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Once again the 'Tonight' torch passes
By Kevin Downey
May 29, 2009 - 1:03:57 AM
In some ways, Jay Leno's final night as host of the "Tonight Show" seems anticlimactic.
He signs off tonight, formally passing the torch to Conan O’Brien, who takes over on Monday, only to return in a few months to host NBC's new "Jay Leno Show" airing weeknights at 10.
How unlike the final signoff of predecessor Johnny Carson in 1992, a major event in television history that saw a huge tune-in. More than 41 million people watched his final episode.
But the two departures have more in common than one might think.
Both hosts were pushed out by NBC before they were ready to go.
Carson's ratings were still quite strong in 1992, and he was very much a late-night institution with little competition. He was late-night television. In fact, media buyers at the time were shocked to learn he was leaving. One reason his last night's ratings were so high was because fans rallied in support.
Similarly, Leno got the push before he was ready to go, and unlike Carson he was not going to disappear. Rather than see Leno picked up by a competing network, NBC chose to create the new 10 p.m. weeknight show and lock him into it.
Leno won't see ratings for his final night anything like what Carson drew, but he should do quite well. Ratings have been picking up heading into his final night.
On Wednesday, “Tonight” pulled a 4.9 household rating and 12 share, based on Nielsen metered-market ratings. That’s the best rating for the show since President Barack Obama made an appearance in March.
For the season so far, “Tonight” has strengthened its lead among 18-49s over CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman” from 25 percent last year to 30 percent, according to NBC.
In viewers, “Tonight’s” lead over “Letterman” is 34 percent, compared to 29 percent this time in 2008.
On both measures, Leno’s lead partly reflects Obama’s appearance, when “Tonight” more than almost tripled its average audience. Nearly 15 million people tuned in, compared to just over 5 million for an average episode.
This season, “Tonight” is averaging 5.1 million viewers. “Letterman” has 3.9 million, while ABC’s “Nightline” also has an average 3.9 million viewers.
The week ending May 15, “Tonight” had 5 million viewers. “Nightline” had 3.8 million and “Late Show” had 3.7 million viewers.
“Tonight” averaged a 1.4 rating among 18-49s, compared to “Nightline’s” 1.1 and “Late Show’s” 1 rating.
Leno has always pulled respectable ratings, but his “Tonight” lost much of the cachet that Carson had built up.
That’s understandable. While Carson had few competitors during his run, Leno has fended off numerous competitors, including Letterman and countless cable shows that Carson didn’t need to worry about.
***
In dayparts for the week ended May 17, NBC’s “Meet the Press” was the most-watched Sunday morning show with 3.27 million tuning in, followed by ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” with 2.8 million viewers, CBS’s “Face the Nation” with 2.14 million and Fox “News Sunday” with 1.33 million. Among the 25-54 demographic, NBC averaged a 0.9 rating, followed by ABC at 0.8, CBS at 0.6 and Fox at 0.4.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first for the week with 5.6 million total viewers, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.3 million and CBS’s “The Early Show” with 2.9 million. “Today” averaged a 4.2 household rating and a 15 share, followed by “Good Morning America” at 3.3/12 and “Early Show” at 2.1/8.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” led the week with 5.0 million total viewers, followed by ABC’s “Nightline” with 3.8 million and CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” with 3.7 million. In late late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” drew 2.0 million viewers, with CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” bringing in 1.9 million, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” 1.7 million and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” 1.1 million. Among 18-49s, “Tonight Show” averaged a 1.4 rating, followed by “Nightline” at 1.1 and “Late Show” at 1.0. In late late night, “Late Night” averaged a 0.8 rating, “Late Late Show” and “Kimmel” a 0.6 (with a Monday encore for “Kimmel”) and “Last Call” a 0.5 (also with a Monday encore).
In daytime, CBS was first with 3.45 million total viewers, ABC second with 2.85 million and NBC third with 2.71 million. Among women 18-49, ABC and NBC tied for first, each with a 1.3 rating, with CBS third at 1.1.
In evening network news for the week ended May 24, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first with 7.3 million total viewers and a 1.7 rating among adults 25-54. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” averaged 6.9 million viewers and a 1.5 rating, followed by CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” with 5.4 million and a 1.2 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending May 17, 2009
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press
|
NBC |
2.4 |
7 |
0.9 |
3.279 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos
|
ABC |
2.0 |
6 |
0.8 |
2.800 |
|
Face the Nation
|
CBS |
1.4 |
4 |
0.6 |
2.139 |
|
News Sunday
|
Fox |
0.9 |
3 |
0.4 |
1.329 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending May 17, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
5.0 |
1.4 |
|
Nightline
|
ABC |
3.8 |
1.1 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman
|
CBS |
3.7 |
1.0 |
|
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon |
NBC |
2.0 |
0.8 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
|
CBS |
1.9 |
0.6 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live* |
ABC |
1.7 |
0.6 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly*
|
NBC |
1.1 |
0.5 |
|
* Monday's "Last Call" and "Kimmel" were encores
Source: NTI |
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending May 17, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today
|
NBC |
4.2 |
15 |
5.6 |
|
Good Morning
America
|
ABC |
3.3 |
12 |
4.3 |
|
Early Show
|
CBS |
2.1 |
8 |
2.9 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending May 17, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS
|
3.45 |
1.1 |
|
ABC
|
2.85 |
1.3 |
|
NBC
|
2.71 |
1.3 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending May 24, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
|
NBC |
1.7 |
7.344 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson
|
ABC |
1.5 |
6.873 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric
|
CBS |
1.2 |
5.404 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending May 10, 2009 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
6.5
|
7417
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
5.3
|
6104
|
|
3
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
5.2
|
5899
|
|
4
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
4.6
|
5306
|
|
5
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.1
|
4648
|
|
6
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.0
|
4625
|
|
7
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
3.8
|
4342
|
|
8
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.3
|
3809
|
|
9
|
CSI NEW YORK-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.2
|
3651
|
|
10
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.0
|
3405
|
|
10
|
LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
3.0
|
3385
|
|
12
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.9
|
3364
|
|
12
|
INSIDE EDITION (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.9
|
3339
|
|
14
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
2.8
|
3216
|
|
15
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
2.6
|
2922
|
|
16
|
KING OF THE HILL-SYN(AT)
|
2/T
|
2.5
|
2893
|
|
16
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND
|
CTD
|
2.5
|
2828
|
|
18
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.4
|
2793
|
|
18
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.4
|
2741
|
|
20
|
GEORGE LOPEZ WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.3
|
2680
|
|
20
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
2.3
|
2678
|
|
20
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.3
|
2652
|
|
23
|
GEORGE LOPEZ WKND A (AT)
|
WB
|
2.2
|
2558
|
|
23
|
ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW
|
WB
|
2.2
|
2535
|
|
23
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
2.2
|
2503
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
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