Terminator Gets Big Boost from DVR Use

[Brian Damage]

Summer Glau and Eliza Dushku are turning a lot more heads than evidenced by the next-day Nielsens.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, in fact, is currently enjoying the biggest boost of any network show — a 36 percent jump in adult demos — from Live+7 DVR data, which factors in playback within the first week after a program airs.

Similarly, Dollhouse gains 30 percent from time-shifted viewing.

The moral here: Never underestimate the power of freeze-frame.

The performance of both shows has been under scrutiny recent weeks, as Fox's plan to resurrect "Sci-Fi Friday" appeared to fall on typically culty ears, with both Terminator and Dollhouse hovering around the 4 million viewer mark.

Rounding out the top five beneficiaries of Live+7 DVR data are 90210 (gaining 33 percent), Scrubs (30 percent) and the CW's Privileged (29 percent).

Of course, the big hurdle for networks such as Fox is getting advertisers to appreciate the value of Live+7 playback and not assume that viewers are "zapping" commercials. For example, the Eliza Dushku/Hulu ad? I could watch it forever.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Terminat...R-1003599.aspx