Note:  ABC numbers below inflated slightly by local NFL pre-emption in Jacksonville for THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (aired nationally on NFL Network), and FOX numbers inflated slightly by local NFL pre-emption in Nashville. All networks could also be inflated by local news pre-emptions in Houston for weather/flooding coverage.  DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), […]

  Believe it or not, now that it’s far too late and the closing notice has all but been posted, SMASH aired its best episode of the season last night–not remotely what some of us hoped the show would be at the start, not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination or anything to […]

  OPENINGS:  The $31.6M first day for THOR: THE DARK WORLD (Disney) was about 24% higher than the $25.5M opening for the first Thor, an increment likely to reduce as the movie’s run continues, since sequels tend to be more front-loaded.  A $200M US total would be more than 10% up from Thor‘s $181M.  Where […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  Although ROSEANNE stayed put, ALEX INC gained 0.1 in final numbers, as did NCIS, LETHAL WEAPON and THE FLASH, while FOR THE PEOPLE lost the same.           Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  The NBA PLAYOFFS were on top of Tuesday cable, […]

Top broadcast and cable programs this week and last.  Shark Week kicked off Sunday on Discovery with the mockumentary Megalodon: Monster Shark at 9:00 pm, which matched the 2.2 True Blood rating with Adults 18-49 on HBO at the same time.  NFL’s pre-season Hall of Fame Game on NBC, also on Sunday, was the top program of the week.  Not shown […]

> Whatever one’s reservations about the entertainment value of AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD, there’s no question that it’s a blockbuster.  Even airing against the highest-rated Grammy Awards in more than 20 years, Walking Dead broke its own record for cable drama.  In its initial 9PM airing, the show had 5.4 million 18-49 viewers, 12% higher […]

> 1:45AM UPDATE:  Deadline has updated its numbers, and the news keeps getting worse for THE THREE MUSKETEERS:  it now appears that the film won’t even get to $3M for Friday, meaning a dreadful $8M or so for this $90M budgeted bust.Most holdovers are doing very well, with FOOTLOOSE, DOLPHIN TALE, MONEYBALL, REAL STEEL, IDES […]

  MADOFF didn’t cash in. 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 follow the chart. […]