Eye pops, NBC hot , ABC drops, NBC tops
Among the early-sweeps surprises: ABC collapsed to the worst nightlong rating in ABC-CBS-NBC history Saturday, with what's apparently the lowest-rated primetime non-political hour ever for any of the Big Three --- a "U2" rockumentary that's an important component of the Alphabet's "ABC is Pop" theme for the sweeps.
Then on Sunday, ABC had to settle for fairly average startup numbers from its pivotal "The Shining" multiparter, down 29% from the first-episode 18-49 rating of ABC's last Stephen King-penned mini, "The Langoliers." The drop is perhaps not a surprise, given that "The Shining" had to launch against Fox's potent "X-Files."
CBS, meanwhile, is off to a hot sweeps start, thanks largely to Friday's "Dukes of Hazzard Reunion!" which more than doubled the Eye's 18-49 average for that time period a year ago.
Thus, with the first five nights of the four-week May sweeps tabulated (through Monday of this week), CBS has snuck ahead of heavily favored NBC in the households race, though NBC remains far ahead in the key adults 18-49 demo (where CBS is fourth).
Household averages are: CBS, a 10.8 rating, 18 share (up 4% in rating compared with results for the same period last year); NBC, 10.6/18 (down 18% vs. May '96, when NBC went on a rampage with "The Beast"); ABC, 7.9/13 (down 7%); Fox, 7.5/13 (up 10%).
In adults 18-49, it's: NBC, a 6.9 rating (down 23%); Fox, 5.5 (up 15%); ABC. 5.2 (up 8%); CBS, 4.8 (up 14%).
Last week's adults 18-49 averages were: NBC, 6.9/19 (down 9%); Fox, 5.1/14 (up 19%); ABC, 5.0/14 (down 9%); CBS, 4.5/12 (up 13%); UPN, 1.8/5 (up 29%); WB, 1.2/3 (up 9%). It's NBC's 13th win in a row in this important demo, and 30th in 32 weeks this season.
Monday
Monday of this week (April 29) has fallen to ABC's part two of "The Shining" (12.1 rating, 20 share), which slipped by 7% in adults 18-49 vs. Sunday's part one. That was still good enough to take the night and suggests this mini will perform respectably through its third episode Thursday.
CBS was a close second for the night in homes, led by "Chicago Hope" (11.4/19), but "Murphy Brown" (9.3/15) looked a little anemic as the Eye's new 8:30 regular. "Brown" built by a modest 3% on its 18-49 lead-in from "Cosby" (9.7/17 in homes), putting it behind six of seven episodes of "Everybody Love Raymond" in that slot.
ABC's Tom Hanks-hosted "I Am Child" pub-affairs spec earned a credible 7.2/12, and beat CBS' sitcoms that hour among adults 18-49.
Sunday
Despite high-powered sweeps competition, Fox won every half-hour from 7-10 p.m. among adults 18-49, winning its sixth Sunday in seven weeks by that vital measure. "The X-Files" won its hour in adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, despite "Shining" competition. At 7 p.m., though, "Scariest Police Chases" slowed by 18% in adults 18-49 vs. its predecessor spec, which aired in that same slot Feb. 2.
"The Shining" didn't scare the competition as much as expected, but still managed ABC's best vidpic 18-49 rating in the two years since "The Langoliers." ABC also improved by 77% on its 18-49 season average in that time period and led the competing net films by 8 shares in that demo.
"The Shining," however, has failed to approach the numbers of other recent Stephen King-authored multiparters, and apparently will be the lowest-rated to date. CBS took the night in homes with "A Match Made in Heaven," the second-highest-rated single-episode vidpic of the season (behind only the previous week's "Rose Hill"). At 8 p.m., "Touched by an Angel" topped "3rd Rock From the Sun" in adults 18-49 for a second straight week.
NBC's first primetime NBA playoff hoopcast improved by 13% on the comparable year-ago Miami-Chicago overrun.
WB's Sunday sitcom lineup rallied to its best rating in eight weeks.
Saturday
ABC hit lows of historic proportions with its "U2: A Year in Pop" spec. The only lower-rated non-political primetime telecasts this decade and perhaps ever have been summer comedy tryouts --- ABC's "On the Air" (2.3/7, July 4, 1992) and NBC's "Lookwell" (2.3/5, July 28, 1991). Since those were half-hours, "U2" apparently also reps the lowest-rated non-political primetime hour in Big Three history, even including summer reruns.
Also showing no signs of life on ABC is "Leaving L.A.," which tied for what appears to be the second-lowest regular-season rating in ABC-CBS-NBC history.
NBC tied CBS for first for the night among adults 18-49. From 8-10 p.m., Fox tied NBC for first, with CBS trailing. CBS, though, took the night in homes and adults 25-54.
Friday
CBS ran rings around the competition with its "Dukes" reunion pic, the first CBS programming to win a Friday in adults 18-49 in nearly five months. It was also CBS' highest Friday 18-49 rating (non-sports) since Feb. 11, 1994 ("Miss USA"). "Dukes" was particularly a hit with young-adult audiences, beating CBS' time period average among adults 18-34 by 135%.
"Nash Bridges" helped with its highest homes rating in three months, thanks to guest appearances by star Don Johnson's "Miami Vice" co-star Philip Michael Thomas and supporting actor Cheech Marin's former comedy partner Tommy Chong.
In a rare role-reversal, ABC won the night in homes but lost to CBS in young-adult demos. Up against "Dukes," all four of the "TGIF" sitcoms hit their worst firstrun ratings ever, and collectively they ran fourth from 8-10 p.m. among adults 18-49. A "20/20" interview of Ellen DeGeneres helped save the night for ABC.
Thursday
NBC towered over the competition on the opening night of sweeps. At 9:30, rookie "Fired Up" retained a credible 81% of its 18-49 lead-in from "Seinfeld" (down from 84% from the first two tries for "Fired"). At 8 p.m., "Friends" settled for its lowest firstrun homes rating since Dec. 15, 1994.
Wednesday
NBC dominated, as "The Academy of Country Music Awards" strummed the Peacock's most melodic non-sports Wednesday numbers since Nov. 29, 1995. It was also the highest-rated "ACM Awards" in three years, up 9% over the '96 tally.
A special "Spin City" showed promise as a schedule mate to "Drew Carey," holding 95% of "Drew's" 18-49 lead-in. That's ABC's best retention in that slot --- with anything other than another "Drew" --- since last Dec. 11.
The seas are getting choppier for "Pacific Palisades," which last week sunk to a homes rating lower than any firstrun "Party of Five" in that slot (excepting a Thanksgiving telecast), since Dec. 5, 1994.
Tuesday
ABC had reason to rejoice on this night, as "Soul Man" improved by a heavenly 30% on its 18-49 lead-in from a "Home Improvement" rerun. That appears to be the best build ever on an "Improvement" lead-in (with anything other than another "Improvement").
Unfortunately for ABC, it's got just one more firstrun "Soul" (aired last night), and the Dan Aykroyd sitcom, so far, has the look of a hit.
At 10 p.m., though, "NYPD Blue" may be tiring, last week huffing to its lowest firstrun rating ever.
Monday
NBC got the last laugh on Monday, April 21, with a special sitcom lineup (Daily Variety, April 23).
Each rating point represents an estimated 970,000 households, or 1% of the country's TV homes. The share is the same sort of percentage, except that it's measured against only the households in which TV is being watched during the timeslot involved.
