ABC finishes TV premiere week at ratings peak
Tue Sep 27, 2005 07:08 PM ET
By Steve Gorman
LOS ANGELES, Sept 27 (Reuters) - For the first time in a decade, ABC finished the opening week of a new U.S. TV season on top of the ratings, led by returning hits "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," while rival network NBC posted its lowest ranking in five years.
Walt Disney Co.-owned (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) ABC claimed six of the top 10 shows in the key race for young-adult viewers -- including No. 1 ranked "Desperate Housewives" -- and five of the hottest programs overall during the first week of the 2005-06 broadcast season, Nielsen Media Research reported on Tuesday.
Among viewers aged 18 to 49, the benchmark group most networks use to measure prime-time success, ABC also boasted the highest-rated new series for the week, alien thriller "Invasion," and the week's top reality show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
Another unsung hero of ABC's lineup, the returning medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," landed at No. 4 in the 18-to-49 group and at sixth place in total viewers.
"All of our key programs that we needed to work this week are all in the top 10," ABC ratings expert Jeffrey Lindsey said.
The multiple successes added up to ABC's first premiere week at No. 1 in the 18-to-49 ratings since 1995, when the network's schedule included such hits as "Home Improvement," "Ellen," "Roseanne" and "Grace Under Fire."
CBS, a unit of Viacom Inc. (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) remained the most watched network overall, with return of mega-hit "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" drawing the week's single-biggest audience in total viewers, 29 million.
COMIC SOAP OPERA
Darkly comic soap opera "Housewives" and castaway thriller "Lost," two breakout hits that led ABC's ratings rebound last season, ranked second and third behind "CSI" last week with viewer tallies of 28.3 million and 23.4 million, respectively.
The launch of CBS's latest detective show, "Criminal Minds," ranked as the most watched new show among all age groups for the week and fourth overall.
But ABC, which finished the week a close second behind CBS in total viewers, was the only network among the Big Three broadcasters to see its average audience grow in comparison to the same week a year ago. CBS and NBC both lost viewers.
NBC, embarking on its second season since sitcom hits "Friends" and "Frasier" left its lineup, ended the week in third place for both total viewers and the 18-to-49 audience that the General Electric Co.-owned (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) network had long dominated.
That marked NBC's lowest starting point for a new TV season since September 2000, when ABC was still flying high with its gargantuan game show hit "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
One bright spot on NBC's new schedule was the premiere of "My Name Is Earl," which ranked as the highest-rated new comedy in prime time and ranked No. 8 in the 18-49 ratings derby.
"ER," the venerable hospital drama that has long anchored NBC's once-mighty Thursday night lineup, returned for its 12th season with respectable numbers.
But NBC continued to see ratings slippage on a night it once branded "Must-See-TV."
"Friends"-spinoff "Joey" was eclipsed by the premiere of UPN's Chris Rock-inspired series, "Everybody Hates Chris," which yielded the highest-rated comedy debut on the Viacom-owned network in its 10-year history. And "CSI" pummeled real estate tycoon Donald Trump's return for a fourth edition of his reality show "The Apprentice."
A new "Apprentice" spinoff starring domestic diva and ex-con Martha Stewart fared even worse against ABC's "Lost" on Sunday night.
Tue Sep 27, 2005 07:08 PM ET
By Steve Gorman
LOS ANGELES, Sept 27 (Reuters) - For the first time in a decade, ABC finished the opening week of a new U.S. TV season on top of the ratings, led by returning hits "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," while rival network NBC posted its lowest ranking in five years.
Walt Disney Co.-owned (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) ABC claimed six of the top 10 shows in the key race for young-adult viewers -- including No. 1 ranked "Desperate Housewives" -- and five of the hottest programs overall during the first week of the 2005-06 broadcast season, Nielsen Media Research reported on Tuesday.
Among viewers aged 18 to 49, the benchmark group most networks use to measure prime-time success, ABC also boasted the highest-rated new series for the week, alien thriller "Invasion," and the week's top reality show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
Another unsung hero of ABC's lineup, the returning medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," landed at No. 4 in the 18-to-49 group and at sixth place in total viewers.
"All of our key programs that we needed to work this week are all in the top 10," ABC ratings expert Jeffrey Lindsey said.
The multiple successes added up to ABC's first premiere week at No. 1 in the 18-to-49 ratings since 1995, when the network's schedule included such hits as "Home Improvement," "Ellen," "Roseanne" and "Grace Under Fire."
CBS, a unit of Viacom Inc. (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) remained the most watched network overall, with return of mega-hit "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" drawing the week's single-biggest audience in total viewers, 29 million.
COMIC SOAP OPERA
Darkly comic soap opera "Housewives" and castaway thriller "Lost," two breakout hits that led ABC's ratings rebound last season, ranked second and third behind "CSI" last week with viewer tallies of 28.3 million and 23.4 million, respectively.
The launch of CBS's latest detective show, "Criminal Minds," ranked as the most watched new show among all age groups for the week and fourth overall.
But ABC, which finished the week a close second behind CBS in total viewers, was the only network among the Big Three broadcasters to see its average audience grow in comparison to the same week a year ago. CBS and NBC both lost viewers.
NBC, embarking on its second season since sitcom hits "Friends" and "Frasier" left its lineup, ended the week in third place for both total viewers and the 18-to-49 audience that the General Electric Co.-owned (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) network had long dominated.
That marked NBC's lowest starting point for a new TV season since September 2000, when ABC was still flying high with its gargantuan game show hit "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
One bright spot on NBC's new schedule was the premiere of "My Name Is Earl," which ranked as the highest-rated new comedy in prime time and ranked No. 8 in the 18-49 ratings derby.
"ER," the venerable hospital drama that has long anchored NBC's once-mighty Thursday night lineup, returned for its 12th season with respectable numbers.
But NBC continued to see ratings slippage on a night it once branded "Must-See-TV."
"Friends"-spinoff "Joey" was eclipsed by the premiere of UPN's Chris Rock-inspired series, "Everybody Hates Chris," which yielded the highest-rated comedy debut on the Viacom-owned network in its 10-year history. And "CSI" pummeled real estate tycoon Donald Trump's return for a fourth edition of his reality show "The Apprentice."
A new "Apprentice" spinoff starring domestic diva and ex-con Martha Stewart fared even worse against ABC's "Lost" on Sunday night.
