Prime-Time Ratings: Weekend Highlights

-Friday's Winners (keep in mind that the expectations are lower on this evening):
Law & Order (NBC), 20/20 (ABC)

-Friday's Losers (excluding repeats):
Supernanny (ABC), Ugly Betty (ABC), The Jay Leno Show (NBC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
It was another modest night of results on this second Friday of the Nov. 2009 sweeps, with CBS the most-watched network (with under 8-million viewers) and ABC and CBS tied for first among adults 18-49 (with under a 2-rating in the demo). But the one show worth positively noting was ABC's 20/20, which featured an interview with Rihanna talking about former boyfriend Chris Brown. The veteran newsmagazine was the top-rated show of the evening with 8.18 million viewers and a 2.7 rating/9 share among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m. Comparably, that built from relocated lead-in Ugly Betty (Viewers: #3, 4.76 million; A18-49: #3, 1.3/ 4 at 9 p.m.) by a hefty 3.42 million viewers and 108 percent in the demo. And it was 20/20's best performance among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 (3.1/ 9) since the weeks of March 27, 2009 and Feb. 13, 2009, respectively; and highest among adults 18-49 (2.3/ 9) in almost three years.

Earlier in the evening on ABC was relocated Supernanny at a not so super third-place finish in both total viewers (4.75 million) and adults 18-49 (1.3/ 4) at 8 p.m.

Elsewhere, two episodes of NBC's Law & Order inched past CBS' normally dominant combination of Ghost Whisperer and Medium as follows:

Friday 8 p.m.
Law & Order (NBC)
Viewers: 7.99 million (#1), A18-49: 1.8/ 6 (#1t)

Ghost Whisperer (CBS)
Viewers: 7.93 million (#2), A18-49: 1.8/ 6 (#1t)

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Friday 9 p.m.

Law & Order (NBC)
Viewers: 8.41 million (#1), A18-49: 1.9/ 6 (#1)

Ghost Whisperer (CBS)
Viewers: 7.58 million (#2), A18-49: 1.8/ 6 (#2)

It looks like the older skewing scripted granddaddy still has some life left in it. Even so, 10 p.m. occupant The Jay Leno Show squandered the improved lead-in support with 4.60 million viewers and a 1.2/ 4 among adults 18-49. Considerably stronger was CBS' second-place Numb3rs at 8.09 million viewers and a 1.8/ 6 among adults 18-49. As reported last week, however, the episode order this season for sure-to-be ending Numb3rs was cut back from 22 to 18.

Over at Fox, repeats of House (Viewers: #4, 3.91 million; A18-49: #4t, 1.2/ 4) and Bones (Viewers: #4, 4.09 million; A18-49: #4, 1.2/ 4) were an improvement over recent occupants Brothers, which now airs Sundays at 7 p.m., ‘Til Death, which is back on hiatus, and Dollhouse, which is returning in December. The CW closed the night with veteran Smallville (Viewers: #5, 2.76 million; A18-49: #4t, 1.2/ 4), which is down significantly from its former Thursday home but an improvement over year-ago occupants Everybody Hates Chris and The Game, and a repeat of America's Next Top Model (Viewers: #5, 1.15 million; A18-49: #5, 0.5/ 2).

Friday 11/06/09
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

HH
Rtg/Shr
CBS 5.1/ 9
NBC 4.5/ 8
ABC 3.9/ 7
Fox 2.6/ 4
CW 1.3/ 2

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 7.87 million, NBC: 7.00, ABC: 5.90, Fox: 4.00, CW: 1.96

-Adults 18-49:
ABC and CBS: 1.8 rating/6 share each, NBC: 1.6/ 5, Fox: 1.2/ 4, CW: 0.9/ 3

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Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 27 percent at this same point last year to approximately 33 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

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-Saturday's Winners:
Nothing

-Saturday's Losers (excluding repeats):
Saturday Night Football (ABC), Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers (CBS)

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-Ratings Breakdown:

Fox led the typically low-rated Saturday troops with its perennial combination of two episodes of Cops (original and repeat – Viewers: #2, avg. 4.99 million; A18-49: #1, avg. 1.7 rating/6 share from 8-9 p.m.) and America's Most Wanted (Viewers: #1, 5.49 million; A18-49: #1, 1.7/ 5). It's sad, isn't it, that performances this low is still enough to lead the evening?

Saturday Night Football on ABC finished second overall, with an unimpressive 5.05 million viewers and a 1.5/ 5 among adults 18-49 from 8-11 p.m. Over at CBS, boxing special Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers disappointed with 3.79 million viewers and a 1.7/ 6 in the demo from 9-11 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers (CBS)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 3.50 million (#4), A18-49: 1.5/ 5 (#3)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 3.53 million (#4), A18-49: 1.6/ 5 (#2)
10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.12 million (#3), A18-49: 1.9/ 6 (#1)
10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.01 million (#3), A18-49: 1.8/ 6 (#1)

Low-rated NBC, meanwhile, aired repeats of Mercy (Viewers: #4, 2.33 million; A18-49: #4, 0.5/ 2), Law & Order (Viewers: #3, 5.15 million; A18-49: #4, 1.1/ 4) and Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: #1, 6.22 million; A18-49: #2t, 1.4/ 5). This is all very depressing, isn't it?

Saturday 11/07/09
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

HH
Rtg/Shr
Fox 3.2/ 6
ABC 3.1/ 6
NBC 3.1/ 6
CBS 2.5/ 5

-Total Viewers:
Fox: 5.24 million, ABC: 5.05, NBC: 4.53, CBS: 3.94

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 1.7 rating/5 share, ABC: 1.5/ 5, CBS: 1.4/ 5, NBC: 1.0/ 3

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Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 27 percent at this same point last year to approximately 33 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

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-Yesterday's Winners:
60 Minutes (CBS), Football Night in America, part three (NBC), Sunday Night Football (NBC), Desperate Housewives (ABC)

-Honorable Mention:
The Amazing Race (CBS)

-Yesterday's Losers (excluding repeats):
NASCAR (ABC), Football Night in America, part one (NBC), Brothers (Fox), American Dad (Fox), Three Rivers (CBS)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
NBC stood well above the Sunday competition, with a healthy 33 percent metered market advantage over second-place CBS. Third overall was diluted ABC, followed by Fox, which always picks up steam among target adults 18-49.

Sunday Night Football on NBC, Dallas at Philadelphia, averaged a hefty 14.3 rating/23 share in the overnights from 8:30-11:45 p.m. ET, with the half-hour breakdown in primetime in follows:

Sunday Night Football (NBC)
8:30 p.m.: 13.7/21 (#1)
9:00 p.m.: 14.5/22 (#1)
9:30 p.m.: 15.1/23 (#1)
10:00 p.m.: 13.7/22 (#1)
10:30 p.m.: 14.4/24 (#1)

Earlier in the evening on NBC was Football Night in America as follows:

Football Night in America (NBC)
7:00 p.m. – part one: 3.6/ 6 (#2t)
7:30 p.m. – part two: 5.4/ 9 (#2)
8:00 p.m. – part three: 9.0/14 (#2)

As always, interest builds as the half-hours progress.

Since CBS' primetime rotation started about 15 minutes late due to a football overall, all individual program results are approximate and broken out as follows:

CBS/Sunday
7:00 p.m. – NFL Football/60 Minutes: 14.6/24 (#1)
7:30 p.m. – 60 Minutes: 12.1/19 (#1)
8:00 p.m. – 60 Minutes/The Amazing Race: 10.1/16 (#1)
8:30 p.m. – The Amazing Race: 6.7/10 (#2)
9:00 p.m. – The Amazing Race/Three Rivers: 6.6/10 (#3)
9:30 p.m. – Three Rivers: 4.9/ 7 (#3)
10:00 p.m. – Three Rivers/Cold Case: 6.3/10 (#3)
10:30 p.m. – Cold Case: 5.7/10 (#3)

ABC opened the evening with minimal interest for a half-hour portion of NASCAR at a last-place 3.1/ 5 in the overnights at 7 p.m. Next was an abbreviated version of America's Funniest Home Videos (#3: 3.5/ 6 at 7:30 p.m.), followed by aging Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (#3: 5.9/ 9), Desperate Housewives (#2: 8.2/13) and Brothers & Sisters (#3: 6.3/10), which held 76 percent of the second-half of Desperate Housewives (8.3/13 at 9:30 p.m.). Although Emmy loves to nominate Rachel Griffiths for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama on Brothers & Sisters, it is Calista Flockhart who is more than worthy of being recognized this season.

Last in the overnights was Fox's combination of relocated Brothers (#2t, 3.6/ 6), a new candidate in Mr. TV's annual listing of TV turkeys, a 7:30 p.m. version of American Dad (#4: 2.6/ 4), which tanked without the lead-in support of Family Guy, an 8 p.m. installment of Family Guy (#4: 4.4/ 7), Family Guy special Seth & Alex s Almost Live Comedy Show (#4: 4.0/ 6 at 8:30 p.m.), the regularly scheduled edition of Family (#4: 4.6/ 7) and a 9:30 p.m. airing of The Cleveland Show (#3: 3.9/ 6).

Sunday 11/08/09

HH
Rtg/Shr
NBC 11.2/18
CBS 8.4/13
ABC 5.9/ 9
Fox 3.9/ 6

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-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Period (Sunday, November 9, 2008):
NBC: +17, Fox: - 7, ABC: -17, CBS: -18

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Note: The fast affiliate results for Sunday will be posted at PIFeedback.com by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night's Results, and Sunday, November 8, 2009.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

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