Friday, October 12, 2012

Today in TV History
Police drama The Plainclothesman debuted on DuMont in 1949 and aired for five seasons. On Dallas in 1979, Val (Joan Van Ark) visited Lucy (Charlene Tilton) just two months before she remarried Gary (Ted Shackelford) and moved to the troubled land of fictional Knots Landing. Cheers on this day in 1989, meanwhile, featured Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) getting ready for her first night with Robin Colcord (Roger Rees).

In Today’s Issue

NETWORK
-Metered Market Thursday Ratings
-Updated Wednesday Ratings
-New Network Series Scorecard

CABLE
-HLN Acquires Primetime: What Would You Do?
-The Mentalist Marathon on TNT
-Cable Rankings – Wednesday 10/10/12

RECENT NEWS
-Current Week to-Date

SCHEDULE BOX
-On the Air This Weekend

TRIVIA CHALLENGE
-Small Screen Remakes
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NETWORK

Metered Market Thursday Ratings
Solid Results for the Vice Presidential Debate; Respectable Sampling for Beauty and the Beast

Household
Rating/Share
CBS 6.4/10
ABC 5.3/ 8
Fox 4.7/ 7
NBC 4.3/ 6
CW 2.3/ 4

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Note: The year-to-year percent comparisons are excluded due to the Vice Presidential Debate last night.

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-Winners:
The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Two and a Half Men (CBS)

-Respectable Sampling:
Beauty and the Beast (CW)

-Losers (excluding repeats):
30 Rock (NBC), Up All Night (NBC)

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Ratings Breakdown:
CBS led this atypical Thursday in the overnights, which is approximate due to the live Vice Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan from 9-10:30 p.m. ET.

The Eye net stood well above the competition from 8-9 p.m. care of The Big Bang Theory (#1 for the evening: 9.8 rating/16 share) and relocated Two and a Half Men (#1: 7.6/12), which was equal to an encore telecast of Big Bang in this time period on the year-ago evening (but down from its former Monday 9 p.m. time period).

Second in the 8 p.m. hour was The X Factor on Fox (6.0/10), which dropped by 19 percent year-to-year, followed by week three of drama Last Resort on ABC, which slipped to a 4.7/ 8 (and needs to stop bleeding now if there is any future). Despite the erosion, Last Resort was still 17 percent above failed year-go occupant Charlie’s Angels (4.0/ 7 on 10/13/11). Three-week overnight track for Last Resort: 6.5/11 – 5.5/ 9 – 4.7/ 8).

Next was NBC’s lackluster combination of sitcoms 30 Rock (#4: 2.7/ 4) and Up All Night (#4: 2.4/ 4), followed by the fourth season-premiere of The Vampire Diaries on The CW at a 2.4/ 4. Comparatively, The Vampire Diaries was right on par with its year-ago season-opener (on 9/15/11).

In series-premiere news (and opposite the Vice Presidential Debate on the four competing networks) was the remake of Beauty and the Beast on The CW at a 2.4/ 4 (#5). While that was, comparably, equal to the debut of former time period occupant The Secret Circle, erosion of 19 percent in the second half-hour (2.6/ 4 to 2.1/ 3) could be a concern. Keep in mind that Arrow opened with a 3.0/ 5 in the overnights on Wednesday.

The approximate results for coverage of the Vice Presidential Debate was close between the Big 3 networks. ABC averaged a 5.8/ 9 in the overnights from 9-10:30 p.m., followed by NBC at a 5.4/ 8 and CBS at a 5.2/ 8. Fox, meanwhile, scored a 3.5/ 5 and the four networks totaled a hefty 19.9/30 (which does not, of course, include coverage on the cable networks).

The half-hour analysis at 10:30 p.m. scored a 4.9/ 7 on NBC, followed by a 4.8/ 7 for ABC and a 4.3/ 7 for CBS.

Source: Nielsen Media Research

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OTHER NETWORK NEWS

Updated Wednesday Ratings
There were three series premieres – Arrow on The CW, Nashville on ABC and Chicago Fire on NBC. But it was CBS and Fox that shared the top-spot on Oct. 10 (based on the Live Plus Same Day results), with CBS first in total viewers care of Survivor: Philippines, Criminal Minds and CSI; and the home of The X Factor No. 1 among adults 18-49.

Arrow was off and running on The CW, with the biggest premiere of any series on the network since The Vampire Diaries in 2009. It averaged 4.14 million viewers and a 1.3 rating/4 share among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m., which on average placed it ahead of NBC sitcoms Animal Practice (Viewers: #4, 3.80 million; A18-49: #4, 1.1/ 3) and Guys With Kids (Viewers: #4, 4.19 million; A18-49: #4, 1.4/ 4). And Nashville bested competing Chicago Fire at 10 p.m. by 2.32 million viewers (8.93 million vs. 6.61 million) and 47 percent in the demo (2.8/ 8 vs. 1.9/ 5). But Chicago Fire did manage to build by slight margins over lead-in Law & Order: SVU (Viewers: #4, 6.24 million; A18-49: #4, 1.8/ 5 at 9 p.m.), while Nashville slipped from a 9:30 p.m. edition of Modern Family (Viewers: #1, 12.31 million; A18-49: 4.9/13) by 3.38 million viewers and 43 percent in the demo. Let’s see what happens next week when Nashville airs out of returning Suburgatory.

Opening grades: Arrow (CW): A, Nashville (ABC): B, Chicago Fire (NBC): C.

For a complete listing by series, click on the following: http://tinyurl.com/8c652aa.

New Network Series Scorecard
Almost three weeks into the new TV season, here is a briefing on the status of the 21 new network primetime series (by network and in order of evening):

ABC
-The Neighbors: Wed. 8:30 p.m. – Respectable but below year-ago occupant Suburgatory.
-Nashville: Wed. 10 p.m. – 8.93 million viewers and a 2.8/ 8 among adults 18-49 for debut (out of 12.31 million and a 4.9/13 in the demo for a 9:30 p.m. edition of Modern Family).
-Last Resort: Thurs. 10 p.m. – On the fence; needs to settle in now to survive.
-Malibu Country: Fri. 8:30 p.m. – Debuts on November 2.
-666 Park Avenue: Sun. 10 p.m. – Steep losses in week two; no future.

CBS
-Partners: Mon. 8:30 p.m. – Notable sore spot on now declining evening.
-Vegas: Tues. 10 p.m. – Similar to year-ago occupant Unforgettable (which is returning this summer).
-Elementary: Thurs. 10 p.m. – Shoo-in for full season renewal.
-Made in Jersey: Fri. 9 p.m. – Canceled on Oct. 10. First casualty.

NBC
-Revolution: Mon. 10 p.m. – Full season renewal.
-Go On: Tues. 9 p.m. – Full season renewal.
-The New Normal: Tues. 9:30 p.m. – Full season renewal.
-Animal Practice: Wed. 8 p.m. – Not strong enough to anchor evening.
-Guys With Kids: Wed. 8:30 p.m. – Hindered by lack of lead-in support from Animal Practice.
-Chicago Fire: Wed. 10 p.m. – 6.61 million viewers and a 1.9/ 5 among adults 18-49 for debut (out of 6.24 million viewers and a 1.8/ 5 in the demo for Law & Order: SVU).

Fox
-The Mob Doctor: Mon. 9 p.m. – Waiting for the axe to swing.
-Ben and Kate: Tues. 8:30 p.m. – Six additional episodes ordered.
-The Mindy Project: Tues. 9:30 p.m. – Full season renewal.

CW
-Emily Owens, M.D.: Tues. 9 p.m. – Debuts on Oct. 16.
-Arrow: Wednesday 8 p.m. – Strongest series-opener since The Vampire Diaries in 2009.
-Beauty and the Beast: Thurs. 9 p.m. – Respectable sampling out of The Vampire Diaries season-opener.

Source: Nielsen Media Research

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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE AT TV MEDIA INSIGHTS

Contact Joel Spicola at joel@tvmediainsights.com or 720/323-4055 for more information.

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CABLE

HLN Acquires Primetime: What Would You Do?
ABC hidden camera reality series Primetime: What Would You Do? has found a home in off-network: HLN. The cable news network has acquired more than 35 episodes of the ABC News produced hour, which will air back-to-back episodes on Thursday and Sunday nights from 9-11 p.m. ET beginning on Sunday, October 21. ABC News’ John Quinones hosts.

The Mentalist Marathon on TNT
TNT is hoping to boost interest in the off-net run of drama The Mentalist (which hits episode No. 100 on CBS on Oct. 28) with an 11-episode marathon beginning with the pilot episode on Monday, Oct. 22 at 12 p.m. ET. Themed “The Hunt for Red John,” the episodes will center on the serial killer whose long line of victims includes Patrick Jane’s (Simon Baker) own family.

Cable Rankings – Wednesday 10/11/12
What follows are the 20 most-watched shows on Wednesday, October 11:

The O’Reilly Factor (Fox News Channel, 8 p.m.): 4.18 million, Duck Dynasty (A&E, 10:30 p.m.): 3.94, Duck Dynasty (A&E, 10 p.m.): 3.70, Hannity (Fox News Channel, 9 p.m.): 3.49, On the Record With Greta Van Susteren (Fox News Channel, 10 p.m.): 2.90, MLB Division Series (TNT, 9:30 p.m.): 2.65, Halloweentown High (Disney Channel, 8:30 p.m.): 2.36, South Park (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.): 2.33, Good Luck Charlie Disney Channel, 10:05 p.m.): 2.26, American Dad (Adult Swim, 10:30 p.m.): 2.21, Dragons: Riders of Berk (Cartoon Network, 8 p.m.): 1.93, Storage Wars Texas (A&E, 9:30 p.m.): 1.87, American Dad (Adult Swim, 10 p.m.0: 1.81, Full House (Nick at Nite, 8 p.m.): 1.73, Ghost Hunters (Syfy, 9 p.m.) and Phineas and Ferb (Disney Channel, 10:30 p.m.): 1.69 each, House Hunters (HGTV, 10 p.m.): 1.69, American Restoration (History, 9:30 p.m.), Buying and Selling (HGTV, 9 p.m.): 1.63

Source: Nielsen Media Research
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RECENT NEWS
Week to-Date

-Syndie Scorecard: http://tinyurl.com/8wmfrdw
-Made in Jersey on CBS First New Series Cancellation: http://tinyurl.com/9ac2tpu
-ABC Cancels The Secret Life of the American Teenager: http://tinyurl.com/8n5kguf
-Kris Jenner Eyes Daytime Talker: http://tinyurl.com/9kdjz6w
-MLB Division Series a Record Ratings Gem for MLB Network: http://tinyurl.com/93ml2za
-Kathy Ireland Joins Katie: http://tinyurl.com/9fvyelq
-ION and DirecTV Announce Carriage Deal: http://tinyurl.com/8z676fp
-Paula Abdul on Dancing With the Stars: http://tinyurl.com/9ul2vh7
-NBC Delays the Return of Community and Whitney: http://tinyurl.com/9vfytbl
-Steel Magnolias Scores on Lifetime: http://tinyurl.com/8s72p69
-Fox Renews Ben and Kate and The Mindy Project: http://tinyurl.com/8v6m495
-Sanctuary Heads to Off-Net Syndication: http://tinyurl.com/8hmceok
-Freshman Talk Show Overnight Update: http://tinyurl.com/8dyj336

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SCHEDULE BOX

Friday, October 12

ABC
8:00 p.m. Shark Tank
9:00 p.m. Primetime: What Would You Do?
10:00 p.m. 20/20

CBS
8:00 p.m. NCIS (R)
9:00 p.m. CSI: NY (new time)
10:00 p.m. Blue Bloods

NBC
8:00 p.m. Grimm (R)
9:00 p.m. Grimm
10:00 p.m. Dateline

Fox
8:00 p.m. The X Factor (R)
9:00 p.m. Fringe

CW
8:00 p.m. Arrow (R)
9:00 p.m. Beauty and the Beast (R)

Of Note on Cable:
-Dog With a Blog (Disney Channel, 9:40 p.m.): series premiere
-America’s Most Wanted (Lifetime, 10 p.m.): season finale

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Saturday, October 13

ABC
8:00 p.m. NASCAR

CBS
8:00 p.m. NCIS: Los Angeles (R)
9:00 p.m. Hawaii Five-O (R)
10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery

NBC
8:00 p.m. Revolution (R)
9:00 p.m. Chicago Fire (R)
10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R)

Fox
8:00 p.m. College Football

Of Note on Cable:
-Movie: The Seven Year Hitch (Hallmark Movie Channel): 8 p.m.
-Movie: American Horror House (Syfy): 9 p.m.

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Sunday, October 7

ABC
7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos
8:00 p.m. Once Upon a Time
9:00 p.m. Revenge
10:00 p.m. 666 Park Avenue

CBS
7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes
8:00 p.m. The Amazing Race
9:00 p.m. The Good Wife
10:00 p.m. The Mentalist

NBC
7:00 p.m. Football Night in America
8:30 p.m. Sunday Night Football (Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans)

Fox
7:00 p.m. NFL Football
7:30 p.m. The OT
8:00 p.m. NCLS Pre-Game
8:30 p.m. 2012 National League Championship Series

Of Note on Cable:
-The Walking Dead (AMC, 9 p.m.): season premiere
-Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion, part 3 (Bravo, 10 p.m.)
-Talking Dead (AMC, 11 p.m.): season premiere
-Comic Book Men (AMC, 11:30 p.m.): season premiere

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TRIVIA CHALLENGE
Small Screen Remakes

Which one of the following five dramas was not remade at a later time?

a) Adam 12
b) Burke’s Law
c) Kung Fu
d) Route 66
e) The Rookies

The answer to yesterday’s question…

Which one of the following options was not the actual title of a TV series?

a) Bram and Alice
b) Jack and Mike
c) Joe & Mabel
d) Melvin and Howard
e) Walter and Emily

…d) Melvin and Howard, which was a 1980 theatrical with Jason Robards as Howard Hughes. As for the others…

-Bram and Alive (CBS): 2002
-Jack and Mike (ABC): 1986-87
-Joe & Mabel (CBS): 1956
-Walter and Emily (NBC): 1991-92

Today’s Trivia All-Stars:
Gerry Bixenspan, Larry Collins, Tom Condosta, Mark Cosenza, Andy Ehlen, Jim Forkan, Maureen Goldman, Ed Griffis, Bob Ingersoll, Tom Joyce, Synda Kollman, Dave Koranda, Marie Lefevre, Jody McIntyre, Richard Naldrett, Alan Perris, Greg Phelan, Gordon Purcell, Susan Rogers, Ken Stowe