Classic TV Sends TV Land and Nick@Nite to Record Breaking Viewership Levels in First Quarter '03

New York, NY, April 1, 2003 – Classic TV continues to capture audiences as TV Land and Nick@Nite both scored record breaking viewership levels for First Quarter ’03. First Quarter 2003 (12/30/02-3/30/03) has given TV Land its most watched quarter ever in its target demo (Adults 25-54) and among total viewers on a total day basis. For Nick@Nite, the network scored its most watched 1Q performance ever among target Adults 18-49 audience and in total viewers.

‘TV Land and Nick@Nite continue to perform at peak levels,’ states Larry W. Jones, Executive Vice President and General Manager, TV Land and Nick@Nite. ‘With shows like Sanford and Son and The Cosby Show combined with the huge success of the inaugural TV Land Awards, viewers are embracing classic TV more than ever.’

TV Land—which featured this quarter The TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV, and the additions of MacGyver and Sanford and Son to its stellar line-up—finished 1Q’03 with a 0.3/286,000 in A25-54 total day, up +25% in delivery over last year; among total viewers, the network’s average 507,000 persons 2+ marks a +20% gain over last year. In primetime, TV Land averaged a 0.5/455,000 Adults 25-54, up +22% in delivery over last year. The network also averaged 867,000 total viewers, a +9% gain versus prior-year levels.

Driven by the strong performance of The Cosby Show and the simulcast of The TV Land Awards, Nick@Nite finished the quarter with a 0.5/556,000 among its target Adults 18-49 audience during its total day (Sun.-Th. 9 p.m.-6 a.m.;Fri/Sat. 10 p.m.-6 a.m. ET/PT). The network’s average 1.2 million total viewers in total day gave Nick@Nite its biggest audience levels for a 1Q ever.

For March, TV Land recorded its strongest performance for a March time period ever among total viewers and in its target demo on a total day basis. In total day, TV Land posted a 0.3/266,000 among Adults 25-54, a delivery increase of +18%; the network also drew +9% more viewers than last year, averaging 466,000 persons 2+. In prime, the network averaged a 0.5/455,000 among A25-54, up +25% in ratings and +27% in delivery over last year. Among persons 2+, TV Land averaged 830,000 total viewers, an increase of +5% from last year.

TV Land 1Q’03 Performance Highlights:

· An average of more than 1.3 million persons 2+ tuned in to the premiere telecast of The TV Land Awards (3/12/03), up +69% over last year. Among TV Land’s target Adults 25-54 audience, the telecast earned a 1.0/908,000, up +100% in rating and +106% in delivery over last year.

· Sanford and Son (Mon-Sun, 9 p.m. ET/PT) posted a 0.5/474,000 in prime time, a +25% ratings increase and up +53% in delivery versus last year. Among persons 2+, the show delivered 968,000 viewers, a +31% lift over prior-year levels.

· The clever daredevil MacGyver (Sun-Th. 12 a.m. ET/PT) continues to draw viewers, posting a 0.4/324,000, up +33% in ratings and +43% in delivery among Adults 25-54. MacGyver averaged 477,000 persons 2+, a rise of +29% over last year in total viewers.

Nick@Nite 1Q’03 Performance Highlights:

· From 9-11:30 p.m. (ET/PT), Nick@Nite was basic cable’s most watched network among Adults 18-49 for the Nick@Nite simulcast of The TV Land Awards (3/12/03). The program drew a 0.9/925,000 in its target Adults 18-49 demo, a +29% ratings and +31% delivery increase over last year. Among persons 2+, the network averaged more than 2 million viewers, up +11% over last year.

· Nick@Nite’s ‘Cliff’s notes’ marathon (3/20/03), featuring the first two episodes of the hit sitcom The Cosby Show, The Cosby Reunion: A Look Back and the last two episodes of the Emmy-winning show, posted a 0.9/953,000, an +80% increase in rating and a +93% increase in delivery versus last year. Among persons 2+, the network drew an average of 2 million viewers, a +42% rise from last year.

· The Cosby Show’s 12 a.m. (ET/PT) showing was Nick@Nite’s highest rated program among Adults 18-49, posting a 0.7/696,000, a +17% ratings increase and a +12% rise in delivery from last year; among persons 2+, the show averaged 1.4 million viewers, an increase of +9% from last year.

Now seen in more than 78 million U.S. homes, TV Land was created in April 1996. The network’s broad mix of sitcoms, dramas, westerns, variety shows and classic commercials – which TV Land refers to as retromercials – have helped make TV Land one of the fastest-growing networks in all of television.

Nick@Nite, the evening and overnight programming arm of cable's highest-rated network, is the home of television's modern classics including The Cosby Show, Cheers, Wings and Coach. The 17 year-old network, available in 86 million U.S. homes, offers timeless favorites the way our viewers love and remember them - in prime time and restored to their original graphic quality.

Nick@Nite and TV Land and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

N@N didn't seem to give Wings a chance at all :crying: At least Cheers is back in it's 10 PM time slot.

Four episodes each of The Cosby Show and Three's Company? That's just wrong, IMHO. :barf: :livid: :angryfire: :mad: I don't like either show, but even if I did, I'd still think two episodes a night is plenty.

Originally posted by Snoopy
N@N didn't seem to give Wings a chance at all :crying: At least Cheers is back in it's 10 PM time slot.

Four episodes each of The Cosby Show and Three's Company? That's just wrong, IMHO. :barf: :livid: :angryfire: :mad: I don't like either show, but even if I did, I'd still think two episodes a night is plenty.

I still don't think Coach or Wings fits on Nick@Nite. The reason why they both got banished after a short time was because they are not Nick@Nite-ish yet, meaning not old enough, so people tune away. Nick@Nite has it's success with 80's shows right now and people want to see shows of that type. Coach and Wings would have been good in about 3 or 4 years from now, since basically they are 90's shows. The upcoming Roseanne I think is a little too early as well, though I think it will do better than Wings and Coach.

Originally posted by pavanbadal
I still don't think Coach or Wings fits on Nick@Nite. The reason why they both got banished after a short time was because they are not Nick@Nite-ish yet, meaning not old enough, so people tune away. Nick@Nite has it's success with 80's shows right now and people want to see shows of that type. Coach and Wings would have been good in about 3 or 4 years from now, since basically they are 90's shows. The upcoming Roseanne I think is a little too early as well, though I think it will do better than Wings and Coach.

I completely agree. It's not that Wings or Coach are bad shows, the audience just isn't there right now.

But, Family Ties was banished almost each month to a lower and lower timeslot. I don't think it did very well, either, even though it is a core 80s show.

I'm sick of Cosby Show, but it's Nick @ Nite material, imo. Same for Full House. Roseanne, I like it, but I have mixed feelings about it coming. I sense Full House and Fresh Prince will do pretty awful when they come.

They never gave Charles in Charge a chance at all. But, they had it for a year, so, I can see why it was only on early in the morning.

Pav, do you know how any of the other TVL/N@N shows do?

Originally posted by pavanbadal


I still don't think Coach or Wings fits on Nick@Nite. The reason why they both got banished after a short time was because they are not Nick@Nite-ish yet, meaning not old enough, so people tune away. Nick@Nite has it's success with 80's shows right now and people want to see shows of that type. Coach and Wings would have been good in about 3 or 4 years from now, since basically they are 90's shows. The upcoming Roseanne I think is a little too early as well, though I think it will do better than Wings and Coach.

I see your point there, Pav, and I do agree that Wings probably isn't N@N material right now. It's just that it's one of my most favorite TV shows and I'd really like to be able to watch it again, and in a decent time slot too.

Originally posted by TVJunkie101
Pav, do you know how any of the other TVL/N@N shows do?

Three's Company must have did well in that two week run at 11 and 11:30 last month, since it's coming there again.

Originally posted by pavanbadal


The upcoming Roseanne I think is a little too early as well, though I think it will do better than Wings and Coach.

With my luck, you're right. But I don't see Roseanne as being watchable four times a night, seven nights a week. In my opinion it doesn't have what TV Land calls Rewatchability. And I feel "Wings" does. Even if not enough people think so.

I'm really upset that my least favorite show on Nick at Nite (The Cosby Show) is Number One in the ratings. Why do people always watch the shows I can't stand?

By the way, I agree with you Pav, I think Nick at Nite is moving way too fast. And I appreciate you giving us this information, even if it's not the news I want to hear.

"Wings" is one of my top five favorite sitcoms. So it gets me mad when it doesn't do well on TV.

Originally posted by TVAdam


I'm really upset that my least favorite show on Nick at Nite (The Cosby Show) is Number One in the ratings. Why do people always watch the shows I can't stand?

"Wings" is one of my top five favorite sitcoms. So it gets me mad when it doesn't do well on TV.

It's the same way with me. A lot of the shows I love are the ones a lot of other people seem to hate while the stuff I can't stand gets high ratings. Maybe if I took a genuine interest in the stuff I don't like... :D ;) :p

Originally posted by TVAdam

I'm really upset that my least favorite show on Nick at Nite (The Cosby Show) is Number One in the ratings. Why do people always watch the shows I can't stand?



I don't see how a show in which is overplayed can get such positive ratings. 'The Cosby Show' must have had so MANY multiple rotations, I mean how could anybody watch it continuesly every night, and keep it as their #1 show, it's hard to believe. Of course now they are adding more shows, so that will create even more confusion for the schedule, they aren't taking this one step at a time. I think if they had a little bit of variety and if they gave some of their other shows a chance to air earlier, instead of being aired early in the morning, and if got rid of their double takes, I think they would have more success in their ratings.

Originally posted by Impressions


I don't see how a show in which is overplayed can get such positive ratings. 'The Cosby Show' must have had so MANY multiple rotations, I mean how could anybody watch it continuesly every night, and keep it as their #1 show, it's hard to believe. Of course now they are adding more shows, so that will create even more confusion for the schedule, they aren't taking this one step at a time. I think if they had a little bit of variety and if they gave some of their other shows a chance to air earlier, instead of being aired early in the morning, and if got rid of their double takes, I think they would have more success in their ratings.

I agree!!! I mean it has probably had 4 airings a night for about a year already.

I still don't think Coach or Wings fits on Nick@Nite. The reason why they both got banished after a short time was because they are not Nick@Nite-ish yet, meaning not old enough, so people tune away. Nick@Nite has it's success with 80's shows right now and people want to see shows of that type. Coach and Wings would have been good in about 3 or 4 years from now, since basically they are 90's shows. The upcoming Roseanne I think is a little too early as well, though I think it will do better than Wings and Coach.

I agree about Coach and Wings....Nick's time frame is quickly getting later and later. But with Roseanne, I think it will do okay, not Cosby Show-like. But with Full House, considering that it is on Nickelodeon, and considering that it is kinda Cosby-ish, and considering that it does have the Olsen twins, it's probably gonna be a hit... same with Fresh Prince, which has Will Smith.

Coach just didnt have anything. The commercials made it all look serious. another thing about Cosby- Nick has way too many promotions for it.

"Wings" is one of my top five favorite sitcoms. So it gets me mad when it doesn't do well on TV.

I understand. That happens to me a lot... Especailly with the new shows... Sometimes I just dont understand why some people dont watch the shows I do...

i think that "night court" would be perfect for nick at nite.
i would love for tvland! to put "wkrp in cincinnati" in the timeslot after sanford and son.
i think that wkrp would flourish there.

I just wish they'd bring back "Make Room For Daddy"/"The Danny Thomas show", "Green Acres", "The Beverlly Hillbilies", "The Odd Couple", "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." and show "The New Dick Van Dyke Show".

Originally posted by APPLEI
i think that "night court" would be perfect for nick at nite.
i would love for tvland! to put "wkrp in cincinnati" in the timeslot after sanford and son.
i think that wkrp would flourish there.

I would also love to see Night Court on N@N

How about Too Close for Comfort as well

Originally posted by TJHooker


I would also love to see Night Court on N@N

How about Too Close for Comfort as well

I think Night Court would be good, too. N@N has Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, and Wings. So my thinking is they only need Night Court and A Different World to complete the 80's to early 90's NBC Thursday Night line-up.