Throughout its history, Comedy Central has been very much a boys club. Its best-known and most-watched shows star men like Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert and Dave Chappelle. Its highly rated Blue Collar comedy tour specials feature Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy, and even the cartoon kiddies on “South Park” are little boys.
Now finally a woman has broken through to become a hit for the network, though she’s a woman who knows how to do guy humor.
“The Sarah Silverman Program” had Comedy Central’s best debut for an original show in three years last Thursday, and it did particularly well among young men.
“Silverman” averaged a 1.3 household rating and a 1.2 in viewers 18-49, bettering the same 10:30 p.m. timeslot from a year ago by 290 percent. It grew 16 percent from its lead-in.
Among men 18-24, it was the most-watched show in the timeslot on any network, including broadcast, averaging a 3.3 rating. It won its timeslot against basic cable shows in men 18-34 and 18-49.
By comparison, “Silverman’s” debut bettered the October 2005 premiere of Colbert’s much-buzzed-about “Colbert Report” by more than a third, though that show does air an hour later.
What’s so appealing about Silverman of course is that she has the face of a model with the mouth of a trucker. People might find her delivery offensive if it came from someone less attractive, but Silverman uses her little-girl voice and big eyes to blunt the effect of her words, making her one big contradiction. Men love it.
The Comedy Central messageboard for the show has numerous posts about Silverman’s appearance and how hot she is. One poster even leaves a brief description of himself and his email address for her to contact him if she’d like to go out for a date or get married. You probably won’t find that on Chappelle or Colbert sites.
Though her humor is not as outright political as Stewart or Colbert, Silverman does push the boundaries of good taste just as much as Chappelle or “South Park,” which makes her a good fit for the network.
“When it does work, which is most of the time, ['Silverman'] nails a particular kind of out-there, button-pushing humor that Comedy Central is known for, and it builds on it,” writes Media Life’s Andrew Lyons in a review of the show.
Meanwhile, in other cable ratings for the week ended Feb. 4:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, TBS, TNT, A&E, FX
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): USA, TNT, Lifetime, A&E, Fox News
Top movie (18-49s): Lifetime’s “Angel Falls” (Monday, 9 p.m.) 1.53 million
Top sporting event (total viewers): USA’s “WWE” (Monday, 10 p.m.) 5.62 million
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: USA’s “WWE Entertainment” (Monday, 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.); Bravo’s “Top Chef” (Wednesday, 10 p.m.); VH1’s “I Love New York” (Monday, 9 p.m.)
Show on the rise: Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Wednesday 10 p.m. The second-season finale averaged 2.87 million adults 18-49, outdrawing the first season ender by 185 percent.
Show on the decline: Spike, “Pros vs. Joes,” Thursday 10 p.m. Week two of the second season took a sharp plunge from its premiere, losing 1 million total viewers and falling from No. 6 among 18-34s all the way out of the top 50.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending Feb. 4 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
1977 |
NICK |
1742 |
|
2 |
TNT |
1591 |
NAN * |
1094 |
|
3 |
LIF |
1421 |
ADSM* |
1066 |
|
4 |
AEN |
1269 |
TNT |
1052 |
|
5 |
FOXN |
1190 |
USA |
994 |
|
6 |
NAN |
1161 |
TOON |
902 |
|
7 |
TBSC |
1144 |
LIF |
843 |
|
8 |
TOON |
1107 |
AEN |
800 |
|
9 |
FX |
983 |
TBSC |
773 |
|
10 |
HIST |
946 |
FOXN |
743 |
|
11 |
HGTV |
892 |
ESPN |
570 |
|
12 |
CORT |
874 |
HIST |
561 |
|
13 |
HALL |
848 |
FX |
553 |
|
14 |
DISC |
815 |
HALL |
543 |
|
15 |
MTV |
813 |
FAM |
521 |
|
16 |
ESPN |
810 |
HGTV |
514 |
|
17 |
FAM |
788 |
CORT |
511 |
|
18 |
SCIF |
788 |
DISC |
511 |
|
19 |
SPK |
778 |
FOOD |
504 |
|
20 |
AMC |
767 |
MTV |
496 |
|
21 |
TLC |
720 |
AMC |
491 |
|
22 |
CMDY |
717 |
CMDY |
488 |
|
23 |
TVLD |
708 |
TVLD |
482 |
|
24 |
VH1 |
631 |
SPK |
478 |
|
25 |
FOOD |
607 |
SCIF |
444 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Feb. 4 |
|
Rank |
Program |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
3996 |
|
2 |
Angels Fall |
LIF |
3792 |
|
3 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
3665 |
|
4 |
Monk |
USA |
3408 |
|
5 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
3092 |
|
6 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
3007 |
|
7 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2896 |
|
8 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2864 |
|
9 |
Ned Declassified |
NICK |
2860 |
|
10 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2811 |
|
11 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2754 |
|
12 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2748 |
|
13 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2728 |
|
14 |
Naked Brothers Band |
NICK |
2670 |
|
15 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2665 |
|
16 |
Fairly Odd Parents |
NICK |
2653 |
|
17 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2641 |
|
18 |
I Love New York |
VH1 |
2621 |
|
19 |
Top Chef |
BRAV |
2614 |
|
20 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2576 |
|
21 |
Ned Declassified |
NICK |
2574 |
|
22 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
2569 |
|
23 |
Psych |
USA |
2551 |
|
24 |
Naked Brothers Band |
NICK |
2549 |
|
25 |
Spongebob |
NICK |
2542 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending Feb. 4 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
MTV |
495 |
ADSM* |
474 |
|
2 |
TBSC |
494 |
NICK |
362 |
|
3 |
USA |
474 |
TBSC |
321 |
|
4 |
FX |
387 |
NAN * |
299 |
|
5 |
TNT |
386 |
MTV |
278 |
|
6 |
CMDY |
377 |
TNT |
270 |
|
7 |
AEN |
358 |
CMDY |
252 |
|
8 |
VH1 |
329 |
USA |
230 |
|
9 |
DISC |
293 |
ESPN |
229 |
|
10 |
SPK |
278 |
FX |
225 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending Feb. 4 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1 |
Top Chef |
BRAV |
1689 |
|
2 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
1605 |
|
3 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1526 |
|
4 |
I Love New York |
VH1 |
1464 |
|
5 |
The Hills |
MTV |
1456 |
|
6 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
1436 |
|
7 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1321 |
|
8 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1280 |
|
9 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1247 |
|
10 |
Real World XVIII |
MTV |
1204 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending Feb. 4 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
1103 |
ADSM* |
607 |
|
2 |
TBSC |
912 |
NICK |
599 |
|
3 |
TNT |
887 |
TNT |
595 |
|
4 |
AEN |
777 |
TBSC |
571 |
|
5 |
FX |
755 |
USA |
549 |
|
6 |
LIF |
647 |
NAN * |
507 |
|
7 |
MTV |
605 |
AEN |
471 |
|
8 |
SPK |
583 |
LIF |
424 |
|
9 |
CMDY |
577 |
FX |
422 |
|
10 |
DISC |
568 |
CMDY |
398 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending Feb. 4 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2955 |
|
2 |
Top Chef |
BRAV |
2879 |
|
3 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2696 |
|
4 |
I Love New York |
VH1 |
2112 |
|
5 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1982 |
|
6 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1785 |
|
7 |
Monk |
USA |
1758 |
|
8 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1724 |
|
9 |
Family Guy |
ADSM |
1700 |
|
10 |
Psych |
USA |
1697 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending Feb. 4 |
|
|
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Rank |
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1 |
USA |
1170 |
TNT |
621 |
|
2 |
TNT |
950 |
USA |
578 |
|
3 |
TBSC |
793 |
TBSC |
492 |
|
4 |
AEN |
773 |
NICK |
488 |
|
5 |
LIF |
689 |
AEN |
479 |
|
6 |
FX |
685 |
LIF |
449 |
|
7 |
SCIF |
605 |
NAN * |
434 |
|
8 |
HIST |
583 |
FX |
360 |
|
9 |
SPK |
568 |
HIST |
349 |
|
10 |
DISC |
550 |
ADSM* |
345 |
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending Feb. 4 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2649 |
|
2 |
Top Chef |
BRAV |
2507 |
|
3 |
WWE Entertainment |
USA |
2489 |
|
4 |
Monk |
USA |
2103 |
|
5 |
Psych |
USA |
1861 |
|
6 |
Angels Fall |
LIF |
1693 |
|
7 |
House |
USA |
1679 |
|
8 |
NFL Prime Time |
ESPN |
1451 |
|
9 |
I Love New York |
VH1 |
1450 |
|
10 |
Remember The Titans |
TNT |
1385 |
|
Source: Turner Entertainment Research based on data from Nielsen Media Research. |
