Primetime Ratings Report For the week of November 26, 2007 (Based on National Live + Same Day Program Ratings)
ABC Wins the Week by 1.9 Million Viewers and by 29% in Adults 18-49,
The Biggest Margin of Victory for Any Net This Season in the Key Sales Demo
ABC Airs Each of the Top 5 Most-Watched TV Shows of the Week and
Places 8 of the Top 15 Shows in Adults 18-49, Including 5 of the Top 6
The Network Delivers its Top Results This Season and, Excluding
The Week of the '07 Oscars, its Strongest Week in Over 1 Year
Monday Season Finale of "DWTS" Delivers ABC's Best Performance in the Slot
In Viewers and Young Adults in More Than 7 Years with Series Programming
"Samantha Who?" Leads its New Monday 9pm Time Slot in Women 18-49,
Standing as Monday's No. 1 Comedy Among Adults 18-34 and Key Women
Season Premiere of ABC's "Notes from the Underbelly" Hits Regular Series Highs
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" Wins Tuesday at 8pm in Key Adults and Kids, Up Year to Year in Viewers and with its Second-Highest-Ever Women 18-49 Number on ABC
Achieving Season Highs in its Fifth Season Closer, "DWTS the Results Show" is Tuesday's Most-Watched Show, 7.8 Million Viewers Above its Closest Competitor
ABC Airs Wednesday's Top 2 TV Shows in Viewers and Young Adults with the Debut Of "Shrek the Halls" and "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," Respectively
In its Special 9pm Time Slot, ABC's "Pushing Daisies" Marks its Best-Since-Debut
Adult 18-49 Number and Achieves Series Highs with Adults 18-34, Teens and Kids
ABC Tops Friday by Wide Margins with a Replay of the Theatrical "The Polar Express"
ABC Wins Saturday Across the Board with Coverage of the "Big 12 Championship," The Top Viewer and Adult 18-49 Numbers for the College Football Game in 7 Years
ABC Leads Sunday Among Viewers and Young Adults, as "Desperate
Housewives" Turns in its Strongest Performance in More Than 1 Year
WEEK No. 10:
On a week that spanned the final 3 nights of the 2007 November Sweep and the opening nights of December, ABC ranked No. 1 in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. The Net defeated its nearest competitors during the week by 1.9 million viewers (12.5 million vs. 10.6 million � CBS) and by 29% in Adults 18-49 (4.0/10 vs. 3.1/8 � Fox), representing the biggest margin of victory for any network this season in the key young adult sales demographic. In viewers and young adults, the Net led 5 of 7 nights during the week. In addition, ABC ranked No. 1 in Adults 18-49 for the 7th of the 10 weeks so far this season. The Network tallied its 10th straight week this season as the No. 1 net across the key women demographics: W18-34 (3.9/11), W18-49 (5.0/12) and W25-54 (5.8/13).
� In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, ABC marked its strongest week of the season. In fact excluding the week of the 2007 "Academy Awards" telecast (w/o 2/19/07), the Net produced its largest weekly audience and highest Adult 18-49 rating in more than 1 year � since the week of 11/13/06. The Net was up by 2.4 million viewers and by 14% in Adults 18-49 from the comparable year-ago week (w/o 11/27/06 = 10.1 million and 3.5/9).
� For the 3rd consecutive November Sweep, ABC ranked No. 1 in the key Adult 18-49 sales demo (3.8/10), defeating second-place CBS for the month by 9% (3.5/9), third-place NBC by 15% (3.3/9) and fourth-place Fox by 23% (3.1/8). Making this year's November victory even more impressive was the fact that ABC did not air "Lost" on its schedule this fall, as it had in previous years.
Rankings: ABC claimed 8 of the Top 15 TV programs of the week in Adults 18-49, including 5 of the Top 6 shows: "Desperate Housewives" � No. 1, "Shrek the Halls" � No. 2, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" � No. 4, "DWTS the Results-TU" � No. 5, "Dancing with the Stars-MON" � No. 6, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" � No. 11, "Brothers & Sisters" � No. 12 and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" � No. 13. The Net aired all of the Top 5 most-watched TV shows during the week: "Dancing with the Stars the Results-TU" � No. 1, "Dancing with the Stars-MON" � No. 2, "Shrek the Halls" � No. 3, "Desperate Housewives" � No. 4 and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" � No. 5. In addition to ranking as one of the top shows during the week, ABC's debut airing of "Shrek the Halls" on Wednesday represented TV's most-watched animated holiday special since 1995 and the top-rated among Adults 18-49 since 1990. In addition, "Shrek the Halls" and "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" tied as the week's definitive No. 1 TV show with Kids 2-11, delivering the highest-ratings for any entertainment telecast on the broadcast networks in more than 7 years � since 8/23/00.
A note about increasing DVR penetration and year to year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating trends based on the Live + Same Day data stream may be somewhat distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped from over 11% during the same point in 2006 up to more than 21% currently. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. Therefore, the only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.
Monday
ABC's lineup featuring the Monday season finale of "Dancing with the Stars," the time period premiere of "Samantha Who?," the season premiere of "Notes from the Underbelly" and the time period premiere of "October Road" made ABC Monday's most-watched TV network for the 10th consecutive week this season, beating second-place CBS by nearly 1.0 million viewers (13.1 million vs. 12.2 million). The Net also ranked No. 1 on the evening across each of the key women demographics: Women 18-34 (4.0/9), Women 18-49 (5.3/12) and Women 25-54 (6.4/14).
� In winning the night in viewers, ABC matched its longest Monday Total Viewer winning streak (tied with Spring 07) in well over 7 years � since a streak during the 1999-00 season, from 10/18/99-1/09/00.
"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
The Monday season finale of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" was the most-watched show (24.2 million) on Monday night for the 10th week in a row and now stands as the second-most-watched primetime telecast for the 2007-08 TV season (behind only the season premiere of CBS' "C.S.I."). In addition, the broad appealing unscripted dance competition ranked as the No. 1 TV show of the evening with Adults 18-49 (6.0/15), Adults 25-54 (7.7/18) and across each of the key women demos: Women 18-34 (5.5/14), Women 18-49 (8.5/20) and Women 25-54 (10.9/24).
� The season finale of "Dancing with the Stars" registered ABC's highest numbers in Monday's 8 o'clock hour with series programming in over 7 years � since 5/1/00.
"Samantha Who?" (9:00-9:30 p.m.)
The season's No. 1 freshman comedy in viewers and young adults, as well as the most-watched new show overall, ABC's "Samantha Who?" finished second in its new 9:00-9:30 p.m. time period in Total Viewers (11.7 million) and Adults 18-34 (3.0/7). The freshman comedy led its half-hour in Women 18-49 (5.4/12 vs. 5.3/11), beating CBS' veteran comedy, "Two and a Half Men."
� "Samantha Who?" stood and Monday's No. 1 comedy among Adults 18-34 (3.0/7), Women 18-34 (4.3/10) and Women 18-49 (5.4/12).
"Notes from the Underbelly" (9:30-10:00 p.m.)
The second season premiere of "Notes from the Underbelly" drew 7.4 million viewers and a 2.7 rating, 6 share among Adults 18-49, registering the series' best regular telecast performance in both measures.
� "Notes from the Underbelly" beat its comedy competition in the time slot, CBS's "Rules of Engagement," by 19% in Adults 18-34 (2.5/6 vs. 2.1/5) and by 52% in Women 18-34 (3.5/8 vs. 2.3/5).
"October Road" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
The Monday premiere of ABC's "October Road" took second in its time period behind CBS' veteran drama "C.S.I.: Miami" across each of the key women demographics: Women 18-34 (2.5/6), Women 18-49 (2.8/7) and Women 25-54 (3.2/7).
Tuesday
For the second straight week, ABC achieved its best Tuesday numbers this season among Total Viewers (21.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (5.8/14), ranking as the definitive No. 1 TV network on the night. ABC bested its closest competition on the evening by 7.8 million viewers and by 12% in Adults 18-49 (Fox = 13.3 million & 5.2/13).
� ABC produced its largest Tuesday night audience in 7-1/2 years � since 5/2/00. It was the Net's highest non-sports Adult 18-49 rating on the evening in close to 7 years � since 1/9/01.
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
ABC's annual broadcast of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" dominated the 8 o'clock hour among Adults 18-49, leading second-place Fox's "Bones" by 35% (4.6/12 vs. 3.4/9). The broad appealing PEANUTS Christmas special also ranked No. 1 in its time slot with Adults 25-54 (5.0/12), Adults 18-34 (3.8/11) and Kids 2-11 (6.6/21). In fact among Kids 2-11 it stands as the highest-rated telecast this season on the broadcast networks.
� "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was up year to year in Total Viewers (13.6 million vs. 13.0 million), while garnering its second-highest-ever Women 18-49 number (5.8/15-tie) on ABC since starting to air on the Net 6 years ago in 2001.
"Dancing with the Stars the Results Show" (9:00-11:00 p.m.)
On its 5th season finale, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show" drew an average audience of 24.9 million viewers and a 6.4 rating, 15 share among Adults 18-49. IndyCar Series driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves won the ABC dance competition. Opposite stiff sweep competition during its 2-hour broadcast, including Fox's "House" at 9:00 p.m. and NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" at 10:00 p.m., the season closer of "Dancing" gained audience throughout its telecast, growing by 1.4 million viewers (24.3 million to 25.7 million) and by 17% in Adults 18-49 (5.9/14 to 6.9/17) from its first half-hour to its final half-hour. In fact "DWTS" was by far the most-watched TV show on Tuesday, surpassing the No. 2 program of the evening by 7.9 million viewers (CBS' "NCIS" = 17.0 million). In its finale, "Dancing with the Stars" achieved season highs in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
� ABC's "DWTS the Results Show" generated ABC's biggest audience in the Tuesday 9:00-11:00 p.m. time period 8-1/2 years � since 5/25/99, excluding sports.
Wednesday
ABC delivered a convincing victory on the final Wednesday of the 2007 November Sweep among Adults 18-49, leading its nearest competition on the evening by 22% (4.4/11 vs. 3.6/9 - CBS). Delivering a clean sweep on the evening across all key demographic categories, the Net also ranked No. 1 on the night with Adults 25-54 (5.0/12), Adults 18-34 (3.8/10), Teens 12-17 (2.7/9) and Kids 2-11 (5.1/19).
� For the 3rd consecutive November Sweep, ABC ranked No. 1 in the key Adult 18-49 sales demo (3.8/10), defeating second-place CBS for the month by 9% (3.5/9), third-place NBC by 15% (3.3/9) and fourth-place Fox by 23% (3.1/8). Making this year's November victory even more impressive was the fact that ABC did not air "Lost" on its schedule this fall, as it had in previous years.
� ABC claimed the Top 2 TV shows on Wednesday in viewers and young adults with "Shrek the Halls" and "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," respectively. In fact "Shrek the Halls" (11.6/33) and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (11.6/33) tied as the highest-rated Kids 2-11 primetime telecasts on the broadcast networks in over 7 years � since 8/23/00, excluding Super Bowls.
"Shrek the Halls" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
ABC's debut airing of "Shrek the Halls" towered above its time period competition to rank as Wednesday's No. 1 TV show in Total Viewers (20.8 million) and Adults 18-49 (7.1/19). In fact among Adults 18-49, "Shrek the Halls" beat its combined CBS, NBC and Fox competition in the half-hour by 18% (7.1/19 vs. 6.0/16).
� "Shrek the Halls" represented TV's most-watched animated holiday special in 12 years and the highest rated among Adults 18-49 in 7 years � since 11/28/95 and 12/11/00, respectively.
� The program drew ABC's largest audience in the time period in 1 year, its top non-sports Adult 18-49 number (tie) in nearly 2 years and its highest Kids 2-11 rating in close to 13 years � since 11/15/06, 1/12/05 and 1/25/95, respectively.
"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
The animated holiday classic "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" ranked as the No. 2 TV show of the evening in Viewers (18.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (6.8/17), behind only its lead-in. In its half-hour, "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" overshadowed its closest competitors, leading the slot by 9.1 million viewers (NBC's "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" = 9.4 million) and by 162% in Adults 18-49 (CW's "America's Next Top Model" = 2.6/7).
� "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" generated ABC's top viewer and young adult numbers in the time period in 1 year and its highest Kids 2-11 rating in more than 13-1/2 years � since 11/15/06 and 4/13/94, respectively.
� In its second year airing on ABC, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" jumped by 7.5 million viewers and by 74% in Adults 18-49 from the prior year (11.0 million & 3.9/11 on 12/12/06).
"Pushing Daisies" (9:00-10:02 p.m.)
Up against a season-high performance for CBS' "Criminal Minds," ABC's special 9 o'clock airing of "Pushing Daisies" took second place among Total Viewers (10.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (3.7/9), pacing well ahead of third-place Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares" (7.0 million & 3.3/8) and NBC's "Bionic Woman" (5.9 million & 2.2/5). "Daisies" ranked No. 1 in the hour among Adults 18-34 (3.4/9-tie), Teens 12-17 (2.3/7) and Kids 2-11 (3.1/12).
� Receiving strong additional sampling in its special time period, "Pushing Daisies" matched its best-since-debut Adult 18-49 rating (on 10/3/07), while hitting series highs with Adults 18-34, Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.
"Dirty Sexy Money" (10:02-11:00 p.m.)
Taking second to CBS' veteran "C.S.I.: NY," ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" topped its freshman drama competition during the 10 o'clock hour, NBC's "Life," by 11% in Total Viewers (7.0 million vs. 6.3 million) and by 18% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/7 vs. 2.2/6). The new ABC series ranked No. 1 in its time period among Women 18-34 (3.2/9), beating "C.S.I.: NY" by 7% (3.0/8).
� "Dirty Sexy Money" was up week to week by 9% in Viewers and by 30% in Adults 18-49 (6.4 million and 2.0/6 on 11/21/07).
Thursday
"Grey's Anatomy" (9:00-10:02 p.m.)
A repeat of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" ranked No. 1 in the 9 o'clock hour across each of the key women demographics: Women 18-34 (3.9/10), Women 18-49 (4.4/10) and Women 25-54 (5.1/11 � tied).
"Big Shots" (10:02-11:00 p.m.)
In the final hour of the night against veteran dramas on CBS ("Without a Trace") and NBC ("ER"), ABC's freshman "Big Shots" ranked No. 2 among Women 18-34 (2.8/8), beating CBS.
Friday
ABC's lineup that included a rebroadcast of the "ABC Friday Movie of the Week: The Polar Express" and an installment of "20/20" led the evening in Total Viewers (9.3 million) and across each of the key adults demographics: Adults 18-34 (2.0/7), Adults 18-49 (2.7/8) and Adults 25-54 (3.3/9). ABC produced its best numbers on the night in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 in 1 year � since 12/01/06.
"ABC Friday Movie of the Week: The Polar Express " (8:00-10:00 p.m.)
The Net's special telecast of the "ABC Friday Movie of the Week: The Polar Express" took the top spot in its two-hour time period in Total Viewers (10.4 million), all key adult demos (Adults 18-34 � 2.3/8, Adults 18-49 � 3.1/9 and Adults 25-54 � 3.6/10) and Kids 2-11 (6.0/19).
� "The Polar Express" stood as the No. 1 program on Friday among Adults 18-49, Adults 25-54 and Kids 2-11.
"20/20" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
In the final hour of prime, ABC News' "20/20" won its time slot Adults 18-49 rating (2.1/6) and Adults 25-54 (2.7/7 � tied).
Saturday
"Big 12 Championship: Oklahoma vs. Missouri" (8:00-11:00 p.m.)
For the second week in a row, ABC ranked as the No. 1 Network on Saturday with its broadcast of the "Big 12 Championships: Oklahoma vs. Missouri," leading the night in Total Viewers (10.3 million) and across each of the key adult demographics: Adults 18-34 (3.6/11), Adults 18-49 (3.8/11) and Adults 25-54 (3.8/10).
� ABC's "Big 12 Championship: Oklahoma vs. Missouri" (8:11 � 11:41 p.m.) game, featuring the Oklahoma Sooners and the Missouri Tigers, posted the top numbers for any "Big 12 Championship" game in Total Viewers (10.8 million) and Adults 18-49 (4.1/12) in 7 years � since 12/2/00.
� ABC delivered it highest young adult ratings (AD18-34/AD18-49) on the night in over 1 year � since 11/25/06.
Sunday
ABC won Sunday evening, beating second-place NBC in both Total Viewers (13.9 million vs. 12.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (4.9/12 vs. 4.8/11). ABC's Adult 18-49 victory becomes even more impressive, given it came against NBC's "Sunday Night Football" (Pittsburgh-Cincinnati) and an NFL-fueled Fox, with a big overrun into the opening hour of primetime.
� For its 9th straight airing this season (on each of the series' telecasts), ABC's "Desperate Housewives" stood as Sunday's No. 1 TV series in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In addition, ABC aired Sunday's Top 3 entertainment programs in the key Adult 18-49 sales demo with "Housewives," "Home Edition" and " Brothers & Sisters," respectively.
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" made ABC the No. 1 network during the 8 o'clock hour in viewers and young adults. ABC's "Home Edition" outdelivered its unscripted competition in the time period, CBS' "The Amazing Race XII," by 3.1 million viewers (14.4 million vs. 11.3 million) and by 37% in Adults 18-49 (4.8/11 vs. 3.5/8).
"Desperate Housewives" (9:00-10:01 p.m.)
Sunday's No. 1 TV series for its 9th consecutive telecast, ABC's "Desperate Housewives" dominated the 9 o'clock hour with season highs in Total Viewers (20.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (7.8/17), beating out NBC's NFL coverage (15.5 million viewers and 6.0/14 in AD18-49). In a "Housewives" episode where Wisteria Lane is devastated by a tornado, the series bested it nearest non-sports competition in the slot by 9.7 million viewers (CBS' original movie "Pictures of Hollis Woods" = 11.0 million) and by 152% in Adults 18-49 (Fox's "Family Guy"/"American Dad" = 3.1/7).
� ABC's "Desperate Housewives" drew its largest audience and highest Adult 18-49 rating in over 1 year � since 11/26/06.
"Brothers & Sisters" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" outperformed its non-sports competition during Sunday's 10 o'clock hour, CBS' original movie "Pictures of Hollis Woods," by 7% in Total Viewers (12.6 million vs. 11.8 million) and by 114% among Adults 18-49 (4.7/11 vs. 2.2/5). The ABC sophomore series won the hour, beating NBC's NFL coverage, across each of the key women demos: Women 18-34 (5.0/12), Women 18-49 (6.6/15) and Women 25-54 (7.8/17).
Source: Nielsen Media Research (National Live+Same Day Program Ratings), week of 11/26/07, unless stated otherwise.
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