Nielson Ratings Week of September 20th

The TV Ratings Are Dominated by .... Leno?

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (31)

Last week saw the roll-out of some of the new fall schedule on the networks, so I thought we’d take a look at the ratings and see how they did. The biggest note, here, is that four of the first week’s episodes of “The Jay Leno Show” broke the top 20. The better news, however, (at least for people who aren’t a fan of Leno) is that his Monday episode this week — the first up against real competition — scored only 5.7 million viewers, down from 18.5 million a week before. In fact, David Letterman — two hours later — actually beat Leno with over 7 million viewers, thanks to the appearance of Barack Obama.

I suspect, however, that 5.7 million is plenty to keep the cheaply produced Leno show quite profitable for NBC. It’s going to need to drop even more (3 million?) before it falls below the break-even point. But even if it is profitable for the company in that time slot, you have to believe that it’s bringing down the rest of NBC’s schedule, hurting the 11 p.m. local newscasts, and further damaging Conan. It’s still too early to tell, but I think (hope?) that this little experiment is beginning to show signs of failure.

Nevertheless, NBC won the week, thanks to Leno, Sunday night football, the last of “America’s Got Talent,” “The Biggest Loser,” and the Thursday night comedy block. Speaking of that block, both “The Office” and “Community” did well, breaking the top 20 (against little competition), but “Parks and Recreation” didn’t fare nearly as well. However, good news: “Glee” fell off only 10 percent, and just this week, got the back nine picked up. Fox is actually going to give us a full season of a decent show. Meanwhile, The CW’s “Melrose Place,” is not doing well at all. I hear that they are bringing in Heather Locklear to reprise her role from the original. My guess: It won’t help.

Here are your top 20 shows for last week.

1. (4) NFL Football: New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys, NBC, 24.82 million viewers.

2. (23) “Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick,” NBC, 18.91 million viewers.

3. (X) “The Jay Leno Show” (Monday), NBC, 18.42 million viewers.

4. (15) “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday), NBC, 15.79 million viewers.

5. (X) “NFL Post Game,” CBS, 15.52 million viewers.

6. (X) “America’s Got Talent” (Monday), NBC, 13.9 million viewers.

7. (X) “Emmy Awards,” CBS, 13.47 million viewers.

8. (X) “The Jay Leno Show” (Wednesday), NBC, 13.363 million viewers.

9. (50) “Football Night in America,” NBC, 13.362 million viewers.

10. (15) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 13.12 million viewers.

11. (6) “NCIS,” CBS, 12.44 million viewers.

12. (X) “Survivor: Samoa,” CBS, 11.66 million viewers.

13. (X) “The Jay Leno Show” (Tuesday), NBC, 11.09 million viewers.

14. (46) “Bones,” Fox, 10.36 million viewers.

15. (X) “Biggest Loser 8,” NBC, 9.9 million viewers.

16. (8) “The Mentalist,” CBS, 9.07 million viewers.

17. (X) “The Jay Leno Show” (Thursday), NBC, 8.82 million viewers.

18. (7) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 8.8 million viewers.

19. (65) “The Office,” NBC, 8.21 million viewers.

20. (X) “Community,” NBC, 7.89 million viewers.

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Comments

Jay Leno appears too many times on that list. It hurts my soul.

Posted by: DontStopNow at September 23, 2009 8:18 PM

Jay Leno to Dontstopnow: "Hey! I washed your hair..."

Posted by: Kurdt at September 23, 2009 8:21 PM

You left "House" off that list. Had to be No. 3 or 4, at least.

Posted by: , (the commenter formerly known as bucdaddy) at September 23, 2009 8:46 PM

Skimming this list, my eyes glaze over like a mother fucker. I could not give less of a shit about almost all of these shows.

And no House love here or on After Dark? What's up with that?

Posted by: Mick J at September 23, 2009 9:19 PM

I don't know what House's ratings were, but I believe this list ends with Sunday. Hence, Monday shows are not included.

Posted by: DarthCorleone at September 23, 2009 9:27 PM

I never watched The Tonight Show, but I've managed to see the last minute or so of the new show at least twice this week when I started surfing when whatever I was watching ended. Both times he was doing the headlines bit. The thing that really stuck out to me was how utterly blase (read that with the little mark over the "e") he was reading the material. Totally just going through the motions. I'm wondering if he's tired of doing this schtick and is regretting the decision. Or maybe he ws always this lifeless.

Posted by: elsie at September 23, 2009 9:41 PM

Jay Leno is in the Top. I didn't need to know this, I've been sick with the fucking swine flu for 4 days now. If I could, I'd cough on that swollen canker, just to get him off TV.

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Posted by: icook at September 23, 2009 9:46 PM

WTF? Why people watch Leno over Conan? Conan is the best talk show EVAH'.

Posted by: Gorgonzolla at September 23, 2009 9:47 PM

Is everybody BUGGIN'?

Maybe you haven't had as much to drink as me but COME ON. Dude has got a GIANT CHIN. What have yous got? A keyboard?? An OPINION? Yous got NOTHIN. His chin runs yer sad wee lives intae the ground! Sad bastards.

Posted by: TSF at September 23, 2009 9:51 PM

"Your wife is gonna be pushing a watermelon out of her boy-howdy!"

Hee. That's my new favorite word for bajingo.

Posted by: figgy at September 23, 2009 10:04 PM

Ooops wrong thread.

Posted by: figgy at September 23, 2009 10:07 PM

Maybe so, figgy, but thanks anyway. I couldn't quite make out what exactly it was she said. That IS funny.

Posted by: elsie at September 23, 2009 10:10 PM

Figgy,

It's your birthday. You do whatever you want.

Posted by: TSF at September 23, 2009 10:11 PM

5.7 million viewers, down from 18.5 million a week before

OUCH. I don't like the guy, but I thought he was invincible. OUCH.

Yay, Glee! I love the kids and I want them to keep their jobs.

Melrose Place was just boring. I suspect the characters are too old (post-college is OLD!) for the CW's target tweenie audience, and the whole thing is too dark and not silly enough to appeal to them. Plus it's just so damn boring.

Posted by: figgy at September 23, 2009 10:38 PM

Oh. Thanks, darth.

Posted by: , (the commenter formerly known as bucdaddy) at September 23, 2009 11:36 PM

I only contributed to the NFL stuff. The rest I'll pass on.

Posted by: Fredo at September 24, 2009 12:12 AM

Oh fuck my soul hurts.
And I have been way too busy to post.

But this is really fuuny.
And this is what I am clinging to:
http://thechive.com/2009/09/matthew-mcconaughey-has-some-balance-issues-7-photos/

Posted by: Odnon at September 24, 2009 4:35 AM

Odnon,
That is awesome. Too much ocean water in his ears and bong water on his tonsils.
Somebody needs a V-Eigh---no, I'm better than that.
Looks like he needs some Body Viagr---damnit, still lame.
Get Lee Ermey on set, stat! McConaughey is skewing to the left!
Yeah, I'll go with that.

Posted by: Kballs at September 24, 2009 8:19 AM

And no House love here or on After Dark? What's up with that?

House deteriorated into formulaic tripe and House himself went from cranky, brilliant eccentric to unfeeling asshole who no one would be friends with or give a job to. This guy should be getting kicked in the nads a dozen times a day. I might start watching again if they showed that.

Still, enough Pajibans like the show that I'm also surprised it doesn't turn up much. And the same is true of Bones, which I admit to liking and watching, even though it's pretty bad in a lot of ways. Sort of a guilty pleasure.

Posted by: DeadBessie at September 24, 2009 8:38 AM

I don't get the Leno love, though. Guy is boring. Booorrinnggg. His jokes are dated as hell (men don't put down the toilet seat! Women like to shop!), his delivery is stilted and lifeless, the headline crap was old ten years ago. I cringe just watching the commercials. This is what happens when you try to do an hour of new comedy every night. You're going to run out of material no matter how awesome you are, and Leno is far from awesome. I don't give a crap how nice the guy is, he's a lousy entertainer.

Posted by: DeadBessie at September 24, 2009 8:46 AM

runs yer sad wee lives intae the ground!

You make everything sound sexy, TSF. EVERYTHING.

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at September 24, 2009 9:45 AM

NCIS comes back this week. Let's see what Leno has to say about that.

Posted by: Doctor Controversy at September 24, 2009 11:00 AM

And no House love here or on After Dark? What's up with that?

Don't need to restate what's already implied. ;) This week's premiere was brilliant, and I admire the writers for finding ways to change things up and challenge the audience. With a procedural like that, you seriously need to change your characters quite often and let them grow. This week's House finally gave him some time to shine and go through some massive stuff, this time without any familiar faces. (Barring Wilson for 30 seconds or so). Season 6 looks like it's going to be great, and I for one think it's the most consistently excellent show on television.

Posted by: Doctor Controversy at September 24, 2009 11:04 AM

Last night's episode of Glee was fantastic, which is great, because last week was frankly not good. Too much random stuff going on. I wonder if perhaps Fox has played an episode of a show out of order again?

And that new Leno show is even less funny than his old show. He's terrible. The fact that NBC is screwing Conan over is like salt in the fucking wound.

Posted by: Christian H. at September 24, 2009 11:42 AM

Kballs - Nicely played!

Posted by: Odnon at September 24, 2009 1:16 PM

So let me see if I can follow the "logic":

1)Leno's ratings are on track, if not better then what NBC expected, which means NBC is getting a ton of revenue thanks to the show.

Yet somehow,

2) This bonanza of revenue is somehow hurting Conan and the shows on before Leno, not to mention the local 11:00 PM news.

Christ, could you be any more pathetic with your grasping of straws if you have to try and use the 11:00 PM local news.

Here's the thing, which no one has answered, let's just say that you get your wish and Leno's ratings take a dive and his show is canceled.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're just so COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What about the 100+ people who worked on Leno's show who are now out of work? What about them? Wait, I know, fuck them. They are all douches who deserve to be fired for working with or having anything to do with Leno.

Fine, I already know you people at Pajiba are scum.

But what do you think NBC will put on the air in place of Leno's show?

You can't seriously, logically, or sanely believe they are going to put Law & Order on five nights a week at 10:00 PM. The show, rather the franchise is profitable, but not that profitable.

NBC will put on Dateline or reality shows, which will be worse then Leno.

At which point you will whine and bitch and cry like the spoiled whiny brats you are about the good old days when Leno was on at 10:00 PM.

Print this tampon squeezers.

Posted by: Fappy McFapper at September 24, 2009 3:46 PM

It's no secret that most around here want to see Leno fail. There are many reasons for this but the main one is his show eliminated 5 hours per week of scripted and reality show programming. Reality has few champions here, but everyone will agree that occasionally good reality does happen. Plus if even one decent scripted show is put on one night at 10PM then it is better than 5 nights of Leno. Secondly, Leno is bland and few here appreciate his humor. So whatever replaces Leno is almost assured of being better than Leno.

As far as his justifications in this post, he rightly points out that Leno affects both the 11PM news and Conan. The most profitable shows for the affiliates are the 11PM news shows, so if they don't get a good lead-in they don't make as much money and they aren't as happy. Unhappy customers, which is what the affiliates are, means problems for the network. It also affects Conan both in the ratings and in his ability to book guests.

As for the out of work folks at the Leno show: for everyone that loses a job at least one more will be hired to produce whatever show(s) replaces Leno. So the net effect on employment is at least neutral and probably positive.

Posted by: ed newman at September 24, 2009 4:16 PM

Madd propz to you, Kurdt. I'm sure you know why.

Posted by: Jelinas at September 24, 2009 6:29 PM

ed neuman, you claim the following: "for everyone that loses a job (if Leno's show is canceled) at least one more will be hired to produce whatever show(s) replace Leno. So the net effect on employment is at least neutral and probably positive."

Prove it.

Let's see the evidence.

Leno has a writing staff of around 20 people, including himself, as well as outside writers whom Jay pays out of his own pocket, so let's say 35-40 writers.

Yes reality shows are scripted, it may be loose but they are scripted. That being said there is no way a new reality show is going to have 20 staff writers.

So you are proven to be completely and uutterly wrong.

And no, a reality show won't make up for it with staff in other areas, in fact one of the hallmarks of reality shows and the reason they cost so little is that they have so little staff.

Posted by: Fappy McFapper at September 26, 2009 12:49 PM

Fappy,

1) Who says Leno would be replaced by 5 nights of reality? Everyone here is hoping that at least a few of the nights would be scripted. NBC has always had some scripted shows at 10PM in the past, and every other network has scripted shows at 10PM. If even one night has a scripted show your argument fails.
2) 3-5 different reality shows vs. 1 Leno show means for the same 10PM slot means that there will be many more people involved in production. It's time for you to prove that Leno employs more overall people than 5 reality shows. That's your argument.
3) One major reason Leno is being put on the air is because it is as cheap or cheaper than most reality shows to produce. Reporting on the rising costs of producing reality TV shows, The Wall Street Journal reveals the price per episode of a couple series: UPN’s Top Model costs “about $800,000 a show,” while The Apprentice runs “just below $2 million an episode. Meanwhile, the Jay Leno Show costs about $350K/episode. So how can that be if it employs so many people?

Posted by: ed newman at September 28, 2009 8:46 AM

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The TV Ratings Are Dominated by .... Leno?

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