Canadian Ratings - September 26th -> October 2nd

MONDAY

Two and a Half Men is still kicking ass in two countries. Part 2 of the super-hyped Ashton Kutcher opener drew 20.5 million viewers Monday night on CBS and another 2,140,000 over on CTV Two. CTV bounced it to its sister stations to make room for a two-hour simulcast of Dancing With the Stars. The Sheen-less sitcom beat Dancing in both countries Monday night, with Dancing waltzing off with 16.2 million on ABC and 1,763,000 on CTV. Dancing was even topped at 10 on CTV by Castle, which drew 1,773,000 overnight, estimated viewers.
The 2.5 Men tally was the biggest audience ever measured on the network formerly known as /A\ (under the current ratings system).

The other big premiere Monday was Terra Nova, the multi-million-dollar sci-fi dino drama from executive producer Steven Spielberg. In the U.S. on Fox, the two-hour premiere managed 9.2 million viewers opposite 2.5 Men, etc.
In Canada, on City, it got off to a much stronger start. Terra Nova was seen by an overnight estimated 1,414,000 viewers. That makes it the most watched drama in the Rogers-owned network's history. The City numbers spinners also said the premiere did better in Toronto in key demos than the launch of CTV's Pan Am Sunday, making it the No. 1 new show among A18-49 and A25-54 in Canada's largest TV market.
The bad news for City was the numbers for the new NBC drama The Playboy Club. Just 478,000 tuned in Canada for Monday's second episode and fewer than 4 million in the U.S. It bombed again in Week 3 and NBC has already yanked it off its schedule.
The big 2.5 Men tally helped the season premiere of Mike & Molly find 1,334,000 viewers on CTV Two: the biggest audience for the CBS sitcom ever in Canada.
Despite the CTV One-Two assault, Global saw strong second-episode ratings for NCIS (1,635,000) and Hawaii FIVE-0 (1,726,000). A repeat of House drew 703,000.
CBC, on the other hand, continues to get pummelled opposite all this imported heat. The Monday Battle of the Blades found 822,000 viewers, while the fourth season premiere of Being Erica managed just 351,000 viewers across Canada.

A MNF Washington/Dallas tilt drew 569,000 on TSN. Jays batted 364,000 on Sportsnet. WWE Raw pinned 396,000 on Score.


TUESDAY

CBC's new shrink series continues to shrink in the ratings. Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays drew just 153,000 overnight, estimated Tuesday night viewers less than a week after being relocated from Wednesdays. That's the worst performance yet for the series, heralded here as the best new comedy of the season. It's a number that would not get it renewed -- on Showcase. The other relocated CBC series, The Debaters, managed just 155,000 at 9:30 p.m.
The problem for Michael is that there seems to be no safe slot on any night opposite the full heat of the imported shows on the other networks. Instead of getting beat up by Survivor and Modern Family on Wednesdays, Michael got whacked Tuesday night by Global's NCIS: Los Angeles (2,063,000) and CTV's Dancing With the Stars results show (1,514,000). New Girl -- already picked up for a full 24-episode season by Fox -- scored 617,000 at 9 on City, down from 736,000 the week before. Raising Hope (419,000) and Body of Proof (592,000) followed on City.
Other Tuesday results: the Rick Mercer Report (874,000) fell below average for the second week in a row. 22 Minutes drew 762,000 overnight, estimated viewers.
For a change, it is a Canadian series giving them a fight at 8: CTV's Flashpoint, back strong with a new episode (1,349,000). Glee on Global was down sharply from the week before but still a time-slot winner with 1,495,000 viewers. Parenthood at 10 drew 690,000 on Global.
New drama import Unforgettable looks solid on CTV at 10, drawing 1,815,000 for its second episode.

Though down this week, History still draws a crowd with Pawn Stars (366,000, 447,000) and American Pickers (320,000). Canadian Pickers did 137,000. The Jays, down to their last at-bats, managed 409,000 against the White Sox.


WEDNESDAY

The Canada/Ireland co-production Camelot sank to a new low on a new night of 458,000 viewers. Last week: 672,000. Yikes.
There's simply not/a more congenial spot/on CBC's schedule for the rest of Camelot.
You can't blame the lead-in. Dragons' Den drew 1,323,000 Wednesday night, although even that guaranteed draw has been blunted this fall in a crowded field of import contenders. At 8, Global's perennial favourite Survivor (2,242,000) beat CTV's The X Factor (2,088,000) for the second week in a row, with City far behind with The Middle (325,000) and the premiere of a new comedy I quite like, Suburgatory (366,000). CTV Two had a show just picked up for a full season by NBC, Up All Night (354,000) and Free Agents (262,000).
At 9, besides the second half of The X Factor, Camelot had to fight off CTV Two powerhouse Criminal Minds (1,313,000), a surprisingly strong (in Canada) Harry's Law (1,062,000) and City's excellent Modern Family (861,000) plus the season premiere of Elisha Cuthbert's Happy Endings (456,000).

At 10, CTV played one of the oldest wild cards in their deck and came up aces with CSI (2,223,000). Ted Danson has delivered. Kitchen Nightmares scared up 630,000 on Global. Law & Order: SVU arrested 542,000. Revenge brought 523,000 to City at 10. Law & Order: SVU did 542,000 at 10 on CTV Two.

Ice Road Truckers was the top show on History (419,000).



THURSDAY

The Big Bang Theory easily remains Canada’s most watched TV show with 3,693,000 overnight, estimated viewers. Whitney -- renewed for a full season on NBC -- dropped 15 per cent in its second week in Canada but still pulled 1,709,000. Grey’s Anatomy was up slightly to 2,382,000 and The Mentalist won 10 p.m. with 2,088,000.

At 7 p.m., Charlie’s Angels dropped from 955,000 to 795,000.

Over at sister station CTV Two, The X Factor was up slightly to 1,376,000. Vampire Diaries drew 384,000 on CTV Two at 7.

Global opened with a weak rerun of The Office (159,000) followed by the Dave Foley comedy How to Be a Gentleman at 8:30 (637,000). A new Office drew 537,000 at 9 followed by the Fran Drescher cable comedy Happily Divorced (249,000).

Global really wants Prime Suspect to be a hit, but the Maria Bello cop series took a step back from 897,000 to 783,000.

City saw a slight drop in interest for its CBS drama Person of Interest, which went from 961,000 viewers to 886,000. Community (205,000) and Parks & Recreation (333,000) got Big Bang bruised again. The season premiere of off-season pickup Private Practice did 605,000 at 10.

Swamp People (374,000) was the big draw at History.


FRIDAY

CSI: New York (1,389,000) and Blue Bloods (1,444,000) were both down from their strong openers but still dominant. The second window on new sitcoms Up All Night (611,000) and Whitney (481,000) kept the slot warm.

Global saw 869,000 come out Friday for A Gifted Man. Bones (490,000) and Ringer (529,000) followed.

Ron James was dead even with the week before at 442,000 viewers. Mercer dipped to 496,000 and the fifth estate 482,000.

A Good Luck Charlie marathon peaked at 405,000 on Family. City’s biggest show Friday was Fringe (356,000).

There were big crowds for two CFL games on TSN: Montreal/Winnipeg did 815,000 and Edmonton/B.C. 856,000. The first round of the baseball playoffs got underway on Score. Tampa/Texas drew 325,000 and Yankees/Tigers 521,000.

SATURDAY

Pre-season hockey scored 973,000 (Leafs/Red Wings) and 971,000 (Oilers/Canucks) on CBC. TSN aired two more CFL games, Sask/Calgary (649,000) and Hamilton/Toronto (428,000). The finale of Doctor Who did 495,000 on Space, where a further 178,000 stuck around for the premiere of Bedlam. Saturday Night Live rose to 466,000.

SUNDAY

Pan Am shed half a million viewers in Canada in Week Two, dropping to 1,429,000 viewers in overnight estimates. The 10 p.m. drama lost altitude in the U.S., too, down 19 per cent week to week to 7.7 million total ABC viewers.
The consensus from critics seems to be so far that Pan Am looks great but doesn't really go anywhere. Sun Sentinel veteran Tom Jicha calls it "insultingly stupid."
CTV stayed strong Sunday with always amazing The Amazing Race (2,463,000), but Desperate Housewives (1,578,000) is showing its age. The Simpsons (1,241,000) continues to be Global's big draw Sunday. The Good Wife at 10 should do better than 558,000. The Cleveland Show (909,000), Family Guy (934,000) and American Dad (746,000) did as expected.
CBC's Battle of the Blades seems to have caught a dull edge so far this year (1,058,000), with Heartland (718,000) at 7 p.m. Cover Me Canada is pitchy at a low of 423,000.

CSI: Miami pulled 864,000 on CTV Two.
One show having a big year Sunday is Lost Girl, who was found by 345,000 Showcase viewers. A Deadliest Catch marathon hooked a high of 318,000 on Discovery. A NASCAR race on TSN (438,000) outdrew NFL football (Jets/Baltimore, 394,000) on TSN as well as MLB playoff action on Sportsnet (294,000 for Philly/St. Louis).



Source Toronto Brioux Report