Posted: Fri., Jan. 9, 1998
'Seven'-11 combo puts Eye on top
Net posts win, a recent rarity
By TOM BIERBAUM
"The Magnificent Seven" and the Nebraska 11 have blitzed the Dec. 29-Jan. 4 Nielsens competition, putting CBS atop the weeklong primetime standings in households. NBC remained in charge of the adults 18-49 demographic, as it has been for 14 of 15 weeks this season (including a tie).
On Monday meanwhile, ABC got a solid start from its post-football lineup, NBC's "Dateline" hit record numbers and CBS' lineup fizzled, but Fox's "Ally McBeal" stole the spotlight, formally achieving status as the biggest hit of the season thus far.
"The Magnificent Seven" keyed CBS' weeklong victory by corralling the net's most lopsided Saturday households win in three months. "Seven" rustled up a posse of new male viewers for that lineup, more than doubling the Eye's men 25-54 season average in the slot.
On Jan. 2, CBS' coverage of the Orange Bowl, despite a 26% drop vs. the comparable year-ago gridcast, scored the network's best Friday rating in the nearly four years since the '94 Winter Olympics.
The week's combo of three prime-time bowl game gridcasts lost roughly 15% vs. year-ago results, which was not a surprising drop, given the reduced national-championship implications of this year's primetime lineup and the particularly weak marquee value of this year's Fiesta Bowl.
Last week also saw the WB best UPN for a fourth straight week in homes and a second straight week in adults 18-49, after having topped UPN just once in the previous 16 months in the vital 18-49 demo. In homes, it was the biggest WB edge over UPN ever, and the WB may stretch that advantage starting Jan. 19, when five Sinclair stations are scheduled to switch affiliation from UPN to the WB.
Dec. 29-Jan. 4 adults 18-49 averages were: NBC, a 5.6 rating, 15 share (down in rating by 8% vs. results for the same week last year); ABC, 4.9/13 (down 17%); Fox, 4.5/12 (down 6%); CBS, 4.2/11 (down 2%); WB, 1.5/4 (up 50%); UPN, 1.3/4 (down 19%). With football and "Magnificent Seven" on its team, CBS earned its best men 25-54 stats since April 1-7, 1996.
Saturday
NBC led the night in adults 18-49 despite CBS' strong start for "Magnificent Seven," which galloped to the Eye's best regular-programming homes rating in that slot since Nov. 16, 1996, and best in men 25-54 since Nov. 20, 1993.
The boost in male viewers helped "Walker, Texas Ranger" to its second-highest rating of the season and spurred CBS to nightlong wins in homes and adults 25-54.
NBC enjoyed its highest Saturday 18-49 rating with regular programming since premiere week 1996. The 9 p.m. "Pretender" set a regular-slot 18-49 series record.
Fox also feasted, with each of its Saturday regulars turning in its highest rating since March 23, 1996.
ABC suffered through another horrible Saturday, with "Celebration of America's Music" croaking out what's apparently the worst non-political primetime rating in Big Three regular-season history (excepting telecasts cleared in only portions of the country). "Savion Glover's Nu York" also fell to ABC's worst rating on record for that timeslot.
|
