Ratings News - 7th May 2012 *Full Tables Added*

We'll have the full tables and updated Cancellation Chart online shortly. Check the Twitter feed for updates.



SUNDAY 5/06/12 Metered Markets

Household
Rating/Share
CBS 6.2/10
ABC 5.2/ 9
NBC 4.3/ 7
Fox 2.5/ 4

-Percent Change from Year-Ago Evening – Sunday 5/08/11
ABC: + 2, Fox: - 4, NBC: - 9, CBS: -10

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-Winners:
60 Minutes (CBS), Once Upon a Time (ABC)

-Honorable Mention:
The Amazing Race (CBS), Desperate Housewives (ABC)

-Losers (excluding repeats):
Dateline (NBC), The Cleveland Show (Fox), Bob’s Burgers (Fox), GCB (ABC), NYC 22 (CBS)

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-Rating Results:
There was nothing unusual to report on this first Sunday in May, with dominant CBS holding a 19 percent advantage in the metered markets over second-place ABC. Third overall was NBC, followed by Fox. Mirroring last week, ABC is expected to win the evening among adults 18-49.

Older-skewing 60 Minutes opened the evening for CBS with an 8.4 rating/16 share at 7 p.m., which took top-rated overnight honors for the evening. If there is one thing for sure, it is 60 Minutes outliving us all. Next was the two-hour season-finale of The Amazing Race at a consistent 6.1/10 from 8-10 p.m., which was three percent above the year-ago 5.9/10 on 5/08/11. That two-hour installment averaged 8.97 million viewers and a 2.6/ 7 among adults 18-49, according to the Live Plus Same day results. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

The Amazing Race (CBS)
8:00 p.m.: 6.3/10 (#1)
8:30 p.m.: 6.2/10 (#2)
9:00 p.m.: 6.0/ 9 (#2)
9:30 p.m.: 6.1/ 9 (#2)

Recent 10 p.m. entry NYC 22 capped off the evening for the Eye net with a second-place 4.3/ 7, which was 30 percent below both year-ago occupant CSI: Miami (6.1/10 on 5/08/11) and the 9:30 p.m. portion of The Amazing Race. NCY 22 will not live to see a second season.

On ABC, the second-to-last episode of Desperate Housewives, which should have called it quits last season, got a minor boost with a first-place 6.4/10 in the overnights at 9 p.m. But that was still seven percent below the 6.9/11 on the year-ago evening. Lead-out GCB concluded for the season (or series) with an uneventful 4.2/ 7 at 10 p.m. (#3), which only proves this Desperate Housewives wannabe is not strong enough to move into the Sunday 9 p.m. hour next season. Although Marc Cherry’s upcoming Devious Maids looks like a lock for next season, ABC might be wise to take a break from this over-the-top type of comedy/drama storytelling. As new as GCB is, it already seems stale.

Earlier in the evening on the alphabet network was veteran America’s Funniest Home Videos (#2: 4.1/ 7 at 7 p.m.) and Once Upon a Time (#1t: 6.2/10 at 8 p.m.), which will definitely be back next season.

NBC got off to a dismal start care of Dateline at a 2.4/ 5 from 7-8 p.m. (#3). But older-skewing Harry’s Law, which is worthy of renewal based on the audience size, perked up to a 5.3/ 9 at 8 p.m. (#3), followed by two hours of Celebrity Apprentice at a 4.8/ 8 from 9-11 p.m. One year earlier, three hours of Donald Trump and company averaged a 5.3/ 9 from 8-11 p.m. on 5/08/11. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

Celebrity Apprentice (NBC)
9:00 p.m.: 4.4/ 7 (#3)
9:30 p.m.: 4.5/ 7 (#3)
10:00 p.m.: 5.2/ 8 (#1)
10:30 p.m.: 5.1/ 9 (#1)

Personally speaking, and I cannot be the only one, it was a true pleasure to see Lisa Lampanelli get the axe.

Last and very least in the overnights was Fox’s combination of a repeat of The Simpsons (#4: 1.7/ 3), The Cleveland Show (#4: 1.9/ 3), the regularly scheduled edition of The Simpsons (#4: 2.9/ 5), Bob’s Burger’s (#4: 2.2/ 3), Family Guy (#4: 3.6/ 6) and American Dad (#4: 2.9/ 4). While I do understand that the strength of Fox falls within the young adult demographics, the network’s animated block is in need of some fresh programming blood next season.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Source: Marc Berman@TVMediaInsights