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[02/26/11 - 08:52 AM]
Friday's Broadcast Ratings: "Blue Bloods" Rises as CBS, FOX Split Demo Honors
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, february 25, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (10.38 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T1) and FOX (3.88 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T1) were neck and neck last night as the latter offered up new episodes of "Kitchen Nightmares" (3.72 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) and "Fringe" (4.04 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T4).

The Eye then served up its mix of "The Defenders" (8.72 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T8), "CSI: NY" (10.83 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T1) and "Blue Bloods" (11.58 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T1).

Next up was NBC (5.88 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T3) with new episodes of "Who Do You Think You Are?" (6.15 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T8) and "Dateline NBC" (5.75 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.4, #6).

Meanwhile, ABC (4.75 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T3) shared the bronze with its combination of "Supernanny" (4.04 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T10), "Primetime: What Would You Do?" (4.67 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #7) and "20/20" (5.54 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T4).

And finally, new episodes of "Smallville" (2.55 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T10) and "Supernatural" (2.17 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T10) on The CW (2.36 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5) closed out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): 20/20 (25.00%), Blue Bloods (6.30%), Fringe (0.00%), Supernanny (0.00%), Smallville (0.00%), CSI: NY (-5.60%), Kitchen Nightmares (-5.90%), Who Do You Think You Are? (-7.70%), Supernatural (-9.10%), Dateline NBC (-12.50%), The Defenders (-14.30%), Primetime: What Would You Do? (-18.80%).

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 3.1/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.8/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.3/4 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.8/3; "Nightline," 0.8/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/2 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.7/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.


Here are the highlights of the nine ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (2/26/10):

NBC (23.47 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.1, #1) coasted into the final days of the "Winter Olympics 2010" (23.47 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.1, #1) with another victory on Friday.

A distant second place then went to ABC (3.48 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #2) with its mix of "Blades of Glory" (3.24 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T2) and "20/20" (3.95 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T4).

Next up was CBS (4.63 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3) with its all-repeat lineup of "Ghost Whisperer" (5.11 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T2), "Medium" (4.08 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T6) and "NUMB3RS" (4.70 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T6).

Meanwhile, The CW (2.07 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4) moved up to fourth with a new "Smallville" (2.53 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T4) and a repeat of "Smallville" (1.60 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #9).

And finally, FOX (2.87 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #5) closed out the evening with its coverage of the "The 41st Annual NAACP Awards" (2.87 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.8, #8).

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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