Solid debut
for NBC's 'Marriage Ref'
New Seinfeld reality show averages a 4.8 in 18-49s
By Toni Fitzgerald
Mar 1, 2010
"The Marriage Ref" had a good series debut Sunday night, airing out of NBC's coverage of the Winter Games closing ceremonies.
But that was to be expected. The big question is how much of that audience will return on Thursday, where "Ref" will usually air, after the show drew mostly critical boos this morning.
"Ref" averaged a 4.8 adults 18-49 rating at 9:30 p.m., according to Nielsen, retaining 91 percent of the Olympic lead-in.
The show, produced by Jerry Seinfeld, drew 14.5 million total viewers and was the easy timeslot winner in both total viewers and 18-49s.
But "Marriage," in which celebrities weigh in on everyday couples' marital woes, was not the night's top reality show. That honor went to CBS's new hit "Undercover Boss," which continues to do well at 9 p.m., averaging a 5.0 to the closing ceremonies' 5.2.
NBC finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 5.3 average overnight rating and a 14 share. CBS was second at 3.1/8, ABC third at 2.6/7, Fox fourth at 2.0/5 and Univision fifth at 1.1/3.
As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Thirty-six percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.
Also, ratings for NBC’s Olympics are approximate as fast nationals measure timeslot and not actual program data.
At 7 p.m. NBC was first with a 4.8 for the Olympics, followed by ABC with a 2.2 for “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” CBS was third with a 1.7 for “60 Minutes,” Fox fourth with a 1.1 for an hour of “'Til Death” and Univision fifth with a 0.8 for “Selena ¡Vive!”
NBC was first again at 8 p.m. with a 6.0 for the Olympics, while CBS moved to second with a 3.2 for “The Amazing Race.” Fox was third with a 2.3 for repeats of “The Simpsons” and “The Cleveland Show,” ABC fourth with a 1.9 for a repeat of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and Univision fifth with a 1.3 for another hour of “Selena.”
At 9 p.m. NBC led with a 5.2 for the Olympics, with CBS second with a 5.0 for “Undercover Boss.” ABC was third with a series-low 3.6 for “Desperate Housewives,” Fox fourth with a 2.5 for “Family Guy” and “American Dad” reruns and Univision fifth with a 1.3 for the final hour of “Selena.”
NBC was first at 10 p.m. with a 5.1 for the last half hour of the Olympics (5.3) and “Ref” (4.8), followed by ABC with a 2.6 for “Brothers & Sisters.” CBS was third with a 2.4 for “Cold Case” and Univision fifth with a 1.1 for “Primer Impacto” and “Noticiero Univision.”
Among households, NBC was first for the night with an 11.3 average overnight rating and an 18 share. CBS was second at 6.8/11, ABC third at 5.1/8, Fox fourth at 2.6/4 and Univision fifth at 1.7/3.
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