NBC comes up with a Wednesday night formula that works:  air against no competition. NBC:  With reruns on three other networks and a weak reality show on the fourth, NBC went to town on Wednesday night, with season highs galore.  WHITNEY (which has been adjusted creatively a great deal from last season, but to little […]

  UTOPIA:  Tuesday 8PM and Friday 9PM on FOX THE FACTS:  Based on a Dutch format and produced by unscripted specialist John de Mol, UTOPIA is a reality show that puts 15 people into an isolated area for an entire year and forces them to make up their own rules for their new “civilization.”  Viewers […]

> Rise of the Planet of the Apes should open easily at #1 with over $43 million.  With broadly positive reviews behind it, this prequel should have decent holds in the following few weeks.  The Smurfs should slide into #2 with a decent second week decline ($21 million, down 41%).  Fighting for #3 should be […]

  Basketball, as always, beat Broadway last night. ABC:  Per Mitch Metcalf:  we have adjusted the 4.6 fast national adult 18-49 rating for NBA FINALS GAME 2  to an estimated 5.4 rating.  However, the 5.4 would still be 17% below the Sunday night game last year (on June 17), a similar decline to Game 1 on […]

> With the superpowers wielded only by Hollywood studio estimators, CAPTAIN AMERICA:  THE FIRST AVENGER has leaped ahead of Thor to claim the biggest superhero opening of the year.  But Captain America and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (PART 2) are the only pictures in the Top 10 predicting a Sunday drop of less […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  FOX’s NFL WILD CARD game adjusted to 8.9.          Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  ESPN shared the AFC NFL WILD CARD game with ABC, and the cabler’s share was 2.09, while the COLLEGE BASKETBALL games that sandwiched football were at 0.47/0.45.  […]

  A lot of returns. DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), the chart below displays preliminary live+same day 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 […]

  TV is beginning its holiday hibernation. 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 […]