)
d) House (Fox)
e) NCIS (CBS)

Is: e) NCIS, which opens the new season with episode No. 187 on Sept. 20. The 200th episode should be airing in January 2012.

Current kudos goes to:
Gerry Bixenspan, Larry Collins, Sue Doron, Robert Eisenstaedt, Maureen Goldman, Marie Hanerkam, Barb Hemberger, David Heraux, Julie Hurwitz, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Gordon Purcell, Maxine Shulman (2x), Kristen Strauss

As cable operators angrily watch margins shrink and subscriber fees rise, independent networks are trying to wedge themselves into the gap—and nowhere is the field of hopefuls more crowded than in cable news.

A news channel isn’t a cheap or easy proposition even under the best of circumstances, but three outlets seeking distribution have the dual advantage of underrepresented ideologies and very deep pockets.

First, there’s CCTV, an American version of China’s national news network, backed by the Chinese government. It’s controversial—the Chinese Communist Party is routinely criticized for censorship. Still, the English-language net has managed to attract a surprising number of decorated Western reporters. Jim Laurie, a senior consultant at CCTV, has worked for decades in broadcast news, having won a Peabody Award and two Emmys.

Laurie defends the network’s integrity but concedes that the Chinese government “may choose not to do a story” when keeping silent is in their interest.

“My perception has been that when the Chinese do a story, they do it with a great deal of integrity,” Laurie said. As for the selective coverage, he said, “that’s not different from any other news organization.”

Brands are already on board. Procter & Gamble, Colgate and L’Oréal advertise on some version of CCTV. Ad revenue covers some 70 percent of the budget for the Central People’s Government’s 22 channels.

CCTV isn’t the only government-backed player seeking pickup. Al Jazeera America, funded by the nation of Qatar, hopes to benefit from the carriage agreements of Current TV, which it recently acquired. (Al Jazeera didn’t provide an interview by press time.)

Then, there’s the maverick: former Fox News host Glenn Beck’s TheBlaze, a linear version of his wildly popular website (which boasts some 300,000 paying subscribers). The staff of 180 is “fully financed by Glenn and our affiliate businesses,” said Betsy Morgan, president of TheBlaze and another journo with a serious CV—she is former CEO of The Huffington Post.

TheBlaze is profitable—$40 million in year one of the online video portal. Dish, whose period of exclusivity with the network is probably ending soon, went out of its way to comment for this story. “We had customers sign up quickly,” said Dave Shull, svp, programming. “In fact, subscriptions attributable to TheBlaze outpaced our projections by 80 percent.”

That’s good because TheBlaze can’t rely on a corporate parent to strong-arm a distributor into carrying it. “We will live and die based on the strength and appeal of our programming,” said Morgan. Distribs hungry for popular content hope others follow suit.

On the heels of a 2012-13 broadcast television season in which the networks have failed to deliver a runaway hit, the Big Four and the CW are digging deep. But as is so often the case, the creative capital on display in this development season doesn’t seem to reflect the megadollars being spent in the pursuit of the Next Big Thing.

At last count, the English-language nets had ordered 104 scripted pilots, up 17 percent from last spring’s 89, at an estimated cost of around $2 million per comedy and $5.5 million for each drama. Half of these projects will aim for the funny bone—workplace and single-parent comedies abound—while the other half present a stew of the tried-and-true: international imports, revivals, literary adaptations and the hoary cop show.

Given the tepid returns delivered by this season’s freshmen—each broadcast net has but a single new “hit” on its hands, although only NBC’s Revolution is averaging as much as a 3.0 in the 18-49 demo, and it’s been on hiatus since Nov. 26—one might expect programmers to take bigger swings in 2013-14. But for a few oddball prospects, this is not the case.

“It’s the same old stuff, presented in the same old formats,” said Brad Adgate, svp, research, Horizon Media. “Ten years later and they’re still trying to find the next Friends. There are nine or 10 ensemble comedies where you have a group of twenty- and thirtysomethings. We’ve seen it all before.”

While it’s not surprising that the networks continue to invest in vehicles promising a lowest-common-denominator audience—the first syllable in “broadcast” is there for a reason—they appear to be overlooking at least one proven winner. “I’m surprised they’re not trying out more shows based on graphic novels,” Adgate said, noting that AMC’s The Walking Dead is the top-rated show on TV and based on a wildly popular comic book series. “Why not? Twelve million viewers with a median age of 32? The networks would kill for that.”

Despite the potential to launch with an established audience of loyal readers, only two of this year’s pilots are based on existing comic book series. The one that seems almost certain to make a splash is S.H.I.E.L.D., a one-hour drama based on the Marvel Comics universe. Executive produced and written for ABC by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), the titular espionage agency was featured in Whedon’s 2012 theatrical The Avengers, the fastest film to gross $1 billion.

Also in the works is The Sixth Gun, NBC’s supernatural western based on the graphic novel by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt. Lost fanboys take note: Carlton Cuse has signed on as the series’ showrunner. Cuse was an integral part of the last showstopper of a development season; 2004-05 gave rise to the three ABC hits: Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and, yes, Lost.

Some would argue that broadcast simply isn’t built on big ideas, and failure is just the price of doing business. “When there were three networks, 80 percent of the shows failed,” said Gary Carr, svp, executive director of national broadcast, TargetCast tcm. “They still do—they just fail faster now.”

Marketers have long preached about speaking to people “in their own language,” but normally only as a metaphor. Univision’s nascent UVideos, a Spanish-English digital video network, suggests brands should take that advice literally.

UVideos will go live via Xbox’s SmartGlass feature in May and for BlackBerry users during June—promising to further bolster what’s been an auspicious beginning for the six-month-old platform. The original programming channel has helped Univision grow its digital video revenue by roughly 100 percent, per the network, while Web and mobile video views have spiked by 156 percent.

Univision’s mobile network in particular includes its mobile website and mobile app and entails partner-based distribution via Samsung’s latest flat-screen TV and BluRay products, Kindle Fire, Xbox 360 and other connected devices. UVideos’ 4,000 hours of video programming can be accessed through those venues as well as the aforementioned upcoming nondesktop channels.

“Our audience overindexes significantly on mobile,” explained Kevin Conroy, Univision’s president of digital and enterprise development. “We’ve reached a point where our mobile audience is bigger than online. ”

Per Nielsen, 59 percent of U.S. cellphone owners 13 and up own a smartphone. For Hispanics, that number is 68 percent. And Hispanics spend 11 percent more time watching mobile video than the general population.

Are brands in tune with these realities? “Where most marketers have embraced online, they are not quite there yet with mobile,” Conroy answered.

More generally, UVideos has augmented Univision’s ability to sell video ad preroll, overlays and interstitials—often in conjunction with TV buys. Univision works with multi-screen video solution Mixpo, helping it attract AT&T, Toyota, JCPenney and Maybelline as advertisers. “UVideos has extended our audience reach beyond linear to include nonlinear,” Conroy added, “which also allows advertisers to increasingly buy cross-platform.”

Hispanic-focused Web video efforts haven’t always gone well. Consider TuTele, which briefly showed promise before shuttering last summer.

But, as Nielsen’s research showed, the eyeballs are there—so savvy marketers will continue to explore the Spanish-English video space. Next month, Universal Pictures will fly reporters for Clevver TeVe—the 18-month-old, Spanish-language YouTube channel from Alloy Digital—to London for the premiere of Fast & Furious 6. The movie’s marketers want Clevver TeVe’s clout among young Hispanics to drive them into theaters. The YouTube channel has accrued 154 million video views—roughly 35 percent coming via mobile.

“Mobile is definitely growing,” said Michael Palmer, svp at Alloy Digital and co-founder of Clevver Media. “The movie-premier access means [Universal] sees the market we are hitting."

To echo a familiar refrain, consumers are mad as hell and not about to take it from cable companies anymore! Networks are dinosaurs who think the big asteroid in the sky called Netflix is their god, but it’s coming to kill them all! The next Walking Dead is already on YouTube!

But here’s the reality: Netflix is not going to kill cable. Nor is Amazon Prime. Nor is the mythical Apple TV. Because if they do, they will essentially be sawing off the limb on which they have built their businesses: content funded by the very cable model against which they offer an alluring alternative. And wow, is it ever funded—programming is expensive, as you may have heard.

Cord cutting may be on the rise, but it’s nowhere near the level of an existential threat to the cable industry, despite the hype. Nielsen’s fourth-quarter cross-platform report counted more than 5 million “zero-TV” households in 2012, up from just over 2 million as recently as 2007. Those are small numbers given the 110 million TV household universe.

That said, cable operators (or MVPDs, for multichannel video programming distributors) and the networks they carry are dragging each other kicking and screaming toward the rich seam of multiplatform video distribution that Netflix and Amazon are already mining as fast as they can. To be sure, there’s a new economic model for content coming, but it’s big enough to allow all parties to survive, perhaps even thrive.

Here’s how: The linear programmer’s dream for Netflix and its ilk has always been that it becomes a back end—a kind of syndication market for cable programming, which until now has simply vanished into the ether after nominal DVD sales. That would enable programmers to keep their precious dual-revenue stream model (advertising and subscriber fees) with this third additive option, too.

If, as the doomsayers predict, consumers abandon cable en masse, the ecosystem will become so damaged that high-profile programming becomes impossible to fund. And no company with a stake in the entertainment business wants to contemplate that kind of disaster.

A MUTUAL NEED
There are no ratings numbers for Netflix, but its relationship with cable is definitely symbiotic. “New viewers are finding [our] shows on a digital service, catching up on prior seasons and then tuning into AMC for new seasons in greater numbers, many for the first time,” Josh Sapan, president and CEO of AMC Networks, told investors last May after the net’s flagship shows The Walking Dead and Mad Men each saw huge ratings gains in the wake of the decision to stream previous seasons on Netflix. Presumably, that means Netflix viewers would be pretty upset if they couldn’t watch Walking Dead a season late, too.

The feeling of mutual need is reciprocal. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings last week tipped his hat to the industry on which his business is feeding. Though Hastings calls the linear TV model “ripe for replacement” in an 11-page manifesto, even he doesn’t think Netflix will be the only game in town. “TV Everywhere will provide a smooth economic transition for existing networks,” he predicts. “The same consumer who today finds it worthwhile to pay for a linear TV package will likely pay for a ‘linear plus apps’ package.”

Hastings, too, agrees that the trouble with traditional MVPDs is lack of convenience, and other networks have demonstrated their agreement with that thesis while pointedly stepping on Netflix’s toes.

FX announced at its upfront this year the rollout of FXNow, a complementary authenticated digital service à la HBO GO that includes a section called Movie Bin. The catch: FX has negotiated exclusive windows on its movie content. So while it will certainly be happy to provide episodes of Archer to Netflix, it will also be taking away, for example, Thor from its digital rival. (Windowing wars were a huge deal when HBO was in its ascendancy and competitors like Starz were trying to challenge it; they appear to be on track for a return engagement.)

It’s easy for Hastings to sound so magnanimous. Separately last week, Netflix announced on an earnings call that it had passed Time Warner powerhouse HBO in subscriber numbers for a total of 36 million U.S. customers (it was big news when the service passed 10 million subscribers in 2009). The company’s stock jumps every time it makes a move. Netflix announced last month it had streamed 4 billion hours of video and its share price spiked 3 percent; when it announced the latest customer base, the stock topped $200.

Many see Netflix and services like it (Amazon Instant Video, for example) as the land of milk and honey for the angry hordes ready to flee tyranny—that is, paying an average $160 a month for cable’s triple-play offering. Netflix declined to comment for this story, but Hastings has in the past described the model for the cable industry as “managed disappointment,” adding that his company is happy to take advantage of customer dissatisfaction.

Amazon, too, is trying innovative approaches to programming, including content creation. “Amazon released 14 original pilots; which series end up coming from those will be driven in part by what reception they get from consumers,” says Shawn DuBravac, chief economist and director of research at the Consumer Electronics Association. “When and if they watch them, if they pass them around to their friends—all that information can be captured and analyzed.” It is, DuBravac says, “a more mathematical” approach than the traditional network model.

THE ALTERNATIVE
Networks aren’t blind to that kind of appeal, but there’s other math to be considered. TV programmers understand the strengths of alternatives to traditional cable—they’re easy to use, filled with content and available on any device you’d care to name—but find themselves powerless to match its lateral reach, because their content relies heavily on ad support, and advertisers are used to buying Nielsen GRPs, for which there is no direct equivalent on digital platforms.

“The real issue is that we’re deploying multichannel video services on devices that the industry doesn’t make” or own a stake in, says Jeremy Legg, Turner Entertainment’s svp of business development and multiplatform distribution. Legg has worked with the cable industry’s greatest hope to compete with digital streaming on a level footing: TV Everywhere.

TV Everywhere isn’t one particular service. Rather, it’s more of a rallying cry—a call to all networks and MVPDs to put their content into a VOD package just as friendly and intuitive as Netflix, with more big-ticket programs and movies, and full ad support. Ads are, admittedly, a sticking point. It’s much harder to measure digital viewing than TV viewing, and it’s hard to make sure shows are being watched by someone who actually pays the cable bill. “Historically, whether you were talking about linear video on demand or other services, the set-top box was authenticating people—and you can’t stick a set-top box on an iPad or a mobile phone or anything else,” says Legg. “The industry has to make authentication just as seamless on devices it doesn’t make as it is on devices it does.” 

That has been difficult, to put it mildly. For a while, not all content creators were on board with TV Everywhere. Some saw services like Netflix, which pay hefty license fees, as an easy way to double dip on content costs. They got license fees from Netflix, CPMs from advertisers and carriage fees from MVPDs.

But that strategy, several network insiders told Adweek (none would comment on the record), is not viable in the long term. If a show is available on an $8-per-month service and it sits near enough in time to the same window when it is available on cable, then cable will obviously lose, because consumers will come to believe that all their favorite shows can be made for $8 a month—which, of course, they cannot. “Netflix’s monthly fee is how much it would cost to make one really great channel,” one exec said. One popular network, ESPN, accounts for more than $5 of your cable bill. 

Of course, subscriber fees are a whole new can of worms. Briefly, they’re the portion of a cable bill that goes directly to the networks, and they’re always going up. MVPDs are quick to point out that rising cable bills can be traced to increased sub fees, but John Bergmayer, senior staff attorney at consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge, makes the point that “content companies are only able to charge those prices because they know the price will get passed on to cable customers, because the consumers don’t have another choice.” Cable companies have divided the country up into little fiefdoms where there’s usually only one provider, so consumers upset about exploding bills are stuck. “When you don’t face competition,” Bergmayer says, “there’s really no incentive to be efficient.”

So for TV Everywhere, networks have to provide the incentive to roll out new and better equipment and higher end digital services. The growing presence of TV Everywhere “is essentially part of the consideration set of doing a carriage renewal in the industry,” as Legg explains. “I don’t think it’s coincidental that we’re seeing these around the announcements of carriage renewals.” The price of that, of course, may be that there’s a less pronounced rise in carriage fees for a few rounds of negotiations.

Content fees are a concern for digital-only providers, too. Those dumping money into Netflix stock probably aren’t taking a close look at the company’s SEC filings. Revenue in 2012 was a whopping $3.6 billion, while net income stood at just $17 million. One reason for that disparity is the ballooning costs of all-important content agreements, itemized in the fine print of Netflix’s annual report: As of Dec. 31, 2012, Netflix’s obligations to its licensors was comprised of $1.3 billion itemized on the balance sheet as “current content liabilities,” $1.1 billion designated “non-current content liabilities” and $3.2 billion in “obligations that are not reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as they do not yet meet the criteria for asset recognition.”

And those costs are going way, way up because rights holders are getting warier about the long-term consequences of providing consumers with a cheaper and more convenient way to consume ad-free video. The industry isn’t interested in bringing carriage prices down—not yet, at least—or in removing advertising, so it is focusing on convenience. And that’s what TV Everywhere has been about.

BEWARE THE STATUS QUO
There is some justification for the cavalier attitude toward ad interruptions and rising costs. The U.S. economy, as one programming vet notes, just bottomed out as badly as it has in decades, and yet the video industry barely blinked. Cable is one of the last things consumers cut when tightening their belts.

Pat McDonough, Nielsen’s svp of insights analysis and policy, concludes that consumers are simply adjusting to ad-supported DVR usage with surprisingly little fuss. “They’re adopting the VOD with fast-forward disabled,” she says. “That’s kind of their expectation for programming—I watch TV, I watch commercials.”

The deal breaker, networks believe, is the level of ease. Just as iTunes proved that one could compete with free in the music world, TV Everywhere initiatives are setting out to show their checkmate move will be a cable package allowing consumers unlimited access to recent episodes of their favorite programs. One reason that dream may not have been realized on a cable box is that MVPDs have been so slow to adopt them, because they perceive the networks’ demands for more service as leverage in carriage negotiations, rather than a call to unite in the face of an existential threat.

The MVPDs are playing ball—though rarely without prodding. The growing presence of TV Everywhere “is essentially part of the consideration set of doing a carriage renewal in the industry,” Legg says. “I don’t think it’s coincidental that we’re seeing these around the announcements of carriage renewals.” The price of that, of course, may be that there’s a less pronounced rise in carriage fees for a few rounds of negotiations.

Something has to give, because some MVPDs are responding to the effects of churn. For example, despite massive profits ($2.15 billion in 2012), Time Warner Cable’s COO Rob Marcus told Bloomberg last week that the company plans to provide “fewer channels and fewer features” to consumers in an effort to squeeze more profits from its shrinking number of consumers (11.9 million in Q1, down 119,000 versus Q4 of last year).

That kind of reaction to adversity will no doubt only serve to drive more subscribers into the waiting arms of the Netflixes and Amazons of the world. Should that come to pass, everyone loses.

Jeffrey Schlesinger, president of Warner Bros. Worldwide Television, first noticed the changing vibe at MIPCOM a few years back. The global programming bazaar held every fall in Cannes, France, had for decades attracted many of the same distributors and content producers—an ocean away from the business-as-usual domestic TV business. But the same tectonic changes in technology and media that disrupted domestic TV have since spilled onto the beaches of the French Riviera, opening all sorts of global business opportunities for the old guard. 

 

“Every year or two, there’s a whole species that didn’t come to MIPCOM before who want to get into some form of the entertainment business and acquire content, and we welcome them all with open arms,” says Schlesinger, a major distributor of U.S.-made content that has migrated overseas in all shapes and sizes. (Warner also happens to be on the hunt for novel foreign concepts that can be translated to hit TV here in the U.S.)

Sellers like Schlesinger are shackled to their booths in the Palais des Festivals and surrounding tents for long hours, testing the limits of their bladders after one too many café au laits—while buyers do a mad dash along the Croisette. All told, over 13,000 people will attend MIPCOM, which takes place Oct. 7-10. The hectic pace has only quickened over the years, resulting from a shift in the type of business conducted there. The market has evolved from its original purpose, having in the ’80s attracted wheeler-dealer home video types and by the ’90s broadcast network suits, then followed by cable and satellite execs with original content in tow.

What’s on the agenda for this year’s gathering? As the gamut of digital-content players seek to expand their horizons, there will no doubt be a flurry of talk about the licensing of format rights, both in and out of the U.S. Negotiations will be informed by an increasingly sensitive issue: the sale of content to streaming-video players like Netflix, plus a growing number of services in Europe and Asia. “There are more and more channels there—electronic, sell-through-type operators like Xbox and PlayStation. We’re also seeing subscription video-on-demand services like Amazon and Netflix. There’s just more spectrum of diversity,” says Peter Iacono, managing director of Lionsgate International.

The arrival of over-the-top platforms isn’t entirely new, but it will only keep growing. Jason Ropell, Amazon’s director of international content acquisition, digital video, says he goes for two reasons: to meet with major studios and local content providers alike, and to meet with prospective partners. He uses MIPCOM specifically to acquire programming.

While the pace of the event can be overwhelming, MIPCOM “is a fantastic way to stay up-to-date on the changes, trends and the evolution of the business,” says Bill Simon, senior client partner in the global media/entertainment group at Korn/Ferry International. “It’s a way to stay a part of the industry and not just be a bystander. I always learn a lot about financing methodologies, different revenue streams, different economic models and different technology platforms.”

AGENCY ATTRACTION
Naturally, with virtually every technology and distribution platform breaking baguettes with content providers, a select number of ad agency execs are also searching for fresh opportunity—some to secure branded entertainment fodder, others simply for intelligence gathering. “It’s an amazing platform to not only network and meet the folks who are selling format rights, but also to meet the people who are creating some of those original formats,” says Brent Poer, North American president of Starcom MediaVest Group’s branded-content arm Liquid Thread.

Peter Tortorici, CEO of GroupM Entertainment Global, which creates original content for clients and puts together production partnerships with networks, says he goes to Cannes “looking very, very diligently for brand partners, [focusing] on what can be a successful property.”

And of course, finding the next hot property is top of mind for everybody at MIPCOM. One of the series Ogilvy Entertainment developed, for example, sprang from an initial brief presented at the show, relates president Doug Scott. The series, Horizons: An Insight Into the Future of Global Business, created for Ogilvy client Dupont, airs via BBC News and in syndication, and has been broadcast to 450 million people. In addition, 14 two-minute films airing during ad breaks reached an additional 2 million people in the first two months they were made available online. “It’s factual-based entertainment highlighting the companies, industries and countries working to address the [issues] we have as a planet to feed, protect and provide energy to 7 billion people,” Scott explains.

While deal making is certainly part of MIPCOM’s appeal to agencies, its real value “is more about working with the lead studios and getting to know people in advance of deals,” says Liquid Thread’s Poer. “So if you want to do a global deal on a show that has different partners per country, you’re able to understand where the show is going and how you’re able to work together.”

WINDOWING PHENOM
The disparate companies that have registered for MIPCOM 2013 range from Hulu, Amazon and YouTube from the U.S. to China’s Youku Tudou and Russia’s MTS. They are all expected to focus on one of the hot-button issues of the market: “windowing,” the process of divvying up the distribution windows among a growing assortment of clients without aggravating anyone. “There are a lot of services that are getting traction, and that’s affecting the television broadcasters,” explains Andy Heyward, co-president and CEO of A2 Entertainment Group, which produces children’s programming. “Windowing is becoming a sensitive subject, as is exclusivity.”  

 

 In some regards, the windowing issue carries no more weight than other concerns among U.S. program distributors and networks. But the situation is amplified overseas because of the sheer number of countries and companies negotiating for broadcast, cable, satellite, subscription video on demand and other windows. As with major global network groups like ESPN and Turner, there are players on other continents that have channels across regions, or which have local versions of channels in many different countries.

Balancing the interests of long-standing clients with newbies, and thereby widening the revenue pool, is crucial. International distribution allows American content makers to recover the cost of original programming. “For U.S. nonfiction co-productions, international funding can account for 25 to 40 percent of the budget,” explains Bruce David Klein, president and exec producer of Atlas Media Corp., which makes nonfiction fare. Adds Warner Bros.’ Schlesinger: “Our job is to go out and generate revenue from the international marketplace to recover as much of that [budget] deficit as we can. Only after three or, more likely, four years of production do you have the opportunity to generate syndication or cable sales in the U.S.”

American programs still pack a punch in the global market. For example, three CBS programs—The Big Bang Theory, The Mentalist and The Bold and the Beautiful—were recipients of this year’s International TV Audience Awards at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival. Research indicates that those shows boast the largest global audiences in their respective genres: comedy, drama and daytime drama. Another big winner in years gone by was CBS’ CSI.

And yet, the landscape is shifting for U.S. content. “Years ago, the U.S. versions of shows were highly desirable. Now local content is really at the top of the chart for clients,” explains Marion Edwards, president of international television for 20th Century Fox. The company has licensed local versions of 24 in India, Modern Family in Israel and My Name Is Earl in Greece. Likewise, some of the hottest shows in the U.S. possess foreign DNA: Showtime’s Homeland is based on the Israeli series Hatufim, FX adapted the Danish-Swedish series Bron/Broen into The Bridge, The Voice and Big Brother are Dutch imports, Ugly Betty was based on a Colombian hit, and the list goes on.

More recently, Netflix created its own version of the BBC’s House of Cards, based on a novel by Michael Dobbs, to critical and ratings success. Indeed, the U.S. has adapted many hits from the U.K., and it’s been going on for decades. Think of classics like All in the Family (based on Till Death Do Us Part) and Sanford and Son (Steptoe and Son), not to mention The Office and The X Factor.
“The awareness from a studio perspective of formats or shows from outside the U.S. has certainly increased. [It used to be] if an idea wasn’t born here in the United States, you almost wouldn’t take the pitch. That dynamic has certainly changed significantly,” says Armando Nuñez, president and CEO of the CBS Global Distribution Group.

“The international marketplace is becoming for the U.S. a great place to find new ideas and content,” adds Lou Occhicone, president and COO of Connecticut-based CMJ Concepts, which distributes and develops nonfiction programming.

AMERICANS GOING LOCAL
A sort of reverse osmosis is also taking place. The business of localized scripted formats is particularly ripe right now in Latin American and Middle East markets, where there is a dearth of writing talent that’s found in the U.S., explains 20th Century Fox’s Edwards.

“Half of our conversations with the studios are about content they’ve already produced and half are about formats for local productions,” notes Angel Zambrano, vp acquisitions and syndication for Turner Broadcasting’s channels in Latin America. Similarly, Discovery Networks International has an initiative to create programming specifically for its overseas channels (encompassing 42 brands that include Discovery, TLC or Animal Planet). Among the series created for Discovery channels overseas are My Naked Secret about people who hide abnormal parts of their bodies.

For large groups like Discovery, MIPCOM is a little like a family reunion, as reps from its global channels converge on the company’s booth in the Palais and share notes on what kinds of programming they’d like to produce or acquire, says Luis Silberwasser, DNI’s evp, chief content officer.

Silberwasser is constantly on the move. “By the time you get done with the socializing, you really only have 10 minutes to discuss business,” he cracks. “But even if it’s a short meeting, it’s great. It gives you face-to-face contact with a lot of people who are selling content or creating content. And we’re able to take a pulse of the business.”

On April 22, attorneys for Aereo and the broadcast TV networks will face off before the Supreme Court in American Broadcasting Companies Inc. v. Aereo. The closely watched case could change the course of broadcast television and determine the future of the emerging over-the-top video marketplace. With so much on the line, Aereo—fighting to stay in business—and the broadcasters that want to shut it down have enlisted the services of a couple of big-name Washington attorneys with deep ties to the high court.

The Supreme Court decision, which could come in late summer, will end two years of legal battles that began just prior to Aereo’s launch in New York. What Aereo calls a technology that gets it around the copyright law to deliver over-the-air TV stations on the Internet broadcasters call a legal gimmick and a clear violation of copyright.

As Aereo rolled out in other cities, broadcasters sued. Aereo won in New York and Boston but lost in Utah. When broadcasters petioned the Supreme Court last October to hear the case, the response of Aereo, knowing it faced an endless series of expensive lawsuits, was: Bring it on.

The question before the court Whether a company “publicly performs a copyrighted television program when it retransmits a broadcast of that program to thousands of paid subscribers over the Internet.”

What’s at stake for Aereo?
If it loses, Barry Diller, Aereo’s financial backer, has said the startup is toast. (In an interview with Adweek’s sister The Hollywood Reporter, Diller said Aereo had a 50-50 chance of winning.) Aereo’s business model relies on the court interpreting its low-cost method of delivering over-the-air signals to the Internet via tiny, personal antennas as a personal use and not a public performance of the airwaves. Operating in 11 markets, Aereo could stay in business if it paid copyright fees, but that would likely force it to charge consumers much more than the current $8 monthly fee.

What’s at stake for broadcasters?
For the nets, the case is about who can rebroadcast their over-the-air signals and how. At the moment, anyone who wants to rebroadcast television content online or via cable or satellite must obtain permission from broadcasters. A win for Aereo could change the landscape for retransmission consent between broadcasters and pay-TV providers, forcing broadcasters to experiment with new business models. Fox’s Chase Carey and other broadcasters have threatened to pull content from the air if Aereo wins. CBS’ Les Moonves said it could offer its own Internet service.

Who will win?
The broadcasters seem to have copyright law on their side. Even the government, in an amicus brief, agreed with them. Plus, the U.S. Solicitor General’s office only files when it feels strongly about a case.

REPRESENTING AEREO David Frederick
Partner, Kellogg Huber Hansen Todd Evans & Figel PLLC
Cases argued before the Supreme Court 43, including ABC v. Aereo
Win/Loss 2/3Most famous case Represented 4,500 NFL players last year against the league before district court, resulting in $765 million settlement
Clerkships Law clerk, Supreme Court Justice Byron White, 1991-92
Former position Assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General, 1996-2001
TV provider Declined to answer

REPRESENTING BROADCASTERS Paul Clement
Partner, Bancroft PLLC
Cases argued before the Supreme Court 74, including ABC v. Aereo
Win/Loss“Well above .500”
Most famous cases Affordable Care Act, 2012; defended 26 states in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius
Clerkships Law clerk, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
Former positions U.S. Solicitor General, 2004-08; Acting Attorney General of the U.S., 2007
TV provider Satellite

Two of CBS' biggest crime dramas are heading to Hulu. The video platform scored the exclusive rights to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Elementary.

As more people view shows on digital screens, top players like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon end up battling for premium linear content. Scoring CSI, which was TV's top drama for seven seasons, expands Hulu's offerings to more than 5,300 episodes. While the procedural isn't the powerhouse it used to be—only drawing 7.1 million viewers during its two-hour series finale on Sunday—it did spawn three spin-offs, multiple books and video games, and a forensic science exhibit.

"CSI is one of the biggest brands in the world and is exactly the kind of premium content that marketers love buying from us," Hulu svp of sales Peter Naylor wrote in an email.

CSI will be available in early April for Hulu Plus subscribers, and plans for Elementary will be announced soon. Spinoffs CSI: Miami, CSI: New York and the upcoming CSI: Cyber are not included in the deal.