Ratings News - 20th January 2011

Wednesday 1/19/11
Note: The overnight data now includes DVR playback until 3 a.m. local time. One year earlier it was based on Live data only.

HH
Rtg/Shr
Fox 16.4/24
CBS 6.5/10
ABC 5.1/ 8
NBC 3.6/ 6
CW 0.7/ 1

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-Note: The year-to-year overnight comparisons are not available today.

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
American Idol (Fox), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), Blue Bloods (CBS)

-Honorable Mention:
The Middle (ABC)

-Yesterday’s Losers:
Live to Dance (CBS), Minute to Win It (NBC), Better with You (ABC), Chase (NBC), Cougar Town (ABC), Off the Map (ABC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
Fox, no doubt, can breathe a huge sigh of relief given the still stellar performance for American Idol without Simon Cowell. Although Idol did dip by 11 percent compared to one year earlier, the 10th season-premiere of the reality/competition with new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler averaged a considerable 16.4 rating/24 share in the overnights from 8-10 p.m. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

American Idol (Fox)
8:00 p.m.: 15.0/23 (#1)
8:30 p.m.: 16.5/25 (#1)
9:00 p.m.: 16.9/25 (#1)
9:30 p.m.: 17.0/25 (#1)

Excluding the 9 p.m. half-hour, American Idol beat the four competing networks combined. One year earlier, Idol averaged an 18.4/27 in the overnights on January 20, 2010. As for Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, time will tell if the tune-in was just initial curiosity. My guess is Idol will still lead the charts, but at levels 15-20 percent below one year earlier.

Opposite American Idol, Paula Abdul and company on CBS’ Live to Dance took a hit, with a third-place 3.7/ 6 in the overnights at 8 p.m. But lead-out Criminal Minds at 9 p.m. perked up to a second-place 8.0/12, followed by the 10 p.m. time period test of Blue Bloods at an almost duplicate (and dominant) 7.9/13 at 10 p.m. Needless to say, this was quite an improvement from former time period occupant The Defenders (which moves into the Friday 8 p.m. hour on February 4). Expect Blue Bloods to end up a permanent occupant on Wednesday.

Despite facing American Idol, ABC’s sitcom rotation was at typical overnight levels as follows:

Tuesday 8 p.m.
8:00 p.m. – The Middle: 5.8/ 9 (#2)
8:30 p.m. – Better with You: 4.3/ 6 (#2)
9:00 p.m. – Modern Family: 8.0/12 (#2)
9:30 p.m. – Cougar Town: 4.2/ 6 (#3)

The positive news for fans of Cougar Town, of course, was the early renewal for 2011-12. But retention of just 52 percent out of Modern Family clearly makes it a “loser.” Don’t forget that Matthew Perry sitcom Mr. Sunshine steps into the Thursday 9:30 p.m. time period on February 9. Retention for Better with You out of The Middle, meanwhile, was also disappointing at just 74 percent.

In week two news, ABC drama Off the Map, which is nothing more than a diluted Grey’s Anatomy set in the jungle, finished third with a lackluster 4.2/ 7 at 10 p.m. Compared to one week earlier (5.5/ 9 on Jan. 12), that was a loss of a hefty 24 percent.

Over at NBC, the news was bleak with game show Minute to Minute (#4: 2.9/ 5 at 8 p.m.) leading into the time period premiere of relocated crime solver Chase at a mere 2.8/ 4 at 9 p.m. (#4). Regarding Chase, tick, tock…the cancellation clock is now officially ticking. At 10 p.m., NBC’s veteran Law & Order: SVU perked up to a second-place 5.1/ 9.

The CW capped off the evening with repeats of Nikita (#5: 1.0/ 2) and Hellcats (#5: 0.5/ 1).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data (R = repeat)

Source: pifeedback