>The top two programs on cable this week aired on Sunday against the not-what-it-used-to-be but still very big Academy Awards on ABC.  Most notable was Walking Dead on AMC at 9:00 pm, just when the awards ceremony was getting rolling.  Facing the huge entertainment special, Walking Dead actually was up over last week, from a […]

  BROADCAST FINALS ABC:  SHARK TANK dropped 0.11 to 0.33, and 20/20 was down 0.11 to 0.27. CBS:  Reruns at 0.24/0.19/0.16. NBC:  After a rerun at 0.18, GRAND CREW lost 0.04 to 0.19, and DATELINE ticked down to 0.29. FOX:  WWE SMACKDOWN fell 0.11 to 0.58. CW:  PENN & TELLER: FOOL US ticked up to […]

        NETWORK FINALS:  Note that the FOX line-up was incorrect, and that the 8PM hour consisted of LAST MAN STANDING at 1.0 (originally listed as an hour at 0.9) followed by THE COOL KIDS at 0.7.           Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart     CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  ESPN’s NBA […]

>Over the past seven days (last Tuesday through Monday night), the cable landscape again was led by the vampires of TRUE BLOOD on HBO’s signature Sunday night.  ENTOURAGE fell off our list (down to a 1.2 rating with Adults 18-49 this week), while CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM posted its usual 1.0 rating with young adults.  Shark Week […]

  BROADCAST FINALS ABC:  JEOPARDY MASTERS was at 0.50, CELEBRITY WHEEL OF FORTUNE was at 0.47, and THE GAME SHOW SHOW premiered at 0.30. CBS:  SURVIVOR was steady at 0.67.  After a rerun at 0.19, the now-canceled TRUE LIES dipped 0.02 to 0.17. NBC:  The CHICAGO franchise included MED down 0.12 to 0.40, FIRE down […]

> DISCLAIMER: These initial impressions are based on the clips (usually 3-5 minutes) released by the networks to use in their Upfront presentations and for promos.  They’re chosen to sell the show, not to accurately represent it.  So take the reactions below with a large satchel of salt–we may well feel differently about these shows […]

  BROADCAST FINALS:  FOX’s MLB game was at 0.37.  On CW, MASTERS OF ILLUSION was at 0.02, and TOTALLY WEIRD & FUNNY was at 0.02/0.01.   Broadcast Official Nationals Program Ratings Chart   CABLE HIGHLIGHTS:  The STANLEY CUP FINALS was at 0.58 on TNT (followed by yet another “sneak” of the LAZARUS PROJECT pilot at […]

ABC won the final Sunday of the May Sweep with the Billboard Music Awards and very little competition from the other networks.  The FOX animated comedies ended their seasons at or near their respective lows, while NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice ended its season with a steep year-to-year decline and CBS programmed this final Sunday as it usually does (with a […]