Mid-Season: By the Numbers

So we've come to the mid-point of the TV season and here's how things are stacking up for the networks:

Through January 11, the season-to-date numbers show CBS averaging 10.98 million viewers,
ABC 8.78, FOX 7.91, NBC 7.64.

The annual arrival of 24 and AMERICAN IDOL are once again changing the map. How so? The week ending January 4th showed FOX in 4th place behind NBC with 7.43 million viewers.

In the 18-49 demographic, FOX should pass CBS this week to take over the lead. CBS held a slim 70,000 viewer lead as of 1/11. That was well before FOX scored with a roundhouse punch with their new Monday night lineup of HOUSE and 24. The new tandem dethroned CBS' strong Monday night lineup for the first time in months.

In terms of total viewers, FOX will have to draw about 2.5 million viewers more than CBS each week to catch up by the end of the season.

The week of 1/11, FOX outpulled CBS by 2.43 million viewers, so it could easily go down to the wire.

We'll have a much clearer picture next week once the new Monday lineups are factored in and we see how the IDOL crowd sticks around for FRINGE and LIE TO ME - and how well BONES performs on Thursday.

Meanwhile, more kudos to the programming geniuses at NBC who managed to come in SIXTH in Adults 18-34 this past Monday.

SIXTH.

Behind the CW.

Behind UNIVISION.

But hey, as long as they're making money, right?

Spring Comes Early for FOX

The numbers say it's spring, but there's eight inches of snow in my front yard....

Last year it didn't happen until mid-March.

We all knew it was going to happen again this year, but I doubt anyone thought it would happen before Super Bowl Sunday.

On the strength of a better than normal fall performance, decent but not Earth-shattering numbers for the BCS, an explosive debut for TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, the return of AMERICAN IDOL and stellar numbers for the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (dude - a 40 share in A18-49!) which drew almost 50 MILLION viewers, FOX has taken over the #1 slot in A18-49.

With 36 hours of IDOL still to come, the debut of a scandalous game show, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH coming tomorrow, oh - and that SUPER BOWL thing next Sunday, the other nets can only wave in FOX's rear view mirror.

See ya!

HSM2 Gets an A+

Disney Channel premiered HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 Friday night to record numbers.

Seriously. Almost 18 million viewers.

The largest Friday night audience on television in the last five years.

An audience on par with the season average of CSI - on The Disney Freakin' Channel.

HSM1 debuted to 7.8 million viewers.

Could this be a phenomenon on par with Harry Potter?

Wonder if HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDITION is in the cards?

Count on Disney milking this one 'til it's dry.

IDOL - Up, Up and Away!

It seems we still don't know high "up" is.

The two night premiere of AMERICAN IDOL has redefined 'up' once again, delivering about 15% more eyeballs to sponsor messages than last year.

The numbers are simply gi-normous. 37 million folks. To give you some sort of scale, until this week DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES was the number one show on TV - delivering a mere 20 million viewers a week. IDOL isn't just #1, it's crossing the finish line while the other horses are entering the final turn.

The beastie out drew all the other networks combined.

Pity the poor CW. The FOX audience was 34 times larger than the CW.

One hour of IDOL = 34 hours of VERONICA MARS. That's more episodes than the show makes in a season. Granted, VERONICA was a re-run, but play along.

Following the above formula, if you were an advertiser who purchased a spot in every hour of IDOL for this season, you would have to buy VERONICA MARS once a week for 26 years to cume the same value.

26 years.

FOX Juggernauts Return

It's got to be tough to be a suit at NBC, ABC or CBS this time of year. They all have to know they have but one more week of normalcy to enjoy before their world turns upside down. Again.

(Cue the theme to JAWS)

Yep, it's January and that means it's time for "24" and "AMERICAN IDOL" to return.

The Jack Bauer Power Hour is back following what I felt was one of its most disjointed, yet accessible seasons. Day 5 saw the show tweak its formula a bit, killing off several key characters and devising more payoffs within the 24 episode storyline.

These changes allowed new viewers to better understand the goings on. Complicated backstories were dispatched along with their associated characters. The multiple resolutions within the overall arc also allowed new viewers better access. Ultimately, I believe it was this new-found accessibility that allowed Emmy voters to award the show with its Best Drama trophy.

Day 6 promises Jack's return from Chinese custody and an outbreak of domestic terrorism that has claimed over 1,000 lives. You can see an extended promo for Day 6 here.

And then there's that other beastie, lurking in the distance - "AMERICAN IDOL."

Last year, I had my doubts about the continued growth of the franchise, but was ultimately proven wrong. This year, I'm expecting even higher numbers due to ABC's moving "LOST" out of the way. ABC's sacrificing of "THE KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY" and "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY" stands as a spineless move by a network that has strayed from a very promising path.

Tons of promotional stuff, including downloads of previous contestants' new releases are available at americanidol.com.

How high is up for FOX? This may be the year we find out.

The Sun Sets on THE O.C.

When FOX moved THE O.C. to Thursday nights, it backed up its decision with a plethora of research that showed the program's audience was made up of THE trendsetters of the future - young teen and pre-teen girls who were already abandoning SURVIVOR in droves.

Well, so much for that strategy.

THE O.C. has been cancelled.

Those young trendsetters seem to be more interested in Dr. McDreamy or UGLY BETTY or something. After season 3's a year long Marissa Downer-Cooper angst-fest, THE O.C. has returned this year with guns blazing. It's brighter, happier and full of promise.

But, such is life on TV. Good shows come and go, the ebb and flow, their quality drops off and they fade away. Not this time. This time, the show has been reborn and it will be going out in style - strong, funny and yes, even innovative.

THE O.C. will return to the schedule January 4th with the first of 8 new episodes. Unfortunately, they'll also be the last of 8 new episodes.

Smoke 'em while you got 'em.