Overnights
Air ball for new 'Shaq's Big Challenge'
By Toni Fitzgerald
Jun 27, 2007 - 12:19:13 PM

One month into the summer season, broadcast is still looking for its first new hit. Yet another new reality show debuted to low ratings last night, hobbled by facing the year’s top summer show in the same timeslot.

ABC’s “Shaq’s Big Challenge” averaged a 1.7 adults 18-49 rating last night, according to Nielsen overnights, placing third in its 9 p.m. timeslot behind NBC’s dominant “America’s Got Talent” and Fox’s “House” rerun.

Among total viewers, the new show averaged 4.42 million, behind NBC, Fox and even a rerun of CBS’s “The Unit.”

“Challenge” is the fourth new ABC show to premiere this summer to less-than-solid ratings. “Fast Cars & Superstars,” “Ex-Wives Club” and “The Next Best Thing” all debuted to a 2.5 or below, and all sank in later outings.

“Challenge's” weak lead-in, reruns of “According to Jim,” certainly didn’t help.

But ABC is hardly the only network to see disappointing ratings for new shows this summer. CBS earlier this week yanked “Creature Comforts,” an animated series, after only a few outings and dismal ratings.

Its “Pirate Master” is being booted to Tuesday after a poor Thursday performance, and Fox’s “On the Lot” averaged a mere 1.1 last night.

“Challenge” features NBA star Shaquille O’Neal taking a group of obese kids under his wing and helping them get healthy. Media Life TV critic Andrew Lyons praised the show, writing, “That seriousness of purpose, O'Neal's enthusiasm and a complicated but sympathetic group of kids make ‘Challenge’ a television rarity: an entertaining, informative and even inspirational series that mostly avoids cheesiness.”

NBC finished first for the night among viewers 18-49 with a 3.4 average overnight rating and a 10 share. ABC followed at 1.8/5, with Fox third at 1.6/5, CBS fourth at 1.5/5, Univision fifth at 1.4/4 and CW sixth at 0.5/2.
 
At 8 p.m., NBC started the night in the lead with a 3.3 rating for its first hour of “Talent,” with CBS second with a 1.7 for a repeat of “NCIS.” ABC was third that hour with a 1.5 for an hour of “According to Jim” reruns, while Fox and Univision tied for fourth at 1.1, Fox for “On the Lot” and Univision for “Yo Amo a Juan Querendon.” CW was sixth with a 0.6 for a repeat of “Gilmore Girls.”
 
NBC extended its lead at 9 p.m. as the second hour of “Talent” grew to a 4.1. Fox moved up to second that hour with a 2.3 for a “House” repeat, with ABC third with a 1.7 for “Shaq’s Big Challenge” and Univision fourth with a 1.6 for “Destilando Amor.” That left CBS fifth with a 1.0 for a repeat of “The Unit” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for a “Veronica Mars” rerun.
 
At 10 p.m. NBC led once more, this time with a 2.8 for a repeat of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” ABC was second with a 2.1 for “Primetime: Family Secrets,” CBS third with a 1.8 for “48 Hours Mystery” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Ver para Creer.”
 
NBC also led the night among households, coming in with a 6.7 average rating and a 12 share. CBS was second at 4.6/8, ABC third at 3.3/6, Fox fourth at 2.9/5, Univision fifth at 1.8/3 and CW sixth at 1.0/2.