Ratings Up for Final '09 Heroes....but not much

As Heroes takes their holiday vacation, the final episode of 2009 has an increase in viewers thanks to reruns on CBS and and uncharactaristic slip for the Grinch on ABC.

But it was not by much:

Fox was first at 8 p.m. with a 4.8 for “House,” followed by ABC with a 3.0 for “Grinch” (2.9) and “Shrek” (3.2). NBC was third with a 2.5 for “Heroes,” CBS fourth with a 1.9 for repeats of “How I Met Your Mother” and “Accidentally on Purpose,” Univision fifth with a 1.4 for “El Nombre del Amor” and CW sixth with a 1.1 for “One Tree Hill.” Source: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights_50/ABC_s_Grinch_special_takes_a_tumble.asp

As a matter of fact if you look at those numbers, Heroes was actually in SECOND place against Big Greenie.

Last week, Claire and the Carnies did a 2.3. This does not include DVR viewing.

Next Heroes will be Jan 4th as they move back to 9/8 central following the return of Chuck.

More ratings info...

This was posted on http://www.9thwonders.com/. Interesting:

Yesterday, someone at NBC Universal replied to an inquiry I made and explained to me where the Spotlight section is now and where the TAMi should be.

After loading http://www.nbcumv.com/, you go to "Network/Programs" and then to "NBC Entertainment". There is then a big flash window that displays ads for three NBC shows on its first page. The Spotlight section is on the second page of that window.

Currently, the second page has another two ads for NBC shows and an ad for the "Weekly TAMi posted on October 7, 2009". However, when I click to download the TAMi, I'm taken to a non-existent page.

I've replied about this, and will post here what I find out.

UPDATE> My contact confirmed that the link was broken and that it should get fixed shortly. In the mean time, I was forwarded the TAMi file, so here's the relevant data for Heroes (also posted to HeroesWiki):

Season Four (as of 10/07/09)

Airdate--------Episode(s)---------Mobile / VOD / Downloads------ISV-----------Television-------Total
9/21/09--Orientation / Jump, Push, Fall-------228,484-------4,386,597------12,089,000---16,704,081
9/28/09-----Ink----------- ---------------------113,402---------1,879,620-------8,441,000----10,434,022
Season Average------------------------------------170,943-------3,133,109------10,265,000----13,569,052

Season Total----------------------------------------341,886-------6,266,217------20,530,000----27,138,103


TWENTY-SEVEN MILLION VIEWERS!!!!!!
Source: http://boards.9thwonders.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=69658&view=findpost&p=858484

Ratings Trends Hopeful For Heroes??

Short term (4 week) ratings trends indicate the renewal prospects for Castle, The Good Wife, Heroes, Parks & Recreation and Law & Order have improved.
Since I am keeping individual show episode ratings this season (unlike in past years when I just relied on Nielsen averages), I’d been meaning to look at short term ratings trends explicitly at some point (instead of just eyeballing them). I meant to start including them in the regular posts this week, but the Nielsen power outage delay made that impractical. However, in preparation for next weeks posts, I set up the spreadsheet and did the calculations for this week, so I figured I would post them (not color coded).
Remember that on a season average basis, an Index of below 0.92 has in the past indicated a scripted show is in danger of cancellation. On a short term Index basis, I haven’t checked the history. And to be honest, there’s likely more in these numbers than I’ve drawn out from my cursory scan, but shows with 4 week Indexes over their season Indexes would seem to have improving chances. Whether that turns out to be the case, we shall see.

(since this is HEROES centric, we'll limit it to NBC shows)

Program
Renew/ Cancel Index
4 Week Renew/ Cancel Index

Law & Order (F), (P)
0.54
0.63

Trauma (P)
0.69
0.75

Mercy (P)
0.71
0.71

Parks & Recreation (P)
0.75
0.85

Community
0.83
0.85

Heroes (P)
0.92
0.99

Law & Order: SVU (P)
0.97
1.09

30 Rock (P)
1.14
1.25

The Office (P)
1.56
1.71

The blue Renew / Cancel Index numbers are calculated the same as they always have been. A show’s season average adults 18-49 rating divided by its networks season average adults 18-49 rating. The 4 week Indexes divide a show’s 4 week running 18-49 ratings average by the networks running 4 week ratings average. The number of repeats during a short period can cause misleading results. Not sure if I can do something simple to show that or not.

For all the nets and numbers: http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/11/19/recent-ratings-trends-are-hopeful-for-castle-the-good-wife-heroes-parks-recreation-and-law-order/34075#more-34075

'Heroes' tumbles to 5.1 million

Heroes hit a new series low Monday night, according to the latest viewing figures.

The 8pm instalment pulled in just 5.07m for NBC, down around 280k on last week's performance.

It was beaten in the hour by CBS comedies How I Met Your Mother and Accidentally On Purpose, which logged 8.44m and 7.76m at 8pm and 8.30pm, and Fox's House, which had 12.95m. The CW's One Tree Hill was last for the hour with 2.63m.

At 9pm, Two And A Half Men and The Big Bang Theory put in 14.07m and 13.49m respectively. Trauma interested 5.16m for NBC, 7.8m watched Lie To Me on Fox, and The CW's Gossip Girl had 2.24m.

ABC's Dancing With The Stars averaged an impressive 18.74m between 8pm and 10pm.

At 10pm, CSI: Miami took 13.49m for CBS, 10.86m tuned in for ABC's Castle, and The Jay Leno Show grabbed 4.46m for NBC.

However, when you add the DVR watchers...

Last post shows that Heroes last night hit a series low. But that is not the whole story.

For, though, Heroes has been languising in the 60's in the as-the-program-airs Nielsens, Heroes is the 10th most popular program on DVRs. SO when you add the DVR numbers to the season-to-date on-air numbers, Heroes total numbers shoot up 30.8%! That's the second biggest increase to on-air numbers in that top 10 (the biggest was FOX's Fringe.)

So...how do we get people to watch HEROES FIRST?

Full numbers are here: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Television_44/Huge_DVR_lift_for_Fringe_and_Dollhouse.asp

A series low.

It looks like the clock is ticking for our specials...

At 8 p.m. Fox was first with the 5.1 for “House,” followed by ABC with the 3.4 for “Stars.” CBS was third with a 3.2 for “How I Met Your Mother” (3.5) and “Accidentally on Purpose” (3.0), NBC fourth with a series-low 2.3 for “Heroes,” Univision fifth with a 1.4 for “El Nombre del Amor” and CW sixth with a 1.2 for “One Tree Hill.”

Full ratings for the night here: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights_50/Fox_edges_out_CBS_for_a_Monday_win.asp

Charlies Gives Heroes Ratings Glee!

Jayma Mays boosts 'Heroes' ratings
Tuesday, November 3 2009, 12:16pm EST
By Dan French, TV Reporter

Jayma Mays' return to Heroes helped to boost the show's ratings, overnight viewing figures show.
The episode, which saw Hiro travel three years into the past to try to save Charlie from the hands of Sylar, pulled in 6.2m for NBC in the 8pm hour - the best figure for season four so far. The previous high of 6m was achieved in the 'Redemption' opener.

After Heroes, Trauma and The Jay Leno Show logged 6.2m and 4.3m at 9pm and 10pm respectively.
How I Met Your Mother and Accidentally On Purpose put in 9.1m and 8.5m for CBS during the 8pm hour, then 13.6m watched Two And A Half Men at 9pm. The Big Bang Theory followed at 9.30pm with 12.7m.
Over on ABC, a two-hour episode of Dancing With The Stars managed 16.2m at 8pm, then 9.7m tuned in for Castle at 10pm.

One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl interested 2.4m and 1.9m for The CW at 8pm and 9pm respectively.
Fox's coverage of the World Series Game 5 averaged 17.1m between 8pm and 11pm.

(All this shows that Heroes is not fully in the grave yet, that with solid FOCUSED stories, the show can survive and thrive. -Don)

With CBS in Reruns, Claire and the Carnies talke advantage

These are last night numbers for 8-9 ET:

At 8 p.m. ABC was first with a 3.4 for “Stars,” followed by Fox with a 2.6 for
“Dance.” NBC was third with a 2.5 for “Heroes,” CBS fourth with
a 2.3 for repeats of “How I Met Your Mother” and “Accidentally on Purpose,”
Univision fifth with a 1.4 for “El Nombre del Amor” and CW sixth with a 1.3 for
“One Tree Hill.”

As you can see, Heroes is really closer than one would think, with only 0.6 separating Heroes and the D-List Dancers.

Heroes also remains NBC's top Monday show, with Truama slipping to 1.9, and Leno wishing he'd never left late-night at 1.3.

The who story is here: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights_50/With_CBS_in_reruns_ABC_rises_to_No_1.asp

Columbus Day Numbers

Full details:

Time Net Show 18-49 Rating/Share Viewers (Millons)

8:00 FOX House 5.0/13 12.91
CBS How I Met Your Mother 3.5/9 8.61
ABC Dancing With the Stars 3.3/8 16.10
NBC Heroes 2.4/6 5.64
CW One Tree Hill 1.2/3 2.62

8:30 CBS Accidentally on Purpose 3.0/7 7.83

9:00 CBS Two and a Half Men 4.6/11 13.89
ABC Dancing With the Stars 3.7/9 16.82
FOX Lie to Me 2.8/7 7.81
NBC Trauma 1.8/4 5.52
CW Gossip Girl 1.2/3 2.51

9:30 CBS The Big Bang Theory 4.8/12 12.78

10:00 CBS CSI: Miami 4.0/11 12.94
ABC Castle 2.4/6 9.99
NBC The Jay Leno Show 1.5/4 4.91

-
You can see TV ratings from other recent Overnight ratings reports here.

-

All numbers are Live+SD.

Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.

Is Heroes Safe? Maybe

For the last few weeks, there has been a lot of talk about how to save Our Favorite Show.

Maybe we are panicking too soon.

TVBy The Numbers, which tracks primetime and ratings, has anylized NBC's scripted fare over the past few weeks. And despite falling numbers, TVByTN says that Heroes stands a good chance of surviving to 2011, along with The Office, SVU, and the new Chevy Chase comedy Community.

Not looking good is Mercy. And although it was not listed, Trauma may be in the crosshairs as well.

The two that look like sure cancellations are Ame Poehler's Parks and Rec and the original Law & Order, though out of respect for 20 years, NBC may allow it to stay on until May.

TV By The Numbers' Renew / Cancel Index predicts potential renewal or cancellation for scripted broadcast primetime shows for the 2010-11 season:

• Likely To Be Canceled By May, 2010(***)
• Some Danger Of Being Canceled By May, 2010(**)
• Likely to Be Renewed For The 2010-11 Season(*)

Program	Renew/ Cancel Index
Law & Order (F)	***0.45
Parks & Recreation	***0.68
Mercy	**0.86
Law & Order: SVU	*0.94
Community	*1.01
Heroes	*1.05
The Office	*1.46

Numbers down even further

I wont go through the whole sad story, but here is enough for you to know:

At 8 p.m. Fox led with the 5.7 for “House,” followed by ABC with a 3.5 for
“Dancing with the Stars.” CBS was third with a 3.3 for “How I Met Your Mother”
(3.6, down just 6 percent from last week's series premiere) and “Accidentally on
Purpose” (3.1), NBC fourth with a 2.5 for “Heroes,” Univision fifth with a 1.5
for “El Nombre del Amor” and CW sixth with a 1.2 for “One Tree Hill.”
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights_50/Fox_wins_Monday_with_CBS_on_its_tail.asp

So here is the question:

To save Our Favorite Show should NBC:

• Move the show to another night...say Friday?
• Kepp it there....its just a blip?
• Make some major changes...like a more episodic format?
• Or just allow it to die at the end of the season?

First ratings...

I won't bore you with the details, but it doesn't look good for our Heroes...

...NBC limped out of the gate on the first night of the new season with its combination of the two-hour fourth season-premiere of tired Heroes (3.4/ 5 from 8-10 p.m.) and week two of The Jay Leno Show (#3: 4.4/ 7 at 10 p.m.). Comparably, Heroes dipped by 11 percent from its 9-10 p.m. overnight average (3.8/ 6) from last March and April.
Take a look at the half-hour breakdown:

Heroes (NBC)
8:00 p.m.: 3.7/ 6 (#4)
8:30 p.m.: 3.5/ 5 (#4)
9:00 p.m.: 3.2/ 5 (#4)
9:30 p.m.: 3.2/ 5 (#4)
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_displa...aa3a407d60e3eb3


When I saw that people taped the show, but watched something else FIRST (Like Dancing with the D-Listers), it did not bode well.

PEOPLE, REMEMER.....ALWAYS.....HEROES F1RST!!!!!

Ratings Battle of the Jerks: Jason Beats Nathan.....and everyone else

By Toni Fitzgerald
Mar 3, 2009


For once, ABC wasn’t exaggerating when it dubbed last night’s final rose ceremony the most unbelievable “Bachelor” finale yet. And the audience seemed to agree.

“The Bachelor’s” two-hour season-ender and one-hour post-finale wrap-up show, “After the Final Rose,” combined to give ABC a dominant 5.8 adults 18-49 rating and 14 share for the night, according to Nielsen overnights, well ahead of No. 2 CBS at 4.1/10.

“Bachelor” averaged a season-high 5.4 for the finale from 8 to 10 p.m., the show's best finale rating since 2004. In it, bachelor Jason chose Melissa over Molly and even proposed to her in the waning minutes.

But that engagement was shortlived. In the follow-up “Rose” special, in which cast members gathered for a postmortem, Jason shockingly revealed that he was no longer in love with Melissa.

Instead, he’d been pining for runner-up Molly for weeks. Jason dumped Melissa on camera and then asked Molly to give the relationship another try, to which she agreed.

It made for great TV for ABC, which jumped to an all-time high 6.7 for "Rose," but perhaps not-so-great publicity for Jason. One TV critic has already dubbed him “The Bastard.”

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Twenty-eight percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

With ABC and CBS well ahead of the competition for the night, Fox snagged third at 3.3/8, NBC followed in fourth at 2.7/6, Univision fifth at 1.6/4 and CW sixth at 0.5/1.

At 8 p.m. ABC was first with a 4.9 for the first hour of “Bachelor,” with CBS second with a 4.1 for “The Big Bang Theory” (3.9) and “How I Met Your Mother” (4.2). Fox was third with a 3.1 for its first hour of “24,” NBC fourth with a 2.4 for “Chuck,” Univision fifth with a 1.8 for “Cuidado con el Angel” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for a “Gossip Girl” rerun.

ABC was first again at 9 p.m. with a 5.9 for more “Bachelor,” while CBS remained second with a 4.4 for “Two and a Half Men” (4.9) and the season premiere of “Rules of Engagement” (3.9). Fox was third with a 3.5 for another hour of “24,” NBC fourth with a 3.2 for “Heroes,” [Positive: Improving on "Chuck's" Numbers] Univision fifth with a 2.0 for “Mañana Es para Siempre” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for a repeat of “One Tree Hill.”

At 10 p.m. ABC led once again with a 6.7 for “The Bachelor: After the Final Rose,” followed by CBS with a 3.8 for “CSI: Miami.” NBC was third with a 2.4 for “Medium” and Univision fourth with a 1.1 for “Cristina.”

ABC also led the night among households with a 10.6 average overnight rating and a 16 share. CBS was second at 7.8/12, Fox third at 6.5/9, NBC fourth at 4.4/7, Univision fifth at 2.0/3 and CW sixth at 0.8/1.

Ratings: Heroes Slips Again

By Toni Fitzgerald
Feb 24, 2009


With CBS again in reruns and NBC’s relaunched Monday lineup continuing to slide, Fox captured an easy victory last night, led by the evening’s top-rated show, “House.”

Fox averaged a 4.6 adults 18-49 rating and 12 share for the night, according to Nielsen overnights, a full point ahead of second-place ABC at 3.6/9.

“House” was up 6 percent from last week, when it faced an original “The Bachelor” at 8 p.m., from a 5.1 to a 5.4. Last night ABC aired a special, “The Bachelor: The Women Tell All,” instead of the usual reality show, which has been surging in recent weeks.

“House” lead-out “24” was also up slightly from last week, from a 3.6 to a 3.7, though it finished 0.3 behind “Women” in the 9 p.m. timeslot.

NBC, meanwhile, saw its lineup slip again after a decent premiere several weeks ago. The network was down 0.2 from last week, tying for third place on the night with CBS at 2.7/7, as “Heroes” hit a likely series-low 3.3 rating, down 8 percent from last week’s 3.6.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Twenty-eight percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

Rounding out the top six for the night, Univision finished fifth at 1.7/4 and the rerun-laden CW sixth at 0.5/1.

At 8 p.m. Fox was first with a 5.4 for “House,” followed by ABC with a 3.4 for “Women.” CBS was third with a 2.7 for repeats of “The Big Bang Theory” and “How I Met Your Mother,” NBC fourth with a 2.2 for “Chuck,” Univision fifth with a 1.8 for “Cuidado con el Angel” and CW sixth with a 0.4 for a repeat of “Gossip Girl.”

ABC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 4.0 for the second half of its “Bachelor” special, while Fox slipped to second with a 3.7 for “24.” NBC was third with a 3.3 for “Heroes,” CBS fourth with a 3.1 for repeats of “Two and a Half Men” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” Univision fifth with a 1.8 for the series premiere of “Mañana Es Para Siempre” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for a “One Tree Hill” rerun.

At 10 p.m. ABC was first with a 3.2 for “True Beauty,” with NBC second with a 2.7 for “Medium.” CBS was third with a 2.3 for a repeat of “CSI: Miami” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Cristina.”

Fox was also first for the night among households with a 7.9 average overnight rating and a 12 share. ABC was second at 6.6/10, CBS third at 6.1/10, NBC fourth at 4.6/7, Univision fifth at 2.2/3 and CW sixth at 0.9/1.

Ratings: HEROES Strong Against a BACHELOR on the Rebound

ABC’s “The Bachelor” continues to surge on Monday night, boosting the network to No. 2 with the show’s best non-finale outing in almost five years.

“Bachelor” averaged a 4.4 adults 18-49 rating from 8 to 10 p.m. last night, according to Nielsen overnights, a season high and up 5 percent from last week’s 4.2.

The show tied with Fox for first place in its timeslot over the two hours, jumping into sole possession of first in its final hour with a 4.9 rating. The show certainly benefited from facing reruns on CBS, which usually challenges for No. 1 in the hour.

It was the highest-rated non-finale of “Bachelor” since May 2004, an impressive feat for a show now in its 13th season that some had written off as past its prime entering this year.

Season to date, the show has averaged a 3.8 rating, its best since the 2006 season.

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Twenty-eight percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

Fox finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 4.4 average overnight rating and a 10 share. ABC was second at 4.0/10, CBS and NBC tied for third at 2.9/7, Univision fifth at 1.8/4 and CW sixth at 0.5/1.

At 8 p.m. Fox led with a 5.1 for “House,” followed by ABC with a 4.0 for “Bachelor.” CBS was third with a 2.8 for repeats of “The Big Bang Theory” and “How I Met Your Mother,” NBC fourth with a 2.2 for “Chuck,” Univision fifth with a 1.9 for “Cuidado con el Angel” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for a repeat of “Gossip Girl.”

ABC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 4.9 for more “Bachelor,” while Fox and NBC tied for second at 3.6, Fox for “24” and NBC for “Heroes.” CBS was fourth with a 3.3 for a repeat of “Two and a Half Men” (4.0) and a new “Worst Week” (2.6), Univision fifth with a 2.3 for “Fuego en la Sangre” and CW sixth with a 0.5 for a “One Tree Hill” rerun.

At 10 p.m. ABC led again with a 3.0 for “True Beauty,” with NBC second with a 2.8 for “Medium.” CBS was third with a 2.6 for a repeat of “CSI: Miami” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Cristina.”

Among households, Fox led the night with a 7.5 average overnight rating and an 11 share. ABC was second at 7.1/11, CBS third at 6.2/10, NBC fourth at 4.7/7, Univision fifth at 2.3/4 and CW sixth at 0.9/1.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights_50/Hooked_up_Bump_for_ABC_s_Bachelor.asp

Comment: Clearly, those who are writing off Heroes are printing that obit prematurely. Though Heroes was bested by CBS' "Men," the specials mad mincemeat of the other half of that hour om CBS, "Worst Week." They stay competitive in the head to head competition, and pretty much increaed the audience by about a third after a lackluster showing by a heavily-promoted "Chuck" that feautured Jenny McCarthy and Andy Richter.

Good times......!

YATTAAAAAAAAAH!

By Toni Fitzgerald
Feb 3, 2009


With the return of NBC’s regular lineup, Monday nights have gotten a lot more competitive, but Fox managed to stay on top for the third straight week, just ahead of fall leader CBS.

Fox averaged a 4.6 adults 18-49 rating and 11 share, according to Nielsen overnights, with CBS placing second at 4.3/10. ABC was a not-too-distant third at 3.7/9, thanks to a surging “The Bachelor,” and NBC was fourth at 3.3/8, with ABC and NBC both up over last week. Univision placed fifth at 1.9/5 and the CW sixth at 1.2/3.

Fox maintained its nightly lead despite both its dramas, “House” and “24,” dropping a bit from last week, when “House” hit a season-high 5.9 and “24” averaged a 4.2. Last night, “House” slipped to 5.5 and “24” dipped to a 3.7.

The shows were likely hurt by the return of NBC’s scripted lineup, which had been replaced by low-rated unscripted fare and specials the past six weeks.

At 8 p.m., the much-hyped 3D episode of “Chuck” averaged a 3.0, a season high and up 20 percent over its season average of 2.5.

At 9 p.m., “Heroes” averaged a 3.9, its best rating since October and finishing just ahead of “24” in the timeslot.

But perhaps the most surprising numbers came again from ABC’s “The Bachelor,” in the midst of its best season since 2006. The show averaged a 4.1 rating from 8 to 10 p.m. and tied for first in the 9 p.m. slot, apparently benefitting in its final half hour from some CBS switchover.

After “Two and a Half Men” ended at 9:30, “Bachelor’s” rating shot up 18 percent to a 4.6, while CBS slumped from a 5.5 for “Men” to a 3.1 for “Worst Week.”

As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Twenty-eight percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.

At 8 p.m. Fox was first with a 5.5 for “House,” with CBS second with a 4.2 for “The Big Bang Theory” (4.1) and “How I Met Your Mother” (4.2). ABC was third with a 3.8 for “The Bachelor,” NBC fourth with a 3.0 for “Chuck,” Univision fifth with a 2.0 for “Cuidado con el Angel” and CW sixth with a 1.1 for “Gossip Girl.”

CBS and ABC tied for the lead at 9 p.m., each with a 4.3 rating, CBS for “Men” (5.5) and “Week” (3.1) and ABC for more “Bachelor.” NBC was third with a 3.9 for “Heroes,” Fox fourth with a 3.7 for “24,” Univision fifth with a 2.2 for “Fuego en la Sangre” and CW sixth with a 1.3 for “One Tree Hill.”

At 10 p.m. CBS was first with a 4.4 for “CSI: Miami,” followed by ABC with a 3.0 for “True Beauty.” NBC was third with a 2.9 for the season premiere of “Medium,” which improved the network’s usual timeslot average 26 percent, and Univision fourth with a 1.7 for “Cristina.”

Among households, CBS was first for the night with an 8.3 average overnight rating and a 13 share. Fox was second at 7.7/11, ABC third at 6.1/9, NBC fourth at 5.2/8, Univision fifth at 2.3/4 and CW sixth at 1.7/3.

Strike Update and Powerless Ratings

Well, there is a hopeful sign out of the strike talks. There seems to be much "haggling".....that's the word Madame Finke is using concerning Tuesday's strike talks...

I've been able to glean a little from Tuesday's resumed WGA-AMPTP talks. Both sides sounded very matter-of-fact about today's negotiations focusing on the writers' counter-offer. (See my The Operative Word Tuesday Is "Haggle" from last night for background.) Now that the news blackout has been lifted, the AMPTP issued this public end-of-day statement: "We will spend the evening studying what the WGA had to say today, and we look forward to returning to the bargaining table tomorrow." Earlier in the day, WGA Negotiating Committee Chair John F. Bowman, on behalf of the Writers Guild of America, issued a message to members about the contract negotiations and presented a report-&-analysis.

Tonight, a WGA source says a "small group" talked about the WGA's counter-offer which Bowman had characterized as "a serious, reasonable, and affordable attempt to bridge the gap between us." Noted the WGA source, "Questions were exchanged. There was some haggling. This will continue tomorrow." Said another WGA insider, "Our negotiators have been played so often. But it's not bad. They're at least engaged." And a third party familiar with the talks emailed me, "The tone of 'haggle' is it. I'm encouraged today."

I say, where's the 2nd half of the AMPTP proposal? The dog eat your homework, boys? I'll update if and when I know more.
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/talks-day-5-questions-haggling/



Well, they are still talking. Maybe someone probably told these bozos what I've been saying all along...settle this magilla, or neither of you may have an audience to come back to.



In terms of audience, "Powerless" may have been the title of last Monday's "Generations" finale, but the numbers of Our Favorite Show were anything but that.



Our Favorite Show got a 6.6 rating/9 share for Powerless, making it the # show of the night in the money demo. You can get the full story here: http://www.zap2it.com/tv/ratings/zap-ratings120307,0,680580.story?coll=zap-tv-ratings-headlines.

It looks like the cure for what ails Heroes is simple: stay away from dancing celebriries.

The next-to-the-last installment of Heroes: Generations got a nice gift from ABC...a truncated version of Dancing With the Stars which ended as Heroes began. That meant that Hiro, Claire, Elle, and crew did not have to deal with SWTS's last half hour.

And that equaled out to a higher-than-last week rating of 5.3.

The dancing D-listers did do well...6.2 Neilsen rating for best of the night, but in the 9-10 slot, in all demos, Heroes reigned:

HEROES (NBC) 5.3
TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS) 5.0
SAMANTHA WHO?/NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY (ABC) 4.1

I'm sure that FOX, the CW, and MyNet would rather talk about something else....

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6505405.html?industryid=47171

HEROES BOUNCES BACK!!!!!

Our Favorite show scores best ratings in weeks.
'Samantha,' 'Dancing' share ratings spotlight
By Paul J. Gough

Nov 14, 2007

NEW YORK -- The new sitcom "Samantha Who?" continued strong, giving ABC a slight edge over CBS for the Monday primetime win in the adults 18-49 demographic.

Leading out of powerhouse "Dancing With the Stars," "Samantha" (14.3 million, 4.4 rating/10 share in adults 18-49) was up slightly week-to-week, according to preliminary estimates released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research. "Dancing" ( 21.8 million, 5.2/13) was up 6% week-to-week between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

"Dancing" was the top show of the night in adults 18-49, just edging out NBC's "Heroes" (11.1 million, 5.1/12), which had its best performance in four weeks. "Two and a Half Men" ( 14.2 million, 5.0/11) was up slightly from last week while "Rules of Engagement" (11.5 million, 4.2/10) was up as well. Fox's "K-Ville" (4.7 million, 1.6/4) couldn't keep up the momentum from "Prison Break" ( 7.2 million, 3.1/8) an hour earlier.

CBS' new sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" (9.4 million, 3.8/9) keeps growing, up slightly from last week, while "How I Met Your Mother" (8.6 million, 3.3/9) was down slightly. NBC's "Chuck" (7.5 million, 3.0/7) was down slightly as well.

"CSI: Miami" (15.4 million, 4.6/12) easily won at 10 p.m., up 7% compared with last week. ABC's "The Bachelor" (9.2 million, 3.4/9) was unchanged week-to-week while NBC's "Journeyman" ( 6.2 million, 2.5/6) was up 19% from last week.


For Monday night, ABC (16.3 million, 4.4/11) led in both key measures over CBS (12.4 million, 4.3/10); NBC (8.3 million, 3.5/9); Fox (5.9 million, 2.4/6) and the CW (2.4 million, 1.1/3).


Latest news »




Links referenced within this article

Latest news »
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/news/index.jsp

Ratings: Does 'Heroes' need a lifeline too? (LA Times)

NBC's hit from last year seems in a slump, symbolic of a disappointing fall TV season.

By SCOTT COLLINS, CHANNEL ISLANDS


FOR a guy whose once-invincible series is showing signs of creative limbo and ratings droop, Tim Kring doesn't sound worried.

"Heroes," Kring's comics-like confection that became a sleeper smash for NBC last year, looks mired in the proverbial sophomore slump. And it's as good a symbol as any of the networks' generally dashed expectations for what's shaping up as a crummy fall TV season.


In the case of "Heroes," critics are complaining about slow pacing and an overabundance of characters. As if last season's dozen-strong ensemble of ordinary superheroes and shadowy figures didn't offer enough competition for viewers' attention, the producers have added four new cast members, including Kristen Bell (late of "Veronica Mars").

And Masi Oka's character, Hiro, who broke through last season, has been trapped in a goofy, feudal-Japanese subplot that resembles a parody of "The Last Samurai."

In perhaps the most democratic sign of unrest, People magazine, which doesn't typically go harsh on pop-culture phenomena, recently ran a sidebar with prescriptions on how to fix "Heroes."

THE ratings seem to reflect viewer dissatisfaction. Last week the series sank to its lowest numbers yet in the key adults, ages 18-49 demographic, according to early data from Nielsen Media Research, possibly erasing the show from the Top 10 for the first time (final results for last week won't be available until Tuesday).

Yet none of this seems to perturb Kring, who sounds persuasively upbeat about the show's prospects. He says much of the nattering is to be expected, given last year's enormous success.

"People tend to look at last season and see things in it that were not in it," Kring told me by phone. "We haven't deviated that much" from last year's formula.

He did concede, however, that because he and the other writers already know where all these story arcs are headed, it's difficult to plug into the average person's viewpoint: "It's hard to gauge how it's experienced, especially when we're 10 episodes ahead of the audience."

And as for the ratings? Kring points to the now-familiar litany of alternative means of viewing, like TiVo, DVDs and online episodes, that allow people to watch a show other than when it's scheduled.

To be fair, "Heroes" is hardly the only returning series that's run into network TV's punishing new math. Last week, "Ugly Betty" slid to some of its lowest numbers ever, as did "Grey's Anatomy." The new shows aren't burning up the charts either, with many heavily publicized entries such as NBC's "Bionic Woman," ABC's "Big Shots" and CBS' "Cane" posting alarming declines.

Ratings for live viewing of prime-time shows are down at all five English-language broadcast networks, dipping an average of 11% among total viewers compared with last year. Cable networks are hanging tough with zero growth, which counts as a major victory in the current environment.

"I have been a little disappointed by the early ratings," said Andy Donchin of New York ad firm Carat. He added: "It's still very early in the season. Shows can start off slow and come back."

But this may be more than just early-season blahs. There's an unsettling sense of epic industrial shift afflicting the media business, as the old way of doing things curls into the mist of history, replaced with ... what exactly? No one knows. It's making everyone crazy.

And in the midst of this paradigm-shifting angst, Hollywood is in an uproar over a possible writers' strike that could come as soon as Thursday. While few observers expect a work stoppage quite that early, labor unrest is adding a dark cloud to an already-gloomy TV industry.

The ground shook a bit this month when CBS chief Leslie Moonves, usually a tireless cheerleader for TV, glumly told the New York Times, "I'm a bit concerned about the state of network television generally."

As readers of this column know, Nielsen has shaken up ratings this season by roughly doubling the size of its sample devoted to homes with DVRs. And it's true that after delayed viewing is taken into account, the ratings picture looks much brighter. When ratings include those who watch a saved show within a week of its original airing ("live + 7," in Nielsen jargon), the five networks collectively are down just 4% in total viewers and off by a statistically insignificant 2% in adults ages 18-49, according to Magna Global, a large media buying firm.

Advertisers have agreed to pay only for viewers who watch programs within 75 hours of their original airing. But experts still consider the "live + 7" data important because it reveals a show's popularity.

The audience for NBC's "The Office" may not look impressive during the live airing, for example, but for the first two weeks of the season, 2.5-million viewers watched the program within a week on DVRs, representing nearly one-quarter of its overall audience.

Overall, Fox and NBC register small year-to-year declines in terms of live viewing, but each leaps to a robust 11% gain among young adults when "+ 7" viewing is factored in (ABC is flat and CBS and its sister network The CW are down).


FOX'S medical drama "House" has bucked overall trends with strong numbers even in live airings. And Fox scheduling guru Preston Beckman points to some new shows -- including ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money," CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" and NBC's "Life" -- as under-the-radar players that may go the distance.

"These aren't the shows people are jumping up and down about, going, 'These are the next big thing,' " Beckman told me. But "networks have to figure out what the new math is, what separates the hits from the misses."

Even with lowered ratings, "Heroes" is firmly in the "hit" category. And that may explain why Kring feels confident as the show strides toward midseason.

Unlike last season, in which all 23 episodes built to an end-of-the-season climax, the producers this year split up the storytelling, with the first "volume" due to be wrapped in the 11th episode. Plot strands that viewers have found tantalizing or just frustrating -- what was the deal with Hiro's murdered father (George Takei) anyway? -- will be explained, Kring promises. "It will all be paid off by episode 11," Kring said. "From seven to 11 are the best episodes we've ever done."

"Heroes" is an important show, last season's biggest hit. So if Kring's right, then a couple of months from now everyone may forget all about the gripes and falling ratings. And if he's not? A season that started slow may take an awfully long time to end. And not just for "Heroes." That's assuming, of course, that the strike doesn't kill what's left of the season.

(My take: The reason this sit was created in the first place was to make sure people knew that in all your Monday night viewing, whatever great shows are on, it is alway's HEROES FIRST! Tape or TiVO everything else, but it is always HEROES FIRST!!)