Primetime Ratings, Sunday, 3/2/14

 

 

ABC (unsurprisingly) won the night via the Oscars, although it's not like much competition was offered.

Speaking of which, the 86th annual Academy Awards made out like gangbusters, even when you factor in the weak field it was up against. The ceremony earned a staggering 13.1 in the 18-49 demo, slightly topping last year's already highly rated event.

As if that wasn't impressive enough, the 43 million total viewers the telecast drew stands as the largest audience for an entertainment (ie: non-sports or politics) program since the 2004 series finale of NBC's "must-see" sitcom 'Friends.'

Elsewhere, CBS was the only network brave/stupid enough to offer an alternative programming option. '60 Minutes' started things off by rising a smidge to a 1.4. Unfortunately, 'The Amazing Race' matched last week's series low of 1.5, setting  a bad precedent for Season 24 of the veteran reality program. Then again, CBS did inexplicably choose to schedule its first two episodes opposite the Olympics and the Oscars, so who knows if they even care how the ratings for 'Race' do at this point.

Key: Broadcast Network - Show Name - 18-49 Rating - 18-49 Share - Total Viewers In Millions

7PM

ABC - Oscars Red Carpet - 3.1 - 10 - 14.67

CBS - 60 Minutes (N) - 1.4 - 4 - 9.27

NBC - Dateline (R) - 0.9 - 2 - 4.21

FOX - Bob's Burgers (R) - 0.7 - 2 - 1.97

7:30PM

ABC - Oscars Red Carpet - 4.5 - 13 - 18.72

FOX - American Dad (R) - 0.7 - 2 - 1.75

8PM

ABC - Oscars Red Carpet - 6.9 - 19 - 26.92

CBS - The Amazing Race (N) - 1.5 - 4 - 6.10

FOX - The Simpsons (R) - 1.1 - 3 - 2.54

8:30PM

ABC - The Oscars - 13.1 - 33 - 43.74

FOX - Bob's Burgers (R) - 1.1 - 3 - 2.34

9PM

FOX - Family Guy (R) - 1.3 - 3 - 2.67

NBC - The Voice (R) - 1.1 - 3 - 3.39

CBS - The Mentalist (R) - 0.5 - 1 - 3.42

9:30PM

FOX - American Dad (R) - 1.1 - 3 - 2.41

10PM

CBS - The Good Wife (R) - 0.4 - 1 - 2.86

Source: Nielsen Media Research

PRIMETIME PROGNOSTICATION

The five main factors I consider when making a prediction are thus:

1. Does the show win its timeslot, and how often? (CW shows are exempt from this criteria.)

2. How do the show's ratings compare to similar programs on the same network? (Self explanatory.)

3. How long has the show been on the air? (Veteran series are always more likely to get renewed.)

4. Does the show have any high-profile leads? (Never discount star power.)

5. How much does the show cost to make? (Approximately, exact TV budgets are hard to come by.)

Once Upon a Time - Guaranteed Renewal

Revenge - Guaranteed Renewal

The Good Wife - Likely Renewal

The Mentalist - Likely Renewal

No Scripted Programming Available

The Simpsons - Already Renewed

Bob's Burgers - Already Renewed

Family Guy - Guaranteed Renewal

American Dad - Already Renewed (by TBS)

No Scripted Programming Available