Global’s Grammy broadcast was by far the biggest show of the week, drawing over 4.6 million viewers. That was a 33% jump over the year before and the largest Grammy audience in 11 years in Canada according to the network.
With February sweeps underway in the U.S., the return of new episodes of favourite imported shows on private networks stole some viewers away from those new CBC shows. Still, Republic of Doyle, the fifth estate and Heartland managed to remain above the million barrier.
Here’s how all it all played out across Canada in prime time among adults 2+ the week of Feb. 6 to 12 according to overnight estimates:
MONDAY
CTV finally has its schedule set for winter with a two hour The Voice (1,890,000) leading into the debut of the new Broadway-themed drama Smash (1,355,000). Given all the Super Bowl hype about Smash, it’s surprising the overnight estimates weren’t higher.
News that this will be the last season for House (1,708,000) probably gave programmers at Global a headache. NCIS did 1,547,000 followed by a strong Hawaii FIVE-0 (1,721,000).
The addition of The Voice bumped Two and a Half Men back over to CTV Two, where it was found by 1,114,000. Mike & Molly followed there at 9:30 (913,000). Castle did 909,000. The Mentalist at 8 drew 361,000.
Week Four of the new J.J. Abrams drama Alcatraz held 752,000 captive on City. How I Met Your Mother (777,000) and a soaring 2 Broke Girls (977,000) opened City’s night, with Law & Order UK (193,000) airing at 10.
On a busy night, the Leafs still managed to pull 923,000 viewers on Sportsnet Ontario.
All this first run competition on the private networks knocked CBC’s new comedy Mr. D down to 676,000 viewers. Little Mosque was also down (367,000) as was Redemption, Inc (438,000).
Episode two of Canada’s Greatest Know-It-All was down sharply on Discovery, from 462,000 to 193,000 viewers, proving once again that nobody likes a know-it-all. History saw 287,000 tune in for Vietnam in HD, ironically just a bit higher than what they drew at 5:30 for a rerun of M*A*S*H (239,000). Score pinned 376,000 with WWE Raw. Midsomer Murders killed on TVO (278,000). Pretty Little Liars at MuchMusic drew 191,000.
TUESDAY
Glee (1,571,000) remains a steady draw at Global. A new NCIS: Los Angeles rounded up 1,738,000 at 9 with Parenthood raising another 600,000 at 10.
Unforgettable at 8 (1,134,000) led into the two hour CTV premiere of the new paranormal drama The River starring Bruce Greenwood and Leslie Hope (1,268,000).
The Rick Mercer Report aired a rerun (716,000) as did 22 Minutes (534,000) which gave little lift to Arctic Air (718,000).
City aired back-to-back Last Man Standing (375,000, 439,000) followed by a growing New Girl (622,000). Raising Hope followed (293,000) and at 10 an umpteenth repeat of Murdoch Mysteries (204,000).
CTV Two’s top show once again was The Mentalist (283,000).
Leafs vs. Jets brought 801,000 to Sportsnet Ont. Discovery had another bonanza with Gold Rush Alaska (580,000). Brad Meltzer Decoded (302,000) was tops at History. Canada’s Handyman Challenge did 255,000 on HGTV. The L.A. Complex (16,000) must have been a repeat at MuchMusic.
WEDNESDAY
Don’t write American Idol off yet. It played to 2,531,000 viewers Wednesday night on CTV. Criminal Minds did almost as well at 9 (2,456,000). CSI at 10 arrested a further 2,077,000.
Dragon’s Den roared with 1,515,000 CBC viewers. Republic of Doyle cleared a million for the fifth week in a row, drawing 1,019,000.
When the Leafs are winning, everybody wins, including TSN who saw 1,418,000 tune in for Wednesday’s tilt with the Penguins.
The season finale of Bomb Girls exploded to 1,039,000 on Global.
Are You There Chelsea slid to 353,000 and The Office booked 297,000. Kitchen Nightmares woke up 505,000 at 10.
City saw some growth with new episodes of The Middle (433,000), Suburgatory (319,000), Modern Family (946,000), Happy Endings (656,000) and Revenge (544,000).
CTV Two had nothing over 100,000 until Law & Order: SVU (440,000).
Back-to-back NHL games on TSN scored 509,000 and 445,000.
Back-to-back episodes of American Restoration drew 451,000 and 477,000 on History, where IRT: Deadliest Roads drove off with 502,000 and Boston Rob’s Around the World in 80 Ways did 218,000.
THURSDAY
Big Bang Theory (3,216,000) was actually down half a million viewers on CTV. Up All Night was up to 1,011,000 at 8:30. Grey’s Anatomy increased to 2,086,000. The Mentalist finished the night with 2,064,000.
American Idol (1,385,000) was down slightly on CTV Two. Repeats of Criminal Minds (359,000) and The Voice (294,000) followed.
Those busy Leafs drew another 924,000 taking on the Flyers on TSN.
The Exes is not excelling for Global at 8 (187,000) but Rob (836,000) continues to surprise. The Finder at 9 drew an even million. Global’s law drama The Firm was down to 592,000 at 10.
The Canucks drew 591,000 on Sportsnet Pacific. An Oilers game scored 501,000 on TSN.
Nature of Things (509,000) and Doc Zone (407,000) kept CBC in the prime time race.
City aired an hour of 30 Rock (264,000) then Person of Interest (800,000) and Private Practice (552,000).
Undercover Boss Canada stayed strong on W, hiring another 473,000 at 9 p.m.
FRIDAY
New episodes bolstered CTV’s Friday with CSI: New York (1,419,000), Grimm (1,076,000) and Blue Bloods (1,857,000).
Marketplace exposed 914,000 to a “Snake in the Grass.” Mercer 2.0 followed with 569,000 on CBC, then the fifth estate roared back over a million with “The House of Shafia” (1,082,000).
A Gifted Man (867,000), King (228,000) and Ringer (312,000) worked the Friday shift at Global.
Who Do You Think You Are (439,000) started the night on City followed by Fringe at 9 (477,000) and Mantracker (168,000). Shark Tank (576,000) put a bite on CTV Two, followed by Nikita (133,000).
WWE Smackdown drew 285,000 on Score. Undercover Boss Canada repeated to 266,000 on W.
SATURDAY
Hockey Day in Canada was a success for CBC, with 1,100,000 catching the afternoon tilt between Edmonton and Ottawa and Winnipeg and Pittsburgh. The big game in the East in prime was Leafs/Habs where 2,323,000 saw Mats Sundin’s No. 13 raised to the rafters. Canucks/Calgary drew another 1,486,000 in the late game out west.
W5 pulled a million even on CTV at 7 p.m. Smash repeated to a lousy 388,000 at 10.
Disney’s Jesse (446,000) and Pair of Kings (452,000) were big Saturday morning hits on Family.
Saturday Night Live drew 394,000 at 11:30 p.m. on Global. Merlin did 258,000 on Space.
SUNDAY
After CTV’s super sized Super Bowl ratings the week before, this Sunday was Global’s turn shine. Fuelled by interest in the sudden death of Whitney Houston, The Grammys sang to 4,645,000 overnight, estimated viewers. The red carpet pre-show drew another 1,219,000 on Global.
Whitney (709,000) and Hot in Cleveland (762,000) were bounced over to CTV’s Sunday at 7 slot. CTV weathered the Grammys with Once Upon a Time (1,551,000), Desperate Housewives (1,058,000) and Pan Am (583,000).
Heartland got the jump on the Grammys and was rewarded with 1,145,000 viewers at 7 p.m. on CBC. The TV-movie Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, jam-packed with Canadian stars such as Jill Hennessy and Gordon Pinsent, counter programmed to the 55+ crowd opposite Grammys, drawing 596,000.
City’s big draw was America’s Funniest Home Videos at 7 (580,000). CTV Two went with the movie Ocean’s 13 (277,000).
The final round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am drew 336,000 Sunday afternoon on TSN.
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