Overnights
Solid 'Fringe' debut but no smasheroo
By Toni Fitzgerald
Sep 10, 2008 - 11:50:45 AM

The big buzz on “Fringe” didn’t translate into big ratings for the new Fox show’s premiere last night. The show did win its 90-minute timeslot, but its numbers were relatively unremarkable, coming two weeks before the official start to the fall season.

Meanwhile, another big-buzz show, the CW’s “90210,” saw its ratings plummet in week two after setting a network record for the highest-rated scripted premiere the previous week.

“Fringe” averaged a 3.2 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, airing with limited commercials from 8 to 9:30 p.m. That was solidly ahead of the No. 2 show in the timeslot, ABC’s “Wipeout,” which averaged a 2.9 in that span, but a bit below the season averages of summer hits like that show and “America’s Got Talent.”

“Fringe” did grow among 18-49s and total viewers, where it averaged 9 million, from its first to its third half hour.

Next week “Fringe,” which the network points out was its most-watched non-post sports or “American Idol” drama debut since 2006, will move into its usual 9 p.m. slot behind the season premiere of “House,” which could lift its numbers.

The CW’s “90210” didn’t get any lift in week two. The show slipped 30 percent among the network’s target viewers 18-34, from a 3.0 to a 2.1, and 35 percent among 18-49s, from a 2.6 to a 1.7. It tied for third in its 8 p.m. timeslot among 18-34s, though it was the night's No. 1 show among women 18-34.

The network likely got a big boost last week from older viewers of the original “Beverly Hills, 90210” on Fox who tuned in to the two-hour premiere to see what the show looked like, then decided it was a bit too young-skewing for them.

That certainly didn’t help the debut of lead-out “Privileged,” which averaged a sixth-place 1.5 in 18-34s at 9 p.m., behind Univision and the rest of the Big Five.

But the CW did point out that a couple of affiliates, including St. Louis and Chicago, aired its primetime out of pattern, so results may change a bit when final numbers come out this afternoon taking that into account.

Fox finished first for the night with a 2.9 average overnight rating and an 8 share. ABC was second at 2.7/7, NBC third at 2.4/6, CBS fourth at 2.1/6, Univision fifth at 1.9/5 and CW sixth at 1.5/4.
 
At 8 p.m. Fox led with a 3.1 for the first hour of “Fringe,” followed by ABC with a 2.8 for “Wipeout.” CBS was third with a 2.6 for “Big Brother,” NBC fourth with a 2.3 for “Talent,” Univision fifth with a 2.1 for “Al Diablo con los Guapos” and CW sixth with a 1.7 for “90210.”
 
ABC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 3.0 for another hour of “Wipeout,” while NBC moved up to second with a 2.8 for more “Talent.” Fox was third with a 2.7 for the end of “Fringe” (3.3) and an episode of “Hole in the Wall” (2.1), Univision fourth with a 2.0 for “Fuego en la Sangre,” CBS fifth with a 1.8 for the first half of “Fashion Rocks” and CW sixth with a 1.3 for “Privileged.”
 
At 10 p.m. ABC led again with a 2.2 for “Primetime,” with CBS second with a 2.0 for the second half of “Fashion Rocks.” NBC was third with a 1.9 for a repeat of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and Univision fourth with a 1.5 for “Aqui y Ahora.”
 
NBC was first for the night among households with a 6.6 average overnight rating and an 11 share. Fox was second at 5.2/8, ABC third at 4.1/7, CBS fourth at 3.7/6, Univision fifth at 2.3/4 and CW sixth at 2.2/3.