Primetime Ratings Report
For the week of December 6, 2010
(Based on National Live + Same Day Program Ratings)
ABC Delivers 4 of the Week's Top 20 Non-Sports Shows in Adults 18-49, Including
The No. 1 Sitcom with "Modern Family" and the No. 1 Drama with "Housewives"
Season to Date, ABC Claims 5 of the Top 6 Fastest-Growing Series Year to Year
ABC Gains the Most Viewers from the Year-Ago Week Among the Major Nets
ABC's Rebroadcast "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Earns Second in its Tuesday
Slot in Adults 18-49 to "Glee" and is the Night's No. 1 TV Show with Kids 2-11
"No Ordinary Family" is Up Week to Week in Viewers, Ties its Top Adults 18-49
Number in 4 Weeks and Matches a Best-Since-Premiere Rating in Kids 2-11
ABC's "Detroit 1-8-7" Improves the Net's Performance in its Hour Over
The Year-Ago Night by 2.5 Million Viewers and by 17% in Adults 18-49
ABC's Wednesday Night Comedy Block Posts Big Gains in its Second Season
For its 10th Straight Original Telecast This Season, ABC's "Modern Family"
Is Wednesday's No. 1 TV Show in Adults 18-49 and Tops its Year-Ago Results
ABC's Comedy Repeats Improve Wednesday's 10pm hour by 33% in Adults 18-49
The Network Generates its Most-Watched Thursday of the Season
ABC's Replay "Disney Prep & Landing" is Thursday's No. 1 TV Show with Kids 2-11
"A Barbara Walters Special: Oprah, the Next Chapter" Wins its Slot in Total Viewers
"Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010" Leads its Hour Across All Key Adult Demos and is Up Year to Year in Viewers and Young Adults
Posting a Season High in Adults 18-49, ABC's "Supernanny" is No. 1 in its Hour
ABC's "Primetime: What Would You Do?" Draws its Biggest Audience in 4 Weeks
"America's Funniest Home Videos" Marks its Best Results in Over 11 Months
"Housewives" is Sunday's Top Scripted TV Show for its 10th Straight Original
Opposite Stiff NFL Competition, "Brothers & Sisters" Scores Week-to-Week Gains
WEEK No. 12:
During the week of December 6, 2010, ABC aired 4 of the Top 20 non-sports TV programs in Adults 18-49, including the No. 1 sitcom with "Modern Family" and the No. 1 drama with "Desperate Housewives": "Modern Family" - No. 2 (No. 1 sit-com), "Desperate Housewives" - No. 9 (No. 1 drama), "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010" - No. 14 and "A Barbara Walters Special: Oprah, the Next Chapter" - No. 20. In addition, both of ABC's Barbara Walters specials on Thursday finished among the week's Top 10 most-watched programs overall.
· Building 3% over the same week last year in overall viewership (7.0 million vs. 6.8 million), ABC was up the most year to year among the major nets.
· Season to date (12 complete weeks), ABC claims 5 of the Top 6 biggest year-over-year series gainers among Adults 18-49, with "Modern Family" at No. 1: "Modern Family" - No. 1 (+37%), "Glee" - No. 2 (+31%), "The Middle" - No. 3 (+21%), "Dancing with the Stars" - No. 4 (+18%), while "Castle" and "DWTS: The Results" are tied at No. 5 (+14%). With the same set of shows, the Net is also delivering 5 of the Top 6 fastest-growing series year to year in Total Viewers.
A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 38% currently, from 34% at the same point in 2009. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.
Tuesday
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
From 8:00-9:00 p.m., ABC's annual rebroadcast of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" earned a solid second-place place to Fox's holiday-themed "Glee" among Adults 18-49 (2.6/7), beating out CBS' rebroadcast of "NCIS" by 37% (2.0/6) and NBC's season premiere of "Minute to Win It" by 37% (1.9/5). In Total Viewers (8.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.6/7), the PEANUTS Christmas special generated ABC's top numbers in the time period in 5 weeks (since 11/2/10) and marked season highs with Teens (1.8/6) and Kids (3.8/12). In fact "A Charlie Brown Christmas" stood as the No. 1 TV show of the night with Kids 2-11, pulling the Net's top number in the time period in 1 year - since 12/8/09.
"No Ordinary Family" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
For the 2nd straight week in its new 9 pm time period, ABC's "No Ordinary Family" outdrew Fox's "Glee"-fueled original comedies ("Raising Hope"/"Running Wilde") by 13% in Total Viewers. The ABC freshman series ranked No. 1 against its broadcast rivals in the hour with Kids 2-11 (1.6/6). The show also continued to improve its new time period for ABC (+1.8 million - 6.4 million vs. 4.6 million) over original programming in the hour on the same night last year (12/8/09). "No Ordinary Family" increased its overall audience week to week, tied its top Adult 18-49 (1.9/5) number in 4 weeks and matched a best-since-premiere rating with Kids 2-11 - since 11/9/10 and 9/28/10, respectively.
"Detroit 1-8-7" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
From 10:00 - 11:00 p.m., ABC's freshman "Detroit 1-8-7" finished No. 2 against its CBS and NBC competition with Adults 18-49 (1.4/4) and across all key Men (M18-34/M18-49/M25-54). Opposite stiff competition from the second hour of the season's penultimate episode of NBC's "The Biggest Loser," "Detroit 1-8-7" boosted its time slot by strong margins for ABC from the year-ago night in both Total Viewers (+2.5 million - 6.8 million vs. 4.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (+17% - 1.4/4 vs. 1.2/4).
Wednesday
With its 8:00-10:00 p.m. comedy block returning to originals after airing in repeats the prior week, ABC finished No. 2 on Wednesday night in Adults 18-49 (2.4/7-tie). Also worth noting on the night, the Net ran replay comedies in the 10:00 p.m. hour with improved results.
· Season-to-date Update: ABC's Wednesday 8:00-10:00 p.m. comedy block is up by strong margins over the same point last season in Total Viewers (+15%) and Adults 18-49 (+19%). In fact during its second year, ABC's 2-hour Wednesday comedy block already outdelivers CBS' longtime-established 2-hour Monday comedy block across a number of key demos: Adults 18-34 (+3%), Women 18-34 (+15%), Teens 12-17 (+21%) and Kids 2-11 (+50%). In addition, ABC's Wednesday comedy block leads NBC's 2-hour Thursday comedy block this season by 2.8 million viewers and by 9% in Adults 18-49.
"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
ABC's "The Middle" ran a strong second to CBS' "Survivor: Nicaragua" at 8:00 p.m., beating out third-place NBC's slot premiere of "The Sing Off" by 2.0 million viewers (8.7 million vs. 6.7 million) and by 9% in Adults 18-49 (2.4/7 vs. 2.2/6). The ABC sophomore comedy also delivered the No. 2 position in the half-hour with Adults 25-54 and across all key Men demographics (M18-34/M18-49M25-54)
"Better with You" (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
ABC freshman "Better with You" topped its rookie competition at 8:30 p.m. by wide margins, outpacing Fox's original "Human Target" by 1.5 million viewers (7.2 million vs. 5.7 million) and by 29% in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 1.7/5).
"Modern Family" (9:00-9:31 p.m.)
Standing as Wednesday's No. 1 TV show for its 10th straight original airing this season in Adults 18-49 (4.2/11), ABC's "Modern Family" dominated the 9:00 p.m. half-hour, leading runner-up CBS' "Criminal Minds" by 24% (3.4/9).
· In Total Viewers (11.0 million vs. 9.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (4.1/11 vs. 3.8/10), "Modern Family" outdelivered its year-ago performance for the 10th consecutive first-run telecast this season.
"Cougar Town" (9:31-10:01 p.m.)
In the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC's "Cougar Town" beat out the second half-hour of Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" by 14% in Total Viewers (6.4 million vs. 5.5 million) and by 8% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/7 vs. 2.4/6).
ABC Repeat Comedies: "Modern Family"/"Cougar Town" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
In the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's repeat comedies ("Modern Family"/"Cougar Town") registered substantial time-period improvement for the Net over its performance with regular original programming this season ("The Whole Truth"), growing the slot by 33% in Adults 18-49 (1.6/5 vs. 1.2/4).
Thursday
ABC took second on Thursday night in Adults 18-49 (2.7/8), topping NBC by 13% (2.4/7) and Fox by 35% (2.0/6). ABC's lineup of back-to-back holiday specials followed by back-to-back Barbara Walters specials drew the Net's largest audience (10.9 million) of the season.
"Shrek the Halls" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
ABC's rebroadcast of "Shrek the Halls" hit a season-best performance for the Net in the time period among Men 18-34 (1.1/4-tie) and Teens 12-17 (1.7/6), while matching the Net's second-highest number of the season in the half-hour among Kids 2-11 (3.0/10).
"Disney Prep & Landing" (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
ABC's encore of "Disney Prep & Landing" built on its lead-in by 10% in Total Viewers (7.6 million vs. 6.9 million) and by 22% in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 1.8/6). The animated special led its time period and stood as the No. 1 program on Thursday among Kids 2-11 (4.2/14), while qualifying as the top broadcast program and leading the time slot among Teens 12-17 (2.0/7).
"A Barbara Walters Special: Oprah, the Next Chapter" (9:00-10:01 p.m.)
ABC's "A Barbara Walters Special: Oprah, the Next Chapter" ranked No. 1 in the 9 o'clock hour in Total Viewers (13.3 million), Women 18-49 (4.2/11) and Women 25-54 (5.6/14). The Barbara Walters special with Oprah Winfrey, speaking candidly about the past 25 years of her personal and professional life, attracted the Net's largest audience in the hour in over 2 months - since season premiere Thursday on 9/23/10.
"Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010" won the 10 o'clock hour across all key Adult demographics: A18-34 - 2.3/7, Adults 18-49 - 3.2/9 and Adults 25-54 - 4.0/11. The ABC News special, highlighting some of the year's most prominent names in entertainment, sports and politics, stood as the No. 1 TV program of the night in Women 18-49 (4.5/13) and Women 25-54 (5.7/15). General David Petraeus was named the most fascinating person of 2010.
· "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2010" was up over the 2009 edition in Total Viewers (12.2 million vs. 10.5 million), Adults 18-49 (3.2/9 vs. 3.1/9) and Adults 25-54 (4.0/11 vs. 3.9/10).
Friday
ABC led the pack on Friday night in Adults 18-49 (1.4/5), beating NBC by 8% (1.3/5), CBS by 17% (1.2/4) and Fox by 133% (0.6/2). In addition, the Net delivered No. 1 position on the evening in Adults 25-54.
"Supernanny" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "Supernanny" ranked No. 1 in Adults 18-49 (1.3/5), drawing its biggest audience in a month (4.7 million, since 11/12/10) and delivering a season-high in young adults.
"Primetime: What Would You Do" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Jumping 23% from its lead-in at 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Primetime: What Would You Do?" bested its network rivals in the 9 o'clock hour by solid margins in Adults 18-49 (1.6/5), leading CBS' "CSI: NY" encore by 23%, NBC's "Dateline" by 33% and Fox's "The Good Guys" by 129%.
· "Primetime: What Would You Do?" was up week to week in both Total Viewers (5.0 million) and Adults 18-49, generating its most-watched telecast in 4 weeks - since 11/12/10.
· "Primetime: What Would You Do?" ranked as the night's highest-rated show on the major nets in Adults 18-49.
"20/20" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "20/20" finished as Friday's No. 1 TV show on the major nets among Adults 25-54 (2.0/6-tie). "20/20" featured reports on the modern version of the seven wonders -- real people with superpowers they've developed by dedicating their lives to the basic human urge to overcome limitations.
Sunday
Building week to week opposite substantial NFL competition, ABC attracted its biggest Sunday audience (9.5 million) with its regular lineup on the night in 5 weeks and equaled its highest Adult 18-49 number (2.7/7) in 10 weeks (3rd-best this season) - since 11/7/10 and 10/3/10, respectively. With NBC (Sunday Night Football) and CBS (primetime NFL overrun) driven by the NFL, ABC outdrew its non-sports-fueled competition on the night by 3.6 million viewers (Fox = 5.9 million).
"America's Funniest Home Videos" (7:00-8:00 p.m.)
Hitting season-highs at 7 pm against CBS with its huge NFL overrun in the hour, ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" achieved its top numbers in over 11 months with Total Viewers (8.9 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 - tie) - since 1/3/10 and 2/28/10, respectively.
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
Gaining week to week in viewers (8.7 million vs. 8.2 million) and young adults (2.4/6 vs. 2.2/6), ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" posted its best Adult 18-49 number in 5 weeks and matched its top Adult 18-34 number (1.8/5) since mid-October - since 11/7/10 and 10/10/10, respectively.
"Desperate Housewives" (9:00-10:01 p.m.)
During the 9 o'clock hour, ABC's "Desperate Housewives" made ABC the No. 1 non-sports network in its time period for the 8th consecutive original telecast with Total Viewers (11.6 million) and Adults 18-49 (3.6/8).
· "Housewives" qualified as Sunday's most-watched scripted TV show for its 10th straight first-run airing this season.
"Brothers & Sisters" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
Posting strong week-to-week increases against the conclusion of NBC's big Sunday Night Football game (Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys) in Total Viewers (+16% - 8.8 million vs. 7.6 million) and Adults 18-49 (+19% - 2.5/6 vs. 2.1/6), ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" beat CBS' NFL-boosted programming ("Undercover Boss"/"CSI: Miami") in the 10 o'clock hour among Adults 18-34 and across all key Women demographics (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). The ABC drama matched its highest Total Viewer count in the last 2 months - since 10/10/10.
Source: The Nielsen Company (National, Live+ Same Day Program Ratings), week of 12/6/10, unless stated otherwise.
|