AFTERNOON UPDATE:  No huge changes in final numbers, but a couple that are worth noting:  AGENTS OF SHIELD went up a further 0.1 to 2.6, which may ease some ABC and Disney minds over the holiday, and PERSON OF INTEREST gained 0.1 to beat CHICAGO FIRE at 10PM.  In addition, THE VOICE climbed 0.1, […]

  The broadcast networks continue to finalize their midseason plans, and today CBS and NBC presented some of their decisions. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER will bring its 9 year run to a close with a 1-hour finale on Monday, March 31.  It will be followed that night with a special premiere of the new […]

  HBO:  18-49 numbers for Sunday’s debuts were in line with the preliminary ratings yesterday, as TRUE DETECTIVE launched with 1.0, and the two episodes of GIRLS were at 0.6/0.5. SHOWTIME:  The Season 3 premiere of SHAMELESS was at 0.9, down from 1.1 for last year’s debut.  HOUSE OF LIES slipped 0.2 as well, but […]

  The last pre-Olympics night for a while. FOX:  AMERICAN IDOL reached Hollywood and leveled out, up 0.1 from last week to 3.9. ABC:  THE MIDDLE dropped 0.1 to 2.2, and SUBURGATORY was down 0.1 to 1.7 from its last airing after a new Middle, although up 0.2 from last week when it followed a […]

  A deluge of holiday specials. 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 follows the […]

  AFTERNOON UPDATE:  THE WINTER OLYMPICS gained only 0.1 in adjusted numbers, bringing it to 5.0, more than a point behind Vancouver and more than 3 points behind Turin for the night.  (Don’t even ask about Salt Lake City.)  At least the afternoon adjustments gave the Games something, though–AMERICAN IDOL stayed at its awful, all-time […]

  CBS has reportedly closed a deal with Warner Bros Television to renew THE BIG BANG THEORY for 3 more seasons, which (pending renegotiation of expiring cast deals) would bring the show through Season 10.  This was a no-brainer for CBS, considering that Big Bang is by far the highest-rated non-NFL programming on broadcast television, […]

  AFTERNOON UPDATE:  There were the usual 0.1 bumps (for THE MIDDLE, SUBURGATORY and MODERN FAMILY on ABC, and for SURVIVOR and CRIMINAL MINDS on CBS), and dips (CSI). but the more interesting point is what didn’t go up.  There was no afternoon joy for AMERICAN IDOL, setting things up for a potential record-breaking low […]