Three Weeks In

FROM:

MEDIA WEEK

OCTOBER 10, 2006
The Programming Insider

Marc Berman

Three weeks into the 2006-07 season, here is an update on the new prime time entries (with original time periods in parentheses):

ABC
-The Knights of Prosperity (Tues. 9 p.m.): On hold; will be replaced by benched sitcom Big Day in November.
-Help Me Help You (Tues. 9:30 p.m.): Declining by about 50 percent from lead-in Dancing With the Stars.
-The Nine (Wed. 10 p.m.): Disappointing opening performance.
-Ugly Betty (Thurs. 8 p.m.): The new hit of the season based on two episodes.
-Six Degrees (Thurs. 10 p.m.): Losing more than one-half the audience of lead-in Grey’s Anatomy, with significant tune-out at 10:30 p.m.
-Men in Trees (Fri. 9 p.m.): Fading fast.
-Brothers & Sisters (Sun. 10 p.m.): Losing about one-third of its Desperate Housewives lead-in.

CBS
-The Class (Mon. 8 p.m.): Flipped time periods with How I Met Your Mother; now airing Monday at 8:30 p.m. Weak initial start in new time period.
-Smith (Tues. 10 p.m.): Canceled.
-Jericho (Wed. 8 p.m.): Surprisingly potent after three telecasts.
-Shark (Thurs. 10 p.m.): Losing about one-third of its CSI lead-in.

NBC
-Heroes (Mon. 9 p.m.): Renewed for the full season.
-Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Mon. 10 p.m.): Losing steam every week.
-Friday Night Lights (Wed. 8 p.m.): The lights were dark in week one.
-30 Rock (Wed. 8 p.m.): Debuting tomorrow.
-20 Good Years (Wed. 8:30 p.m.): Debuting tomorrow.
-Kidnapped (Wed. 10 p.m.): Closing down production and burning off the remaining episodes Saturday at 8 p.m.

Fox
-Vanished (Mon. 9 p.m.): Shifting to Friday at 8 p.m. in place of Nanny 911.
-Standoff (Tues. 8 p.m.): Flipping time periods with lead-out House as planned.
-Justice (Wed. 9 p.m.): Moving to Monday at 9 p.m. in place of Vanished.
-‘Til Death (Thurs. 8 p.m.): Waiting for the axe to swing.
-Happy Hour (Thurs. 8:30 p.m.): Canceled (or, to quote Fox. “on hiatus”)

CW
-Runaway (Mon. 9 p.m.): Moving to Sunday at 9 p.m. out of the relocated 7th Heaven after two DOA telecasts.
-The Game (Sun. 8:30 p.m.): Moved from Sunday at 8:30 p.m. to Monday at 9:30 p.m. also after two telecasts.


Ratings Box:
What’s Hot/What’s Not

-Respectable Start for Sci Fi’s Battlestar Galactica:
The two-hour, third-season premiere of Sci Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica was the top-rated cable series on Friday, Oct. 6, with a 1.8 household rating and 2.2 million viewers. Comparatively, however, that was still down by 900,000 viewers from the season two opener in July 2005 (3.1 million).

-Friday Night Smackdown! Dominates Among Young Men:
The CW’s Friday Night Smackdown! finished Friday, Oct. 6 as the top-rated show among men 18-34 (2.0/ 8), according to the fast nationals. It also finished second among men 18-49 (1.8/ 6) and third among adults 18-34 (1.6/ 6), ahead of ABC and Fox. Growth over former WB comedies What I Like About You. Grounded For Life, Reba and a repeat of Blue Collar TV on the year-ago evening was as much as 233 percent among men 18-34.

-Final Friday Nationals:
For the final Friday national rating results, click on www.pifeedback.com, then on 1) Ratings Box and 2) Last Night’s Results.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data