It certainly seems like the 1990s all over again. A Democratic president is about to enter the White House, the economy is in the tank, and the hot show in syndication is two parts fantasy, one part smoking-hot warrior.
This time it’s not “Xena, Warrior Princes” or “Hercules” but rather a distant cousin of them both, “Legend of the Seeker,” which premiered over the weekend to solid ratings.
The first-run weekly syndicated series averaged a 1.5 household rating and 3 share in 54 metered markets, according to Nielsen, seeing substantial timeslot gains compared to last year in many of the country’s largest markets.
In Chicago, where the show aired on Tribune’s WGN, it was up 80 percent over the previous year, while it improved 117 percent in Boston. New York, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Houston all saw double-digit improvements over the same timeslot the previous year.
The show is available to run on weekends, and it did slightly better on Sunday than it did on Saturday in its debut, averaging a 1.4 on day one and a 1.7 on day two.
The program saw its biggest year-to-year up ticks demographically among men 25-54, where it was up 40 percent in some markets.
“Seeker” is a clear throw-back to the era of “Xena,” when fantasy was among the most popular syndicated genres. The new show is produced by the same team, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, behind “Xena” and “Hercules,” and it’s based on a series of novels by Terry Goodkind.
It tells the tale of Richard Cypher, a woodsman who frequently doffs his shirt. He’s soon befriended by a mysterious girl and a wizard who want to use his until-now secret powers to defeat an evil tyrant.
It’s been years since such a program thrived in syndication, however, and some questioned the appetite for such a show when ABC Studios announced it last season.
But early on, there seems to be interest. “Seeker” outdrew, for example, “Xena’s” 1.4 average during its final season. The producers smartly posted a free half hour preview of the show on iTunes to stoke interest, and forums dedicated to the show have already generated thousands of posts.
Still, the ratings will have to hold up over the next few weeks to label “Seeker” a success.
***
Meanwhile, in other dayparts for the week ended Oct. 26, NBC’s “Meet the Press” was first among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 4.75 million tuning in and among viewers 25-54 with a 1.4 rating. ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” was second in viewers with 3.36 million and among 25-54s with a 0.9, with CBS’s “Face the Nation” pulling 2.78 million viewers and a 0.8 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” averaged 1.56 million viewers and a 0.5 rating among 25-54s.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” was first for the week in encore episodes, averaging 4.1 million total viewers and a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49. CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman,” also in encores, had 3.8 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in the demo, with ABC’s “Nightline” pulled 3.8 million viewers and a 1.0. In late-late night, CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” had 1.9 million total viewers and a 0.6 in 18-49s, with reruns of NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” averaging 1.7 million viewers and a 0.7 in 18-49s. ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” averaged 1.7 million viewers and a 0.6 (with an encore episode on Monday), and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” brought in 1.2 million viewers and a 0.5 among 18-49s (in reruns).
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 5.3 million total viewers and a 4.0 household rating and 14 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.2 million viewers and a 3.2/12. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.6 million total viewers and a 2.1/7.
CBS had the largest full daytime audience during the week, averaging 3.53 million viewers, but was third among women 18-49 with a 1.1 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 3.06 million viewers, and was second among women 18-49 with a 1.3 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.99 million but was first among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating.
In evening network news for the week ended Nov. 2, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first among total viewers, averaging 8.36 million, but second among 25-54s with a 2.1 average rating. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was second in viewers, averaging 8.34 million, and first in 25-54s with a 2.2 rating, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with 6.01 million total viewers and a 1.4 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending October 26, 2008
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
3.5 |
10 |
1.4 |
4.749 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
2.4 |
7 |
0.9 |
3.356 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
1.9 |
5 |
0.8
|
2.781 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
1.1 |
3 |
0.5 |
1.559 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending October 26, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno* |
NBC |
4.1 |
1.2 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman* |
CBS |
3.8 |
1.1 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.8 |
1.0 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.9 |
0.6 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien* |
NBC |
1.7 |
0.7 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live** |
ABC |
1.7 |
0.6 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly* |
NBC |
1.2 |
0.5 |
|
* Encore episodes
** Encore on Monday
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending October 26, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.0 |
14 |
5.3 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.2 |
12 |
4.2 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.1 |
7 |
2.6 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending October 26, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.53 |
1.1 |
|
ABC |
3.06 |
1.3 |
|
NBC |
2.99 |
1.4 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending November 2, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.1 |
8.363 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.2 |
8.343 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.4 |
6.006 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending October 26, 2008
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
7.5
|
8532
|
|
2
|
ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON
|
ESP
|
7.4
|
8511
|
|
3
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
6.1
|
7013
|
|
4
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
5.2
|
5905
|
|
5
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
4.9
|
5612
|
|
6
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.4
|
5024
|
|
7
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.3
|
4929
|
|
8
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
3.8
|
4386
|
|
9
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.5
|
3967
|
|
10
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
3.4
|
3881
|
|
11
|
CSI NEW YORK-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.3
|
3779
|
|
12
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.2
|
3678
|
|
13
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
3.0
|
3472
|
|
14
|
INSIDE EDITION (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.9
|
3357
|
|
14
|
LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
2.9
|
3342
|
|
16
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND
|
CTD
|
2.8
|
3220
|
|
17
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.7
|
3110
|
|
18
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
2.6
|
2963
|
|
18
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.6
|
2953
|
|
20
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
2.5
|
2918
|
|
20
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
2.5
|
2811
|
|
22
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.3
|
2593
|
|
22
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.3
|
2588
|
|
24
|
COLD CASE-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
2.2
|
2573
|
|
24
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.2
|
2559
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
