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Television

So spooky: Sci-fi
me-toos start strong


All three new series place well in their timeslots

Sep 21, 2005

 Does anybody remember �Friends� wannabes like �Boston Common,� �It�s Like, You Know� and �Coupling?� Not really, and that�s the point: Very few knockoffs of successful formulas are successful themselves.
   Except, apparently, when it comes to the supernatural genre made popular last season by ABC�s �Lost� and NBC�s �Medium.�
   This season is full of supernatural-themed shows, and somewhat surprisingly, three that have already launched--The WB's "Supernatural," CBS's "Threshold" and NBC's "Surface"--have gotten off to very good starts.
   The WB started things off during the week ended Sept. 18 with the Tuesday 9 p.m. premiere of �Supernatural.� The show earned a 2.5 rating among the WB�s target 12-34 audience, an impressive No. 2 in its timeslot, and also did well among viewers 18-49.
   �Supernatural� scored a 2.5 among 18-49s, holding 89.3 percent of lead-in �Gilmore Girls�� audience and helping the network to its highest-rated Tuesday night in that demo since 2003.
   Last Friday it was CBS�s turn, as it aired a two-hour premiere special of �Threshold� at 9 p.m. The show was No. 1 that night with a 2.9 rating among 18-49s, and it led CBS to a comfortable first-place finish for the night in the demo.
   It was nearly 50 percent above last season's 18-49 average of former 9 p.m. timeslot occupant "JAG." 
   Monday, NBC premiered �Surface� at 8 p.m., and it did especially well when you consider the competition it faced. The show pulled a 3.8 rating and finished second only to ABC�s coverage of a special �Monday Night Football� game between the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants.
   "Surface" grew from a 3.5 during the 8-8:30 p.m. half hour to a 4.1 from 8:30-9 p.m. and outperformed the 3.8 CBS averaged for the season premieres of the comedies �The King of Queens� and �How I Met your Mother.�
   There are two other supernatural shows with highly anticipated premieres this week: ABC�s �Invasion,� which launches tonight at 10 p.m. after �Lost,� and CBS�s �The Ghost Whisperer,� which premieres Friday night at 8 p.m. before the second episode of �Threshold.�

  Meanwhile, in other broadcast ratings for the week ended Sept. 18:
 
Among adults 18-49, boosted by the Emmys and "Survivor," CBS finished first for the week with a 3.6 average rating and a 10 share, followed by Fox at 3.1/9, ABC at 2.7/8, NBC at 2.2/6, the WB at 1.4/4 and UPN at 1.0/3.

Among adults 18-34, Fox was first with a 3.1 average rating and a 10 share, with CBS second at 2.7/9, ABC third at 2.2/7, NBC fourth at 1.7/6, the WB fifth at 1.4/5 and UPN sixth at 1.1/4.

Among adults 25-54, CBS was first with a 4.4 average and an 11 share, Fox and ABC tied for second at 3.1/8, NBC fourth at 2.7/7, the WB fifth at 1.4/4 and UPN sixth 1.0/3.

Top five (18-49s): 1. �Monday Night Football� (ABC) 7.9; 2. �Survivor: Guatemala� (CBS) 6.6; 3. �Emmy Awards� (CBS) 6.1; 4. �House� (Fox) 5.9; T5. �NFL Postgame� (CBS), �CSI� (CBS) 4.9.

Top five (total viewers): 1. �Monday Night Football� (ABC) 19.6 million; 2. �Emmy Awards� (CBS)  18.68 million; 3. �Survivor: Guatemala� (CBS) 18.41 million; 4. �House� (Fox) 15.91 million; 5. �CSI� (CBS) 14.48 million.

Bottom five (18-49s): T98. �Smallville� (WB), �Cuts� (UPN), �Cuts Special� (UPN), �R U the Girl� (UPN) �Veronica Mars� (UPN), �Eve� (UPN) 0.9; T104 �Half and Half� (UPN), �Eve� (UPN) 0.8; 106. �One Tree Hill� (WB) 0.6.

Bottom five (total viewers): 102. �Smallville� (WB) 2.07 million; 103. �Half and Half� (UPN) 2.04 million; 104. �R U the Girl: Encore� (UPN) 2 million; 105. �Eve� (UPN) 1.99 million; 106. �One Tree Hill� (WB) 1.51 million.

Show on the rise: �Prison Break,� Fox, Monday 9 p.m. Helping Fox build momentum going into premiere week, �Prison Break� averaged a 4.5 rating among 18-49s, a 15 percent boost over the previous week�s 3.9.

Show on the decline: �George Lopez,� ABC, Wednesday 8 p.m. Not exactly the type of momentum you�re looking for headed into fall, two repeat episodes of G. Lo�s sitcom averaged just a 1.9 rating among 18-49s last week after two reruns averaged a 2.3 during the week ended Sept. 11.

 

   

PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending September 18

Network

Households

People 2+

Adults 18-49

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

CBS

6.9

7610

12

3.7

10490

10

3.6

4720

10

ABC

4.9

5450

8

2.6

7310

7

2.7

3500

8

NBC

4.9

5360

8

2.5

6890

7

2.2

2870

6

FOX

4.7

5190

8

2.7

7490

7

3.1

4000

9

WB

2.2

2450

4

1.2

3370

3

1.4

1880

4

UPN

1.7

1920

3

0.9

2550

2

1.0

1360

3

PAX

0.5

540

1

0.2

680

1

0.1

180

0

* Each rating point is equivalent to 1.096 million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending September 18

Network

Households

People 2+

Adults 18-49

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

CBS

7.4

8080

12

4.0

11240

11

3.5

4510

10

NBC

5.8

6380

10

3.1

8600

8

3.0

3940

9

ABC

5.8

6300

10

3.2

8830

8

3.2

4220

9

FOX

5.3

5850

9

3.1

8600

8

3.6

4610

10

UPN

2.1

2310

3

1.1

3110

3

1.3

1640

4

WB

2.0

2170

3

1.1

2940

3

1.2

1580

3

PAX

0.4

470

1

0.2

620

1

0.1

180

0

* Each rating point is equivalent to 1.096 million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research 

 

NETWORK TV
Ranked on Households
Week Ending September 18

#

PROGRAMS

Net

HOUSEHOLDS

PERSONS 2+

Rtg%

Shr

(000)

#

Rtg%

(000)

1

NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

ABC

13.0

22

14300

1

7.0

19598

2

EMMY AWARDS(S)

CBS

12.5

20

13760

2

6.7

18683

3

SURVIVOR: GUATEMALA SPC(S)

CBS

10.9

18

12009

3

6.6

18411

4

HOUSE

FOX

10.0

15

11045

4

5.7

15909

5

NFL MONDAY SHOWCASE

ABC

9.9

16

10938

5

5.3

14926

6

CSI

CBS

9.6

16

10633

6

5.2

14483

7

CBS NFL NATL POST GAME

CBS

9.1

17

10038

7

5.1

14368

8

CSI-SPECIAL(S)

CBS

8.8

16

9678

8

4.6

13026

9

LAW AND ORDER:SVU

NBC

7.4

13

8199

10

3.8

10544

10

CSI: MIAMI

CBS

7.3

12

8070

10

3.8

10656

10

TWO AND A HALF MEN 930P

CBS

7.3

11

8058

9

3.9

10860

12

TWO AND A HALF MEN

CBS

7.1

11

7775

13

3.7

10502

13

LAW AND ORDER

NBC

7.0

12

7742

15

3.5

9765

14

BONES

FOX

6.7

11

7396

10

3.8

10789

14

LAW &ORDER:CRIM INT 9/14(S)

NBC

6.7

11

7417

17

3.3

9298

16

DATELINE FRI

NBC

6.2

11

6838

23

3.0

8550

17

DATELINE SUN-7PM

NBC

6.0

11

6595

23

3.0

8417

18

NCIS

CBS

5.9

10

6545

19

3.1

8601

19

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND

CBS

5.8

9

6339

25

2.9

8209

19

LAW &ORDER:SVU 9/16(S)

NBC

5.8

10

6399

25

2.9

8145

19

PRISON BREAK

FOX

5.8

9

6438

17

3.3

9147

22

CSI: NY

CBS

5.7

10

6285

25

2.9

8188

23

SIMPSONS

FOX

5.5

9

6071

14

3.6

9998

23

THRESHOLD SPECIAL(S)

CBS

5.5

10

6046

19

3.1

8605

25

SO YOU THINK YOU CN DANCE

FOX

5.4

9

5963

25

2.9

8118

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

TOP 25 PROGRAMS � BROADCAST
Adults 18-49
Week Ending September 18

Rank

Program

Net

Rtg%

(000)

1

NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

ABC

7.9

10320

2

SURVIVOR: GUATEMALA SPC(S)

CBS

6.6

8625

3

EMMY AWARDS(S)

CBS

6.1

7889

4

HOUSE

FOX

5.9

7607

5

NFL MONDAY SHOWCASE

ABC

5.6

7251

6

CBS NFL NATL POST GAME

CBS

4.9

6397

6

CSI

CBS

4.9

6383

8

SIMPSONS

FOX

4.8

6221

9

CSI-SPECIAL(S)

CBS

4.5

5866

9

FAMILY GUY

FOX

4.5

5904

9

PRISON BREAK

FOX

4.5

5855

12

WAR AT HOME

FOX

4.1

5295

13

AMERICAN DAD

FOX

4.0

5182

14

BONES

FOX

3.9

5058

15

TWO AND A HALF MEN 930P

CBS

3.7

4872

16

CSI: MIAMI

CBS

3.5

4544

16

TWO AND A HALF MEN

CBS

3.5

4582

18

BIGGEST LOSER 2

NBC

3.3

4260

19

BIG BROTHER 6-TUE

CBS

3.2

4193

19

KING OF THE HILL

FOX

3.2

4165

19

ROCK STAR: INXS-WED

CBS

3.2

4156

22

LAW AND ORDER:SVU

NBC

3.1

4000

23

O.C.

FOX

3.0

3933

23

SO YOU THINK YOU CN DANCE

FOX

3.0

3927

25

ROCK STAR: INXS-TUE

CBS

2.9

3721

25

THRESHOLD SPECIAL(S)

CBS

2.9

3784

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

CABLE TV
Ranked on Households
Week Ending
September 18

BASIC CABLE

#

PROGRAM NAME

NET

Households 

Persons 2+

(000)

Rtg %

(000)

1

NFL REGULAR SEASON L (CHIEFS/RAIDERS)

ESPN

7601

6.9

10338

2

NEXTEL POST RACE SHOW

TNT

4113

3.7

6124

3

NEXTEL CUP RACING/LOUDON

TNT

3786

3.4

5505

4

PRIME MOVIE

LIF

3691

3.3

4810

5

NFL PRIME TIME L

ESPN

3439

3.1

4755

6

WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW ZONE)

SPIKE

2999

2.7

4357

7

D PHANT ULTIMATE ENEMY

NICK

2994

2.7

4086

8

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS(S)-09/15/2005

FOXNC

2992

2.7

3959

9

PRES ADDRESS/ANALYSIS(S)-09/15/2005

FOXNC

2948

2.7

3930

10

WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)

SPIKE

2938

2.7

4239

11

SPORTSCENTER: L

ESPN

2909

2.6

3674

12

SPONGEBOB

NICK

2684

2.4

3091

13

LAW & ORDER

TNT

2671

2.4

3339

14

SPONGEBOB

NICK

2660

2.4

3250

15

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

2585

2.3

2965

PAY CABLE

#

PROGRAM NAME

NET

Households 

Persons 2+

(000)

Rtg %

(000)

1

ROME

HBO

1804

1.6

2527

2

TAXI

HBO

943

0.9

1340

3

RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE

HBO

912

0.8

1191

4

REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER

HBO

789

0.7

988

5

RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE

HBO

912

0.8

1191

* Ratings based on 109.6 million U.S. TV homes. One ratings point represents 1.096 million homes.
Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Sept. 11

#

 PROGRAMS

Syndicator

Households

US Rtg%

(000)

1

ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON

ESP

7.9

8670

2

OPRAH WINFREY SHOW (AT)

KIN

7.4

8168

3

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

KIN

6.1

6696

4

EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN (AT)

KIN

5.8

6351

5

SEINFELD-WKND (AT)

SPT

5.2

5728

6

JEOPARDY

KIN

5.1

5617

7

SEINFELD (AT)

SPT

5.0

5546

8

FRIENDS (AT)

WB

4.7

5169

9

CSI-SYN (AT)

KIN

4.6

5039

10

DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)

KIN

4.4

4833

11

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)

PRM

4.3

4699

12

JUDGE JUDY (AT)

PRM

4.2

4654

13

EVBDY LVS RAYMOND-WKD-SYN

KIN

3.3

3589

14

LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY

BV

3.2

3493

15

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD

PRM

3.0

3359

15

INSIDE EDITION

KIN

3.0

3305

15

JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)

PRM

3.0

3298

18

MILLIONAIRE (AT)

BV

2.8

3106

19

KING OF THE HILL-SYN(AT)

2/T

2.7

2977

19

PEOPLE'S COURT (AT)

WB

2.7

2960

19

MALCOLM IN-MIDDLE SYN(AT)

2/T

2.7

2954

22

COPS-SYN (AT)

2/T

2.5

2765

22

THAT 70S SHOW-MF-SYN (AT)

2/T

2.5

2746

22

DIVORCE COURT (AT)

2/T

2.5

2730

22

MAURY (AT)

NBU

2.5

2716

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending September 18

#

PROGRAMS

Net

NHTI

(000)

1

ESPOSA VIRGEN M-F

UNI

20.1

2258

2

CRISTINA-MON

UNI

19.6

2198

3

CONTRA VIENTO Y MAREA M-F

UNI

19.5

2188

4

INOCENTE DE TI M-F

UNI

19.1

2148

5

DON FRANCISCO PRESENTA-WE

UNI

16.7

1871

6

CASOS VIDA R: ED. ESP TUE

UNI

15.8

1771

7

HORA PICO-SUN

UNI

13.7

1542

8

ASI ES GILBERTO GLESS FRI

UNI

13.5

1515

8

CINE ESPECIAL SUN 7PM

UNI

13.5

1514

10

SABADO GIGANTE-SAT

UNI

13.2

1480

11

AQUI Y AHORA-THU

UNI

13.1

1471

12

TERREMOTO 9/18(S)-09/18/2005

UNI

11.7

1315

13

PAR DE ASES FRI

UNI

11.4

1284

14

GF:APUESTA POR AMOR 9/17(S)-09/17/2005

UNI

9.1

1021

15

CUERPO DEL DESEO F

TEL

7.9

883

16

AMARTE ASI M-F

TEL

6.2

694

17

PLATEADOS M-F

TEL

5.7

644

18

PAQUITA DEL BARRIO 9/17(S)-09/17/2005

TEL

5.2

587

19

PRINCIPE AZUL F

TEL

4.8

540

20

FUTBOL LIGA MEX SAT

TF

4.6

513

21

CINEMUNDO PREMIER

TEL

4.4

489

22

FUTBOL LIGA MEXICANA SAT

TF

4.1

465

23

RIPLEY'S SUN

TEL

3.9

439

24

CINE LAS ESTREL2 SUN

TF

3.8

429

24

SIN FRONTERAS

TEL

3.8

424

* Nielsen Hispanic Television Index; ratings based on 9.7 million Hispanic TV homes.
Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

NETWORK SPORTS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Sept. 11

#

PROGRAMS

Net

Episode

Households

Persons 2+

US Rtg%

Shr

(000)

(000)

1

FOX NFL SUNDAY
NATIONAL-9/11

FOX

VAR. TEAMS AND TIMES

13.6

27

15041

21319

2

NFL FTBALL 
SPEC OPENER-9/8

ABC

OAK. AT NEW ENG

11.7

21

12918

18006

3

2005 NFL
SHOWCASE-9/8

ABC

10.2

17

11194

16019

4

OT, THE-9/11

FOX

7.6

14

8346

11539

5

CBS NFL
 SINGLE-9/11

CBS

VAR. TEAMS AND TIMES

7.4

17

8138

10933

6

FOX NFL SUN.-
REGIONAL-9/11

FOX

VAR. TEAMS AND TIMES

6.9

16

7579

10480

7

ABC COLL. FTBL
SPEC-MON-9/5

ABC

MIAMI AT
FLA STATE

6.5

11

7145

9665

8

ABC COLL. FTBL
SPEC-SA2-9/10

ABC

TEXAS AT
OHIO ST

6.4

12

7064

9932

9

NFL FTBL SPEC
POST GUN-9/8

ABC

5.8

16

6396

8381

10

US OPEN TENNIS
SUNDAY-9/11

CBS

MEN'S FINAL

4.8

10

5281

7135

11

ABC COLL. FTBL
GM-EARLY-9/10

ABC

NOTRE DAME AT MICH.

4.3

12

4745

6126

12

ABC COLL. FTBL
GM-LATE-9/10

ABC

VAR. TEAMS AND TIMES

4.0

10

4368

5671

13

FOX NFL SUN.
PRE-9/11

FOX

3.2

9

3575

4881

14

CBS NFL TODAY-9/11

CBS

2.8

8

3126

4037

15

US OPEN TENNIS
SAT-2-9/10

CBS

WOMEN'S
FINAL

2.7

5

2962

4056

16

FOX SAT.
BASEBALL-9/10

FOX

VAR. TEAMS AND TIMES

2.4

6

2599

3253

17

US OPEN TENNIS
SAT-1-9/10

CBS

MENS
SEMI
FINALS

2.3

6

2486

3258

18

US OPEN DAY
WK 2-MON
2-9/05

CBS

2.2

5

2431

2965

19

US OPEN DAY
WK 2-FRI 
2-9/9

CBS

WOMEN
SEMI
FINALS

1.9

6

2050

2368

20

US OPEN
HIGHLIGHTS
TNS-WE-9/7

CBS

1.9

7

2112

2637

21

DEUTSCHE
BANK
CHAMP-9/5

ABC

1.7

4

1890

2280

22

US OPEN DAY
WK 2-MON
 1-9/5

CBS

1.7

4

1891

2252

22

US OPEN
GHLGHTS
TNS-WE-9/7

CBS

1.7

7

1865

2309

23

WWE
SMACKDOWN! FRI-9/9

UPN

1.7

3

1905

2862

24

US OPEN
HIGHLIGHTS
TNS-MO-9/5

CBS

1.4

5

1495

1707

25

US OPEN DAY
WK 2-FRI
1-9/9

CBS

MENS
DBLE FINAL

1.3

5

1484

1638

26

US OPEN
HIGHLIGHTS
TNS-TH-9/8

CBS

1.3

5

1428

1524

27

US OPEN
HIGHLIGHTS
TNS-FR-9/9

CBS

1.2

4

1310

1765

28

US OPEN
HIGHLIGHTS
TNS-TU-9/6

CBS

1.1

4

1177

1296

29

PEAK
ANTIFREEZE
INDY 300-9/11

ABC

1.0

2

1048

1424

30

NBC ACTION
SPORTS TOUR
SU-9/11

NBC

0.9

2

949

1189

31

NBA INSIDE
STUFF
ABC-9/11

ABC

0.7

2

791

922

32

NBC ACTION
SPORTS
TOUR
SA-9/10

NBC

0.7

2

796

929

33

WEEK IN
BBALL-9/10

FOX

0.7

2

731

896

34

UNDER THE
HELMET-9/10

FOX

0.6

2

662

797

35

US OPEN
WK 2-MON
BONUS-9/5

CBS

0.4

1

457

478

Source: Nielsen Media Research



Diego Vasquez is a staff writer for Media Life.




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