Pavan
09-27-2005, 04:26 PM
Primetime Ratings Report
For the week of September 19-25, 2005
ABC Wins the First Week of the Official 2005-06 TV Season in Adults 18-49, its First Time to Lead the Opening Week in 10 Years
ABC Grows by 2.3 Million Viewers and by 21% in Adults 18-49 from Last Year, Marking the Network's Most-Watched Season Opening Week in 5 Years
ABC Airs 6 of the Top 10 TV Shows of the Week in Adults 18-49, The Most for Any Network During Season Premiere Week in 3 Years
ABC Tops Monday, the First Night of 2005-06 TV Season, Beating its Closest Competition by 1.1 Million Viewers and by 24% in Adults 18-49
Marking its Strongest Season Opening Wednesday in a Decade, ABC Wins the Night by 8.7 Million Viewers and by 117% in Adults 18-49
Hitting Series Highs Across the Board and Overshadowing its Competition, "Lost" Earns the Top Adult 18-49 Rating for Any Wednesday Season Premiere in 12 Years
In its Series Debut, "Invasion" Dominates NBC's "Law & Order," Representing ABC's Best Numbers for a Scripted Telecast Wednesday at 10pm in the Last 5 Seasons
ABC Logs its Most-Watched Season Opening Thursday in 4 Years, as "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off Results" Outdraws NBC's Season Premiere of "The Apprentice"
ABC Wins the First Sunday of the Season in Viewers and Young Adults, Delivering its Strongest Season Opening Sunday Numbers in 10 Years
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" Takes a Commanding Lead Sunday at 8pm, Beating its Nearest Competitor by 53% in the Key Adult 18-49 Sales Demo
Up by 6.8 Million Viewers and by 38% in Adults 18-49 from its Year-ago Debut, "Desperate Housewives" Becomes ABC's Top Fall Season Premiere in 9 Years
With Strong Gains from its March Series Debut, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" Dominates the Sunday 10 O'clock Hour in Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54
WEEK No. 1:
ABC won the opening week of the 2005-06 TV Season in the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic, representing its first time accomplishing this feat in the last decade - since the first week of the 1995-96 season. Among Adults 18-49 during the week, ABC (4.7/12) topped CBS by 15% (4.1/11), NBC by 38% (3.4/9) and Fox by 68% (2.8/8). In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, ABC won Monday, Wednesday and Sunday nights among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
* ABC's delivery jumped from the opening week of last season (w/o 9/20/04), growing by 2.3 million viewers (12.3 million vs. 10.0 million) and by 21% in Adults 18-49 (4.7/12 vs. 3.9/11). The Net produced its strongest season opening week numbers 5 years among Total Viewers and in 4 years among Adults 18-49 - since the starts of the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons, respectively.
Rankings: ABC aired 6 of the Top 10 highest-rated TV shows during the week in Adults 18-49, including 5 of the Top 6 shows: "Desperate Housewives" - No. 1, "Lost" - No. 2 (tie), "Grey's Anatomy" - No. 4, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" - No. 5, "Invasion" - No. 6 and "Monday Night Football" - No. 9. ABC placed the highest number of programs in the Top 10 for any network during season premiere week in 3 years - since NBC placed 6 of the Top 10 in 2002-03. ABC claimed 5 shows in the week's Top 10 among Total Viewers: "Desperate Housewives" - No. 2, "Lost" - No. 3, "Grey's Anatomy" - No. 6, "Invasion" - No. 9 and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" No. 10.
Monday
ABC won the first night of the official 2005-06 TV Season in Total Viewers (15.8 million) and across each of the key adult demographics: Adults 18-34 (5.4/16), Adults 18-49 (6.2/16) and Adults 25-54 (7.0/17). During primetime ABC beat second-place CBS, with its Monday season premiere lineup, by 1.1 million viewers and by 24% in Adults 18-49 (CBS = 14.7 million viewers & 5.0/12 in Adults 18-49).
* Compared to the first night of last season, ABC's delivery grew by 13% in Total Viewers and by 7% among Adults 18-49 (Monday 9/20/04 = 14.0 million & 5.8/16).
"Monday Night Football Special: New Orleans vs. NY Giants" (7:30-9:00 p.m.)
ABC's special coverage of the New Orleans Saints-NY Giants NFL game drew an average audience of 13.6 million viewers and a 5.3/16 in Adults 18-49 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Please Note: Disney-owned ABC and ESPN shared coverage of the NFL contest, as carriage of the game switched from broadcast to cable at 9:00 p.m. (ET) in most markets.
"Monday Night Football: Washington vs. Dallas" (9:07-11:58 p.m.)
ABC's "NFL Monday Night Football," with a contest between the Redskins and Cowboys, attracted an average audience of 16.1 million viewers and earned a 6.5 rating, 17 share among Adults 18-49. The Redskins beat the Cowboys by a score of 14-13. Please Note: These numbers include some overlap viewing with the Saints-Giants game in certain markets.
* Facing off against season premiere programming on each of the broadcast nets, "MNF" stood as the No. 1 TV show on Monday among Adults 18-34 (5.7/16) and across each of the key men demographics: Men 18-34 (7.8/23), Men 18-49 (9.0/24) and Men 25-54 (9.9/24).
Tuesday
Facing season premieres and season finales on the other networks, ABC's special Tuesday lineup delivered its largest non-sports audience (9.1 million) on the night in over 6 months - since 3/8/05. Please Note: On Tuesday (9/27/05), ABC will air the series debut of "Commander In Chief," followed by the season opener of "Boston Legal," from 9:00-11:00 p.m.
"According to Jim" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
In its fifth season premiere, ABC's "According to Jim" earned second place in its new 8:00 p.m. time period among Total Viewers (8.1 million).
* "According to Jim" produced ABC's largest audience (.1 million) in the time slot in over 8 months and its top Adult 18-49 number (2.6/8) in more than 6 months - since 1/11/05 and 3/8/05, respectively.
"Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off" (8:30-10:01 p.m.)
ABC's special "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off" drew an average audience of 10.9 million viewers, the Net's biggest non-sports audience in the time period since March - since 3/1/05. Although the show faced stiff competition for young adults, "Dance-off" equaled ABC's top non-sports Adult 18-49 delivery (2.8/7) in the time period in 6 months - since 3/29/05.
* Building on its lead-in, "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off" gained audience throughout its 90-minute telecast. From start to finish, the show's audience grew by 2.6 million viewers (9.5 million to 12.1 million) and by 19% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/7 to 3.1/7).
Wednesday
ABC delivered a dominant victory on the first Wednesday of the season, beating its nearest competitors on the night by 8.7 million viewers (18.4 million vs. 9.7 million - NBC) and by 117% in Adults 18-49 (7.6/20 vs. 3.5/9 - CBS). ABC won each half-hour of the evening, claiming the Top 3 TV shows of the night in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, with the second season premiere of "Lost," the series debut of "Invasion" and the "Destination Lost" special.
* ABC produced its strongest season opening Wednesday night in 10 years among Total Viewers and in 9 years among Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54 - since 9/20/95 and 9/18/96, respectively.
* It was the Net's strongest performance on the evening since November 2002 (11/20/02) in Total Viewers, and its best number on the night since February 2003 (2/19/03) in Adults 18-49.
"Destination Lost" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
A special clip show recapping the first season of "Lost" drove ABC to a strong No. 1 in the opening hour of Wednesday's primetime. In the hour, "Destination Lost" defeated NBC's high-profile series debut of "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" by 8.2 million viewers (15.3 million vs. 7.1 million) and by 157% in Adults 18-49 (5.9/17 vs. 2.3/7). In fact, ABC topped the combined delivery of NBC and CBS, each with series premieres in the hour, in the key young adult sales demo (5.9/17 vs. 4.7/14 CBS and NBC combined).
"Lost" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Surging from its healthy lead-in, the second season opener of ABC's "Lost" overshadowed its nearest time period competition, CBS "C.S.I." special, by 14.1 million viewers (23.5 million vs. 9.4 million) and by 200% in Adults 18-49 (10.2/25 vs. 3.4/8).
* "Lost" achieved series highs in viewers, across each of the adult demographics and among teens. The show was up dramatically from its year-ago series debut, growing by 4.8 million viewers and by 50% in Adults 18-49 (18.7 million & 6.8/20 on 9/22/04).
* In terms of a Wednesday scripted season premiere, on any network, "Lost" opened with the highest Adult 18-49 rating in 12 years - since 9/21/94. In Total Viewers and Adults 25-54, it was the top opening score on the night in 5 years - since 10/4/00.
"Invasion" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
The series debut of ABC's "Invasion" posted a commanding win in its time period, besting the second-place networks by 3.4 million viewers (16.4 million vs. 13.0 million - NBC's "Law & Order") and by 48% in Adults 18-49 (6.8/17 vs. 4.6/12 - CBS's "C.S.I.").
* In Total Viewers (16.4 million) and Adults 25-54 (8.0/18), "Invasion" produced ABC's strongest numbers in the time period since December 2003 (12/10/03). It was the best score in the slot among Adults 18-49 since May 2004 (5/19/04). The show marked the Net's strongest numbers with a scripted show in the time period in the last 5 seasons - prior to the 2000-01 season, ABC aired newsmagazines in the hour.
Thursday
ABC's Tursday night delivery was up by 1.6 million viewers (8.2 million vs. 6.6 million) and by 10% among Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 2.0/5) over its performance on the same night a year ago (9/23/04). It was the Network's most-watched season opening Thursday in 4 years and its top among Adults 18-49 in 2 years - since 2001 and 2003, respectively.
"Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off Results Show" (9:00-9:30 p.m.)
Building on its lead-in by over 2 million viewers, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off Results Show" earned second place at 9:00 p.m. among Total Viewers, outdrawing the opening half-hour of NBC's season premiere of "The Apprentice" by 1.3 million viewers (10.5 million vs. 9.2 million). In fact, with 10.3 million viewers, ABC's "Dance-off Results Show" was watched by more people than the Thursday season premieres of NBC's "Joey" (7.8 million) and "The Apprentice" (9.9 million). John O'Hurley won the popular vote for the "Dance-off."
* The results show delivered ABC's largest non-sports audience and top Adult 18-49 rating (2.6/6) in the time period in 7 months - best since 2/24/05.
"Primetime" (9:30-11:00 p.m.)
ABC News' "Primetime" was up by 1.1 million viewers (7.5 million vs. 6.4 million), by 15% among Adults 18-49 (2.3/6 vs. 2.0/5) and by 16% among Adults 25-54 (2.8/6 vs. 2.4/6) over its delivery on the same night last year (9/23/04).
Friday
ABC earned second place on Friday among Adults 18-49 (2.4/8), while leading the night by a sizeable 24% among Adults 18-34 (2.1/8 vs. 1.7/6 - CBS). The Network also delivered the No. 1 position on the evening among Women 18-34 (2.9/10).
* ABC marked its highest Adult 18-34 rating on the night in the last 7 months - since 2/25/05.
"Supernanny" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
In its season opener, ABC's "Supernanny" took second place in its hour among Adults 18-34 (1.7/7) and ranked No. 1 among Women 18-34 (2.3/8-tie). From start to finish, "Supernanny" grew by 14% in Total Viewers (5.1 million to 5.8 million) and by 25% in Adults 18-49 (1.6/6 to 2.0/7), making ABC the biggest percentage gainer among young adults in the hour.
"Supernanny SP 9/23" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
A second episode of ABC's "Supernanny" built nicely on its lead-in to win the time period among Adults 18-34 (2.4/9), Women 18-49 (3.6/10) and Women 18-34 (3.5/12). Among Adults 18-49 (2.4/7), the show nearly tied for first-place in the hour with CBS' "Threshold" (2.5/8) and NBC's "Three Wishes" (2.5/8). "Supernanny" was the No. 1 TV show on the night in its core demographic of Women 18-34.
"20/20" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC News' "20/20" took first place in the 10 o'clock hour in Adults 18-34 (2.2/8), as it defeated the season premiere of CBS' "Numbers" by 22% (1.8/7) and the series debut of NBC's "Inconceivable" by 22% (1.8/7). The ABC newsmagazine ran a close second in the hour among Adults 18-49 (2.9/9), just one-tenth of a rating point out of a tie for the No. 1 position with CBS' "Numbers" (3.0/9).
* "20/20" pulled in its top numbers since May (5/13/05) in Total Viewers (8.5 million), Adults 25-54 (3.5/9) and Adults 18-49 (2.9/9).
Sunday
ABC delivered a dominant first-place finish on the opening Sunday of the season, defeating second-place CBS by 3.6 million viewers (18.3 million vs. 14.7 million) and by 81% in Adults 18-49 (7.8/19 vs. 4.3/11). Making ABC's winning advantages on the night even more impressive was the fact that CBS had a high-rated NFL football overrun well into the first hour of prime. ABC also ranked No. 1 on the night among Adults 25-54 (8.8/19) and Adults 18-34 (6.8/19), capturing nearly 1/5 of the available television audience in both demographics.
* ABC aired the Top 3 TV shows on Sunday in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, with "Desperte Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
* ABC was up by nearly 6 million viewers and by 50% in Adults 18-49 over its performance on the first Sunday last season (12.4 million and 5.2/14 on 9/26/04). In viewers and across the adult demos, ABC marked its strongest season opening Sunday night in 10 years - since 1995.
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 9/25" (7:00-8:00 p.m.)
A special 7 o'clock installment of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" placed a solid second to CBS' football overrun in the hour in Total Viewers (9.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (3.6/10).
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
In its regular time period premiere, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" moved ABC into the No. 1 position in the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic, beating second-place Fox by 53% (6.9/17 vs. 4.5/11). The broad-appealing ABC unscripted show also took first-place in its time period among Total Viewers (16.4 million), Adults 25-54 (7.7/16), Adults 18-34 (5.8/16) and Kids 2-11 (3.4/12).
"Desperate Housewives" (9:00-10:01 p.m.)
The second season premiere of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" drew an average audience of 28.4 million viewers and a 12.3 rating, 26 share in Adults 18-49. "Desperate Housewives" more than doubled the audience of its closest competitor (28.4 million vs. 13.0 million - CBS) and topped its combined network competition in the time slot (CBS, NBC, Fox and WB) by 10% among Adults 18-49 (12.3/26 vs. 11.2/25). The show drew its second-largest audience ever, trailing only its first season finale (5/22/05).
* In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, "Desperate Housewives" stands as ABC's strongest fall season premiere in 9 years - since the season openers of "Home Improvement" of "Spin City" on 9/17/96, respectively.
* "Desperate Housewives" was up over its year-ago series debut by 6.8 million viewers and by 38% in Adults 18-49 (21.6 million and 8.9/21 on 10/3/04).
* In Adults 18-49, "Housewives" ranks as the top-rated scripted season opener on any network in 3 years - since "ER" in September 2002.
"Grey's Anatomy" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
The second season premiere of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" delivered a convincing first-place finish in the 10 o'clock hour. "Grey's Anatomy" bested second-place NBC by almost 6 million viewers (19.0 million vs. 13.1 million), while beating its combined NBC and CBS competition in the hour by 46% in Adults 18-49 (8.3/20 vs. 5.7/14) and by 24% in Adults 25-54 (9.4/21 vs. 7.6/18).
* Versus its series debut last March, "Grey's Anatomy" grew by 2.8 million viewers and by 15% in Adults 18-49 (16.2 million & 7.2/18 on 3/27/05). The drama was up 19% among Adults 25-54 (9.4/21 vs. 7.6/17) from its mid-season premiere.
WEEK NO. 1: ADULTS 18-49 TOTAL VIEWERS
No.1 ABC 4.7 No.1 CBS 12,850,000
No.2 CBS 4.1 No.2 ABC 12,290,000
No.3 NBC 3.4 No.3 NBC 9,900,000
No.4 FOX 2.8 No.4 FOX 6,480,000
No.5 UPN 1.8 No.5 UPN 4,150,000
No.6 WB 1.4 No.6 WB 3,280,000
Source: Nielsen Media Research, week of 9/19/05, or as dated.
For the week of September 19-25, 2005
ABC Wins the First Week of the Official 2005-06 TV Season in Adults 18-49, its First Time to Lead the Opening Week in 10 Years
ABC Grows by 2.3 Million Viewers and by 21% in Adults 18-49 from Last Year, Marking the Network's Most-Watched Season Opening Week in 5 Years
ABC Airs 6 of the Top 10 TV Shows of the Week in Adults 18-49, The Most for Any Network During Season Premiere Week in 3 Years
ABC Tops Monday, the First Night of 2005-06 TV Season, Beating its Closest Competition by 1.1 Million Viewers and by 24% in Adults 18-49
Marking its Strongest Season Opening Wednesday in a Decade, ABC Wins the Night by 8.7 Million Viewers and by 117% in Adults 18-49
Hitting Series Highs Across the Board and Overshadowing its Competition, "Lost" Earns the Top Adult 18-49 Rating for Any Wednesday Season Premiere in 12 Years
In its Series Debut, "Invasion" Dominates NBC's "Law & Order," Representing ABC's Best Numbers for a Scripted Telecast Wednesday at 10pm in the Last 5 Seasons
ABC Logs its Most-Watched Season Opening Thursday in 4 Years, as "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off Results" Outdraws NBC's Season Premiere of "The Apprentice"
ABC Wins the First Sunday of the Season in Viewers and Young Adults, Delivering its Strongest Season Opening Sunday Numbers in 10 Years
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" Takes a Commanding Lead Sunday at 8pm, Beating its Nearest Competitor by 53% in the Key Adult 18-49 Sales Demo
Up by 6.8 Million Viewers and by 38% in Adults 18-49 from its Year-ago Debut, "Desperate Housewives" Becomes ABC's Top Fall Season Premiere in 9 Years
With Strong Gains from its March Series Debut, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" Dominates the Sunday 10 O'clock Hour in Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54
WEEK No. 1:
ABC won the opening week of the 2005-06 TV Season in the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic, representing its first time accomplishing this feat in the last decade - since the first week of the 1995-96 season. Among Adults 18-49 during the week, ABC (4.7/12) topped CBS by 15% (4.1/11), NBC by 38% (3.4/9) and Fox by 68% (2.8/8). In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, ABC won Monday, Wednesday and Sunday nights among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
* ABC's delivery jumped from the opening week of last season (w/o 9/20/04), growing by 2.3 million viewers (12.3 million vs. 10.0 million) and by 21% in Adults 18-49 (4.7/12 vs. 3.9/11). The Net produced its strongest season opening week numbers 5 years among Total Viewers and in 4 years among Adults 18-49 - since the starts of the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons, respectively.
Rankings: ABC aired 6 of the Top 10 highest-rated TV shows during the week in Adults 18-49, including 5 of the Top 6 shows: "Desperate Housewives" - No. 1, "Lost" - No. 2 (tie), "Grey's Anatomy" - No. 4, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" - No. 5, "Invasion" - No. 6 and "Monday Night Football" - No. 9. ABC placed the highest number of programs in the Top 10 for any network during season premiere week in 3 years - since NBC placed 6 of the Top 10 in 2002-03. ABC claimed 5 shows in the week's Top 10 among Total Viewers: "Desperate Housewives" - No. 2, "Lost" - No. 3, "Grey's Anatomy" - No. 6, "Invasion" - No. 9 and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" No. 10.
Monday
ABC won the first night of the official 2005-06 TV Season in Total Viewers (15.8 million) and across each of the key adult demographics: Adults 18-34 (5.4/16), Adults 18-49 (6.2/16) and Adults 25-54 (7.0/17). During primetime ABC beat second-place CBS, with its Monday season premiere lineup, by 1.1 million viewers and by 24% in Adults 18-49 (CBS = 14.7 million viewers & 5.0/12 in Adults 18-49).
* Compared to the first night of last season, ABC's delivery grew by 13% in Total Viewers and by 7% among Adults 18-49 (Monday 9/20/04 = 14.0 million & 5.8/16).
"Monday Night Football Special: New Orleans vs. NY Giants" (7:30-9:00 p.m.)
ABC's special coverage of the New Orleans Saints-NY Giants NFL game drew an average audience of 13.6 million viewers and a 5.3/16 in Adults 18-49 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Please Note: Disney-owned ABC and ESPN shared coverage of the NFL contest, as carriage of the game switched from broadcast to cable at 9:00 p.m. (ET) in most markets.
"Monday Night Football: Washington vs. Dallas" (9:07-11:58 p.m.)
ABC's "NFL Monday Night Football," with a contest between the Redskins and Cowboys, attracted an average audience of 16.1 million viewers and earned a 6.5 rating, 17 share among Adults 18-49. The Redskins beat the Cowboys by a score of 14-13. Please Note: These numbers include some overlap viewing with the Saints-Giants game in certain markets.
* Facing off against season premiere programming on each of the broadcast nets, "MNF" stood as the No. 1 TV show on Monday among Adults 18-34 (5.7/16) and across each of the key men demographics: Men 18-34 (7.8/23), Men 18-49 (9.0/24) and Men 25-54 (9.9/24).
Tuesday
Facing season premieres and season finales on the other networks, ABC's special Tuesday lineup delivered its largest non-sports audience (9.1 million) on the night in over 6 months - since 3/8/05. Please Note: On Tuesday (9/27/05), ABC will air the series debut of "Commander In Chief," followed by the season opener of "Boston Legal," from 9:00-11:00 p.m.
"According to Jim" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
In its fifth season premiere, ABC's "According to Jim" earned second place in its new 8:00 p.m. time period among Total Viewers (8.1 million).
* "According to Jim" produced ABC's largest audience (.1 million) in the time slot in over 8 months and its top Adult 18-49 number (2.6/8) in more than 6 months - since 1/11/05 and 3/8/05, respectively.
"Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off" (8:30-10:01 p.m.)
ABC's special "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off" drew an average audience of 10.9 million viewers, the Net's biggest non-sports audience in the time period since March - since 3/1/05. Although the show faced stiff competition for young adults, "Dance-off" equaled ABC's top non-sports Adult 18-49 delivery (2.8/7) in the time period in 6 months - since 3/29/05.
* Building on its lead-in, "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off" gained audience throughout its 90-minute telecast. From start to finish, the show's audience grew by 2.6 million viewers (9.5 million to 12.1 million) and by 19% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/7 to 3.1/7).
Wednesday
ABC delivered a dominant victory on the first Wednesday of the season, beating its nearest competitors on the night by 8.7 million viewers (18.4 million vs. 9.7 million - NBC) and by 117% in Adults 18-49 (7.6/20 vs. 3.5/9 - CBS). ABC won each half-hour of the evening, claiming the Top 3 TV shows of the night in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, with the second season premiere of "Lost," the series debut of "Invasion" and the "Destination Lost" special.
* ABC produced its strongest season opening Wednesday night in 10 years among Total Viewers and in 9 years among Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54 - since 9/20/95 and 9/18/96, respectively.
* It was the Net's strongest performance on the evening since November 2002 (11/20/02) in Total Viewers, and its best number on the night since February 2003 (2/19/03) in Adults 18-49.
"Destination Lost" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
A special clip show recapping the first season of "Lost" drove ABC to a strong No. 1 in the opening hour of Wednesday's primetime. In the hour, "Destination Lost" defeated NBC's high-profile series debut of "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" by 8.2 million viewers (15.3 million vs. 7.1 million) and by 157% in Adults 18-49 (5.9/17 vs. 2.3/7). In fact, ABC topped the combined delivery of NBC and CBS, each with series premieres in the hour, in the key young adult sales demo (5.9/17 vs. 4.7/14 CBS and NBC combined).
"Lost" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Surging from its healthy lead-in, the second season opener of ABC's "Lost" overshadowed its nearest time period competition, CBS "C.S.I." special, by 14.1 million viewers (23.5 million vs. 9.4 million) and by 200% in Adults 18-49 (10.2/25 vs. 3.4/8).
* "Lost" achieved series highs in viewers, across each of the adult demographics and among teens. The show was up dramatically from its year-ago series debut, growing by 4.8 million viewers and by 50% in Adults 18-49 (18.7 million & 6.8/20 on 9/22/04).
* In terms of a Wednesday scripted season premiere, on any network, "Lost" opened with the highest Adult 18-49 rating in 12 years - since 9/21/94. In Total Viewers and Adults 25-54, it was the top opening score on the night in 5 years - since 10/4/00.
"Invasion" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
The series debut of ABC's "Invasion" posted a commanding win in its time period, besting the second-place networks by 3.4 million viewers (16.4 million vs. 13.0 million - NBC's "Law & Order") and by 48% in Adults 18-49 (6.8/17 vs. 4.6/12 - CBS's "C.S.I.").
* In Total Viewers (16.4 million) and Adults 25-54 (8.0/18), "Invasion" produced ABC's strongest numbers in the time period since December 2003 (12/10/03). It was the best score in the slot among Adults 18-49 since May 2004 (5/19/04). The show marked the Net's strongest numbers with a scripted show in the time period in the last 5 seasons - prior to the 2000-01 season, ABC aired newsmagazines in the hour.
Thursday
ABC's Tursday night delivery was up by 1.6 million viewers (8.2 million vs. 6.6 million) and by 10% among Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 2.0/5) over its performance on the same night a year ago (9/23/04). It was the Network's most-watched season opening Thursday in 4 years and its top among Adults 18-49 in 2 years - since 2001 and 2003, respectively.
"Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off Results Show" (9:00-9:30 p.m.)
Building on its lead-in by over 2 million viewers, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars: Dance-off Results Show" earned second place at 9:00 p.m. among Total Viewers, outdrawing the opening half-hour of NBC's season premiere of "The Apprentice" by 1.3 million viewers (10.5 million vs. 9.2 million). In fact, with 10.3 million viewers, ABC's "Dance-off Results Show" was watched by more people than the Thursday season premieres of NBC's "Joey" (7.8 million) and "The Apprentice" (9.9 million). John O'Hurley won the popular vote for the "Dance-off."
* The results show delivered ABC's largest non-sports audience and top Adult 18-49 rating (2.6/6) in the time period in 7 months - best since 2/24/05.
"Primetime" (9:30-11:00 p.m.)
ABC News' "Primetime" was up by 1.1 million viewers (7.5 million vs. 6.4 million), by 15% among Adults 18-49 (2.3/6 vs. 2.0/5) and by 16% among Adults 25-54 (2.8/6 vs. 2.4/6) over its delivery on the same night last year (9/23/04).
Friday
ABC earned second place on Friday among Adults 18-49 (2.4/8), while leading the night by a sizeable 24% among Adults 18-34 (2.1/8 vs. 1.7/6 - CBS). The Network also delivered the No. 1 position on the evening among Women 18-34 (2.9/10).
* ABC marked its highest Adult 18-34 rating on the night in the last 7 months - since 2/25/05.
"Supernanny" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
In its season opener, ABC's "Supernanny" took second place in its hour among Adults 18-34 (1.7/7) and ranked No. 1 among Women 18-34 (2.3/8-tie). From start to finish, "Supernanny" grew by 14% in Total Viewers (5.1 million to 5.8 million) and by 25% in Adults 18-49 (1.6/6 to 2.0/7), making ABC the biggest percentage gainer among young adults in the hour.
"Supernanny SP 9/23" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
A second episode of ABC's "Supernanny" built nicely on its lead-in to win the time period among Adults 18-34 (2.4/9), Women 18-49 (3.6/10) and Women 18-34 (3.5/12). Among Adults 18-49 (2.4/7), the show nearly tied for first-place in the hour with CBS' "Threshold" (2.5/8) and NBC's "Three Wishes" (2.5/8). "Supernanny" was the No. 1 TV show on the night in its core demographic of Women 18-34.
"20/20" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC News' "20/20" took first place in the 10 o'clock hour in Adults 18-34 (2.2/8), as it defeated the season premiere of CBS' "Numbers" by 22% (1.8/7) and the series debut of NBC's "Inconceivable" by 22% (1.8/7). The ABC newsmagazine ran a close second in the hour among Adults 18-49 (2.9/9), just one-tenth of a rating point out of a tie for the No. 1 position with CBS' "Numbers" (3.0/9).
* "20/20" pulled in its top numbers since May (5/13/05) in Total Viewers (8.5 million), Adults 25-54 (3.5/9) and Adults 18-49 (2.9/9).
Sunday
ABC delivered a dominant first-place finish on the opening Sunday of the season, defeating second-place CBS by 3.6 million viewers (18.3 million vs. 14.7 million) and by 81% in Adults 18-49 (7.8/19 vs. 4.3/11). Making ABC's winning advantages on the night even more impressive was the fact that CBS had a high-rated NFL football overrun well into the first hour of prime. ABC also ranked No. 1 on the night among Adults 25-54 (8.8/19) and Adults 18-34 (6.8/19), capturing nearly 1/5 of the available television audience in both demographics.
* ABC aired the Top 3 TV shows on Sunday in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, with "Desperte Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
* ABC was up by nearly 6 million viewers and by 50% in Adults 18-49 over its performance on the first Sunday last season (12.4 million and 5.2/14 on 9/26/04). In viewers and across the adult demos, ABC marked its strongest season opening Sunday night in 10 years - since 1995.
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 9/25" (7:00-8:00 p.m.)
A special 7 o'clock installment of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" placed a solid second to CBS' football overrun in the hour in Total Viewers (9.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (3.6/10).
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
In its regular time period premiere, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" moved ABC into the No. 1 position in the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic, beating second-place Fox by 53% (6.9/17 vs. 4.5/11). The broad-appealing ABC unscripted show also took first-place in its time period among Total Viewers (16.4 million), Adults 25-54 (7.7/16), Adults 18-34 (5.8/16) and Kids 2-11 (3.4/12).
"Desperate Housewives" (9:00-10:01 p.m.)
The second season premiere of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" drew an average audience of 28.4 million viewers and a 12.3 rating, 26 share in Adults 18-49. "Desperate Housewives" more than doubled the audience of its closest competitor (28.4 million vs. 13.0 million - CBS) and topped its combined network competition in the time slot (CBS, NBC, Fox and WB) by 10% among Adults 18-49 (12.3/26 vs. 11.2/25). The show drew its second-largest audience ever, trailing only its first season finale (5/22/05).
* In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, "Desperate Housewives" stands as ABC's strongest fall season premiere in 9 years - since the season openers of "Home Improvement" of "Spin City" on 9/17/96, respectively.
* "Desperate Housewives" was up over its year-ago series debut by 6.8 million viewers and by 38% in Adults 18-49 (21.6 million and 8.9/21 on 10/3/04).
* In Adults 18-49, "Housewives" ranks as the top-rated scripted season opener on any network in 3 years - since "ER" in September 2002.
"Grey's Anatomy" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
The second season premiere of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" delivered a convincing first-place finish in the 10 o'clock hour. "Grey's Anatomy" bested second-place NBC by almost 6 million viewers (19.0 million vs. 13.1 million), while beating its combined NBC and CBS competition in the hour by 46% in Adults 18-49 (8.3/20 vs. 5.7/14) and by 24% in Adults 25-54 (9.4/21 vs. 7.6/18).
* Versus its series debut last March, "Grey's Anatomy" grew by 2.8 million viewers and by 15% in Adults 18-49 (16.2 million & 7.2/18 on 3/27/05). The drama was up 19% among Adults 25-54 (9.4/21 vs. 7.6/17) from its mid-season premiere.
WEEK NO. 1: ADULTS 18-49 TOTAL VIEWERS
No.1 ABC 4.7 No.1 CBS 12,850,000
No.2 CBS 4.1 No.2 ABC 12,290,000
No.3 NBC 3.4 No.3 NBC 9,900,000
No.4 FOX 2.8 No.4 FOX 6,480,000
No.5 UPN 1.8 No.5 UPN 4,150,000
No.6 WB 1.4 No.6 WB 3,280,000
Source: Nielsen Media Research, week of 9/19/05, or as dated.