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Ashlee Simpson,
queen of teens. Not. 

Hot girl. Hot new season, except among 12-17s.

By
Diego Vasquez

    It would only make perfect sense that Ashlee Simpson’s success and the success of her MTV show stem mainly from her teen fans. She is indeed so teeny. There was her stint on “7th Heaven,” her appearances on “TRL” and the fact that she herself just turned 20 in October. She's several years younger than big sis Jessica.
   But it's simply not the case.
   Season two of MTV’s “The Ashlee Simpson Show” debuted last week, and it turns out the singer is hot with just about everyone but viewers 12-17. They are not watching in droves.
   "Ashlee" ranked No. 4 for the week in MTV’s target 12-34 audience, attracting 2.07 million viewers. That put it right behind its lead-in, sister Jessica’s “Newlyweds,” whose season premiere brought in 2.4 million.
   Similarly, among viewers 12-24, “Ashlee” finished No. 5 on cable last week (1.33 million), right behind “Newlyweds’” No. 3 finish (1.58 million).
   Yet among 12-17s, it’s quite a different story. The “Newlyweds” premiere finished No. 8 among teens, bringing in 653,000 viewers. But “Ashlee” lost 21.2 percent of that demo, pulling in 514,000 12-17s and not even cracking the top 20.
   One almost hesitates to ponder why teens adore Jessica but have chilled on Ashlee. Maybe Ashlee’s teen fans are still upset about the whole “Saturday Night Live” lip-syncing fiasco. Maybe they prefer a little more conflict in their reality fare a la “The Real World” or the oft-bickering “Newlyweds.” Or maybe seeing Ashlee booed off the stage at the Orange Bowl was taken as a signal that the younger sister is about to become yesterday's pop news.
   But actually, it turns out teens never particularly cared much for Ashlee in the first place.
   Back in July, during the first season of her show, all four episodes of “Ashlee” made the top 20 for the entire month on cable among viewers 12-34. Not one of those episodes made the top 20 among teens.
   In August, the lone episode of “Ashlee” that aired finished the month in the top 10 on cable among viewers 18-34 but failed to show up in the top 20 among 12-17s.
   Is there deeper meaning to be read into all of this? 
   Certainly some. It suggests that the younger sister's career isn't as promising as it appeared in the summer when her show showed steady gains on her older sister's. If you're a dud with teens and you're on MTV, you've got a problem.
   It also suggests that even the star-creating machine that is MTV has its limits, and passing the less-talented Ashlee off as a singer may be one of them. Having seen her star rise over the summer, might we now see it flutter, flicker, fumble and fall in these dark winter months? Worse destinies have befallen finer talents.
  
  Elsewhere among young viewers, Fox’s “American Idol” was dominant in just about every demo last week, its second of the season. Two episodes of “Idol” finished Nos. 1 and 2 on all of broadcast and cable in every demo—total viewers, 18-49s, 18-34s, 18-24s, 12-24s, 12-17s and 9-14s—except one, 2-11s, in which it finished No. 1 and No. 3.
    In that demo, an episode of Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” snuck into the No. 2 spot, attracting 2.88 million kids 2-11.


TOP 30 PROGRAMS - BROADCAST & BASIC CABLE TV
Adults 18-49
Week Ending January 30, 2005

 

Program

Net

Rtg%

In Millions

1

AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY

FOX

12.1

15.68

2

AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY

FOX

11.2

14.58

3

E.R.

NBC

9.1

11.77

4

CSI

CBS

7.3

9.44

5

APPRENTICE 3

NBC

7.1

9.27

6

EXTRM MAKEOVER:HM ED-1/30(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

7.0

9.05

7

EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P

ABC

6.9

8.91

8

MEDIUM

NBC

6.2

8.06

9

SIMPLE LIFE 3

FOX

6.2

8.03

10

CSI: NY

CBS

5.9

7.71

11

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES SPL(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

5.6

7.21

12

LAW AND ORDER:SVU

NBC

5.4

6.97

13

CSI: MIAMI

CBS

5.3

6.88

14

24

FOX

5.1

6.58

15

NUMB3RS

CBS

5.0

6.48

16

HOUSE

FOX

5.0

6.45

17

ALIAS

ABC

4.8

6.29

18

LAW AND ORDER:CRIM INTENT

NBC

4.8

6.26

19

LAS VEGAS

NBC

4.8

6.25

20

FEAR FACTOR

NBC

4.8

6.22

21

TONIGHT SHOW

NBC

4.8

6.21

22

AMAZING RACE: 6

CBS

4.7

6.13

23

SIMPSONS

FOX

4.7

6.06

24

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND

CBS

4.6

5.94

25

TWO AND A HALF MEN

CBS

4.6

5.92

26

CROSSING JORDAN

NBC

4.5

5.88

27

WITHOUT A TRACE

CBS

4.5

5.86

28

JOEY

NBC

4.3

5.64

29

CBS SUNDAY MOVIE

CBS

4.3

5.52

30

ACCORDING TO JIM 9PM

ABC

4.2

5.43

Source: MTV Networks, based on data from Nielsen Media Research

 

TOP 30 PROGRAMS - BROADCAST & BASIC CABLE TV
Adults 18-34
Week Ending January 30, 2005

Rank

Program

Net

Rtg%

In Millions

1

AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY

FOX

12.1

7.91

2

AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY

FOX

10.8

7.05

3

E.R.

NBC

8.3

5.44

4

SIMPLE LIFE 3

FOX

7.0

4.59

5

APPRENTICE 3

NBC

7.0

4.59

6

EXTRM MAKEOVER:HM ED-1/30(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

6.8

4.43

7

EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P

ABC

6.1

3.99

8

SIMPSONS

FOX

5.3

3.46

9

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES SPL(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

5.2

3.42

10

CSI

CBS

5.1

3.37

11

MEDIUM

NBC

4.7

3.08

12

LAS VEGAS

NBC

4.7

3.04

13

FEAR FACTOR

NBC

4.5

2.97

14

O.C.

FOX

4.5

2.97

15

LAW AND ORDER:SVU

NBC

4.5

2.95

16

HOUSE

FOX

4.2

2.72

17

24

FOX

4.0

2.60

18

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

FOX

4.0

2.59

19

CSI: NY

CBS

3.9

2.57

20

AMAZING RACE: 6

CBS

3.9

2.55

21

ALIAS

ABC

3.9

2.55

22

CSI: MIAMI

CBS

3.8

2.50

23

JOEY

NBC

3.8

2.49

24

CROSSING JORDAN

NBC

3.6

2.38

25

LAW AND ORDER:CRIM INTENT

NBC

3.6

2.37

26

SUPERNANNY

ABC

3.5

2.28

27

SIMPSONS-SUN 9:30P

FOX

3.5

2.26

28

BACHELORETTE, THE

ABC

3.5

2.26

29

TRADING SPOUSES

FOX

3.4

2.23

30

7TH HEAVEN - WB

WB

3.4

2.20

Source: MTV Networks, based on data from Nielsen Media Research

 

TOP 30 PROGRAMS - BROADCAST & BASIC CABLE TV
Adults 18-24
Week Ending January 30, 2005

Rank

Program

Net

Rtg%

In Millions

1

AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY

FOX

9.1

2.54

2

AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY

FOX

8.4

2.33

3

SIMPLE LIFE 3

FOX

7.0

1.94

4

E.R.

NBC

4.9

1.37

5

EXTRM MAKEOVER:HM ED-1/30(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

4.9

1.36

6

O.C.

FOX

4.9

1.36

7

EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P

ABC

4.3

1.20

8

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES SPL(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

4.2

1.17

9

SIMPSONS

FOX

3.9

1.08

10

7TH HEAVEN - WB

WB

3.8

1.05

11

REAL WORLD XV

MTV

3.6

1.01

12

CSI

CBS

3.4

0.96

13

RW/RR BATTLE OF SEXES II

MTV

3.4

0.95

14

APPRENTICE 3

NBC

3.3

0.93

15

NEWLYWEDS: NICK & JESSICA

MTV

3.3

0.92

16

THE ASHLEE SIMPSON SHOW

MTV

2.9

0.81

17

HOUSE

FOX

2.9

0.80

17

LAW AND ORDER:SVU

NBC

2.9

0.80

19

ALIAS

ABC

2.8

0.79

20

SIMPSONS-SUN 9:30P

FOX

2.8

0.78

21

FAMILY GUY

FOX

2.7

0.75

22

GILMORE GIRLS - WB

WB

2.6

0.72

23

FEAR FACTOR

NBC

2.6

0.71

24

AMAZING RACE: 6

CBS

2.6

0.71

25

SMALLVILLE - WB

WB

2.5

0.70

26

WITHOUT A TRACE

CBS

2.5

0.70

27

ONE TREE HILL - WB

WB

2.5

0.69

28

24

FOX

2.5

0.69

29

POINT PLEASANT

FOX

2.5

0.68

30

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEEN

MTV

2.4

0.68

Source: MTV Networks, based on data from Nielsen Media Research

 

TOP 30 PROGRAMS - BROADCAST & BASIC CABLE TV
People 12-24
Week Ending January 30, 2005

Rank

Program

Net

Rtg%

In Millions

1

AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY

FOX

10.2

5.35

2

AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY

FOX

10.0

5.22

3

SIMPLE LIFE 3

FOX

7.4

3.88

4

O.C.

FOX

5.1

2.69

5

EXTRM MAKEOVER:HM ED-1/30(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

4.7

2.47

6

SIMPSONS

FOX

4.5

2.36

7

EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P

ABC

4.1

2.15

8

7TH HEAVEN - WB

WB

3.9

2.05

9

REAL WORLD XV

MTV

3.9

2.05

10

E.R.

NBC

3.9

2.03

11

SIMPSONS-SUN 9:30P

FOX

3.8

1.97

12

CSI

CBS

3.6

1.87

13

FAMILY GUY

FOX

3.5

1.83

14

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES SPL(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

3.4

1.80

15

RW/RR BATTLE OF SEXES II

MTV

3.4

1.78

16

NEWLYWEDS: NICK & JESSICA

MTV

3.0

1.58

17

ONE TREE HILL - WB

WB

3.0

1.56

18

HOUSE

FOX

2.9

1.52

19

24

FOX

2.8

1.49

20

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

FOX

2.8

1.45

21

APPRENTICE 3

NBC

2.8

1.45

22

MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE

FOX

2.7

1.42

23

AMAZING RACE: 6

CBS

2.7

1.41

24

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEEN

MTV

2.7

1.40

25

FEAR FACTOR

NBC

2.6

1.36

26

THE ASHLEE SIMPSON SHOW

MTV

2.5

1.33

27

TRADING SPOUSES

FOX

2.5

1.28

28

POINT PLEASANT

FOX

2.4

1.28

29

ALIAS

ABC

2.4

1.28

30

FAMILY GUY

TOON

2.4

1.24

Source: MTV Networks, based on data from Nielsen Media Research

 

TOP 30 PROGRAMS - BROADCAST & BASIC CABLE TV
Teens 12-17
Week Ending January 30, 2005

Rank

Program

Net

Rtg%

In Millions

1

AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY

FOX

11.8

2.89

2

AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY

FOX

11.5

2.81

3

SIMPLE LIFE 3

FOX

7.9

1.94

4

O.C.

FOX

5.4

1.34

5

SIMPSONS

FOX

5.2

1.28

6

SIMPSONS-SUN 9:30P

FOX

4.8

1.18

7

EXTRM MAKEOVER:HM ED-1/30(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

4.5

1.10

8

FAMILY GUY

FOX

4.4

1.08

9

REAL WORLD XV

MTV

4.2

1.04

10

7TH HEAVEN - WB

WB

4.1

1.00

11

EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P

ABC

3.9

0.95

12

CSI

CBS

3.7

0.91

13

MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE

FOX

3.6

0.88

14

ONE TREE HILL - WB

WB

3.5

0.86

15

RW/RR BATTLE OF SEXES II

MTV

3.4

0.83

16

24

FOX

3.3

0.80

17

UNFABULOUS

NICK

3.2

0.78

18

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

FOX

3.2

0.78

19

YU-GI-OH - WB

WB

3.0

0.74

20

WWE SMACKDOWN!

UPN

3.0

0.74

21

YU-GI-OH 2 - WB

WB

3.0

0.74

22

DRAGON BALL GT

TOON

3.0

0.73

23

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEEN

MTV

3.0

0.72

24

HOUSE

FOX

2.9

0.72

25

ZOEY 101

NICK

2.9

0.71

26

TRADING SPOUSES

FOX

2.9

0.71

27

AMAZING RACE: 6

CBS

2.9

0.70

28

E.R.

NBC

2.7

0.66

29

FAMILY GUY

TOON

2.7

0.66

30

NEWLYWEDS: NICK & JESSICA

MTV

2.7

0.65

Source: MTV Networks, based on data from Nielsen Media Research

 

TOP 30 PROGRAMS - BROADCAST & BASIC CABLE TV
Kids 9-14
Week Ending January 30, 2005

Rank

Program

Net

Rtg%

In Millions

1

AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY

FOX

11.6

2.84

2

AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY

FOX

11.4

2.79

3

UNFABULOUS

NICK

8.2

2.01

4

ZOEY 101

NICK

8.0

1.96

5

NED DECLASSIFIED

NICK

7.1

1.75

6

ROMEO!

NICK

6.4

1.58

7

SIMPLE LIFE 3

FOX

6.4

1.58

8

SIMPSONS

FOX

5.4

1.31

9

EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P

ABC

5.1

1.26

10

DRAKE & JOSH

NICK

4.9

1.21

11

UNFABULOUS

NICK

4.8

1.17

12

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

4.6

1.12

12

FULL HOUSE

NAN

4.6

1.12

14

UNFABULOUS

NICK

4.5

1.11

15

EXTRM MAKEOVER:HM ED-1/30(S)-01/30/2005

ABC

4.5

1.10

16

SPONGEBOB

NICK

4.4

1.08

17

SPONGEBOB

NICK

4.4

1.07

18

SPONGEBOB

NICK

4.3

1.06

19

SIMPSONS-SUN 9:30P

FOX

4.3

1.05

20

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

4.3

1.05

21

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

4.3

1.04

22

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

4.2

1.04

23

SPONGEBOB

NICK

4.2

1.04

24

DRAKE & JOSH

NICK

4.2

1.02

24

DRAKE & JOSH

NICK

4.2

1.02

26

WWE SMACKDOWN!

UPN

4.1

1.02

27

SPONGEBOB

NICK

4.1

1.00

28

TEEN TITANS

TOON

4.1

1.00

29

DRAKE & JOSH

NICK

4.1

1.00

30

SPONGEBOB

NICK

4.0

0.99

Source: MTV Networks, based on data from Nielsen Media Research

 

TOP 30 PROGRAMS - BROADCAST & BASIC CABLE TV
Kids 2-11
Week Ending January 30, 2005

Rank

Program

Net

Rtg%

In Millions

1

AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY

FOX

8.0

3.17

2

SPONGEBOB

NICK

7.3

2.88

3

AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY

FOX

7.0

2.78

4

SPONGEBOB

NICK

7.0

2.77

5

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

6.9

2.74

6

SPONGEBOB

NICK

6.8

2.68

7

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

6.6

2.63

8

SPONGEBOB

NICK

6.3

2.50

9

ZOEY 101

NICK

6.2

2.44

10

UNFABULOUS

NICK

6.1

2.43

11

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

5.8

2.28

12

SPONGEBOB

NICK

5.8

2.28

13

NED DECLASSIFIED

NICK

5.6

2.21

14

SPONGEBOB

NICK

5.5

2.17

15

TEENAGE ROBOT

NICK

5.4

2.15

16

DRAKE & JOSH

NICK

5.4

2.14

17

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

5.2

2.08

18

ZOEY 101

NICK

5.2

2.06

19

RUGRATS

NICK

5.2

2.05

20

SPONGEBOB

NICK

5.2

2.04

21

ZOEY 101

NICK

5.1

2.03

22

JIMMY NEUTRON

NICK

5.1

2.03

23

TEENAGE ROBOT

NICK

5.1

2.02

24

DANNY PHANTOM

NICK

5.1

2.02

25

SPONGEBOB

NICK

5.1

2.01

26

SPONGEBOB

NICK

5.1

2.01

27

RUGRATS

NICK

5.1

2.00

28

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

5.0

2.00

29

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

5.0

1.99

30

SPONGEBOB

NICK

5.0

1.99

Source: MTV Networks, based on data from Nielsen Media Research

 


Feb. 4, 2005 © 2005 Media Life


- Diego Vasquez is a staff writer for Media Life.


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