Daniel Dae Kim

Wednesday 1/11/06

Primetime Wednesday Ratings:

Lost Leads ABC to Victory; UPN’s South Beach Disappoints

Metered Market Ratings

Note: The following overnight results exclude the Miami, Hartford, West Palm Beach, Providence, Las Vegas and Greenville markets.

 Yesterday’s Winners:

Lost (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI: NY R (CBS)

 Could Be Better:

E-Ring (NBC), One Tree Hill (WB)

 Yesterday’s Losers:

South Beach (UPN), Stacked (Fox), Invasion (ABC)

 Ratings Breakdown:

With the amazing Lost back (is this show unreal, or what?), there was no stopping ABC, which dominated Wednesday in the overnights, total viewers and adults 18-49. The two-hour series-premiere of drama South Beach, meanwhile, resulted in a last-place finish for UPN.

A Lost clips show opened the evening for ABC with a first-place 9.8/15 in the overnights, 13.50 million viewers and a 5.0/14 among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m. Comparatively, that was a double-digit percent increase over regularly scheduled sitcoms George Lopez and Freddie.

As a reminder, total viewers and adults 18-49 from last night are based on the fast national ratings. Year-ago comparisons are based on the final nationals.

At 9 p.m., the regularly scheduled edition of ABC’s Lost scored a first-place 13.1/19 in the overnights, 20.50 million viewers and an 8.5/20 among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. Despite the severity of the competition, CBS’ solid Criminal Minds remained just that, with a second-place 10.5/15 in the overnights, #2, 15.83 million viewers and a 4.8/11 among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. Comparably, that was an increase for Criminal Minds over Yes, Dear of a hefty 94 percent in the overnights, 6.73 million viewers and 50 percent among adults 18-49.

 Final Wednesday Nationals:

ABC, as usual, led the Wednesday troops on the strength of Lost, which netted a considerable 20.56 million viewers and an 8.5/20 among adults 18-49 at 9 p.m. Also impressive in the hour was CBS’ rock-solid Criminal Minds, at 15.92 million viewers and a 4.8/11 among adults 18-49.