ABC: The first "midseason arc" episode of REVENGE looked almost exactly like all the other episodes, so it was fitting that the rating stayed even. The show will now take a break from fresh episodes until the end-of-season push in April. (Meanwhile, the network will air REVENGE FOR REAL, some kind of "ABC News" concoction about actual rich-people crimes. If it works, no doubt NBC is poised to launch Smash For Real.) Elsewhere, even with a 2-hour Idol as competition, HAPPY ENDINGS had a very nice 0.4 bump over the last 2 weeks--and continued to pile up its pre-Community Random Pop Culture Reference points with a nod to Krippendorf's Tribe that must have made Richard Dreyfuss very happy. THE MIDDLE was also up a gratifying 0.4, while SUBURGATORY was slightly up and MODERN FAMILY was even. THE SKED'S WEDNESDAY NETWORK SCORECARD
ABC: The first "midseason arc" episode of REVENGE looked almost exactly like all the other episodes, so it was fitting that the rating stayed even. The show will now take a break from fresh episodes until the end-of-season push in April. (Meanwhile, the network will air REVENGE FOR REAL, some kind of "ABC News" concoction about actual rich-people crimes. If it works, no doubt NBC is poised to launch Smash For Real.) Elsewhere, even with a 2-hour Idol as competition, HAPPY ENDINGS had a very nice 0.4 bump over the last 2 weeks--and continued to pile up its pre-Community Random Pop Culture Reference points with a nod to Krippendorf's Tribe that must have made Richard Dreyfuss very happy. THE MIDDLE was also up a gratifying 0.4, while SUBURGATORY was slightly up and MODERN FAMILY was even. THE SKED'S WEDNESDAY NETWORK SCORECARD
FOX: Despite no special competition on any other network, Idol's 5.1 was down a full ratings point from last week, and down a horrible 35% from last year's parallel episode. This is still, of course, a very high rating (FOX easily won the night), and Idol, as Mitch Metcalf has shown, skews fairly well with high-income viewers, but make no mistake: these declines are costing FOX millions of dollars. Even worse, since advertiser refunds are customarily made in the form of free "make-good" spots on the schedule, and nothing else on FOX rates anywhere near Idol's numbers, the network will have to give away either more Idol inventory or a lot of time in other shows. And worst of all, it's not clear that these drops are going to stop anytime soon. THE SKED'S WEDNESDAY NETWORK SCORECARD
CBS: The attempt to resurrect Murrow's 59-year old celebrity interview vehicle PERSON TO PERSON with Charlie Rose and Lara Logan flopped badly with a 1.1 (wait, people didn't want to see the inside of Warren Buffet's house?). But Survivor will be back next week, so no long-term damage done. CRIMINAL MINDS was in its recent neighborhood (its lead over Mobbed on FOX will likely look better when final ratings are released and the Idol overrun into Mobbed's hour is removed). As expected, CSI took a big hit from the last new episode, which was Marg Helgenberger's finale, but still won its hour. Next week Elisabeth Shue debuts as the show's new female lead, and we'll see if that does anything for the show.THE SKED'S WEDNESDAY NETWORK SCORECARD
THE SKED'S WEDNESDAY NETWORK SCORECARD
ABC: The network's Wednesday schedule returned from its CMA Awards break to drops across the board. The 2 new shows were hit hardest, as SUBURGATORY dipped 0.3 and REVENGE 0.4. Neither of the declines were anything to worry about (Revenge still tied for 1st place in its hour), but as we enter the holiday season with its frequent repeats and specials, the night suggests how difficult it is for networks to fill roughly 36 in-season weeks of programming with (usually) 22 episodes of regular series, while managing not to lose the attention of viewers.THE SKED: Wednesday Ratings - Network Scorecard
ABC: With the World Series tricking FOX, it was all treat for the Alphabet. Noteworthy in the general wave of success was that HAPPY ENDINGS shot to a 3.5, and while that won't happen again against original programming on the other networks, it means a lot of new eyeballs watched last night's particularly funny episode, so ABC can hope some of them will like what they saw and come back. SUBURGATORY also set a nice new high, and REVENGE got solid viewership for a fairly pivotal episode.THE SKED: Wednesday Ratings - Network Scorecard
THE SKED: Wednesday Ratings - Network Scorecard
ABC: Everything came up fairly rosy last night at the Alphabet. SUBURGATORY should be inches away from a full season pick-up after its third consecutive strong outing, and even better, REVENGE went in the opposite direction from Pan Am, and had a nice bump from last week. That might be partly due to CSI being hurt by the unexpected baseball game at 10PM, but ABC will take it. Combine all that with the stellar MODERN FAMILY number and an impressive increase for HAPPY ENDINGS (which also might be partly attributable to the absence of X Factor on FOX), and it was a pleasant evening at ABC.The Sked: WEDNESDAY RATINGS October 12
ABC's Wednesday is humming along and won the night with a 3.4 Adult 18-49 rating in the fast nationals. Modern Family at 9 led the way of course with a 5.7 (the same as last week). Suburgatory seems to be stabilizing at a 3.0 (the three-week track is 3.3...3.1...3.0, and it could very possibly go up in the official nationals). The Middle is settling in at a 2.8 (four-week track: 3.1...2.7...2.8...2.8). Happy Endings (which was pushed in promos the past few days -- "If you like Modern Family, you'll like Happy Endings" along with guest star Megan Mullally) bounced back to a 3.3. The three-week track for Happy Endings is 3.1...2.8...3.3. Stunts still work. And Revenge (the biggest promo priority) rebounded to a 2.7 (four-week track: 3.4...2.7...2.4...2.7).
CBS was a close #2 at a 3.2 for the night: Survivor 3.2, Criminal Minds 3.7, CSI 2.6. Survivor and Criminal Minds were each down 0.1 from last week, while CSI was down a disappointing 0.3. CSI's four-week track: 3.2...3.1...2.9...2.6. Pending adjustments in the official nationals, it looks like CSI will lose the 10 pm hour to Revenge.
FOX coverage of the rain-delayed Game 4 of the ALCS is a preliminary 3.0 in the fast nationals (the primetime portion from 8:00-10:30). But the fast nationals have been wildly inaccurate with baseball recently -- expect that number to go down substantially.
NBC was fourth with a 1.7 for the night, equalling the Wednesday rating last week. Up All Night, fresh of its full-season order, declined to a 2.0, a series low. In the time period, Up All Night has tracked: 2.4...2.1...2.3...2.0. A repeat Whitney at 8:30 (1.3) over-performed the moribund 1.0 turned in by last week's Free Agents. Harry's Law did its consistent 1.2, while SVU pulled a 2.1, third place in the 10 pm hour. SVU track: 2.4...2.1...2.1...2.1.
The CW featured a repeat Ringer (0.4), which didn't help America's Next Top Model (0.8).
THE SKED: Wednesday Ratings - Network Scorecard
The Sked: WEDNESDAY RATINGS October 4
Wednesday ratings are settling into predictable patterns for the most part, and Suburgatory on ABC had a decent second week. FOX's The X-Factor seems to settling around a high-3 or 4 rating.
FOX won the night narrowly with a 3.5 rating. A 90-minute The X Factor did a 3.9 and a 9:30 episode of Raising Hope crashed down to a 2.3. Last week's X Factor was a 4.1 in the final nationals -- we expect the show to get its usual bump in the finals this afternoon to a 4.0. For now it seems that The X Factor is settling at a nice level. This night last year, FOX was in second place with a 3.1 rating: Hell's Kitchen (3.0) at 8 pm and Hell's Kitchen at 9 pm (3.3).
CBS is tied for second for the night with a 3.2 rating. Criminal Minds bounced back to a 3.8 rating (up 0.2 from last week), while Survivor dropped 0.1 and CSI fell 0.2 from last week. All in all, the CBS shows seemed to have found their basic levels though. CBS won the third Wednesday last year with a modest 3.2 rating: Survivor (3.8), Criminal Minds (3.5), Defenders (2.2).
NBC's Up All Night has stabilized at a 2.2 rating (up 0.1 from last week), and Free Agents has settled into its grave at a 1.0 rating (same as last week). Harry's Law and Law & Order: SVU look steady at a 1.2 and 2.1 rating, respectively. The Peacock averaged a fourth-place 1.6 for the evening. NBC was in fourth place on this night last year with a 2.2 rating: Undercovers (1.5), Law & Order: SVU (2.6), Law & Order: Los Angeles (2.4).
The CW's H8R dropped back down to an ignominious 0.4 rating, while America's Next Top Model has stabilized at a 0.8.
Season to date (through 17 nights of the season), CBS leads with a 3.2 rating, followed by FOX with a 3.1. ABC remains in third (2.6) and NBC trails (2.4). The CW is averaging a 0.7 season to date.
WEDNESDAY FALL 2011 Estimates Episode Rating
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Avg
ABC
800 The Middle 2.7 3.1 2.7 2.7 2.8
830 Suburgatory 2.4 3.3 3.0 3.1
900 Modern Family 4.6 6.1 5.7 5.6 5.8
930 Happy Endings 2.9 3.1 2.9 3.0
1000 Revenge 2.3 3.4 2.7 2.5 2.9
CBS
800 Survivor 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.2
900 Criminal Minds 3.7 4.1 3.6 3.8 3.8
1000 CSI 2.6 3.2 3.1 2.9 3.1
NBC
800 Up All Night 2.1 3.7 2.4 2.1 2.2 2.2
830 Free Agents 1.6 2.1 1.3 1.0 1.0 1.1
900 Harry's Law 2.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2
1000 L&O SVU 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.1 2.2
FOX
800 X-Factor 3.5 4.4 4.1 3.9 4.1
930 Hate My Teenge 2.5 11/30
CW
800 H8R n/a 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.5
900 Next Top Model n/a 0.9 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8
THE SKED'S PILOT + 1 REVIEW: "Suburgatory"
THE SKED: "2 Broke Girls" A Little Less Broke
THE SKED: Week 2 + 1 - ABC Network Scorecard
The third week of a network season is a critical one. Ratings erosion after a series or season premiere is expected and even acceptable, because it's understood that not every viewer drawn by hype and marketing will be a satisfied customer. But a continued fall in Week 3 can be a sign of trouble, and if that decline is from a number that wasn't great to begin with, the trouble could be serious. That being said, let's take a look at where the networks stand as they begin this crucial week. (Note: since only 2 networks debuted their Monday schedules on the season's first official day, we'll include the next Monday in our review of the week.)GRADE: C-plus
THE SKED: Wednesday Ratings - Network Scorecard
The Sked: WEDNESDAY RATINGS September 28
Put ABC's Suburgatory in the conditional win column, while Revenge is on a watch list to see where it settles. FOX's The X Factor suffered a decline in week two, but the Simon Cowell performance show still powered FOX to a victory on the second Wednesday of the season. CBS was down a bit at 9 pm, but otherwise fairly stable. The bleeding continues at NBC.
FOX won the night with a 4.0 for The X Factor, which turned in a 3.6 from 8-9 pm and a 4.3 at 9 pm. This is down from a 4.4 rating last week but up significantly from last year. This night last year, FOX was in second place with a 2.9 rating: Hell's Kitchen (2.8) at 8 pm and Hell's Kitchen at 9 pm (3.0). Next week will be incredibly important for The X Factor -- can it hold at the 3.9/4.0 level or sink to the mid-3 rating range?
CBS is a close third or tied for second for the night with a 3.2 or 3.3 rating, depending on rounding. Week to week, Survivor was down a tick to a 3.1 rating, while Criminal Minds dropped 0.5 to a 3.6. If anyone was hurt by the ESPN coverage last night of Major League Baseball's incredible final night of the regular season (when the two wild card spots were decided in three very close games on the various ESPN networks), it would be older-skewing CBS. CSI dropped 0.2 to a 3.0 but won the time period thanks to decline of Revenge. CBS won the second Wednesday last year with a modest 3.2 rating: Survivor (3.5), Criminal Minds (3.6), Defenders (2.5).
NBC has not found bottom yet in the 8 pm comedy hour. Up All Night dropped again to a 2.1 rating (down 0.3), and Free Agents hit a lowly 1.0 rating (down 0.3). Harry's Law was steady week to week with a 1.2, while Law & Order: SVU drifted down to a 2.0 (down 0.4). The Peacock averaged a fourth-place 1.6 for the evening. NBC was in third place on this night last year with a 2.5 rating: Undercovers (1.6), Law & Order: SVU (2.8), Law & Order: Los Angeles premiere (3.2).
The CW's reality shows perked up a bit. H8R was up 0.2 to a 0.6 rating (a Kim Kardashian episode), and America's Next Top Model was up one tenth to a 0.8.
Season to date (through ten nights of the season), FOX leads with a 3.4 rating, followed by CBS with a 3.3. ABC remains in third (2.8) and NBC brings up the rear (2.4). The CW is averaging a 0.7 season to date.
WEDNESDAY FALL 2011 Estimates Episode Rating
May Sep #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Avg
ABC
800 The Middle 2.7 2.7 3.1 2.6
830 Suburgatory 2.3 2.4 3.3
900 Modern Family 4.6 4.6 6.1 5.6
930 Happy Endings 3.0 2.9 3.2
1000 Revenge 2.2 2.3 3.4 2.7
CBS
800 Survivor 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.1
900 Criminal Minds 3.7 3.7 4.1 3.6
1000 CSI 2.6 2.6 3.2 3.0
NBC
800 Up All Night 1.9 2.1 3.7 2.4 2.1
830 Free Agents 1.6 1.6 2.1 1.3 1.0
900 Harry's Law 2.2 2.2 1.2 1.2
1000 L&O SVU 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.0
FOX
800 X-Factor 3.3 3.3 4.0 3.6
900 X-Factor 3.7 3.7 4.4 4.3
930 Hate My Teenge 2.6 2.5 11/30
CW
800 H8R n/a n/a 0.6 0.4 0.6
900 Next Top Model n/a n/a 0.9 0.7 0.8
THE SKED PILOT REPORT: ABC's "Suburgatory" - PREMIERING TONIGHT
THE SKED: WEDNESDAYS This Fall
At ABC, we have raised the ratings projection for Suburgatory and Revenge but reduced Happy Endings one-tenth of a rating point each. The net effect on ABC's Wednesday night average is minimal. CBS ratings projections are the same as we issued in May, as the three shows are returning, known quantities. On NBC we have raised Up All Night, thinking the heavy promotion and tinkering with the series' workplace arena are positives. Free Agents has the same projection, meaning its fall-off from Up All Night will be even steeper and prompt a quicker call to the bullpen. FOX is basically the same as the May projections, with X-Factor a solid but not dominant force.
An important note: the ratings estimates are for original episodes across the entire Fall (from mid-September through mid-December). Generally, a series will premiere at a high level and then settle into a more normal number by week four-six. The important number to look at as the season unfolds is the average-to-date column at the far right. By the time episode four rolls around, look at the average of episodes one-four and you should have a pretty good idea how the fall -- and the entire season -- will sort out. CW shows are not currently estimated because we have incomplete historical data for the network's time periods. CW estimates should be available later this season or early next season.
WEDNESDAY FALL 2011 Estimates Episode Rating
May Sep #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Avg
ABC
800 The Middle 2.7 2.7 9/21
830 Suburgatory 2.3 2.4 9/28
900 Modern Family 4.6 4.6 9/21
930 Happy Endings 3.0 2.9 9/28
1000 Revenge 2.2 2.3 9/21
CBS
800 Survivor 3.6 3.6 9/14
900 Criminal Minds 3.7 3.7 9/21
1000 CSI 2.6 2.6 9/21
NBC
800 Up All Night 1.9 2.1 9/14
830 Free Agents 1.6 1.6 9/14
900 Harry's Law 2.2 2.2 9/21
1000 L&O SVU 2.3 2.3 9/21
FOX
800 X-Factor 3.3 3.3 9/21
900 X-Factor 3.7 3.7
930 Hate My Teenge 2.6 2.5 11/30
CW
800 H8R n/a n/a 9/14
900 Next Top Model n/a n/a 9/14
Click below to read the UPDATED RATINGS PROJECTIONS for the other nights of the week:
THE SKED: WHAT TO WATCH THIS FALL ON WEDNESDAYS (1st Draft)
8PM: X FACTOR is certainly the event of the early evening, and those who can't get enough singing competitions in their life will flock to it. For scripted fans, a split hour seems wise: start with the star value of NBC's UP ALL NIGHT at 8PM, with Christina Applegate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph; but then skip what looks like its fairly woeful slot mate at 8:30, FREE AGENTS, and switch to ABC and the moderately promising SUBURGATORY.
9PM: MODERN FAMILY is a no-brainer on the hour. At 9:30, I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER seems less funny than its title, and HAPPY ENDINGS has slowly been improving, so ABC gets the nod.
10PM: ABC's REVENGE will have to offer more than its promo if audiences are to stick with it for more than a couple of weeks; however, the alternatives of arthritic procedurals CSI and (newly Chris Meloni-less) SVU may make this a good hour to catch up on DVR recordings or check what's on cable.
THE SKED: SHOWBUZZDAILY’S FALL 2011/12 WEDNESDAY TV SCHEDULE
The network making its big move on Wednesday will be FOX. We think they'll use the night to launch both of their highest-profile new shows. The night will begin with X-FACTOR, which they hope will extend their TV victory lap all season long, from fall till AMERICAN IDOL picks up in early 2012. As with IDOL, the show will probably air twice per week on Wednesday and Thursday. With THE VOICE proving that America's appetite for musical competitions is nowhere near satisfied, and with IDOL's Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul in the judge's seats, there's no reason to think this strategy won't work. FOX can follow FACTOR with their biggest scripted gamble, the dinosaur spectacle TERRA NOVA. If it feels like you've been hearing about that show forever, you have--it was originally supposed to debut exactly a year ago with a "preview" episode, then in the fall, then this spring, and recently it was still unavailable for both a year-late preview and its own network's pilot screenings, supposedly because the CG effects still aren't finished. Color us skeptical. But no question: TERRA NOVA has the potential to be a blockbuster--if it's any good. Even if it's not, X-FACTOR should lift FOX for the night.








