Monday TV Ratings

RATINGS
Adults 18-49: Rating/Share	3.4/9	2.6/7	1.8/5	1.6/4	1.4/4	0.2/1
Adults 18-34: Rating/Share	2.6/8	2.1/6	1.1/3	1.8/5	1.0/3	0.3/1
Total Viewers (million)	13.564	7.966	6.324	4.022	4.939	0.595

As you can see above, Univision beat NBC in the coveted adults 18-49 ratings. This has been a trend this spring.  Dancing with the stars led the night with a 4.6 rating and The Bachelorette premier tied last seasons with a 2.8 adults 18-49. I believe ABC is happy with these ratings considering many shows have been trending downward in this seasons ratings. 


On an interesting but maybe even sad note, Minute To Win It received a 1.5 adults 18-49 rating which is the same that the season finale of Chuck received last week. Nonetheless Chuck has been renewed and will come back for a 5th and final season. 

"The Voice" Starts Strong for NBC

Howdy readers!
So the long awaited premier of The Voice on NBC did really well! I have been following the development of this show since alternative media folks at NBC acquired the program. I followed every announcement of  a celebrity mentor and have been hoping this would be a HIT for nbc. 

The Voice was strong, averaging 5.1 adults 18-49 rating, which led NBC to top the nights 18-49 ratings.It was NBC’s strongest series premiere since 2009′s The Jay Leno Show’s 5.3 rating following 2008′s American Gladiator’s 5.9 rating.

NBC Picks Up David E. Kelley's 'Wonder Woman', Michael Patrick King's Drama

Wonder Woman will fly this pilot season after all. New NBC entertainment president Bob Greenblatt capped a day of high-profile pilot pickups with a surprise order to David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman reboot. Additionally, he formally greenlighted another hourlong project from an A-list showrunner, Michael Patrick King's Mann's World. Both shows hail from Warner Bros. TV. Meanwhile, the commitment to the J.J. Abrams/WBTV-produced drama Odd Jobsstarring Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn, whose script came in very late, is being rolled to next season when it will be applied to the same or new Bad Robot project. And Greenblatt has passed on the Josh Schwartz/WBTV supernatural drama Ghost Angeles starring Rachel Bilson.

WBTV took Kelley's Wonder Woman spec out to the networks in the first week of January. At the time, NBC was the most interested but, with Greenblatt still on the sidelines, the network couldn't commit to the type of license fee that the studio was seeking in order to do the show Kelley had envisioned, and WBTV decided to shelvethe project. With Greenblatt now firmly taking the reins and Kelley just delivering one of the most promising new series for NBC this season, Harry's Law, NBC stepped up to greenlight Wonder Woman. The project is described as a reinvention of the iconic D.C. comic in which Wonder Woman -- aka Diana Prince -- is a vigilante crime fighter in L.A. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life.

Mann's World, which King will also direct, is a one hour drama following the complicated life of Allan Mann, a celebrity hair stylist in glamorous Los Angeles as he navigates the complexities of his business, his family life, and his goal to stay relevant in a world that moves quickly. The project is already casting.

The orders for Wonder Woman and Mann's World come hours after Greenblatt greenlighted musical pilot Smash, based on an idea by and executive produced by Steven Spielberg.

CBS Picks Up Comedy Pilot From Conan O'Brien

There has been a flurry of activity on the pilot pickup front today. CBS just greenlighted comedy pilot Vince Uncensored, written by veteran sitcom writer Phoef Sutton and executive produced by Conan O'Brien.
The project, produced by O'Brien's Conaco Prods. and Warner Bros. TV, is the first pilot to come out Conaco Prods.'s overall deal with WBTV signed last spring following O'Brien's exit from NBC and the announcement of his new latenight talk show at TBS.
Vince Uncensored centers on a man who, after a life-changing experience, decides to take a more honest approach to his life, work and family. Sutton wrote the script and is executive producing with O’Brien and David Kissinger. Conaco most recently co-produced the short-lived NBC legal drama Outlaw.

TV Ratings Thursday:American Idol FLOPS, NBC Comedy Night Begins Well, CBS Down Across the Board

Scoreboard
Rating/Share: Adults 18-49	5.7/15	3.1/8	2.8/7	1.7/5	1.6/4	0.5/1
Rating/Share: Adults 18-34	4.6/13	1.8/5	3.2/9	1.4/4	1.6/5	0.5/1
Total Viewers (million)	16.788	13.630	5.434	5.421	3.858	1.343

   Of course Fox topped the adults 18-49 ratings on Thursday night, but Idol’s timeslot move took its toll on the ratings. CBS was pushed down across the board, interestingly it fared worse in the later hours than at 8pm. While NBC’s “Comedy Night Done Right” exceeded its 2 hour comedy block ratings from the fall.
NBC’s “Comedy Night Done Right” ratings started better than most of our readers expected, averaging a 2.8 adults 18-49 rating on the night. Community’s 2.2 adults 18-49 rating tied its second best mark of the season, up 16% from its last new episode. Perfect Couples’ 2.1 rating was far better than its December “preview’s” 1.3 rating. The Office’s 4.5 adults 18-49 rating was a season high, up 22% from its last new episode. Parks & Recreation returned with a pop, its 3.2 adults 18-49 rating was a series record. 30 Rock’s 2.7 rating at 10pm, was 29% above its last new episode. Its skeptics will feast on the fact that Outsourced tumbled to a 1.8 adults 18-49 rating, a series low, down 28% from its last new episode.
American Idol’s Thursday premiere scored a 7.8 adults 18-49 rating, that’s down 23% from last season’s second night’s 10.1 rating (on a Wednesday, somewhat apples/oranges). Its 22.6 million viewers was down from last season’s Wednesday start of  26.416 million. Following Idol, Bones drew a 3.6 adults 18-49 rating. That’s Bones’ best rating since 1/28/10.

CBS’s The Big Bang Theory weathered the Idol storm quite well, its 4.2 adults 18-49 rating was down just 5% from its last new episode. $#*! My Dad Says’ 2.7 rating was a series low, and down 7% vs. its last new episode. CSI’s 3.1 rating was down 6% from its last new episode, while The Mentalist’s 2.8 rating was down 10% from its last new episode.
ABC’s Wipeout’s 2.6 rating, still impressive for reality vs. Idol (and the NBC 8pm comedies), tumbled 28% vs. last week.


Late-night results are below the primetime data.
Overnight ratings for Thursday, January 20, 2011:

Time	Net	Show	18-49 Rating	18-49 Share	Viewers Live+SD (million)
8:00	FOX	American Idol 10	7.0	19	20.586
	CBS	The Big Bang Theory	4.2	12	13.582
	ABC	Wipeout	2.3	6	7.879
	NBC	COMMUNITY	2.2	6	4.740
	CW	THE Vampire Diaries – R	0.6	2	1.424
8:30	FOX	American Idol 10	8.4	22	24.672
	ABC	Wipeout	2.8	8	8.624
	CBS	$#! My Dad Says	2.7	7	10.292
	NBC	Perfect Couples	2.1	6	4.157
	CW	THE Vampire Diaries – R	0.6	1	1.319
9:00	NBC	The Office	4.5	12	8.285
	FOX	Bones	3.9	10	11.906
	CBS	CSI	3.1	8	14.025
	ABC	GREY’S ANATOMY – R	1.7	4	5.034
	CW	Nikita – R	0.5	1	1.295
9:30	FOX	Bones	3.3	9	9.986
	NBC	PARKS AND RECREATION	3.2	8	6.189
	CBS	CSI	3.0	8	14.555
	ABC	GREY’S ANATOMY – R	1.5	4	4.379
	CW	Nikita – R	0.5	1	1.335
10:00	CBS	The Mentalist	2.8	7	14.770
	NBC	30 Rock	2.7	7	5.281
	ABC	Private Practice – R	1.1	3	3.563
10:30	CBS	The Mentalist	2.8	8	14.556
	NBC	Outsourced	1.8	5	3.953
	ABC	Private Practice – R	0.9	3	3.048

-
Via NBC press note:

In Late-Night Metered Markets Thursday night:
In Nielsen’s 56 metered markets, household results were: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” 2.9/7; CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman,” 3.2/8; and ABC’s combo of “Nightline,” 2.9/7; and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” 1.4/4
In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” 1.1/5; “Late Show,” 0.9/4; “Nightline,” 0.9/4; and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” 0.5/3.
At 12:35 a.m., “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (1.4/5 in metered-market households) trailed CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” (1.5/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, “Late Night” (0.7/4 in 18-49) tied “Late Late Show” (0.5/3).
At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly” averaged a 0.7/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

BREAKING: Angela Bromstad To Leave NBC

   In the first executive fallout from the pending post-merger restructuring at NBC, Angela Bromstad, primetime entertainment president for the network and sister studio UMS, will be leaving. She told her staff about her departure this afternoon. There had been rumblings that Bromstad may not be part of the new NBC programming team under new entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt after the Comcast/NBC Universal merger is completed next week, but Comcast's November announcement of NBCU's post-merger executive structure made a point of listing her as staying on.
(There was a potential scenario, in which Bromstad would take over her old job of running UMS should Greenblatt decide to give it more autonomy.) 

   If she hadn't left on her own, Bromstad would have probably been pushed out within the next week or so, sources said. Greenblatt had reportedly been telling people that Bromstad "will be gone within 48 hours" of him starting at NBC. The latter will now probably happen next week when the Comcast-NBCU merger is finally approved. And in another sign that she was probably not going to factor into NBC's future executive plans, Bromstad didn't hold a Q&A session at TCA last week. This is the second time Bromstad leaves a top NBC post after a new chairman is brought in. In 2007, she was pushed out as president of UMS when Ben Silverman joined the network and moved to London to run NBCU's U.K. production office. She was brought back 2 years later in the aftermath of Silverman's exit. Bromstad's departure streamlines NBC's creative hierarchy, with Greenblatt in full control of the network's programming. 

   The move also fueled a new round of speculations about former Showtime SVP original programming Danielle Gelber or 20th Century Fox EVP Jennifer Nicholson-Salke possibly joining NBC. While a Gelber appointment is considered unlikely, Nicholson-Salke, who is now under contract at 20th TV, could eventually join Greenblatt though not right away, sources said. In May, Bromstad would have celebrated her 15-year anniversary at NBCU. She joined the company in 1994 as director, miniseries and TV movies. After a five-year stint in the longform department, she moved to series, serving as VP series at NBC Studios, SVP drama for NBC and eventually co-head and head of UMS predecessor NBCU TV Studios. 

Here is Bromstad's email to her staff:

Today I wanted to let you know that I'm leaving NBC Universal. I cannot possibly sum up my thoughts and emotions in an email but suffice it to say I have tremendous respect for the company and for the people with whom I have had the privilege to work with and know during my time here. I take great memories and friendships with me and I wish you all the best going forward.
Angela Bromstad

'American Idol' 10th Season Starts Down, Pushes Competition Lower

The 10th season of American Idol premiered down 18% among adults 18-49, drawing a 9.7 rating compared to the 11.8 rating for last year’s Tuesday premiere. Idol’s 26.1 million average viewers was down 13% from last year’s premiere 29.945 million. That’s more than the 10-15% seasonal ratings decline that has been typical in recent seasons.

ABC was mostly down:

The Middle’s 2.7 adults 18-49 rating fell 10% vs. last week. 

Better With You’s 2.2 rating was 12% below its last new episode two weeks ago.  

Modern Family’s 4.6 rating was up from it’s 4.2 rating last week during the Tucson memorial Wednesday jumble, but down from the 4.8 rating the week before. 

Cougar Town’s 2.5 rating was down 11% vs. its last new episode two weeks ago. 

Off The Map’s second outing fell 9% (not bad) to a 2.1 adults 18-49 rating. 

CBS DOWN:

Paula Abdul's Live To Dance fell 33% to just a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating, which is worst than most repeats of episodes of Old Christine even!

NBC:

Minute To Win It’s 1.6 rating was up 14% vs. the Tucson jumbled episode last week. 

Chase flopped in with just a 1.0 adults 18-49 rating.

Chase, Law & Order: SVU struggled at 10pm with just a 2.3 adults 18-49 rating, down 8% vs. last Wednesday.

Via NBC press notes:

In Late-Night Metered Markets Wednesday night:
In Nielsen’s 56 metered markets, household results were: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” 3.0/8; CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman,” 2.9/7; and ABC’s combo of “Nightline,” 3.2/7; and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” 1.5/5.
In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” 1.0/5; “Late Show,” 0.7/3; “Nightline,” 1.0/4; and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” 0.5/3.
At 12:35 a.m., “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (1.5/5 in metered-market households) out-rated CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” (1.4/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, “Late Night” (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped “Late Late Show” (0.4/3).
At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly” averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

NEWS!!! USA Network presents cable viewers with 2 NEW shows!!!

via press release:

USA FLEXES PROGRAMMING MUSCLE WITH NEW ORIGINAL SCRIPTED SERIES 
“A LEGAL MIND” AND “NECESSARY ROUGHNESS”

USA, the  #1 Cable Network for Five Years Running, Builds on Unprecedented Line-up of Original Hits

LOS ANGELES, CA – January XX, 2011 – USA Network has announced today the pickup of two original scripted series, A LEGAL MIND and NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, as it expands on the ‘Characters Welcome’ brand and increases its programming slate to a record number of scripted originals for the network.   Each series will debut with a 90-minute premiere followed by 11 one-hour episodes.  The announcement was made today by Jeff Wachtel, USA’s president, original programming, and co-head, original content, Universal Cable Productions.

A LEGAL MIND stars Patrick J. Adams  (“Lost,” “Friday Night Lights”), Gabriel Macht (“Love and Other Drugs,” “Whiteout”), Meghan Markle (“CSI Miami,” “Fringe”), Gina Torres (“Gossip Girl,” “Huge”) and Rick Hoffman (“Samantha Who,” “Knight Rider”), and NECESSARY ROUGHNESS stars Callie Thorne (“Rescue Me,” “Prison Break”), Marc Blucas  (“Buffy, The Vampire Slayer”), Mehcad Brooks  (“Desperate Housewives,” “True Blood”) and Scott Cohen  (“NYPD Blue”).

“At USA, we like to say that the quality of the material advances the projects – and these are two great pilots!” said Wachtel.  “A LEGAL MIND and NECESSARY ROUGHNESS take our original series to a new level, while honoring the character brand filter that has been so crucial to our success.”

In A LEGAL MIND, one of Manhattan’s top corporate lawyers (Gabriel Macht) sets out to recruit a new hotshot associate and hires the only guy that impresses him – a brilliant but unmotivated college dropout (Patrick J. Adams).  Though he isn’t actually a lawyer, this legal prodigy has the book smarts of a Harvard law grad and the street smarts of a hustler.  However, in order to serve justice and save their jobs, both these unconventional thinkers must continue the charade.  From Universal Cable Productions,A LEGAL MIND is executive produced Doug Liman (COVERT AFFAIRS, the “Bourne” trilogy, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “The O.C.”) and David Bartis (COVERT AFFAIRS, “The O.C.,” “The Heist”) of Hypnotic.  Creator Aaron Korsh (“The Deep End”) wrote the pilot and serves as co-executive producer and producer Gene Klein (COVERT AFFAIRS) serves as producer.  Kevin Bray (WHITE COLLAR, Burn Notice, “Walking Tall”) directed the pilot.

NECESSARY ROUGHNESS focuses on a tough, sexy Long Island divorcee (Callie Thorne) who gets a job as therapist for a professional football team in order to make ends meet.  Underestimated at every turn, she succeeds beyond all expectations and soon finds herself  a  sought - after  therapist to high-profile clients.   Athletes, musicians, politicians and others living in the spotlight - all in a moment of crisis -   clamor for  her unique brand of tough love therapy.  As a newly single mom raising two teenagers, her start-up practice wreaks havoc on her life.  But recognizing that she’s changing people’s  lives  for the better, she is determined to make her new career work  by striking  a balance between her personal and professional worlds.  Created by writers and co-executive producers Liz Kruger & Craig Shapiro (“Miami Medical,” “The Challenge”) along with supervising producers Donna Dannenfelser and Joe Sabatino.   Kevin Dowling (“Sons of Tucson”) directed the pilot and also serves as executive producer.  Inspired by a true story, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS is a Sony Pictures Television and Universal Cable Productions co-production.

USA is the home to eight original scripted series: Burn Notice, Royal Pains, WHITE COLLAR, PSYCH,IN PLAIN SIGHT, LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT and COVERT AFFAIRS, with FAIRLY LEGAL being the newest original series to premiere.

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing and distributing programming worldwide in every genre including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment, and for every platform:   broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution.  SPT is a leader in local language productions around the world, and sells SPE-owned formats in approximately 70 countries.  SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE’s long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with 132 channel feeds, which are available in more than 140 countries reaching more than 500 million households worldwide.  Additionally, SPT owns multiplatform premium video service, Crackle, Dutch entertainment company 2waytraffic, production company Embassy Row, Sony Movie Channel, and is a part owner of cable channel GSN,  3D channel 3net, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc.

Universal Cable Productions creates quality content across multiple media platforms for USA, Syfy and other networks.  A leader in innovative and critically acclaimed programming, UCP is the studio behind USA’s  Royal Pains,  LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT,  PSYCH, IN PLAIN SIGHT and COVERT AFFAIRS along with Syfy’s Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Caprica.    The studio also produced both long-running series MONK and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.  UCP is a division of NBC Universal.

USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in over 102 million U.S. homes.  A division of NBC Universal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

BOTH SHOWS SEEM TO MAINTAIN THE THEME OF THE NETWORK. I BELIEVE THEY WILL FIND AND AUDIENCE AND ULTIMATELY DO WELL. EVERY SHOW USA NETWORK LAUNCHES DOES WELL. WHO IS TO SAY THAT THESE WON'T? I AM NOT BETTING AGAINST AMERICA'S #1 CABLE NETWORK