The 51st weekend of the year is looking like $141 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday, above last year’s similar weekend but -7% below the multi-year average for this weekend. Opening at around 3,450 theaters today (well above the 2,886 average theater count for opening weekends the last two years), Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues from Paramount should average […]

  NETWORK FINALS:  ABC’s primetime COLLEGE FOOTBALL was at 1.25, although CBS’s afternoon game led the day at 2.06, while Fox’s primetime game was at 0.84.  On CW, MAGIC WITH THE STARS gained 0.02 to 0.07, and WORLD’S FUNNIEST ANIMALS was steady at 0.04.  NBC’s Dave Chappelle-hosted SNL rose 0.11 to 0.90.   Broadcast Official […]

>Another night of American Idol and another 30% decline from the same episode last year.  The other networks mostly went with repeats.                Nightly Adult 18-49 Rating Thursday     FOX    CBS    ABC    NBC    01.26.2012   4.2    2.8    1.2    1.4    01.27.2011   […]

  OPENINGS:  THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (Paramount/Red Granite) fell behind American Hustle on Friday, dropping 6% to $6.3M, but considering that it’s a polarizing, 3-hour, hard-R saga that people aren’t even sure whether to call a black comedy or a drama, that’s still a fine result, and the film is likely to earn $50M+ […]

  BROADCAST FINALS (except where otherwise noted, comparisons are to 2 weeks ago) ABC:  SHARK TANK dropped 0.04 to 0.41, and 20/20 was up 0.05  to 0.34. CBS:  SWAT fell 0.13 to 0.39, FIRE COUNTRY lost 0.05 to 0.39, and BLUE BLOODS was down 0.08 to 0.34. NBC:  LOPEZ VS LOPEZ gained 0.03 to 0.33, […]

>The last night before the February sweep begins.  FOX wins yet again by programming originals, although American Idol is now pacing 34% behind last year’s ratings.  Tonight original episodes will fill each network’s schedule as the February sweep begins.              Nightly Adult 18-49 Rating Wednesday    FOX    CBS    […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  There was bad news in the adjustments for THE VILLAGE, which dropped 0.1, and at 0.8, lost more than half its THIS IS US lead-in.  (With an extra decimal, it was 1.70 vs. 0.84.)  Elsewhere, THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT gained 0.1 in final numbers.         Broadcast […]

  AFTERNOON UPDATE:  Changes from morning numbers were minor.  CASTLE slipped 0.1 to 1.7, an even lower season low, ALMOST HUMAN edged up 0.1 to 1.8, 2 of the BLACKLIST reruns moved up 0.1 to 1.0, and BEAUTY & THE BEAST narrowly avoided the shame of an 0.1 rating for its rerun, rising to 0.2. […]