Nielson Ratings Week of September 28, 2009

It's an "NCIS" World. We're Just Living In It

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (40)

If you need more evidence that television is quickly becoming an older person’s medium, look no further than this week’s Nielson ratings. CBS absolutely dominated, thanks to it’s procedurals. “NCIS” and it’s spin-off, “NCIS: Los Angeles” were number one and number two; There were three CSI’s and two other CBS procedurals, “Criminal Minds” and “The Mentalist” in the top 20 this week.

Ridiculous.

I’m honestly beginning to think that, as one commenter suggested last week, that the Nielson ratings are absolute bullshit. They don’t take into account online viewership, which is where a lot of us watch our TV now. Thank you, Hulu. Nor, I suspect, does it fully account for DVR viewership, and I can’t think of a non-sports related show that I don’t watch on a DVR. These aren’t the Top 20 shows in the real world. These are the Top 20 shows in nursing homes across America, which is apparently the only place that those goddamn Nielson boxes are placed. I cannot believe that advertising dollars and television schedules are based on a random and probably woefully inaccurate sampling of people. I don’t know anyone that watches “NCIS.” I don’t know anyone that watches “CSI.” Or “Dancing with the Stars.” These ratings are honest-to-God bullshit.

The good news, however, is that “Modern Family” did crack the top 20. And if you look at the ratings that actually matter — the 18-49 demographic — “Modern Family” was even higher.

Elsewhere, “FlashForward” also debuted big on ABC, beating out “Survivor” in its timeslot. The NBC Thursday night comedy block fell off a bit; “Fringe” didn’t do so hot on Thursday (5.8 million viewers), and sorry Whedonites: “Dollhouse” stunk it up on Friday night, debuting with a weak 2.5 million viewers.The second cancellation watch begins again.

Here are the overall ratings for premiere week.

1. (2) “NCIS,” CBS, 20.6 million viewers.

2. (3) “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 18.73 million viewers.

3. (4) “Dancing With the Stars” (Monday), ABC, 17.79 million viewers.

4. (1) Sunday Night Football: Indianapolis at Arizona, NBC, 17.47 million viewers.

5. (5) “House,” Fox, 17.16 million viewers.

6. (6) “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC, 17.03 million viewers.

7. (8) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 16.01 million viewers.

8. (9) “Criminal Minds,” CBS, 15.84 million viewers.

9. (X) “Dancing With the Stars” (Tuesday), ABC, 15.367 million viewers.

10. (X) “Dancing With the Stars” (Wednesday), ABC, 15.356 million viewers.

11. (11) “The Mentalist,” CBS, 15.07 million viewers.

12. (11) “CSI: New York,” CBS, 15.06 million viewers.

13. (13) “60 Minutes,” CBS, 14.88 million viewers.

14. (14) “CSI: Miami,” CBS, 14.20 million viewers.

15. (15) “The Good Wife,” CBS, 13.71 million viewers.

16. (15) “Desperate Housewives,” ABC, 13.64 million viewers.

17. (15) “Two And a Half Men,” CBS, 13.63 million viewers.

18. (7) “Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick,” NBC, 13.35 million viewers.

19. (19) “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 12.96 million viewers.

20. (20) “Modern Family,” ABC, 12.61 million viewers.

However, in the demographic that matters, it’s not as depressing (except for Seth MacFarlane). Here are the top 20 programs among 18-49 year olds.

1. NBC Sunday Night Football Colts/Cardinals
2. “House”
3. “Grey’s Anatomy”
4. “Family Guy”
5. “Cleveland Show”
6. “NCIS”
7. “Desperate Housewives”
8. “Big Bang Theory”
9. “Two and a Half Men”
10. “NCIS: Los Angeles”
11. “Cougar Town”
12. “Criminal Minds”
13. “CSI: Miami”
14.”Simpsons”
15. “Modern Family”
16. “CSI”
17. “Dancing with the Stars (Monday)”
18. “CSI: NY”
19. “FlashForward”
20. “The Office”

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Comments

that geezer is sooo about to get to 2nd base.

Posted by: gp at September 30, 2009 9:58 AM

How do you explain Two and a Half Men scoring higher with the "demographic that matters" than the senile old folks?

Posted by: clocker at September 30, 2009 9:59 AM

"Ratings that actually matter."

I had no idea I was so close to death's door. I need to get out and buy that walker and a couple boxes of Depends. My opinion on entertainment is no longer valid because I am not in the only demographic that is worth paying attention to. Good to know I guess.
Muphinsmom

Posted by: Muphinsmom at September 30, 2009 10:12 AM

How do you explain Two and a Half Men scoring higher with the "demographic that matters" than the senile old folks?

The same way you explain the guy who co-stars getting an Emmy while NPH doesn't. 40-49 year olds are senile and afraid of "the gays".

Posted by: admin at September 30, 2009 10:13 AM

Also, that old dude is already at fifth base. "Fifth base!" you say, "But that's the forbidden base!" Awwwww, yeah. Dude's a pimp.

Posted by: admin at September 30, 2009 10:14 AM

Wooooow. That actually makes me happy I don't have a TV to watch. That is certainly the most depressing thing I've seen in a while. The Cleveland Show? Two and a Half Men? Ugh.

Posted by: commanderfunky at September 30, 2009 10:15 AM

Man. Not only did I not watch any of those shows, I have no interest in watching any of those shows. And the one "show" I did watch, Sunday Night Football, I sort regret because it was a lousy game. Guess I'm just a good-lookin' rebel who plays by his own rules.

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at September 30, 2009 10:16 AM

It doesn't matter. The people who take the time to fill out ratings journals are also the type of people who sit through commercials and buy products because 'they saw it on TV'.

I don't know about you, but as a TV executive, I would tend to cater towards the more vocal audience, the ones who have the time to write letters to stations and make calls (Boomer Generation). They also have plenty of time and money to spend on consumer goods. Let's face it; the Hulu/DVR generation avoids advertisement where it can.

And if you don't know anyone that watches NCIS or CSI, then you need to spend more time with Gram-gram. She misses you Dustin.

Posted by: J Stride at September 30, 2009 10:41 AM

*sigh* And I've really been enjoying Community. Guess it looks like that show will taper off into nothingness while we get stuck with whatever constantly repeated joke that Seth McFarlane keeps saying. That dude is so one note he makes car horns look bad.

Also, this confirms my theory that NCIS is reall just JAG, but since I've only seen a combined total of 20 minutes of both, I couldn't find the "smoking bullet" to prove my case as it were. Although your nursing home philosophy may not hold considering that most of these shows air after 7pm.

And my dad said the best thing about Monday night was flipping back and forth from football to Two and a Half Men. I wish I could kick him for loving that show, but I think part of his enjoyment stems from me loathing it.

Posted by: Kayanne at September 30, 2009 10:43 AM

Why did they move "Fringe" to Thursday anyway? What was wrong with Tuesday?

It is no surprise whatsoever that the ratings for "Dollhouse" stink. I give Fox credit for giving us thirteen (or however many) more episodes, but the show will never survive. And if they were going to make this kind of effort for a show, they should have done it for "Firefly," which actually deserved it.

Posted by: Todd at September 30, 2009 11:00 AM

You know, a lot of those CBS shows are actually GOOD. It's true that a lot of good shows like Pushing Daisies are cancelled or otherwise ignored. But a lot of the new crap is just old boomer crap re-skinned. See Fringe (except no one on it can act). With most new shows you can just picture the pitch meeting.

Do you really think the viewing public is like you: "I know nobody who watches NCIS or CSI" Really? Most of the people I know who watch tv watch it. On Tivo, too. And catch up on old shows on line. Clearly, a large number of Americans watch it -- that's why there are ratings.

The Nielsen crap doesn't take away from the fact that a lot of those CBS ratings winners are really well-written, well-directed, and have actors and performances that connect to people.

Posted by: Max at September 30, 2009 11:09 AM

I wonder what the time-shifted/Hulu ratings are for "Dollhouse". Is the 18-49 demo really sitting at home watching "live" TV on a Friday? And they put "Fringe" against the NBC shows, what did they expect to happen? I record "Fringe", I watch the others live. I'm guessing a lot of others do the same. Of course I'm also storing "Fringe" and not watching it so maybe I don't like the show as much as I think I do.

There is only one can't miss show for me right now and that is "Sons of Anarchy" but I DVR and watch it Wednesday because it is on too late. Yes, 10pm is too late when you have to get up routinely at 4:45am.

Posted by: TylerDFC at September 30, 2009 11:14 AM

Ugh I have never been so upset to see a Cardinals game watched by that many people. It was completely embarrassing, and was witnessed by a 17 million Americans. I miss two years ago when no one bothered to watch them embarrass themselves besides us Arizonans.

Posted by: Taylor at September 30, 2009 11:20 AM

Although your nursing home philosophy may not hold considering that most of these shows air after 7pm.

Oh I think it is still solid. There are two kinds of seniors: those that sleep all the time and those that almost never sleep (especially at night).

Posted by: ed newman at September 30, 2009 11:38 AM

Is there info for the Hulu/DVR viewership? I have a feeling it could kill the whole "prime time" thing for good. I don't have a DVR but when it's available my tv viewing changes drastically. I've sat through numerous episodes of dumb old NCIS simply because it was on when I was home. They syndicate the shit out of that show. It's on literally three times a day. Dollhouse, which isn't the best, but I still want to see, is on ONCE a week during the Fox Hates You block. No reruns, even on Fox's basic cable graveyard channels.

It's not the geezer demographic, it's the working stiffs demographic who watches all these shows, because they're all in fucking syndication from the time they get home at 6 til they go to bed at 11. Two and a Half Men is just constantly on. So is Family Guy, CSI, and all the Law and Orders. It's the same reason housewives watched soap operas: it is all that is on when they are home.

Posted by: summa at September 30, 2009 11:44 AM

I don’t know anyone that watches “NCIS.” I don’t know anyone that watches “CSI.” Or “Dancing with the Stars.”

I thought this bullshit ended with the NCIS review. Jesus Christ, man. There ARE non-old people who watch these shows (and that means Pajibans as well). They couldn't get those syndication deals if they weren't being seen by folks who didn't feel pressured to enjoy them.

You want to know why these shows get such good ratings? Because they are floating under the radar. Nobody tries to oversell them. Nobody pushes them around the schedule. Nobody tries to "tweak", "fix", or "shake it up". Nobody expects them to come out of the gate stomping all over those in its path. Basically, they DO get the treatment that you wish were given to those canceled shows.

"Dollhouse sucks!" "Pushing Daisies was the bestest EVAR!" "Only (insert blankets insult/praise) watch (insert popular/ignored show)!" Blah blah blah blah blah! I have at least ten shows (not episodes, ENTIRE SEASONS OF SHOWS) on my DVR now that I can't bring myself to watch, because every time I come here, I either feel pressured or guilty for watching it!

Fuck! Who the hell wants to put up with that? Besides, did you ever think that there are folks you know that watch it, but are too afraid to say so because they gotta hear you bitch and moan about it?

Posted by: Vermillion at September 30, 2009 12:06 PM

I have at least ten shows (not episodes, ENTIRE SEASONS OF SHOWS) on my DVR now that I can't bring myself to watch, because every time I come here, I either feel pressured or guilty for watching it!

Really? You let anonymous internet people dictate what you are or are not going to watch? You're better than that Verm.

Posted by: admin at September 30, 2009 12:30 PM

Seriously? What, it's been a couple months without a chance for you to bash NCIS and it was just killing you? I am NOT a boomer (I'm 27) and I think the show is great. As I say every time you start in on the "WAaaah, why is NCIS still on TV when my beloved Lazarus Pie-man show was cancelled? Booo, the old people killed my show!" track, it's a GOOD SHOW. The characters are interesting, the acting is good, the plots are not stupid, there are no obnoxious blasting techno evidence montages or gory CGI innards, and the humor amuses me. While I can't vouch for the new spin-off (my dislike of Chris O'Donnell kind of is keeping me from watching it) there's a reason NCIS is still on.

Posted by: Siege at September 30, 2009 12:41 PM

I too will echo the NCIS love. It has always been one of my faves, and I don't think I have horrible (or senile) taste in entertainment - even by Pajiba standards: I mourned the end of Pushing Daisies and BSG, I equally love The Office, HIMYM, House, etc. I agree that CSI has run its course, but in my opinion, NCIS isn't even in the same category.

Posted by: kella at September 30, 2009 1:11 PM

Well my friends call me a senior citizen because I like to eat dinner between 5-6. Hello any later and I can't sleep.

I guess this just confirms it, I like NCIS and watch it each week. Shoot I'll sometimes watch it on USA.

(BTW I'm only 29).

I do think Nielson ratings are over rated there are very few shows I DVR now, the rest I watch on Hulu or Fancast.

Posted by: DoubleH at September 30, 2009 1:15 PM

Yep, I've always liked NCIS.
Mark Harmon is pretty good at playing a hard-assed ex-Marine. Pauley Perrette is one of my "show-crushes". Hell, it eveh has "Ilya Kuryakin" as a forensic patholgist.
The plots, while not wildly inventive do not insult my intelligence. I like it. Mrs. Spender and our kid like it.
As to the Nielsen ratings, well... they have always been bogus and are even more so in this age of Hulu and the DVR. Just like the dying music industry, the big networks are failing to embrace the new technology and that's why they keep trotting the same tired crap out there season after season.
According to Nielsen, only 2.5 million people watched "Dollhouse"?
If they were to check the Fox website and could collect DVR info, that number would be a LOT higher, don't you think?
Meh. I'm only watching a few (sure to be cancelled) shows, so I try not to get to seriously involved in TV.

Posted by: Spender at September 30, 2009 1:31 PM

It's eerie how close the list of the top twenty rated shows is to being interchangeable with a list of the top twenty worst shows on TV. It's also funny seeing people get genuinely riled up and upset about a perceived slight to their lowest-common-denominator disposable crap.

Posted by: Ytadel at September 30, 2009 1:37 PM

It's also funny seeing people get genuinely riled up and upset about a perceived slight to their lowest-common-denominator disposable crap.
Posted by: Ytadel at September 30, 2009 1:37 PM

Or riled up by someone insulting those who enjoys a basically innocuous hour of television.
Perhaps you could enlighten us with a listing of highest-common-denominator television programming?

Posted by: Spender at September 30, 2009 2:16 PM

Oops! Made a typo... I should have written "highest-common-denominator television programming? Ya jerk."

Posted by: Spender at September 30, 2009 2:19 PM

My Mom and Step-Dad watch NCIS. Because, and I quote "We don't like to have to think when we watch TV. Were tired." These are fucking smart people, folks, but they want their TV soft and spoon fed.
And Mark Harmon is pretty.

Did I miss something, or was Glee not on those lists?
Also, SYTYCD has an ENORMOUS viewership. I know people of all ages who love it, myself included. You can't watch it (easily)online (fuckers)so prime time is it.

Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at September 30, 2009 2:21 PM

We're tired
stupid punctuation.

Posted by: Lindsey with an 'e' at September 30, 2009 2:22 PM

Awww, wook at all the ittle spoiled Gen X/Gen Y brats!!! They are all twowing a tantum because their pwecious ittle tv shows don't get high tv ratings.

I just love how Dustin cites Hulu as an example of how millions, nay billions of people watch tv that way.

Too bad for Dustin it's a bullshit lie, not that bullshit lies are anything new when it comes to Dustin's posts. Hulu ranks so far behind YouTube when it comes to tv shows watched it isn't even funny, yet because that FACT would screw up Justin's ittle tantum he chooses to ignore it, just like the good little Nazi loving Republiscum that he truly is.

I guess it's the fact that Jay Leno's show not only hasn't been canceled but is actually doing well in the ratings caused Justin to thwow his tantum.

Remind me again why the 18-49 year old demo is the "one that matters"?

It can't be because they have the most disposable income, because THAT isn't true, they have the least.

Posted by: Fappy McFapper at September 30, 2009 2:45 PM

i apologize.

i am watching Dancing with the stars this season as long as Kelly Osborne is on it.

i love that family, I will watch anything they are in, except America's Got Talent.

If you DVR it, you can get through the results show in under ten minutes. And you can get through the 2! hour regular show in about 45 minutes.

I shall turn my hipster badge in at the door on my way out.

Posted by: Jennifer at September 30, 2009 3:35 PM

I have hard time even reading about these "numbers" since they're about 99% full of shit anyway. No one fucking knows because Nielsen is more or less throwing darts at the wall.

I changed my mind. It's over 100% full of shit. Maximum capacity. Standing room only. And they're not using anything nearly as scientific as darts.

Now I'm not saying there's not an audience for these shows. Clearly there is, as some of you above have defended these shows and know people who watch them.

But come on people. Literally, there are only about 5,000 Nielsen boxes in the U.S. That's it. Then they add in about 25,000 people who take surveys on what they watch, and you can imagine the type of people who do that. And that is your sample size. *headlava*

Apparently, Nielsen (or studios in general) are trying to incorporate DVRs/on-line views, or at least figure out how to, but they don't use them for these ratings. So whatever these ratings might say, studios don't rely on them solely or as primarily as they used to. Thank god.

Posted by: Mick J at September 30, 2009 3:43 PM

Where the fuck is Glee on these lists?! Are you seriously telling me that even the 18-49 year olds aren't watching it?! This is a travesty, people, a travesty!

Somebody do something before it gets canceled!

Posted by: tamatha at September 30, 2009 3:51 PM

Fox ordered the back nine for Glee, so we are going to get the full season and I am a happy camper.

Posted by: Spender at September 30, 2009 4:36 PM

Who the fuck is Justin?

Posted by: Kolby at September 30, 2009 4:36 PM

Spender, I feel the necessity to inform you that they do not tolerate the term ex-Marine. It's former Marine. They will correct you on this.

Posted by: Melody at September 30, 2009 4:53 PM

Um...my wife likes every flavor of "CSI". Yes, even Caruso and his shades. She also watches "NCIS" *and* checked out the new spin off the other day.

I'm not much for procedurals, though I gotta say the girl on "NCIS" (Pauley Perrette?) is a cutie patootie. Gothy pigtails, brains AND attitude? Yes, please! And yeah, I'm amused that David McCallum is on there as well. Go glad he's still got a TV career after both "U.N.C.L.E." and "The Invisble Man". I even think Harmon does a good job from what I've seen.

And "Glee"? Man if it weren't for Pajiba I wouldn't have bothered...and I'm so glad I did! I've got my wife, mother, and two friends turned on to the show based on my recommendation alone.

So yeah...it's likely to be canceled. Fuck.

Posted by: Green Lantern at September 30, 2009 5:19 PM

Oh, crap, Melody... you're absolutely right. I had two uncles who were Marines (one who was in on the Iwo Jima invasion) and you are damned right they are "Former Marines". Whew... if they were still living, I'd have gotten an ass-whoopin' for that.

Posted by: Spender at September 30, 2009 5:24 PM

I'm the same way, other than sporting events, I watch all my programs through my DVR unless I have the next work day off in which case I might watch it "live".

Speaking of which I need to start watching some before I start losing some programs...

Posted by: John W at September 30, 2009 6:11 PM

meh its pretty easy to see why the CSI-esque procedurals and their crowd the list... they tend to be well produced, sharply directed and use very good actors and actresses.

They may be Paint by numbers but at least they attempt to have ongoing plots and character development and do quite well with their style of mysteries... They dont have a lot of depth but they do have quite a bit more characterisation than these type of shows did ten or fifteen years ago and they are far better made...

I may not enjoy watching them but theres plenty of times when they have been a perfectly serviceable guilty pleasure.

Most of these shows in the top twenty also have an important role to play in financing most of the less financial rewarding shows that I really do enjoy watching. And anything that gets people interested in scripted television cant be all bad. Heck, my Mum and her dinnerlady colleagues got so interested in CSI that they thought theyd try something else American and are now giving Lost a go.

Posted by: jim of the lower case at September 30, 2009 6:44 PM

I'm probably going to catch endless amounts of flak for this: I watch NCIS and have watched the show for the last four, maybe five years. I like the show. It's better than reality programming, like I don't know, the Biggest Loser.

Posted by: bignick at September 30, 2009 6:57 PM

People that watch TV online, DVR, frequent blogs, etc... always vastly incredibly amazingly overestimate how many people out there do the same. We are approximately 3-5% of the TV-watching public. We do not matter. Acting like the other 95-97% should just shut up simply makes you look delusional.

Posted by: S.K. at October 1, 2009 9:57 AM

S.K.
5% of the U.S. Population (roughly 304 million people) equals around 15 million people, yes?
Now, take your meat slicer and cut away every ounce of fat from that number that you possibly can... old people, babies, adolescents, hillbillies, used car salesmen... whatever. You are likely going to end up with a good 2-3 million people who "watch TV online, DVR, frequent blogs, etc...".
In this day and age, ANY television program that can add that many viewers to it's Nielsen numbers is gonna look pretty good to an ad agency or network suit.
Just sayin'.

Posted by: Spender at October 1, 2009 11:29 PM

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It's an "NCIS" World. We're Just Living In It

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