Week 40: ABC claims 6 of the week's Top 20 shows in 18-49

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Overall: During the week of 6/20/11, ABC aired 6 of the Top 20 TV programs among Adults 18-49, placing 3 in the Top 10:  Wipeout-Thurs and Expedition Impossible tied at #8, The Bachelorette – #10, Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition – #13, 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show – #15 and Wipeout-Tues – #20.  In addition, ABC’s The Bachelorette, Wipeout-Thurs and Expedition Impossible all finished among the Top 15 most-watched television shows overall for the week.  ABC claimed the top news program for the 2nd week in a row, as Primetime Nightline: The Casey Anthony Story on Wednesday ranked as the week’s #1 newsmagazine in Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54.  Building week to week in Total Viewers (+15%) and Adults 18-49 (+8%), ABC stood as the only major net to grow on either measure.


Monday: Driven by its winning combo of The Bachelorette and Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, ABC earned first place on Monday night, outdelivering its nearest competitors by 1.2 million viewers (NBC) and by 29% among Adults 18-49 (Fox).

Extending its winning streaks on the evening, ABC stood as Monday’s most-watched television network for the 15th week running and finished #1 in Adults 18-49 for the 11th straight week. In fact, the Net is producing its longest Monday winning streak in nearly 14 years with Total Viewers – since a streak that ran from w/o 9/1/97 – w/o 12/22/97.

At 8pm, ABC’s The Bachelorette took first place its time period for the 5th consecutive week, defeating its closest competition in the 2-hour time period by 34% in Total Viewers (NBC) and by 35% in Adults 18-49 (Fox). Monday’s #1 TV show in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, ABC’s The Bachelorette registered as Monday’s most-watched show overall for the 4th week in a row.

Showing strong lead-in retention (87%) during the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition beat its rivals by wide margins in Adults 18-49, leading runner-up NBC’s original drama (Law & Order: Los Angeles) by an impressive 54%. In addition, the ABC unscripted series won its hour for the 4th week in a row across all key Women demographics (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Building audience throughout its broadcast, EM: Weight Loss Edition gained 7% in viewers and 11% in young adults from its first half-hour to its second half-hour. ABC’s EM: Weight Loss Edition once again improved its hour year to year. On average, the new unscripted series is boosting the hour for ABC by 1.0 million viewers, by 11% in Adults 18-49 and by 13% in Adults 18-34 over the comparable nights last year with originals of True Beauty. 

Tuesday: With a special preview of Wipeout leading into the debuts of 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show and Combat Hospital, ABC earned second place to NBC (America’s Got Talent/2-hour The Voice) on Tuesday among Adults 18-49, beating Fox by 14% and CBS by 45%. In the 8pm hour against NBC’s America’s Got Talent and Fox’s MasterChef, ABC’s special summer sneak peek of Wipeout outdrew its unscripted competition on Fox by 1.1 million viewers. 

In addition, the broad-appealing Wipeout was the 2nd-highest-rated broadcast show in its time slot with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.  Despite facing stiff time-period competition, Wipeout built by 6% in Total Viewers and by 20% in Adults 18-49 from its first half-hour to its second half-hour.  In viewers and young adults, Wipeout generated ABC’s top numbers in the hour this summer. Please Note: Wipeout’s actual summer premiere is Thursday (6/23/11) from 8-9pm. 

Opposite the opening hour of NBC’s The Voice semi-finals edition from 9-10pm, ABC’s debut of 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show built on its lead-in and gained audience during its broadcast to finish #2 in Adults 18-49.  Impressively, the new ABC show beat NBC’s The Voice by 11% in Teens 12-17 to stand as the #1 broadcast program on Tuesday evening.  Like its lead-in, 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show grew its audience throughout its broadcast, picking up 7% in viewers and 5% in young adults from start to finish.  At 10pm against the second hour of The Voice, the series debut of ABC’s Combat Hospital retained a strong 95% of its lead-in to stand as the 2nd-most-watched TV show overall. 

The new ABC drama also finished #2 in the hour with Adults 25-54.  Combat Hospital improved the hour year to year for ABC by a substantial 36% in Total Viewers, topping the year-ago night with original programming.

Wednesday: Featuring comedy encores and a special Primetime Nightline: The Casey Anthony Story, ABC grew year to year for the 4th straight Wednesday this summer, building over the year-ago evening (6/23/10) by 20% in Total Viewers and by 18% in Adults 18-49 with the same mix of repeat and original programming.  At 8:30pm, ABC’s

The Middle repeat beat out CBS’ repeat Undercover Boss by 10% in Adults 18-49.  At 9pm, ABC’s replay Modern Family defeated CBS’ replay Criminal Minds by 33% in Adults 18-49 to stand as the #1 scripted TV show of the night. 

In addition, the ABC sophomore comedy was up over its year-ago rebroadcast by 14%. In the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC’s encore Happy Endings improved its time period from the same night last year by 10% in Adults 18-49. 

Surging from its lead-in and building throughout its broadcast against NBC’s America’s Got Talent, ABC’s special Primetime Nightline: The Casey Anthony Story took second place in the 10 o’clock hour versus its network rivals with key adults (AD18-49/AD25-54).  The Primetime Nightline special greatly improved its hour for ABC over the year-ago night with original programming, boosting the time slot by 1.9 million viewers, by 18% in Adults 18-49 and by 50% in Adults 25-54.

Thursday: With a strong opening for its Thursday summer lineup (Wipeout/Expedition Impossible/Rookie Blue), ABC finished #1 on the night in Adults 18-49, towering over Fox by 40%, CBS by 40% and NBC by 163%.  In a rare feat for a new series, ABC’s Expedition Impossible debuted as the night’s #1 TV show, tying ABC’s Wipeout.  Growing 11% over the same night last year (also a night of premieres on 6/24/10) in Adults 18-49, the Net marked its top summer Thursday with non-sports programming in more than 3 years – since 5/29/08 with the season finale of Lost. 

At 8pm, ABC’s summer premiere of Wipeout catapulted over its 2-night-ago Tuesday sneak peek in viewers (+45%) and young adults (+41%).  The broad-appealing ABC unscripted series won its time period by wide margins, beating Fox’s original So You Think You Can Dance by 1.2 million viewers and 20% in Adults 18-49. In viewers and young adults, ABC’s Wipeout posted the show’s highest numbers in nearly 5 months – since 2/3/11. Opening as Thursday’s #1 TV show in Adults 18-49, ABC’s debut of Expedition Impossible retained 100% of its Wipeout lead-in to dominate its rivals in the 9 o’clock hour. 

In fact the new ABC unscripted show premiered as the #1 program in its slot among key adults (AD18-49/AD25-54) and was the top-rated broadcast show with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.  Surging over the year-ago night by 26% in Adults 18-49, Expedition Impossible scored ABC’s highest non-sports summer rating in the time period since May 2008 – since 5/29/08 with the season closer of Lost. 

At 10pm, ABC’s sophomore season premiere of Rookie Blue ranked #1 in its time slot in Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54.  Despite moving into a later time period this season (shifting from 9pm to 10pm) with lower overall TV usage, ABC’s Rookie Blue was up from its freshman season finale last September (9/9/10) by nearly 1.0 million viewers and by 33% – drawing the series’ largest overall audience since mid-August last year and since early-August in young adults – since 8/19/10 and 8/5/10, respectively. 

In addition, Rookie Blue hit a series high with Women 18-34.  Rookie Blue produced strong year-over-year gains for ABC in the hour with viewers (+14%) and young adults (+23%), topping original programming on the year-ago night.  In fact with viewers and young adults, Rookie Blue posted ABC’s best summer numbers in the hour with regular programming since August 2008 – since 8/7/08.

Friday: At 8pm, ABC’s replay Shark Tank was the #1 program in the hour on the major nets in Adults 18-49, topping NBC’s original Friday Night Lights by 25%, CBS’ repeat Flashpoint by 25% and Fox’s encore Bones by 25%. During the 9 o’clock hour, ABC’s Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution finished #1 against its network rivals in Adults 18-34, beating NBC’s Dateline by 29%. In fact, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution stood as Friday’s #1 show on the major nets in the AD18-34 demo. Surging 50% week to week in Adults 18-34, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution equaled its 2nd-best number of the season.

Sunday: ABC’s repeat America’s Funniest Home Videos finished as the #1 regular program during the 7 o’clock hour among Adults 18-49, defeating CBS’ encore 60 Minutes by 25%, NBC’s encore Dateline by 25% and Fox’s replay animated comedies by 43% (American Dad/Bob’s Burgers).  ABC’s replay video-clip show also ranked as the #1 series its slot with key Women (W18-49/W25-54) and was once again the highest-rated broadcast program with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.

(source: ABC)