|
|
hopes for 'Banzai'
Funny, edgy, delight of media buyers. Too bad.
By Toni Fitzgerald
We now have living proof that media buyers can be wrong. The hot show at the upfront, what impressed buyers most, was Fox's "Banzai" for its humor and its edginess in goofing on Japanese stereotypes. It was thought to be the hot upcoming show.
We can now downgrade "Banzai" to lukewarm.
In its Sunday debut, Fox’s wacky game-reality show hybrid not only didn't go off the ratings charts, it failed even to build on a rerun of lead-in “The Simpsons” among 18-49s or households.
"Banzai' averaged less than half of what the season finale of NBC’s “For Love or Money,” the summer’s highest-rated program among 18-49s, drew the next night.
What happened? The answer, in sum, is men.
Males watched the show in numbers sufficient to make it the top network show in that demo at 8:30. Women tuned out. As we know, men by themselves, precious as they are to advertisers, don't a hit make.
As a show, "Banzai" would seem more a fit for the newly monikered Spike, the cable network for men, rather than broadcast.
“Banzai” is the latest in a string of summer letdowns for Fox. “American Juniors,” “Keen Eddie” and “Paradise Hotel” also have earned decent to poor ratings as summer debuts.
The network had considered introducing “Banzai” at midseason before next year's upfronts. But the positive response from media people may have helped persuade the network to debut it sooner.
There was certainly some risk either way. Only two weeks before “Banzai’s” debut, the Fox Movie Channel ditched a Charlie Chan film festival because of complaints from Asian groups.
No widespread boycotts were launched against “Banzai,” which spoofs Japanese game shows and features a host with an exaggerated, stereotypical accent.
Reviewers actually warmed to it, though most admitted it was stupid and borderline offensive.
And yet none of this drove viewer curiosity. Sampling was extremely mild, less than two-thirds of what “American Juniors” got in its debut and almost 20 percent lower than “Paradise Hotel’s” June 18 debut.
With an 18-49 rating of 2.9, the show’s 91 percent retention rate out of “Simpsons” was 6 percentage points lower than “King of the Hill’s” in the same slot three weeks before (Fox preempted Sundays with movies the interceding two weeks).
“King of the Hill’s” rating that week was a 4.3, 43 percent above “Banzai’s.”
One reality show that closed stronger than it opened, an encouraging sign for the sequel that began this week, was NBC’s “For Love or Money.” The Monday finale was the week’s most-watched show among 18-49s, earning a 6.0 rating.
The finale was also the highest-rated show of the summer among 18-49s. It helped NBC to its best weekly average since the May sweeps ended and pushed “For Love or Money” to No. 2 for the summer among 18-49s, behind CBS’s “CSI.”
The debut of CBS’s “Big Brother 4” attracted the biggest ratings since the show’s first season, when it enjoyed a “Survivor” lead-in.
The Tuesday debut held onto most of its audience on its second night, too, falling just 3 percent on Wednesday.
ABC’s “20/20” earned its best 18-49 rating since February. Barbara Walters’ interview with “Tomb Raider 2” star Angelina Jolie earned a 3.2 18-49 rating and 11 share.
|
PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK |
|||||||||
|
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
||||||
|
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
|
|
NBC |
5.4 |
5800 |
10 |
2.9 |
7870 |
9 |
3.0 |
3850 |
10 |
|
CBS |
5.3 |
5700 |
10 |
2.9 |
7900 |
9 |
2.4 |
3070 |
8 |
|
ABC |
4.1 |
4360 |
8 |
2.2 |
6030 |
7 |
2.1 |
2720 |
7 |
|
FOX |
3.3 |
3570 |
6 |
1.9 |
5100 |
6 |
2.2 |
2870 |
8 |
|
UPN |
2.1 |
2240 |
4 |
1.2 |
3150 |
3 |
1.3 |
1710 |
4 |
|
WB |
1.7 |
1820 |
3 |
0.9 |
2450 |
3 |
1.0 |
1280 |
3 |
|
PAX |
0.6 |
620 |
1 |
0.3 |
830 |
1 |
0.2 |
270 |
1 |
|
* Each rating point is equivalent to 1.067 million homes
|
|||||||||
|
SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK |
|||||||||
|
Network |
Households* |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
||||||
|
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
|
|
CBS |
7.8 |
8320 |
13 |
4.3 |
11770 |
12 |
3.6 |
4590 |
10 |
|
NBC |
7.3 |
7820 |
12 |
4.0 |
11000 |
11 |
4.2 |
5400 |
12 |
|
ABC |
5.9 |
6320 |
10 |
3.4 |
9270 |
9 |
3.5 |
4500 |
10 |
|
FOX |
5.7 |
6060 |
9 |
3.4 |
9260 |
9 |
4.0 |
5130 |
11 |
|
WB |
2.4 |
2610 |
4 |
1.4 |
3820 |
4 |
1.6 |
2120 |
4 |
|
UPN |
2.2 |
2360 |
4 |
1.3 |
3430 |
3 |
1.4 |
1860 |
4 |
|
PAX |
0.8 |
850 |
1 |
0.4 |
1120 |
1 |
0.3 |
350 |
1 |
|
* Each rating point is equivalent to 1.067 million homes |
|||||||||
|
NETWORK TV |
||||||||
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
HOUSEHOLDS |
PERSONS 2+ |
||||
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
(000) |
RANK |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|||
|
1 |
LAW AND ORDER |
NBC |
8.8 |
16 |
9372 |
2 |
4.6 |
12425 |
|
2 |
FOR LOVE OR MONEY |
NBC |
8.5 |
14 |
9045 |
1 |
4.7 |
12896 |
|
3 |
CSI |
CBS |
8.3 |
14 |
8892 |
3 |
4.5 |
12342 |
|
4 |
WITHOUT A TRACE |
CBS |
7.6 |
14 |
8101 |
4 |
4.1 |
11151 |
|
5 |
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND |
CBS |
7.3 |
12 |
7821 |
4 |
4.1 |
11023 |
|
6 |
LAW AND ORDER WED 9PM |
NBC |
7.2 |
12 |
7727 |
6 |
3.8 |
10329 |
|
7 |
CSI: MIAMI |
CBS |
7.1 |
12 |
7617 |
6 |
3.8 |
10345 |
|
8 |
60 MINUTES |
CBS |
7.0 |
15 |
7510 |
9 |
3.7 |
10063 |
|
8 |
DATELINE NBC-TUE |
NBC |
7.0 |
12 |
7507 |
13 |
3.5 |
9492 |
|
8 |
LAW AND ORDER:CRIM INTENT |
NBC |
7.0 |
12 |
7489 |
6 |
3.8 |
10212 |
|
11 |
LAW AND ORDER:SVU |
NBC |
6.8 |
13 |
7223 |
9 |
3.7 |
9972 |
|
12 |
KING OF QUEENS |
CBS |
6.5 |
10 |
6910 |
9 |
3.7 |
9946 |
|
13 |
20/20-FRI |
ABC |
6.4 |
12 |
6869 |
14 |
3.4 |
9242 |
|
13 |
60 MINUTES II |
CBS |
6.4 |
12 |
6811 |
16 |
3.2 |
8688 |
|
15 |
BIG BROTHER 4 |
CBS |
6.0 |
11 |
6388 |
12 |
3.6 |
9705 |
|
16 |
BIG BROTHER 4-WED |
CBS |
5.9 |
10 |
6299 |
15 |
3.3 |
9023 |
|
17 |
FRIENDS |
NBC |
5.8 |
11 |
6214 |
20 |
3.0 |
8052 |
|
18 |
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT |
NBC |
5.6 |
10 |
5967 |
20 |
3.0 |
8047 |
|
19 |
CBS SUNDAY MOVIE |
CBS |
5.5 |
10 |
5858 |
17 |
3.1 |
8435 |
|
20 |
AMER FUNN HOME VIDEOS-8PM |
ABC |
5.3 |
11 |
5674 |
17 |
3.1 |
8349 |
|
20 |
GEORGE LOPEZ |
ABC |
5.3 |
10 |
5690 |
17 |
3.1 |
8357 |
|
22 |
AMAZING RACE: 4 |
CBS |
5.2 |
10 |
5526 |
20 |
3.0 |
8051 |
|
22 |
FEAR FACTOR |
NBC |
5.2 |
9 |
5595 |
20 |
3.0 |
8287 |
|
22 |
LAST COMIC STANDING |
NBC |
5.2 |
9 |
5554 |
24 |
2.9 |
7796 |
|
22 |
PRIMETIME THURSDAY |
ABC |
5.2 |
9 |
5573 |
34 |
2.6 |
6952 |
|
22 |
STILL STANDING |
CBS |
5.2 |
9 |
5547 |
26 |
2.8 |
7567 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
||||||||
|
TOP 30 PROGRAMS - BROADCAST TV |
||||
|
Rank |
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
In Millions |
|
1 |
FOR LOVE OR MONEY |
NBC |
6.0 |
7.74 |
|
2 |
DATELINE NBC-TUE |
NBC |
4.0 |
5.13 |
|
2 |
CSI |
CBS |
4.0 |
5.12 |
|
4 |
LAW & ORDER |
NBC |
3.8 |
4.94 |
|
4 |
BIG BROTHER 4 |
CBS |
3.8 |
4.92 |
|
6 |
BIG BROTHER 4-WED |
CBS |
3.7 |
4.77 |
|
6 |
LAST COMIC STANDING |
NBC |
3.7 |
4.76 |
|
8 |
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND |
CBS |
3.6 |
4.62 |
|
9 |
KING OF QUEENS |
CBS |
3.5 |
4.52 |
|
9 |
CUPID |
CBS |
3.5 |
4.48 |
|
9 |
SIMPSONS |
FOX |
3.5 |
4.48 |
|
9 |
FEAR FACTOR |
NBC |
3.5 |
4.53 |
|
13 |
GEORGE LOPEZ |
ABC |
3.4 |
4.36 |
|
13 |
LAW & ORDER: CRIM INTENT |
NBC |
3.4 |
4.43 |
|
13 |
FRIENDS |
NBC |
3.4 |
4.41 |
|
13 |
CSI: MIAMI |
CBS |
3.4 |
4.34 |
|
17 |
WITHOUT A TRACE |
CBS |
3.3 |
4.19 |
|
17 |
PARADISE HOTEL-WEDNESDAY |
FOX |
3.3 |
4.20 |
|
17 |
DOG EAT DOG |
NBC |
3.3 |
4.18 |
|
20 |
20/20-FRI |
ABC |
3.2 |
4.17 |
|
20 |
CRIME & PUNISHMENT |
NBC |
3.2 |
4.09 |
|
20 |
LAW & ORDER WED 9 PM |
NBC |
3.2 |
4.12 |
|
23 |
MY WIFE AND KIDS |
ABC |
3.1 |
3.98 |
|
23 |
ACCORDING TO JIM 9 PM |
ABC |
3.1 |
3.99 |
|
23 |
THAT ‘70S SHOW |
FOX |
3.1 |
4.00 |
|
23 |
SIMPSONS SPECIAL |
FOX |
3.1 |
4.03 |
|
27 |
WILL & GRACE |
NBC |
3.0 |
3.89 |
|
27 |
AMAZING RACE: 4 |
CBS |
3.0 |
3.83 |
|
27 |
SCRUBS |
NBC |
3.0 |
3.90 |
|
27 |
LAW & ORDER: SVU |
NBC |
3.0 |
3.84 |
|
Source: ABC Networks, based on
data from Nielsen Media Research
|
||||
|
CABLE TV |
|||||
|
BASIC CABLE |
|||||
|
# |
PROGRAM NAME |
NET |
Households |
Persons 2+ |
|
|
(000) |
Rtg |
(000) |
|||
|
1 |
MISS CONGENIALITY(S)-7/06 |
TBS |
4164 |
3.9 |
6308 |
|
2 |
WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW ZONE) |
TNN |
3258 |
3.1 |
4782 |
|
3 |
MISS CONGENIALITY(S)-7/06 |
TBS |
3148 |
3.0 |
4424 |
|
4 |
WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW) |
TNN |
2839 |
2.7 |
4118 |
|
5 |
OSBOURNES |
MTV |
2624 |
2.5 |
3435 |
|
6 |
LAW & ORDER |
TNT |
2544 |
2.4 |
3361 |
|
7 |
REAL WORLD XIII |
MTV |
2465 |
2.3 |
2775 |
|
8 |
SPONGEBOB |
NICK |
2457 |
2.3 |
3497 |
|
9 |
FAIRLY ODD PARENTS |
NICK |
2422 |
2.3 |
3441 |
|
10 |
MOVIE, USA (TERMINATOR 2) |
USA |
2408 |
2.3 |
3446 |
|
11 |
SPONGEBOB |
NICK |
2334 |
2.2 |
3121 |
|
12 |
LAW & ORDER |
TNT |
2319 |
2.2 |
3081 |
|
13 |
SPONGEBOB |
NICK |
2311 |
2.2 |
3692 |
|
14 |
SPONGEBOB |
NICK |
2306 |
2.2 |
3195 |
|
15 |
TRADING SPACES |
TLC |
2299 |
2.2 |
3284 |
|
PAY CABLE |
|||||
|
# |
PROGRAM NAME |
NET |
Households |
Persons 2+ |
|
|
(000) |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|||
|
1 |
SEX AND THE CITY(S)-7/06 |
HBO |
4960 |
4.6 |
6945 |
|
2 |
WIRE, THE |
HBO |
2935 |
2.8 |
4109 |
|
3 |
SOPRANOS, THE |
HBO |
2649 |
2.5 |
3543 |
|
4 |
PROJECT GREENLIGHT |
HBO |
2059 |
1.9 |
3005 |
|
5 |
PANIC ROOM |
HBO |
1951 |
1.8 |
2385 |
|
Total U.S. ratings and household projections are based on
106.7 million TV homes. |
|||||
|
SYNDICATION |
||||
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
|
US Rtg% |
(000) |
|||
|
1 |
WHEEL OF FORTUNE |
KIN |
7.2 |
7727 |
|
2 |
JEOPARDY |
KIN |
5.8 |
6204 |
|
2 |
SEINFELD (AT) |
SPT |
5.8 |
6143 |
|
4 |
SEINFELD-WKND (AT) |
SPT |
5.5 |
5869 |
|
5 |
FRIENDS-SYN (AT) |
WB |
5.4 |
5715 |
|
6 |
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN (AT) |
KIN |
5 |
5284 |
|
7 |
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW (AT) |
KIN |
4.9 |
5235 |
|
8 |
DR. PHIL SHOW |
KIN |
4.3 |
4581 |
|
9 |
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT) |
PRM |
4.2 |
4435 |
|
9 |
JUDGE JUDY (AT) |
PRM |
4.2 |
4447 |
|
Source:
Nielsen Media Research
|
||||
|
SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION |
||||
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
NHTI* |
Projection |
|
1 |
ENTRE EL AMOR Y ODIO WED |
UNI |
27.5 |
2677 |
|
2 |
ENTRE EL AMOR Y ODIO TUE |
UNI |
27.1 |
2636 |
|
3 |
ENTRE EL AMOR Y ODIO MON |
UNI |
25.4 |
2473 |
|
4 |
DON FRANCISCO PRESENTA-WE |
UNI |
21.0 |
2047 |
|
5 |
VIAS DEL AMOR TUE |
UNI |
20.5 |
1997 |
|
6 |
REBECA TUE |
UNI |
20.2 |
1966 |
|
7 |
VIAS DEL AMOR WED |
UNI |
20.1 |
1955 |
|
8 |
REBECA WED |
UNI |
19.6 |
1907 |
|
9 |
CRISTINA-MON |
UNI |
19.0 |
1849 |
|
10 |
REBECA MON |
UNI |
18.9 |
1837 |
|
10 |
VIAS DEL AMOR MON |
UNI |
18.9 |
1834 |
|
12 |
REBECA THU |
UNI |
17.6 |
1715 |
|
13 |
VIAS DEL AMOR THU |
UNI |
17.2 |
1675 |
|
14 |
VER PARA CREER-TUE |
UNI |
16.9 |
1644 |
|
15 |
ENTRE EL AMOR Y ODIO THU |
UNI |
16.5 |
1604 |
|
16 |
AQUI Y AHORA-THU |
UNI |
15.3 |
1492 |
|
17 |
SABADO GIGANTE-SAT |
UNI |
14.0 |
1367 |
|
18 |
CINE ESPECIAL 7/6(S)-7/06 |
UNI |
12.2 |
1189 |
|
19 |
V FERNANDEZ:CHARRO PLO7/4(S)-7/04 |
UNI |
11.2 |
1087 |
|
20 |
J.GABRIEL-P AMERICA 7/4(S)-7/04 |
UNI |
10.4 |
1010 |
|
* Nielsen
Hispanic Television Index; ratings based on 9.7 million Hispanic
TV homes. |
||||
|
NETWORK SPORTS |
|||||||
|
NETWORK TV |
Net |
Episode |
Households |
Persons 2+ |
|||
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
US Rtg% |
Shr |
(000) |
(000) |
||
|
1 |
DAYTONA 400(S)-7/05 |
NBC |
6.0 |
13 |
6349 |
9691 |
|
|
2 |
NASCAR POST RACE(S)-7/05 |
NBC |
4.1 |
9 |
4325 |
6379 |
|
|
3 |
100TH WESTERN OPEN-SAT(S)-7/05 |
ABC |
3.1 |
9 |
3317 |
3824 |
|
|
4 |
WWE SMACKDOWN! |
UPN |
3.0 |
6 |
3234 |
4614 |
|
|
5 |
WIMBLEDON TENNIS-SAT(S)-7/05 |
NBC |
2.9 |
10 |
3080 |
3421 |
|
|
6 |
100TH WESTERN OPEN-SUN(S)-7/06 |
ABC |
2.8 |
7 |
2964 |
3708 |
|
|
7 |
FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL |
FOX |
VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES |
2.8 |
8 |
2993 |
3683 |
|
8 |
WIMBLEDON TENNIS-SUN(S)-7/06 |
NBC |
2.2 |
7 |
2361 |
2670 |
|
|
9 |
US WOMENS OPEN-SUN(S)-7/06 |
NBC |
2.2 |
5 |
2393 |
2973 |
|
|
10 |
WIMBLEDON TENNIS-TUE(S)-7/01 |
NBC |
2.1 |
7 |
2212 |
2655 |
|
|
11 |
WIMBLEDON TENNIS-MON(S)-6/30 |
NBC |
1.9 |
6 |
2037 |
2352 |
|
|
12 |
WIMBLEDON TENNIS-FRI(S)-7/04 |
NBC |
1.9 |
6 |
2014 |
2661 |
|
|
13 |
WIMBLEDON TENNIS-THU(S)-7/03 |
NBC |
1.7 |
5 |
1766 |
1851 |
|
|
14 |
US WOMENS OPEN-SAT(S)-7/05 |
NBC |
1.6 |
4 |
1708 |
2221 |
|
|
15 |
WIMBLEDON TENNIS-WED(S)-7/02 |
NBC |
1.4 |
5 |
1534 |
1725 |
|
|
16 |
KANSAS INDY 300(S)-7/06 |
ABC |
1.3 |
4 |
1437 |
1749 |
|
|
17 |
CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR-SA |
CBS |
NTRA SUMMER RACING TOUR-IV |
1.2 |
3 |
1276 |
1684 |
|
18 |
BRIDGESTONE CHAMP CAR-SU |
CBS |
CLEVELAND GRAND PRIX |
1.1 |
3 |
1209 |
1535 |
|
19 |
WUSA SOCCER |
PAX |
SAN JOSE AT NEW YORK |
0.1 |
0 |
119 |
<< |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|||||||
July 16, 2003© 2003 Media Life
-Toni Fitzgerald is a staff writer for Media Life.
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