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Hotter 'Big Bro 5'
deflates 'Last Comic'
No laughing matter, really, after kick-butt debut
By Diego Vasquez
NBC's "Last Comic Standing" was the surprise
hit of last summer, one of its low-profile fillers that actually increased its ratings as
the summer went along.
This year the show had been just about the only returning NBC summer show
that's at all hot, finishing in the top-10 each week in adults 18-49 since its debut early
last month.
"Last Comic" mowed down Fox's new drama "The Jury," which
was subsequently demoted to Friday nights, and it stood tough against the WB hit
drama "Summerland." It seemed nothing would knock out "Comic."
Then along came “Big Brother.”
Now, after looking like it would be one of the most-watched shows of the
summer, “Comic” may do well just to be the most-watched in its own time slot.
On Tuesday night, CBS rolled out “Big Brother 5.” Long one of the
blander reality series, the returning "'Big Bro" has added twists like casting
twins in a single role and reuniting clueless half-siblings to up the soap factor and pull
in viewers.
“Big Brother,” which aired from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., posted a 3.7 average
rating for the premiere, according to Nielsen fast national data.
On the same night, “Last Comic Standing” posted a 4.0
average.
But during the half-hour the shows overlapped, 9:00-9:30 p.m.,
"Big" cranked a 4.1 rating in 18-49s, and that put it smartly ahead of
“Comic” at. 3.7. Moreover, it was the latter show's lowest rating of the
season.
"Big" was also ahead in 25-54s and total viewers.
Since its debut, “Last Comic Standing” has been one of the
top-rated shows of the summer. It has averaged a 4.1 rating in its regular Tuesday at 9
p.m. slot.
This week's episode was off 10 percent from that average. The show has also
averaged a 4.55 rating in two Wednesday night repeats.
Since it bowed, “Last Comic” hadn’t finished lower than a tie
for seventh among viewers 18-49 in any given week. It peaked at No. 3 the week ending June
27 and was fifth last week with a 3.8 average rating. The highest-rated episode came the
week ending June 20, when the show posted a 4.8 average rating.
That may be reason for some concern for NBC, but it’s still early to
panic. Yet if ratings continue to slide, moving "Comic" to Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
and tossing repeats into the Tuesday 9 p.m. slot could be an option.
While CBS will air episodes of “Big Brother” head-to-head with
“Last Comic” Tuesday nights at 9 p.m., the network will likely receive its
highest ratings for the show in one of its other two time slots—Thursdays at 8
p.m.—when houseguests will be eliminated live.
“Big Brother” will also air on Saturday nights at 9 p.m.
PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 27 |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
| CBS |
6.1 |
6580 |
11 |
3.2 |
8840 |
10 |
2.4 |
3120 |
8 |
| NBC |
4.9 |
5270 |
9 |
2.6 |
7180 |
8 |
2.6 |
3370 |
8 |
| ABC |
3.4 |
3650 |
6 |
1.8 |
5000 |
5 |
1.9 |
2400 |
6 |
| FOX |
3.1 |
3350 |
6 |
1.7 |
4790 |
5 |
2.1 |
2750 |
7 |
| UPN |
1.7 |
1810 |
3 |
0.9 |
2440 |
3 |
1.0 |
1260 |
3 |
| WB |
1.6 |
1770 |
3 |
0.8 |
2300 |
2 |
1.0 |
1230 |
3 |
| PAX |
0.6 |
660 |
1 |
0.3 |
920 |
1 |
0.2 |
280 |
1 |
* Each
rating point is equivalent to 1.084 million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 27 |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
Rtg% |
(000) |
Shr |
| CBS |
8.1 |
8810 |
14 |
4.6 |
12550 |
12 |
3.7 |
4780 |
10 |
| NBC |
7.0 |
7590 |
12 |
3.8 |
10590 |
10 |
4.1 |
5230 |
11 |
| FOX |
5.8 |
6250 |
9 |
3.3 |
9200 |
9 |
3.8 |
4950 |
11 |
| ABC |
5.7 |
6150 |
9 |
3.2 |
8680 |
8 |
3.2 |
4060 |
9 |
| WB |
2.4 |
2560 |
4 |
1.3 |
3500 |
3 |
1.4 |
1820 |
4 |
| UPN |
2.2 |
2420 |
4 |
1.2 |
3290 |
3 |
1.3 |
1720 |
4 |
| PAX |
0.6 |
700 |
1 |
0.4 |
970 |
1 |
0.2 |
290 |
1 |
* Each rating point is equivalent to 1.084 million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
NETWORK TV
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 27 |
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
HOUSEHOLDS |
PERSONS 2+ |
Rtg% |
Shr |
(000) |
# |
Rtg% |
(000) |
1 |
CSI |
CBS |
10.1 |
17 |
10897 |
1 |
5.5 |
15287 |
2 |
WITHOUT A TRACE |
CBS |
8.6 |
15 |
9339 |
2 |
4.6 |
12640 |
3 |
AFI 100 YEARS 100
SONGS(S) |
CBS |
8.3 |
14 |
9046 |
3 |
4.5 |
12317 |
4 |
LAW AND ORDER |
NBC |
8.2 |
14 |
8885 |
4 |
4.3 |
11862 |
5 |
CSI: MIAMI |
CBS |
8.0 |
14 |
8652 |
4 |
4.3 |
11777 |
6 |
EVERYBODY LOVES
RAYMOND |
CBS |
7.5 |
12 |
8171 |
6 |
4.1 |
11305 |
7 |
TWO AND A HALF MEN |
CBS |
7.4 |
12 |
8004 |
6 |
4.1 |
11346 |
8 |
60 MINUTES |
CBS |
7.3 |
15 |
7935 |
8 |
4.0 |
10929 |
9 |
COLD CASE |
CBS |
6.8 |
12 |
7412 |
9 |
3.7 |
10201 |
10 |
LAW AND ORDER WED
9PM |
NBC |
6.6 |
11 |
7172 |
9 |
3.7 |
10126 |
10 |
WITHOUT A
TRACE-SP(S) |
CBS |
6.6 |
12 |
7106 |
11 |
3.5 |
9620 |
12 |
LAW AND ORDER:CRIM
INTENT |
NBC |
6.3 |
11 |
6866 |
12 |
3.4 |
9300 |
13 |
CROSSING JORDAN |
NBC |
6.2 |
11 |
6754 |
14 |
3.3 |
9009 |
14 |
LAW AND ORDER:SVU |
NBC |
6.1 |
10 |
6661 |
14 |
3.3 |
9177 |
15 |
60 MINUTES II |
CBS |
5.8 |
11 |
6296 |
19 |
2.9 |
7899 |
15 |
CBS SUNDAY MOVIE |
CBS |
5.8 |
10 |
6283 |
16 |
3.2 |
8820 |
15 |
SIMPLE LIFE 2 |
FOX |
5.8 |
10 |
6319 |
12 |
3.4 |
9302 |
18 |
DATELINE FRI |
NBC |
5.6 |
11 |
6025 |
21 |
2.8 |
7716 |
19 |
48 HOURS MYSTERY |
CBS |
5.4 |
9 |
5871 |
22 |
2.7 |
7311 |
19 |
FEAR FACTOR |
NBC |
5.4 |
9 |
5808 |
17 |
3.1 |
8664 |
19 |
LAST COMIC STANDING
2 |
NBC |
5.4 |
9 |
5903 |
17 |
3.1 |
8493 |
22 |
WHO WNTS TO MARY MY
DAD 2? |
NBC |
5.3 |
9 |
5748 |
19 |
2.9 |
7880 |
23 |
YES, DEAR |
CBS |
5.1 |
9 |
5535 |
23 |
2.6 |
7292 |
24 |
STILL STANDING |
CBS |
4.9 |
9 |
5312 |
28 |
2.5 |
6959 |
25 |
48 HOURS
INVESTIGATES |
CBS |
4.8 |
9 |
5218 |
31 |
2.4 |
6661 |
25 |
FOR LOVE OR MONEY 3 |
NBC |
4.8 |
8 |
5154 |
23 |
2.6 |
7192 |
25 |
NYPD 24/7 |
ABC |
4.8 |
8 |
5206 |
23 |
2.6 |
7035 |
| Source:
Nielsen Media Research |
|
TOP
30 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST
Adults
18-49
Week Ending July 4
|
|
Rank
|
Program
|
Net
|
Rtg%
|
In Millions
|
|
1
|
CSI
|
CBS
|
4.9
|
6.30
|
|
2
|
CSI: MIAMI
|
CBS
|
4.6
|
5.91
|
|
3
|
SIMPLE LIFE 2
|
FOX
|
4.5
|
5.79
|
|
4
|
WITHOUT
A TRACE
|
CBS
|
4.0
|
5.15
|
|
5
|
LAST
COMIC STANDING 2
|
NBC
|
3.8
|
4.91
|
|
6
|
LAW & ORDER: SVU
|
NBC
|
3.7
|
4.74
|
|
7
|
LAW
& ORDER
|
NBC
|
3.5
|
4.51
|
|
7
|
TWO
AND A HALF MEN
|
CBS
|
3.5
|
4.52
|
|
7
|
FOR LOVE OR MONEY
|
NBC
|
3.5
|
4.57
|
|
10
|
FEAR FACTOR
|
NBC
|
3.4
|
4.42
|
|
10
|
NASCAR PEPSI 400
|
FOX
|
3.4
|
4.40
|
|
12
|
EVERYBODY
LOVES RAYMOND
|
CBS
|
3.1
|
3.98
|
|
13
|
WHO WANTS TO MARRY MY
DAD
|
NBC
|
3.0
|
3.88
|
|
14
|
QUINTUPLETS
|
FOX
|
2.9
|
3.68
|
|
15
|
WILL
& GRACE
|
NBC
|
2.8
|
3.57
|
|
16
|
METHOD
& RED
|
FOX
|
2.7
|
3.51
|
|
16
|
KING OF QUEENS
|
CBS
|
2.7
|
3.48
|
|
18
|
MY WIFE AND KIDS
|
ABC
|
2.6
|
3.41
|
|
18
|
NYPD 24/7
|
ABC
|
2.6
|
3.32
|
|
18
|
SCRUBS
|
NBC
|
2.6
|
3.36
|
|
21
|
FRIENDS
|
NBC
|
2.5
|
3.19
|
|
21
|
COPS
|
FOX
|
2.5
|
3.19
|
|
21
|
THAT 70’S SHOW
|
FOX
|
2.5
|
3.28
|
|
24
|
48 HOURS MYSTERY
|
CBS
|
2.4
|
3.06
|
|
24
|
WILL & GRACE
|
NBC
|
2.4
|
3.14
|
|
24
|
LAW & ORDER
|
NBC
|
2.4
|
3.09
|
|
27
|
MY WIFE AND KIDS
|
ABC
|
2.3
|
2.96
|
|
27
|
DATELINE FRIDAY
|
NBC
|
2.3
|
2.96
|
|
27
|
THE CASINO
|
FOX
|
2.3
|
2.99
|
|
27
|
FOX MOVIE SPECIAL
|
FOX
|
2.3
|
2.94
|
|
Source:
ABC Networks, based on data from Nielsen Media Research
|
CABLE
TV
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 20 |
BASIC CABLE |
# |
PROGRAM NAME |
NET |
Households |
Persons
2+ |
(000) |
Rtg
% |
(000) |
1 |
TNT
ORIGINAL(S)-06/20/2004 (SALEM'S LOT) |
TNT |
4026 |
3.7 |
5944 |
2 |
MONK
(2101 MONK TAKES MANHATTAN) |
USA |
3915 |
3.6 |
5536 |
3 |
LAW
& ORDER |
TNT |
3411 |
3.1 |
4512 |
4 |
WWE
ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW ZONE) |
SPIKE |
3313 |
3.1 |
4342 |
5 |
SEX AND
THE CITY SPECIAL(S)-06/15/2004 |
TBSC |
3200 |
3.0 |
4023 |
6 |
SEX AND
THE CITY SPECIAL(S)-06/17/2004 |
TBSC |
3013 |
2.8 |
3781 |
7 |
WWE
ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW) |
SPIKE |
2985 |
2.8</ | | | |
