NETWORK FINALS:  SHARK TANK, DATELINE and WWE SMACKDOWN gained 0.1 in final numbers.         Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  Discovery’s GOLD RUSH led Friday cable at 0.51/0.36/0.18, compared to last week’s 0.51/0.35/0.20.  ESPN’s COLLEGE FOOTBALL game was at 0.33, and a PRESEASON NBA […]

> DISCLAIMER: These initial impressions are based on the clips (usually 3-5 minutes) released by the networks to use in their Upfront presentations and for promos.  They’re chosen to sell the show, not to accurately represent it.  So take the reactions below with a large satchel of salt–we may well feel differently about these shows […]

  A CHRISTMAS STORY wasn’t merry at all. DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), the chart below displays preliminary key advertiser demographics (adult 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 ratings), audience skews (women 18-49, men 18-49 and adults 50+ shares) and total viewership (thousands of people over the age of 2). Ratings analysis and comparisons […]

  Jimmy Kimmel’s set got a bit of an upgrade, but other than that there was little visible evidence that the 11:35PM version of JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE will be very different from its midnight incarnation.  Kimmel has never been Mr. High-Concept–he leaves that for Letterman and Conan–and as Jay Leno, still the winner in both […]

>With the news that Chris Meloni will not return to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the ratings in the Wednesday 10 pm hour will be adjusted to reflect a slightly lower SVU rating and a slightly higher CSI rating.  As a result, CSI‘s projected margin of victory will move from 0.1 to 0.3.  Updated […]

Fringe moves on to another universe. FOX:  After years of lousy ratings, it would have been unrealistic to expect FRINGE to suddenly grow an audience at the last minute, and it didn’t:  the two-hour finale had a 1.0, which was up 0.2 from last week, but barely managed to beat one other network in one […]

> As we head into the weekend, a margin of less than $10 million separates Team Metcalf and Salem in the ShowBuzzDaily Summer Movie Draft.  That’s very good news for Salem because he has X-Men: First Class and Super 8 opening before Metcalf’s next movie on June 17.  It’s actually a very interesting race because […]

NETWORK UPDATE:  DANCING WITH THE STARS gained 0.1 in final numbers, and so did the 2d hour of THE FOLLOWING.  There were no adjustments for THE VOICE or any of the season finales. CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  TNT’s NBA PLAYOFFS doubleheader led the night with the late game at 2.13, the earlier game a few slots behind […]