What are you watching this Spring?

[lurkey]

Comcast-NBC Deal Could Be Announced This Week (GE, CMCSA)
Jay Yarow|Nov. 2, 2009, 8:42 AM | 268 |
PrintTags: Media, Comcast, NBC, GE, Deals, TV

Comcast (CMCSA) is close to taking NBC off General Electric's hands, the New York Times reports. An official announcement is possible this week.

If the deal closes, Comcast will own 51% of the company, GE will own 49%, with the ability to sell its stake in the next few years. The deal's main problem now is getting Vivendi, who owns 20% of NBC to agree to a valuation of NBC so GE can buy the stake and sell it to Comcast.

Once the deal is announced it could take another 12-18 months to complete, reports Broadcast & Cable, who also throws out this this interesting morsel:

The dealing, however, may not be done. One Wall Street player confirmed market rumors that bankers have already descended on the MSO's Philadelphia headquarters to work with management on selling the NBC Network and stations to a third party. Comcast had no immediate comment on that still-hypothetical possibility.

If Comcast could figure out how to shed the less desirable network stations, and just hold onto the profitable cable units, it would be a better deal for Comcast.

[southerngale]

Hopefully Comcast isn't corrupt like G.E. This could be good for NBC.

[RL3AO]

Not a big fan of Comcast becoming more powerful, but they can't make NBC any worse.

[Brent]

Got a point there.

TV ratings: World Series, NFL rule Sunday for FOX
By Rick Porter
November 2, 2009 8:58 AM
Fast National ratings for Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009

The NFL bled into primetime Sunday and helped push Game 4 of World Series to its biggest audience so far this year.

The full night of live sports gave FOX an audience of 21.1 million viewers and a 12.5 rating/20 share in households. That was more than double the viewers for second-place ABC (10.4 million, 6.5/10). CBS (9.9 million, 6.3/10) came in third. With "Sunday Night Football" taking the night off, NBC was way off its typical Sunday, mustering only 4.1 million viewers and a 2.5/4.

FOX also rolled to a win among adults 18-49 with a 7.4 rating. ABC finished second in the advertisers' favorite demo with a 3.4, followed by CBS at 2.2. NBC came in at 1.4.

Sunday's hourly results:

7 p.m.

FOX: NFL overrun/World Series pregame (24.4 million viewers, 13.9/22 households)
CBS: "60 Minutes" (12.3 million, 8.0/13)
ABC: "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7.8 million, 4.7/7)
NBC: "Football Night in America" (2.6 million, 1.6/3)

18-49 leader: NFL/World Series pregame (8.8)

8 p.m.

FOX: World Series Game 4 - Yankees at Phillies (22.2 million, 13.1/20)
CBS: "The Amazing Race" (11.1 million, 6.5/10)
ABC: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (10.8 million, 6.5/10)
NBC: Movie - "National Treasure" (4.1 million, 2.4/4)

18-49 leader: World Series Game 4 (7.4)

9 p.m.

FOX: World Series Game 4 (19.75 million, 11.8/19)
ABC: "Desperate Housewives" (13.8 million, 8.7/13)
CBS: "Three Rivers" (7.7 million, 5.0/8)
NBC: "National Treasure" (5.1 million, 3.4/5)

18-49 leader: World Series Game 4 (6.8)

10 p.m.

FOX: World Series Game 4 (18.1 million, 11.1/19)
ABC: "Brothers & Sisters" (9.4 million, 6.2/10)
CBS: "Cold Case" (8.6 million, 5.6/9)
NBC: "National Treasure" (4.6 million, 2.8/5)

18-49 leader: World Series Game 4 (6.6)

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox ... r-fox.html

[Brent]

TV ratings: 'Dancing,' Phillies lead the way Monday
By Rick Porter
November 3, 2009 8:49 AM
Fast National ratings for Monday, Nov. 2, 2009

"Dancing with the Stars" beat Game 5 of the World Series head-to-head Monday, but the game's strength at 10 p.m. helped FOX score an overall ratings win for the night.

FOX drew 15.3 million viewers and a 9.5 rating/15 share in households for the night, beating out ABC's 14 million and 9.3/14. CBS (11.5 million, 7.2/11) came in third. NBC (5.6 million, 3.5/5) took fourth -- although both "Heroes" and "Trauma" were up slightly -- and The CW averaged 2.2 million viewers and a 1.5/2.

FOX also won the 18-49 race with a 4.8 rating. CBS finished second in the demographic with a 3.9, ahead of ABC's 3.0. NBC scored a 2.0 and The CW a 1.0.

Monday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

FOX: World Series Game 5 - Yankees at Phillies (16.2 million viewers, 9.9/15 households)
ABC: "Dancing with the Stars" (16 million, 10.5/16)
CBS: "How I Met Your Mother" (9.05 million, 5.6/8)/"Accidentally on Purpose" (8.5 million, 5.3/8)
NBC: "Heroes" (6.2 million, 3.8/6)
The CW: "One Tree Hill" (2.4 million, 1.6/2)

18-49 leader: World Series Game 5 (4.9)

9 p.m.

ABC: "Dancing with the Stars" (16.4 million, 10.8/16)
FOX: World Series Game 5 (14.9 million, 9.2/14)
CBS: "Two and a Half Men" (13.6 million, 8.4/12)/"The Big Bang Theory" (12.7 million, 7.7/12)
NBC: "Heroes" (6.2 million, 3.9/6)
The CW: "Gossip Girl" (1.9 million, 1.3/2)

18-49 leader: World Series Game 5 (4.7)

10 p.m.

FOX: World Series Game 5 (14.9 million, 9.5/16)
CBS: "CSI: Miami" (12.5 million, 8.0/13)
ABC: "Castle" (9.7 million, 6.5/11)
NBC: "The Jay Leno Show" (4.3 million, 2.8/5)

18-49 leader: World Series Game 5 (4.9)

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox ... onday.html

[Tireman4]

Not a big fan of Comcast becoming more powerful, but they can't make NBC any worse.

Agreed, I am not a fan of Comcast at all. I dont want them messing with Universal, but then again, I just get Universal online. DirecTV teased us with one month of it and poof, gone. Of course, DirecTV and Comcast are fighting over Versus..and who loses in the end...the viewer.

[Brent]

ABC's 'V' premiere lands big ratings
They came, they saw, they conquered primetime.

ABC's "V" premiere was Tuesday's highest-rated series, cracking CBS' scripted "NCIS" choke-hold on the evening.

"V" was seen by 13.9 million viewers and 5.0 preliminary rating among adults 18-49.

Biggest new show premiere of the season.

TV ratings: 'V' starts strong Tuesday
By Rick Porter
November 4, 2009 8:49 AM
Fast National ratings for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009

The premiere of "V" on ABC Tuesday drew very solid ratings, taking a bite out of Tuesday juggernaut "NCIS'" usual numbers and beating the CBS show in the adults 18-49 demographic.

That said, "NCIS" still led "V" head-to-head in viewers, and CBS' greater depth won the night with 15.55 million viewers and a 9.8 rating/16 share in households. ABC came in second with just over 12 million viewers and a 7.6/12. NBC (8 million, 5.0/8) took third, ahead of FOX (6.1 million, 3.8/6). The CW scored 1.8 million viewers and a 1.3/2.

CBS led the adults 18-49 demo as well with a 3.4 rating, just beating ABC's 3.3. NBC was not far behind at 3.0. FOX averaged 2.4 in the demo and The CW 0.9.

Tuesday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

CBS: "NCIS" (19.4 million viewers, 11.7/18 households)
ABC: "V" series premiere (13.9 million, 8.5/13)
NBC: "The Biggest Loser" (8.5 million, 5.3/8)
FOX: "So You Think You Can Dance" (6.4 million, 4.0/6)
The CW: "90210" (2.1 million, 1.5/2)

18-49 leader: "V" (5.0)

9 p.m.

CBS: "NCIS: Los Angeles" (15 million, 9.5/15)
ABC: "Dancing With the Stars" (14.5 million, 9.3/14)
NBC: "The Biggest Loser" (9.5 million, 5.8/9)
FOX: "So You Think You Can Dance" (5.8 million, 3.6/5)
The CW: "Melrose Place" (1.5 million, 1.1/2)

18-49 leader: "The Biggest Loser" (3.8)

10 p.m.

CBS: "The Good Wife" (12.2 million, 8.3/14)
ABC: "The Forgotten" (7.6 million, 4.9/9)
NBC: "The Jay Leno Show" (5.9 million, 3.9/7)

18-49 leader: "The Good Wife" (2.7)

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox ... esday.html

[southerngale]

I wasn't home and forgot about V. I meant to record it. Anyone watch it? What did you think? I'm going to check and see if they repeat the pilot like they did for Flash Forward. If not, I'm sure I can watch it online.

[vbhoutex]

I watched it. It was pretty decent. I will watch again. It is definitely a 21st century remake of the V series we had in the 90's(?). IOW,, higher technology, effects, etc. but same basic story line so far. I know because I was watching the V marathon on SyFy yesterday.

[lurkey]

I watched it. It was pretty decent. I will watch again. It is definitely a 21st century remake of the V series we had in the 90's(?). IOW,, higher technology, effects, etc. but same basic story line so far. I know because I was watching the V marathon on SyFy yesterday.

I think the new V is comparable to old V as the new Battlestar Galactica was to the old BattleStar Galactica .. . same basic storyline, more defined plot, and less campy. . . and my initial reaction is the same . .. I am intrigued by the new version and want to see more. . . lots more. . .

[dixiebreeze]

IDA

[lurkey]

THE END OF 'OPRAH' AS WE KNOW HER: Daytime Diva Giving Up Syndie Talk Show & Moving It To Her Cable Network In 2011By Nikki Finke


EXCLUSIVE: One of the biggest questions in the TV biz has been when, and even if, Oprah Winfrey would give up her daytime syndicated talk show to focus on OWN, her long delayed Oprah Winfrey Network in 70 million homes that was supposed to launch in place of the Discovery Health Channel as a joint venture between Winfrey and Discovery Communications. The industry has been betting that the daytime diva would extend The Oprah Winfrey Show for at least another year or two because of the huge cash license fees which stations have long paid her. But people around Oprah are telling me that won't happen. They say that Discovery Communications chief David Zaslav has demanded that Oprah "move it or lose it" -- move her talk show to OWN, or risk losing the Oprah Winfrey Network altogether. I've learned that in coming days Winfrey and Discovery will issue a press release announcing OWN's on-air launch for the start of 2011. And, in several weeks, Oprah will tell the public that she's ending her syndicated Chicago-based daytime talk show when her current deal runs out and moving it to OWN headquarters in Los Angeles probably as soon as mid-2011.

Hardest hit by the news will be CBS Television Distribution which syndicates the show, and ABC's owned-and-operated stations which make up Oprah's core station group, and also Sony TV execs who'd been hoping Oprah would deliver any extension of her daytime talker into their hands based on the success they've had this season syndicating Dr Oz, Harpo's latest daytime talk show star). "Les Moonves, Bob Iger, and Sony will flip out," one of my insiders says about Oprah's news. "The only winner is David Zaslav."

I'm told that right now Oprah and her advisers are trying to figure out what to do with her mini-city in Chicago, and which personnel she can and will move out to LA in the next six months. Also Discovery will have to renegotiate her own deal. Even though it has yet to go on the air, OWN has experienced tremendous turmoil since it was announced, including the entrances and exits of many top female TV executives -- three in just the last 7 months. Combined with the unprecedented delays, that has come at a cost for Discovery. "It's so upside down because Discovery has lost millions of dollars since it was announced," a source tells me. "It was rumored 50/50 that Zaslav would throw in the towel and her network wouldn't launch. But Zaslav sees it as a loss leader."

Last week, Oprah called a confab in Los Angeles and met with everyone associated with OWN. She also personally heard programming pitches. Only very recently has she put in place her two current top lieutenants to run OWN (but for how long?): Christina Norman, who at the start of the year was named CEO after spending 17 years with Viacom Inc's MTV cable empire before stepping down as MTV president. And Lisa Erspamer who this week was named OWN's Chief Creative Officer and is a 15-year veteran of Harpo Productions where she served as co-executive producer of Oprah since 2006. But I hear that recently appointed OWN head of programming Jamila Hunter, NBC’s former SVP of alternative entertainment, is out looking for a job after just 3 months.

I understand that Oprah was supposed to tell CBS Inc chief Les Moonves back on October 1st what her plans were but then cancelled several scheduled calls to him. Winfrey’s distribution deal was re-signed in 2004 with King World which is now part of CBS Television Distribution. It expires in fall 2011 which marks the end of Oprah’s 25th season. (News reports said a clause existed in her current contract that would have let her end the show in 2010, but that she chose last year to extend the show’s run through the contract’s full term.) She said in 1997 that she was planning to retire, then renewed her contract through 2002. Then in 2002 she said she would call it quits in 2006, but in 2004 she re-upped through 2011.

Back then she was still enjoying high ratings and fat cash license fees from TV stations and big popularity. But that was then, and this now. Her ratings have been in double-digit decline in recent years. And given the financial crisis which has put TV stations on life support because of the plunge in advertising, Oprah was unlikely to be able to demand another big cash raise to continue her show in syndication -- especially in today's climate when stations are bartering with syndicators, not paying them. "It had the potential to bankrupt stations. She would have wanted all cash up front. GMs would have told her to go away," one source explains to me. When Oprah leaves syndication, it will open up time slots and free up station cash not just for syndication's existing stars (which now include Harpo's own Dr Phil, Rachael Ray and Dr Oz) but also new ones.

Leaving the extraordinary visibility she enjoyed through syndication for a nosebleed cable channel is a huge gamble for Oprah as a TV brand. There's the possibility that OWN could distribute her new talk show for syndication. But I hear no one is talking about that now. In the U.S., Oprah is viewed by an estimated 7 million people a day (though that audience has fallen by half over the past 10 years) and in 140 countries. It has been estimated that she currently earns about $275 million a year in showbiz income. Long the No. 1 rated daytime talk show, Oprah also made Winfrey into the richest African American woman worth $2.3B at last count, a worldwide media personality with a powerful media empire around her, a celebrated actress who doubled as a film and television producer, a force in both book and magazine publishing.

But there's also no question that Oprah is a much more controversial figure now than she's ever been before because of her wealth and fame and politics. "She's lost her authenticity. Like when she said, 'It's good to have your own private jet.' Or when she shut down the City of Chicago with this season's 'flash mob' for the opening show. Where's the relatability?" The word internally at ABC is that TV stations have been cringing at Oprah's past and present and continuing support for Barack Obama, from her appearance at his inauguration (see photo) to her visits to the White House, because it antagonizes half the viewing public who don't share her politics. Now Oprah will no longer be in their faces: instead she'll be isolated on cable. The biggest question now in the TV industry is whether it's "Good Luck!" or "Good Riddance!"

[Brent]

Daytime TV will change forever with Oprah gone.

TV Ratings: Yankees' World Series win scores for FOX Wednesday
By Hanh Nguyen
November 5, 2009 9:37 AM
Fast National ratings for Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009

The World Series win by the New York Yankees also had FOX rejoicing Wednesday night over its ratings, which surpassed its stellar numbers from the previous week.

The Yankees-Phillies matchup drew a whopping 22 million viewers and a 13.1 rating/20 share in households for FOX, while CBS took in about half that amount, 10 million viewers and a 6.5/10. Third place went to NBC (6.4 million, 4.3/7), followed by ABC (6 million, 3.9/6) and The CW (2.7 million, 1.8/3).

The adult 18-49 demographic race also went to FOX with a 7.0, more than double of CBS' 2.7 for second place. Next came ABC, 2.1, NBC, 1.8, and The CW, 1.2.

Wednesday's hourly numbers:

8 p.m.

FOX: World Series Game - Phillies vs. Yankees (22.27 million viewers, 13.2/21 households)
CBS: "Old Christine" (7 million, 4.7/7)/"Gary Unmarried" (6.7 million, 4.3/7)
NBC: "Mercy" (6.6 million, 4.3/7)
ABC: "Hank" (5.3 million, 3.6/6)/"The Middle" (6.1 million, 3.9/6)
The CW: "America's Next Top Model" (4 million, 2.6/4)

18-49 leader: World Series Game (6.9)

9 p.m.

FOX: World Series Game (21.8 million, 13.1/20)
CBS: "Criminal Minds" (12 million, 7.5/12)
NBC: "Law & Order: SVU" (8 million, 5.4/8)
ABC: "Modern Family" (8.6 million, 5.2/8)/"Cougar Town" (6.8 million, 4.4/7)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" rerun (1.4 million, 0.9/1)

18-49 leader: World Series Game (7.1)

10 p.m.

FOX: World Series Game (20.5 million, 11.8/19)
CBS: "CSI: NY" (11.7 million, 7.5/13)
NBC: "The Jay Leno Show" (4.7 million, 3.2/5)
ABC: "Eastwick" (4.6 million, 3.2/5)

18-49 leader: World Series Game (7.0)

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox ... nsday.html

[Brent]

TV ratings: 'The Mentalist,' 'Grey's Anatomy' lead Thursday
By Rick Porter
November 6, 2009 8:45 AM
Fast National ratings for Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009

Thursday's ratings followed their usual pattern, with CBS and "The Mentalist" scoring the biggest overall audience and "Grey's Anatomy" leading ABC to a demographic win.

CBS drew 14.4 million viewers and an 8.9 rating/15 share in households for the night, easily beating ABC (10.4 million, 6.8/11) in the overall numbers. FOX (6.7 million, 4.1/7) was down some from its usual average, the result of having to plug in regular programming quickly following the end of the World Series. NBC (5.7 million, 3.6/6) came in fourth, and The CW trailed with 3.5 million viewers and a 2.1/3 (although "The Vampire Diaries" had another solid outing).

ABC led among adults 18-49 with a 3.7 rating, beating out CBS' 3.5. NBC came in third in the key ad demographic with a 2.4, followed by FOX at 2.1 and The CW at 1.6.

Thursday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

CBS: "Survivor: Samoa" (12.7 million viewers, 7.5/12 households)
ABC: "FlashForward" (8.47 million, 5.5/9)
FOX: "Bones" (8.46 million, 5.2/8)
NBC: "Community" (5.6 million, 3.7/6)/"Parks and Recreation" (4.9 million, 3.2/5)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (4.2 million, 2.6/4)

18-49 leader: "Survivor: Samoa" (3.7)

9 p.m.

CBS: "CSI" (15.1 million, 9.4/15)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (13.6 million, 8.9/14)
NBC: "The Office" (7.9 million, 4.8/7)/"30 Rock" (5.9 million, 3.6/5)
FOX: "Fringe" (5 million, 3.1/5)
The CW: "Supernatural" (2.7 million, 1.7/3)

18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (5.0)

10 p.m.

CBS: "The Mentalist" (15.4 million, 9.9/17)
ABC: "Private Practice" (9.2 million, 6.1/11)
NBC: "The Jay Leno Show" (4.7 million, 3.2/5)

18-49 leader: "Private Practice" (3.5)

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox ... rsday.html

[Brent]

TV ratings: NFL stars Sunday for NBC
By Rick Porter
November 9, 2009 8:47 AM
Fast National ratings for Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009

After deferring to the World Series last week, "Sunday Night Football" returned to put NBC back on top of the night's ratings. Late-afternoon NFL games also gave CBS a bump.

NBC led the night with 16.5 million viewers and a 9.9 rating/16 share in households, easily beating the 12.2 million and 7.6/12 for CBS. ABC (9.8 million, 6.1/10) came in third. FOX trailed for the evening with 6.4 million viewers and a 3.7/6.

In the adults 18-49 rating, NBC's 6.2 rating doubled the number for CBS and FOX, which tied for second at 3.1. ABC was right behind at 3.0.

Sunday's hourly results:

7 p.m.

CBS: NFL overrun/"60 Minutes" (19.1 million viewers, 11.8/19 households)
NBC: "Football Night in America" (9 million, 5.5/9)
ABC: NASCAR/"America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.5 million, 4.0/6)
FOX: "Brothers" (5.7 million, 3.4/6)/"American Dad" (4.5 million, 2.5/4)

18-49 leader: NFL/"60 Minutes" (4.9)

8 p.m.

NBC: "Sunday Night Football" - Dallas at Philadelphia (18.3 million, 10.9/16)
CBS: "60 Minutes"/"The Amazing Race" (12.9 million, 7.8/12)
ABC: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (10.4 million, 6.2/9)
FOX: "Family Guy" (7.4 million, 4.3/7)/"Family Guy Presents: Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show" (6.6 million, 3.9/6)

18-49 leader: "Sunday Night Football" (6.7)

9 p.m.

NBC: "Sunday Night Football" (20.4 million, 11.9/18)
ABC: "Desperate Housewives" (13.3 million, 8.3/13)
CBS: "The Amazing Race"/"Three Rivers" (8.6 million, 5.4/8)
FOX: "Family Guy" (7.7 million, 4.4/7)/"The Cleveland Show" (6.3 million, 3.8/6)

18-49 leader: "Sunday Night Football" (7.6)

10 p.m.

NBC: "Sunday Night Football" (18.4 million, 11.2/19)
ABC: "Brothers & Sisters" (9.05 million, 6.2/10)
CBS: "Three Rivers"/"Cold Case" (8.2 million, 5.4/9)

18-49 leader: "Sunday Night Football" (7.4)

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox ... r-nbc.html

[Brent]

TV ratings: 'Stars' shine for ABC Monday
By Rick Porter
November 10, 2009 8:44 AM
Fast National ratings for Monday, Nov. 9, 2009

"Dancing with the Stars" and ABC returned to the top of Monday's ratings with the World Series over, and "House" returned to FOX with its usual strong numbers in the 18-49 demographic.

Elsewhere Monday, first leg of a three-part crossover gave "CSI: Miami" a boost, while the much-hyped threesome storyline on "Gossip Girl" didn't move the needle too much, at least in the overall numbers. "The Jay Leno Show," meanwhile, hit one of its lowest totals yet for NBC.

ABC led the night with 15.3 million viewers and a 9.7 rating/15 share in households. CBS (11.9 million, 7.5/12) came in second. FOX finished third with 10.1 million viewers and a 5.9/9, while NBC (4.9 million, 3.2/5) snagged fourth. The CW (2.5 million, 1.6/2) trailed

FOX won the adults 18-49 demo with a 4.0 rating, edging CBS' 3.9. ABC finished third in the demographic with a 3.2. NBC averaged 1.8 and The CW 1.2.

Monday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

ABC: "Dancing with the Stars" (17.3 million viewers, 11.0/16 households)
FOX: "House" (12.8 million, 7.4/11)
CBS: "How I Met Your Mother" (9 million, 5.5/8)/"Accidentally on Purpose" (8.2 million, 5.1/7)
NBC: "Heroes" (5.3 million, 3.4/5)
The CW: "One Tree Hill" (2.7 million, 1.7/2)

18-49 leader: "House" (5.1)

9 p.m.

ABC: "Dancing with the Stars" (18 million, 11.3/17)
CBS: "Two and a Half Men" (14.1 million, 8.7/13)/"The Big Bang Theory" (12.4 million, 7.7/12)
FOX: "Lie to Me" (7.5 million, 4.4/7)
NBC: "Trauma" (5.4 million, 3.5/5)
The CW: "Gossip Girl" (2.3 million, 1.5/2)

18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (4.5)

10 p.m.

CBS: "CSI: Miami" (13.8 million, 8.9/15)
ABC: "Castle" (10.7 million, 6.9/12)
NBC: "The Jay Leno Show" (4 million, 2.6/4)

18-49 leader: "CSI: Miami" (4.0)

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox ... onday.html

[lurkey]

Zucker to head new NBCU-Comcast venture: sources


By Jui Chakravorty

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Comcast Corp and General Electric Co have agreed to make NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker the head of their proposed joint venture, but the structure of a new board is still being negotiated, sources familiar with the matter said.

More here

[Brent]

TV ratings: 'V' falls, CBS rises to win Tuesday
By Rick Porter
November 11, 2009 8:40 AM
Fast National ratings for Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

The second episode of "V" fell off quite a bit from its premiere, while "NCIS" and the rest of the CBS lineup improved on their performances from last week en route to another Tuesday ratings win.

CBS drew 16.4 million viewers and a 10.3 rating/16 share in households for the night, easily beating second-place ABC (11.9 million, 7.6/12). NBC (8.3 million, 5.1/8) came in third. FOX took fourth with 5.7 million viewers and a 3.5/5. The CW finished with 1.8 million viewers and a 1.2/2.

CBS also led the adults 18-49 demographic with a 3.5 rating, though its margin of victory was a lot smaller: both ABC, 3.2, and NBC, 3.1, were fairly close behind. FOX snagged fourth with a 2.3, and The CW scored a 0.9.

Tuesday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

CBS: "NCIS" (20.2 million viewers, 12.3/19 households)
ABC: "V" (10.6 million, 6.6/10)
NBC: "The Biggest Loser" (9 million, 5.5/8)
FOX: "So You Think You Can Dance" (6.1 million, 3.8/6)
The CW: "90210" (2.2 million, 1.5/2)

18-49 leader: "NCIS" (4.2)

9 p.m.

CBS: "NCIS: Los Angeles" (16.2 million, 10.0/15)
ABC: "Dancing with the Stars" results (15.5 million, 9.9/15)
NBC: "The Biggest Loser" (10.15 million, 6.1/9)
FOX: "So You Think You Can Dance" (5.3 million, 3.3/5)
The CW: "Melrose Place" (1.3 million, 0.9/1)

18-49 leader: "The Biggest Loser" (4.1)

10 p.m.

CBS: "The Good Wife" (12.9 million, 8.6/15)
ABC: Special - "In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts" (9.6 million, 6.2/11)
NBC: "The Jay Leno Show" (5.7 million, 3.7/6)

18-49 leader: "The Good Wife" (2.7)

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox ... esday.html

[southerngale]

I watched the pilot of V online and the 2nd episode last night. Loved it!! It got my theory juices flowing.... I love shows like this.

I'm surprised it fell the 2nd week. After watching the pilot, I couldn't wait for the 2nd episode! (which was even better than the 1st)

[Brent]

I watched the pilot of V online and the 2nd episode last night. Loved it!! It got my theory juices flowing.... I love shows like this.

I'm surprised it fell the 2nd week. After watching the pilot, I couldn't wait for the 2nd episode! (which was even better than the 1st)

Most shows fall in the 2nd week but yes, V's drop was shocking. It's still very good numbers as long as it doesn't drop further though(which has been Flash Forward's problem, it hasn't leveled off yet). I agree though, last night was even better than the first episode.

To me the biggest problem with V is the scheduling. It finishes it's initial run on the 24th then goes on hiatus til March. Typically long hiatuses kill whatever momentum a show gets. I hope this is different. I'm really wanting to see V and Lost back-to-back, that would be the best scenario for the show. We should be getting an announcement on ABC's midseason schedule including Lost's timeslot any day now. Hank and Eastwick have been canceled, while The Forgotten got additional episodes. Castle and Flash Forward got full seasons so there's not a lot of open slots(really only Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 and 10 and ABC has a lot of shows yet to premiere).