> The Emmys, of all show-business awards, lend themselves least to surprise.  That’s because they’re the only group that nominate and award continuing series, meaning that the same high-quality shows repeat year after year.  (There was a stretch where it seemed like Frasier had started winning Best Comedy during the Truman Administration.)  You can’t really […]

  Little original programming on the last Friday of summer TV. 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 […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  NBC’s NHL PLAYOFFS game adjusted to 0.8 in final numbers.         Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  ESPN’s NBA PLAYOFFS game was dominant at 2.54.  CNN’s coverage of the ROYAL WEDDING gave it 9 of the Top 20 slots (led by the […]

> OK, now they’re not even trying:  every single show on network TV last night was a repeat. CBS:  Which is exactly how CBS likes it.  Not to rub salt in NBC’s many wounds, but the CBS average last night with reruns (2.1, highlighted by a 2.3 for CRIMINAL MINDS) was just about what NBC […]

      NETWORK FINALS:  AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE gained 0.1 in final numbers.         Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  USA’s WWE SMACKDOWN led Tuesday cable, even down 0.14 from last week to 0.81, while lead-out SHOOTER fell 0.11 from last week’s premiere to 0.39, a number that was […]

  WELCOME TO THE FAMILY:  Thursday 8:30PM on NBC – Change the Channel NBC continues is retro approach to fall comedy with WELCOME TO THE FAMILY. Even more than Sean Saves the World and The Michael J. Fox Show, Family seems intended for viewers just an AARP mailing away from TVLand, for whom the very idea […]

  THE CROSSING was no GOOD DOCTOR. 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 […]

  Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Garth Brooks. CBS:  On an otherwise weak night, GARTH BROOKS: LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS towered over everything else at 1.8, better than anything CBS has run all fall in the 9-11PM Friday slot.  It was particularly impressive because the special got no lead-in at all from two rerun holiday specials, […]