Dollhouse

Friday 4/03/09

 Total Viewers:

CBS: 7.81 million, ABC: 5.28, NBC: 4.02, Fox: 3.42, CW: 1.60

 Adults 18-49: CBS: 1.6 rating/6 share, ABC: 1.6/ 5, Fox: 1.3/ 5, NBC: 1.2/ 4, CW: 0.7/ 2

Note: Any prior rating results are based on the final nationals. Since the level of DVR penetration has increased from 20 percent at this same point last year to approximately 28 percent at present, the overall results may be negatively impacted.

 Friday’s Winners:

Since not a single show cracked 9 million viewers or a 2 rating among adults 18-49, there were no “winners.”

 Friday’s Losers (excluding repeats):

Howie Do It (NBC), Wife Swap (ABC), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox), Everybody Hates Chris (CW), The Game (CW), Friday Night Lights (NBC), Dollhouse (Fox), Dateline (NBC) — that’s a lot of losers!

 Ratings Breakdown: CBS won this first Friday in April with its combination of a repeat of Ghost Whisperer (Viewers: #1, 7.30 million; A18-49: #1, 1.6 rating/ 6 share), Flashpoint (Viewers: #1, 8.64 million; A18-49: #1, 1.8/ 6) and a repeat of Numb3rs (Viewers: #1, 7.50 million; A18-49: #2, 1.6/ 5). The positive news for Flashpoint, of course, was growth out of the Ghost Whisperer encore of 1.34 million viewers and 12 percent among adults 18-49.

Next on this typically bland Friday was ABC care of Wife Swap (Viewers: #2, 4.62 million; A18-49: #2, 1.5/ 6), a repeat of Supernanny (Viewers: #2, 4.55 million; A18-49: #3, 1.4/ 5) and 20/20 (Viewers: #2, 6.67 million; A18-49: #1, 1.8/ 6).

NBC was third overall in total viewers and fourth among adults 18-49 with its uneventful line-up of two episodes of Howie Do It (Viewers: #3, avg. 3.56 million; A18-49: #4, avg. 1.1/ 4), just renewed Friday Night Lights (Viewers: #4, 3.61 million; A18-49: #4, 1.2/ 4) and Dateline (Viewers: #3, 4.89 million; A18-49: #3, 1.4/ 5). Fans of Friday Night Lights will be happy to know that the critically acclaimed drama has been picked-up for two seasons (and 26 episodes) in a new deal with NBC and DirecTV. That’s a smart way to keep a low-rated series on the air.

Fox was just the opposite of NBC — fourth in total viewers and third among adults 18-49 — with its line-up of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Viewers: #4, 3.35 million; A18-49: #3, 1.3/ 5), which concludes the season (or series) next Friday and Dollhouse (Viewers: #4, 3.49 million; A18-49: #3, 1.4/ 5). Unfortunately, there is no way to put a positive spin on the Dollhouse numbers this week.

Last was the CW is its abysmal combination of Everybody Hates Chris (Viewers: 1.79 million; A18-49: 0.6/ 2), The Game (Viewers: 1.86 million; A18-49: 0.8/ 3) and an encore telecast of America’s Next Top Model (Viewers: 1.37 million; A18-49: 0.6/ 2) — all last in each category. Chances are there will be no sitcoms on the CW’s line-up next season. What it will do to improve Friday (and Sunday) is anyone’s guess.