For most of the networks, Friday has become a dead zone. The night is littered with reality and game shows well past their prime, or scripted shows that are being burned off.
Not on CBS. The only network to stick with scripted drama the entire night has dominated Fridays this season despite slight ratings declines, proving that viewers will make an effort to tune in if you give them appealing choices.
Last Friday, Nov. 7, CBS hit a season high with an average 2.6 adults 18-49 rating and 8 share on the night. That was 37 percent ahead of No. 2 ABC at 1.9/6, despite running one rerun in its lineup. The CW was the only other network to air a rerun that night.
Nonetheless, CBS swept every hour, with “Ghost Whisperer” at 8 p.m. the night’s top-rated show with a 2.8. While all three of CBS’s scripted programs managed a 2.4 or better, only one other show, ABC’s “20/20,” broke the 2.0 barrier on the night.
CBS’s domination on the night, where it has won six straight weeks though it's off 14 percent from last season, comes as the other networks have backed off slightly. ABC plugged two reality shows, “Wife Swap” and “Supernanny,” into the 8 and 9 p.m. slots after the disappointing failure of scripted drama “Women’s Murder Club” on the night last year.
Fox, which has long struggled on Friday, is down 8 percent on the year after moving the game shows “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” to Friday.
NBC has seen its ratings plunge almost by half after canceling long-running but expensive drama “Las Vegas” in favor of the critically hailed but struggling “Life.” The latter was moved to Wednesday last week and replaced by “Lipstick Jungle,” a low-rated second-year drama expected to be canceled after it burns through its remaining episodes.
Meanwhile, CBS has taken a more aggressive approach to Friday. Though dramas “Whisperer” and 10 p.m. show “Numb3rs” have always produced solid numbers, the network has never tried to mess with their success by moving them to a different night, where they’d presumably get more exposure.
Instead the network has nurtured the shows on Friday, despite continuing trouble in filling the 9 p.m. slot. CBS has gone through three shows in three seasons in the slot, but to its credit, they’ve all been dramas with high production values, not cheap-fix unscripted shows like “America’s Toughest Jobs,” which NBC tried out briefly earlier this year.
For now, the solid performance of repeats of “NCIS,” which replaced the canceled “Ex List” two weeks ago, will give CBS ample time to decide what to do with the slot. “NCIS” averaged a 2.4 rating last week, 26 percent ahead of second-place “Supernanny.”
And “Whisperer” could see a boost over the next few weeks after using a sure-fire sweeps ratings-grabber last week. The show killed off lead character Melinda’s husband after months of speculation, but don’t weep too hard for her. After all, the show’s built on the premise that Melinda can see dead people.
***
Meanwhile, in broadcast ratings for the week ended Nov. 9:
Among adults 18-49, ABC and NBC tied for first, each with a 3.2 average rating and an 8 share, followed by CBS at 3.0/8, Fox at 2.3/6, Univision at 1.6/4, CW at 1.1/3, MyNetworkTV at 0.5/1, Telemundo at 0.4/1, Telefutura at 0.3/1, and Ion and Azteca at 0.1/0.
Among adults 18-34, NBC was first with a 2.8 average rating and an 8 share, followed by ABC at 2.5/7, Fox at 2.2/6, CBS at 2.1/6, Univision at 1.6/5, CW at 1.3/4, Telemundo and MyNetworkTV at 0.5/1, Telefutura at 0.3/1, and Ion and Azteca at 0.1/0.
Among adults 25-54, ABC and CBS tied for first, each with a 3.9 rating and 9 share, followed by NBC at 3.7/9, Fox at 2.5/6, Univision at 1.5/4, CW at 0.9/2, MyNetworkTV at 0.6/1, Telemundo at 0.4/1, Telefutura at 0.3/1, Ion at 0.2/0 and Azteca at 0.1/0.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (18-49s): 1. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” 6.7; 2. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” 6.0; 3. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” 5.9; 4. NBC’s “Saturday Night Live Presidential Bash 2008” 5.6; 5. CBS’s “CSI” 5.1.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (total viewers): 1. CBS’s “60 Minutes” 18.47 million; 2. CBS’s “CSI” 18.18 million; 3. NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” 17.56 million; 4. ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars Results” 17.09 million; 5. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” 15.85 million.
Top five Live+7 English-language Big Five shows (households, week ended Oct. 26): 1. CBS’s “CSI” 12.7; 2. ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” 12.4; 3. CBS’s “NCIS” 11.4; 4. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” 11.0; 5. ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” 10.9.
Top five Live+7 English-language Big Five shows (18-49s, week ended Oct. 26): 1. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” 6.6; Tie-2. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and Fox’s “House” 6.3; 4. CBS’s “CSI” 6.3; 5. CBS’s “Two and a Half Men” 5.5.
Show on the rise: “Life,” NBC, Wednesday 9 p.m. Moving into its new timeslot, the show jumped 25 percent over its season average on Friday, from a 1.6 to a 2.0.
Show on the decline: “Lipstick Jungle,” NBC, Friday 10 p.m. The Brooke Shields drama moved from Wednesday to Friday, and its ratings predictably tumbled. Last Friday the series pulled a 1.2 among 18-49s, off 37 percent from a 1.9 for the previous week’s Wednesday episode.
|
WEEKLY PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 9 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
CBS
|
7.0
|
8000
|
11
|
3.8
|
11040
|
9
|
3.0
|
4020
|
8
|
|
ABC
|
6.6
|
7610
|
11
|
3.6
|
10400
|
9
|
3.2
|
4270
|
8
|
|
NBC
|
5.5
|
6310
|
9
|
3.1
|
8890
|
8
|
3.2
|
4240
|
8
|
|
FOX
|
3.6
|
4130
|
6
|
2.0
|
5870
|
5
|
2.3
|
3070
|
6
|
|
UNI
|
1.9
|
2220
|
3
|
1.4
|
3930
|
3
|
1.6
|
2050
|
4
|
|
CW
|
1.5
|
1710
|
2
|
0.8
|
2260
|
2
|
1.1
|
1390
|
3
|
|
MNT
|
0.9
|
1090
|
2
|
0.5
|
1530
|
1
|
0.5
|
690
|
1
|
|
TEL
|
0.6
|
640
|
1
|
0.4
|
1060
|
1
|
0.4
|
570
|
1
|
|
ION
|
0.4
|
460
|
1
|
0.2
|
580
|
0
|
0.1
|
190
|
0
|
|
TF
|
0.4
|
410
|
1
|
0.2
|
700
|
1
|
0.3
|
400
|
1
|
|
AZA
|
0.1
|
120
|
0
|
0.1
|
180
|
0
|
0.1
|
120
|
0
|
|
*
Each rating point is equivalent to
1. 145
million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|
SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 9 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
CBS
|
7.4
|
8480
|
12
|
4.0
|
11740
|
10
|
3.3
|
4320
|
9
|
|
ABC
|
6.8
|
7740
|
11
|
3.6
|
10530
|
9
|
3.3
|
4330
|
9
|
|
FOX
|
5.1
|
5820
|
8
|
2.8
|
8250
|
7
|
3.0
|
4000
|
8
|
|
NBC
|
5.0
|
5690
|
8
|
2.7
|
7930
|
7
|
3.0
|
3950
|
8
|
|
UNI
|
2.0
|
2260
|
3
|
1.4
|
3920
|
3
|
1.6
|
2060
|
4
|
|
CW
|
1.6
|
1890
|
3
|
0.9
|
2490
|
2
|
1.1
|
1510
|
3
|
|
MNT
|
1.0
|
1150
|
2
|
0.5
|
1580
|
1
|
0.6
|
730
|
1
|
|
TEL
|
0.6
|
670
|
1
|
0.4
|
1090
|
1
|
0.5
|
620
|
1
|
|
ION
|
0.4
|
410
|
1
|
0.2
|
530
|
0
|
0.1
|
170
|
0
|
|
TF
|
0.3
|
380
|
1
|
0.2
|
630
|
1
|
0.3
|
380
|
1
|
|
AZA
|
0.1
|
110
|
0
|
0.1
|
170
|
0
|
0.1
|
100
|
0
|
|
*
Each rating point is equivalent to
1. 145
million homes
Note: Season-to-date estimates are a weighted average of pre-TSV and Live+7 data, except for the most recent two weeks which are based Live+SD viewing.
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|
TOP 25 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 9 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
HOUSEHOLDS |
PERSONS 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
(000) |
# |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
60 MINUTES
|
CBS
|
11.5
|
18
|
13167
|
1
|
6.4
|
18471
|
|
2
|
CSI
|
CBS
|
11.2
|
17
|
12826
|
2
|
6.3
|
18175
|
|
3
|
DANCING WITH THE STARS
|
ABC
|
11.1
|
16
|
12705
|
4
|
5.9
|
17089
|
|
4
|
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
|
NBC
|
11.0
|
18
|
12579
|
3
|
6.1
|
17564
|
|
5
|
DANCING W/STARS RESULT SP(S)
|
ABC
|
10.2
|
16
|
11720
|
5
|
5.5
|
15848
|
|
6
|
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
|
ABC
|
10.1
|
15
|
11527
|
5
|
5.5
|
15854
|
|
6
|
GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM
|
ABC
|
10.1
|
15
|
11584
|
7
|
5.4
|
15740
|
|
8
|
CRIMINAL MINDS
|
CBS
|
9.3
|
14
|
10622
|
9
|
4.9
|
14304
|
|
9
|
SNL PRESIDENTIAL BASH '08(S)
|
NBC
|
8.7
|
13
|
9937
|
8
|
5.0
|
14436
|
|
10
|
CSI:
MIAMI
|
CBS
|
8.5
|
14
|
9679
|
11
|
4.4
|
12740
|
|
10
|
VOTE 2008-9:00PM(S)
|
ABC
|
8.5
|
12
|
9726
|
9
|
4.9
|
14185
|
|
12
|
COLD CASE
|
CBS
|
8.0
|
12
|
9136
|
11
|
4.4
|
12693
|
|
12
|
TWO AND A HALF MEN
|
CBS
|
8.0
|
11
|
9171
|
11
|
4.4
|
12761
|
|
14
|
CSI: NY
|
CBS
|
7.9
|
13
|
9007
|
15
|
4.1
|
11801
|
|
15
|
DECISION '08 PRIME(S)
|
NBC
|
7.5
|
11
|
8584
|
14
|
4.3
|
12462
|
|
16
|
SURVIVOR:
GABON
|
CBS
|
7.2
|
11
|
8226
|
15
|
4.1
|
12013
|
|
17
|
AMAZING RACE 13
|
CBS
|
7.1
|
11
|
8103
|
17
|
4.0
|
11708
|
|
17
|
NCIS FRIDAY 9PM-SPECIAL(S)
|
CBS
|
7.1
|
12
|
8079
|
18
|
3.9
|
11216
|
|
17
|
NUMB3RS
|
CBS
|
7.1
|
13
|
8169
|
18
|
3.9
|
11275
|
|
20
|
ELEVENTH HOUR
|
CBS
|
7.0
|
12
|
8065
|
22
|
3.8
|
10902
|
|
20
|
SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK
|
NBC
|
7.0
|
11
|
7983
|
18
|
3.9
|
11400
|
|
20
|
VOTE 2008-8:00PM(S)
|
ABC
|
7.0
|
10
|
7958
|
18
|
3.9
|
11206
|
|
23
|
BROTHERS & SISTERS
|
ABC
|
6.8
|
11
|
7775
|
25
|
3.5
|
10108
|
|
23
|
GHOST WHISPERER
|
CBS
|
6.8
|
12
|
7734
|
22
|
3.8
|
10888
|
|
25
|
EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P
|
ABC
|
6.4
|
10
|
7293
|
24
|
3.7
|
10751
|
|
25
|
UNIT, THE
|
CBS
|
6.4
|
11
|
7370
|
27
|
3.4
|
9867
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
TOP 25 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST
Adults 18-49
Week Ending November 9 |
|
Rank |
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
|
NBC
|
6.7
|
8900
|
|
2
|
GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM
|
ABC
|
6.0
|
7923
|
|
3
|
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
|
ABC
|
5.9
|
7808
|
|
4
|
SNL PRESIDENTIAL BASH '08(S)
|
NBC
|
5.6
|
7435
|
|
5
|
CSI
|
CBS
|
5.1
|
6777
|
|
6
|
VOTE 2008-9:00PM(S)
|
ABC
|
4.9
|
6472
|
|
7
|
TWO AND A HALF MEN
|
CBS
|
4.6
|
6085
|
|
8
|
DECISION '08 PRIME(S)
|
NBC
|
4.5
|
5885
|
|
9
|
OFFICE
|
NBC
|
4.3
|
5701
|
|
9
|
SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK
|
NBC
|
4.3
|
5735
|
|
11
|
60 MINUTES
|
CBS
|
4.2
|
5490
|
|
11
|
FAMILY GUY
|
FOX
|
4.2
|
5556
|
|
13
|
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
|
CBS
|
4.1
|
5392
|
|
14
|
30 ROCK
|
NBC
|
3.9
|
5203
|
|
14
|
DANCING WITH THE STARS
|
ABC
|
3.9
|
5102
|
|
16
|
SIMPSONS
|
FOX
|
3.8
|
5069
|
|
16
|
SURVIVOR:
GABON
|
CBS
|
3.8
|
5007
|
|
18
|
BIG BANG THEORY, THE
|
CBS
|
3.7
|
4947
|
|
18
|
BROTHERS & SISTERS
|
ABC
|
3.7
|
4839
|
|
20
|
CSI:
MIAMI
|
CBS
|
3.6
|
4800
|
|
21
|
CRIMINAL MINDS
|
CBS
|
3.5
|
4617
|
|
21
|
EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P
|
ABC
|
3.5
|
4567
|
|
21
|
VOTE 2008-8:00PM(S)
|
ABC
|
3.5
|
4624
|
|
24
|
AMAZING RACE 13
|
CBS
|
3.4
|
4529
|
|
25
|
AMERICAN DAD
|
FOX
|
3.3
|
4300
|
|
25
|
BONES
|
FOX
|
3.3
|
4296
|
|
25
|
CSI: NY
|
CBS
|
3.3
|
4331
|
|
25
|
DANCING W/STARS RESULT SP(S)
|
ABC
|
3.3
|
4306
|
|
25
|
FOOTBALL NT
AMERICA PT 3
|
NBC
|
3.3
|
4384
|
|
25
|
KING OF THE HILL
|
FOX
|
3.3
|
4323
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION (WEEKLY COLLAPSED)
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 2 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
Rtg |
P2+ (000) |
|
1
|
FUEGO EN LA SANGRE M-F
|
UNI
|
22.2
|
5069
|
|
2
|
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL M-F
|
UNI
|
20.2
|
4580
|
|
3
|
SHOW SUENOS:AMIGOS
AL SUN
|
UNI
|
17.5
|
3848
|
|
4
|
QUERIDA ENEMIGA M-F
|
UNI
|
17.1
|
3526
|
|
4
|
CRISTINA MON
|
UNI
|
17.1
|
3466
|
|
6
|
DON FRANCISCO PRESENTA WE
|
UNI
|
16.1
|
3334
|
|
7
|
AQUI Y AHORA TUE
|
UNI
|
15.5
|
3417
|
|
8
|
BARACK OBAMA: HIST A10/29(S)-10/29/2008
|
UNI
|
14.8
|
3125
|
|
9
|
SABADO GIGANTE SAT
|
UNI
|
14.1
|
2952
|
|
10
|
ROSA
DE GUADALUPE THU-FRI
|
UNI
|
12.9
|
2823
|
|
11
|
HORA PICO SUN
|
UNI
|
11.5
|
2502
|
|
12
|
CEL HISPA: VINA MAR1 11/1(S)-11/01/2008
|
UNI
|
9.4
|
1877
|
|
13
|
SN SENOS NO HAY PARAISO M-F
|
TEL
|
8.8
|
1878
|
|
14
|
ROSTRO DE ANALIA M-F
|
TEL
|
5.6
|
1170
|
|
15
|
FUTBOL ESTELAR
|
TEL
|
4.4
|
1018
|
|
15
|
DONA BARBARA M-F
|
TEL
|
4.4
|
959
|
|
17
|
ESP CINE BOND III 11/02(S)-11/02/2008
|
TEL
|
4.0
|
961
|
|
18
|
12 CORAZONES M-F
|
TEL
|
3.6
|
768
|
|
19
|
CINE DE LAS ESTREL SUN 2
|
TF
|
3.4
|
837
|
|
19
|
CINE ESPECIAL 10/31(S)-10/31/2008
|
TEL
|
3.4
|
752
|
|
21
|
CINE DE LAS ESTRELLAS M-THU
|
TF
|
3.3
|
672
|
|
22
|
CINE DE LAS ESTREL SUN
|
TF
|
3.1
|
712
|
|
23
|
LIGA DE CAMPEONES WED-01
|
TF
|
2.7
|
561
|
|
24
|
SOLO BOXEO TECATE FRI
|
TF
|
2.5
|
465
|
|
25
|
CINE DE LAS ESTREL SAT 2
|
TF
|
2.4
|
553
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
HISPANIC ENGLISH-LANGUAGE VIEWING
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 2 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
Rtg |
P2+(000) |
|
1
|
FOX WRLD SERIES GM5 CONCL(S)-10/29/2008
|
FOX
|
8.2
|
1510
|
|
2
|
FOX WORLD SERIES GAME 5(S)-10/27/2008
|
FOX
|
5.8
|
1087
|
|
3
|
FAMILY GUY
|
FOX
|
5.4
|
1161
|
|
4
|
SIMPSONS
|
FOX
|
5.1
|
1111
|
|
5
|
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
|
NBC
|
5.0
|
875
|
|
6
|
DANCING W/STARS RESULTS
|
ABC
|
4.9
|
980
|
|
7
|
FOX WRLD SRS GM5 CONCLPRE(S)-10/29/2008
|
FOX
|
4.6
|
903
|
|
7
|
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
|
ABC
|
4.6
|
816
|
|
7
|
AMERICAN DAD
|
FOX
|
4.6
|
936
|
|
10
|
DANCING WITH THE STARS
|
ABC
|
4.4
|
816
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
AFRICAN AMERICAN AUDIENCE ESTIMATES
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 2
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
Rtg |
P2+(000) |
|
1
|
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
|
NBC
|
12.0
|
2276
|
|
2
|
DANCING WITH THE STARS
|
ABC
|
11.8
|
2262
|
|
3
|
OT, THE
|
FOX
|
10.8
|
2216
|
|
4
|
DANCING W/STARS RESULTS
|
ABC
|
9.7
|
1931
|
|
5
|
CSI: NY
|
CBS
|
9.2
|
1797
|
|
6
|
CSI
|
CBS
|
8.9
|
1577
|
|
7
|
MENTALIST, THE
|
CBS
|
8.8
|
1583
|
|
8
|
60 MINUTES
|
CBS
|
8.5
|
1691
|
|
8
|
CRIMINAL MINDS
|
CBS
|
8.5
|
1671
|
|
10
|
FOX WRLD SERIES GM5 CONCL
|
FOX
|
8.4
|
1498
|
|
* Ratings based on 13.65 million African American TV homes.
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
TOP 20 NETWORK SPORTS PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending October 26
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
Episode |
Households |
Persons 2+ |
|
US
Rtg% |
Shr |
(000) |
|
