Ratings, Scheduling & Changes

Studio 60 The Complete Series On DVD
June 30, 2007 - The ratings for the last six episodes (shown after the regular season ended for other network shows) were much worse than for the shows that aired before the hiatus. For the Finale Zip 2 It had this on “Fast National ratings for Thursday, June 28, 2007″:
“At 10 p.m., a ‘Shark’ repeat on CBS scored a 5.5/10. The finale of ‘Studio 60′ on NBC averaged 2.7/5, beating the 2.6/5 for ABC’s ‘Men in Trees.’”
February 21, 2007 - The last two episodes have had the worst ratings of any of the episodes so far.
February 20, 2007 - Show goes on indefinite hiatus.
February 16, 2007 - TV Week reports “NBC Yanks ‘Studio 60′ Off Schedule Early”:
After NBC’s ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’ posted a season-low ratings performance Monday, the network pulled the show off the schedule a week earlier than planned, making room for ‘The Black Donnellys.’
“‘Donnellys,’ a crime drama, was originally slated to premiere March 5, taking the ‘Studio’ slot. ‘Studio’ posted a 2.8 rating among adults 18 to 49 Monday night, the latest stumble for the Aaron Sorkin series.
“NBC said the remaining ‘Studio’ episodes will air at a later date. ‘Studio’ was always slated to leave the schedule to make room for ‘Donnellys,’ but NBC�s change in schedule following Monday�s performance may signal that the likelihood of a cancellation is increasing.”
January 26, 2007 -:
Wikipedia is charting the ratings of the various Studio 60 episodes
January 23, 2007 - Information on the Overnights for “Monday“:
“It was business as usual at 10 p.m., with CBS� CSI: Miami (12.5/20) a healthy No. 1; followed by the return of NBC�s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (5.3/8); and ABC�s sinking What About Brian (3.8/ 6). Unfortunately, absence did not make the ratings heart grow fonder for Studio 60.”
December 28, 2006 - New “Projected Date” schedule from The Futon Critic:
1.12 - January 22nd (Editor’s Note: “Monday”)
1.13 - January 29th
1.14 - February 5th
1.15 - February 12th
1.16 - February 19th
1.17 - February 26th
1.18 - March 5th
Up to “B-12″ List of Ratings
From Blogger 60 on the Sunset Strip
December 2 - “HungryHippo2004: posted on the Television Without Pity Studio 60 Forum Site that “According to The Futon Critic “this is the schedule for the next 8 episodes:
1.11 - December 4th
1.12 - January 8th (They have since eliminated this which changes the numbers)
1.13 - January 22nd
1.14 - January 29th
1.15 - February 5th
1.16 - February 12th
1.17 - February 19th
1.18 - February 26th
“So the upcoming episode is the last new one of the year, and there’s a four week break until the show returns. And after 1.18 airs on February 26th that leaves four further episodes to air who knows where/when.”
E-Online: Studio 60 Stays in the Picture by Gina Serpe:
“According to the Hollywood Reporter, the remaining nine episodes will be made at a lower license fee, alleviating some of the financial burden for NBC. The first 13 episodes cost the network close to $3 million to license, slightly less than the cost of producing an episode of the show. The fee to Warner Bros. for the remaining nine episodes will be slightly less pricey for the network.”
Studio 60 may be changing its time slot:
“Kevin Reilly… did not commit to keeping ‘Studio 60′ in the 10 p.m. Monday time period it has occupied since the beginning of the season. That spot is coveted because it follows NBC�s newest hit, ‘Heroes.’

“Mr. Reilly said that he would announce a new NBC schedule next week and that ‘Studio 60′ would ‘not necessarily stay on Monday.’�
Official NBC Press Release about “Studio 60″ Renewal:
Indeed, we will get a full season of Studio 60!
Studio 60 picked up for the rest of the season - November 9, 2006 - According to TV Guide’s Ausiello Report:
“Just got word that NBC has given Aaron Sorkin’s struggling Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip a full-season order.”
There are other reports relating to this:

107 “Nevada Day, Part 1″ - November 7, 2006 - MediaWeek - the Overnights:
“NBC had a typical Monday in the overnights care of Deal or No Deal (#1, 9.5/14), Heroes (#1: 9.7/14) and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (#3, 6.2/10), which featured guest star John Goodman. Comparatively, Studio 60 built from the week-ago telecast of Friday Night Lights (5.7/ 9 on Oct. 30) by 9 percent in rating and one share point, but retention out of Heroes was just 64 percent.” (”Source: Nielsen Media Research data”)
November 4, 2006 — a list of where all the PrimeTime shows were during the week of October 23-29:
PrimeTime TV Show Rankings
November 3, 2006 (on the survival of the show) — The Wall Street Journal Reports:
“The network wants Warner Bros. to reduce the license fee, according to people familiar with the situation. But Warner may be reluctant. The revenue prospects in overseas markets and reruns are iffy for a complex, serialized drama. The DVD market for TV shows, while promising, wouldn’t make up the difference. The show does well on the Internet, but that, too, is still a small market.

“Any license-fee talks must be completed by the end of November or Warner Bros. will be forced to halt production, all but ensuring the death of the series. An NBC spokeswoman declined to comment; a Warner Bros. spokeswoman said the studio never discusses license fees.”
On the news reports of imminent cancellation:
TV Squad: No, Studio 60 isn’t dead (October 31) - “To paraphrase a famous quote, rumors of Studio 60’s death may have been greatly exaggerated.

“An NBC spokesman says that not only is the show not canceled, it is actually profitable, and last week’s ratings were up from the week before. The network likes the show, and they are going over the ratings numbers, but it looks like the show would be moved to a different time slot instead of just canceled outright.”
105 “The Long Lead Story” (October 17, 2006):
  • NBC press release says, “NBC won Monday night in adults 18-49. Both “Deal or No Deal” and “Studio 60″ were up versus the prior week, with “Deal” growing by 19 percent in 18-49 and “Studio 60″ by 9 percent. “Deal” was a dominant #1 in its time slot and “Studio 60″ a solid #2 in adults 18-49 and total viewers.”
  • The LA Times says, “‘Studio 60′ Drags Down NBC Ratings“: “On Monday the show slipped to its lowest rating so far in the critical adults aged 18-49 bracket, with a 3.1 rating/8 share (7.8 million total viewers), according to early data from Nielsen Media Research.”
  • The Chicago Tribune’s Phil Rosenthal says:”The most-hyped show of the new TV season has become the biggest disappointment. ‘Studio 60′ is a bust….

    “It’s not entirely clear why, though viewers historically have not swarmed to inside showbiz dramas. It’s also possible they’ve found Sorkin’s tale of how a big-shot heroic writer deigned to return to network TV a tad smug. The allegedly brilliant work his fictional alter ego churns out seems very ordinary indeed….

    Even less amusing is that ‘Studio 60′ has been on five weeks, and each episode has drawn fewer viewers. The show’s only saving grace from a business standpoint is that its dwindling fans might be attractive to marketers.

    “‘60′ is the most upscale regular series on TV, according to Steve Sternberg of Magna Global. ‘As long as the show’s ratings stabilize,’ Sternberg noted Tuesday, ‘the case can certainly be made that it’s actually doing well.’”
General Ratings Analysis (October 13, 2006) from Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle
“But it may not fall on all the obvious targets. Much has been made of ‘Studio 60,’ falling from 13.4 million to 8.85 million viewers. But, like for most Sorkin shows, many are high-value viewers (better educated, higher incomes), and networks will tolerate the lower numbers, not to mention that, for all his stylistic quirks, there are not a lot of Sorkins in the TV business. If you kill one of his projects, he’s not going to deliver something else to you. As in baseball, you bank on ace starters and stick with them through slumps.”
103 “The Focus Group” - October 3, 2006 - MediaWeek - the Overnights:
Studio 60 is losing audience:
“NBC�s… Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip took another significant hit, dipping to a 7.2/11 in the overnights, 9.05 million viewers and a 3.5/ 9 among adults 18-49. Retention for Studio 60 out of Heroes was just 77 percent in the overnights, 72 percent in total viewers and 66 percent among adults 18-49. Take a look at Studio 60�s three-week track:
    Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip � Mon. 10 p.m.
    9/18/06 - Overnights: 10.3/16; Viewers: 13.41 million; A18-49: 5.0/13
    9/25/06 - Overnights: 8.7/14; Viewers: 10.83 million; A18-49: 4.2/11
    10/02/06 � Overnights: 7.2/11; Viewers: 9.05 million; A18-49: 3.5/ 9
“And, to make matters worse, erosion in the second half of Studio 60 continued, with a loss of 8 percent in the overnights (7.5/11 to 6.9/11), 650,000 viewers (9.38 to 8.73 million) and 5 percent among adults 18-49 (3.6/ 9 to 3.4/ 9). Both CSI: Miami and The Bachelor: Rome did not lose steam at 10:30 p.m.”             (Source: Nielsen Media Research data)
102 “The Cold Open” - September 27, 2006 - “itombomb” on the Television Without Pity Studio 60 Forum Site:
Tivo
From USAToday - Source: TiVo, week of Sept. 17-23; based on an analysis of viewing preferences of an anonymous aggregate sample of 20,000 households;
reflects recorded and live viewing of prime-time
programs on the major networks.
“News from Ask Ausiello says that it is the 12th highest show in terms of season passes on Tivo.

That effectively adds a lot of extra viewers to the overnights.”
101 Pilot
NBC is up 16 Percent in 18-49 Versus Premiere Monday Last Year and up 24 Percent in Total Viewers
BURBANK, Calif. � September 19, 2006 � NBC won the first night of the 2006-07 season in adults 18-49 and total viewers, as a two-hour “Deal or No Deal” and the debut of the new drama “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” combined to give NBC a first-place 5.0 rating, 13 share in adults 18-49 and 15.0 million viewers overall for Monday night, according to updated “live plus same day” viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

Versus the opening Monday night of last season, NBC’s performance last night was up by 16 percent in adults 18-49. In total viewers the increase is 24 percent, or more than 2.8 million viewers overall. The nightlong victory in total viewers is NBC’s first on a premiere Monday since 1994.
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From 8-10 p.m. ET, the season premiere of “Deal or No Deal” (5.0/13 in 18-49, 15.8 million viewers overall) won its highly competitive two-hour time period in virtually all key categories. From its first to its final half-hour, “Deal” surged by 50 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 6.0/14 from a 4.0/11) and by 4.7 million viewers overall.

At 10 p.m. ET, the premiere of “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (5.0/13 in 18-49, 13.4 million viewers overall) achieved NBC’s highest 18-49 rating in this hour with series programming since September 26, 2005 and highest overall viewership total in the hour with series programming since November 21, 2005. “Studio 60″ ranked #2 in its time period in adults 18-49 and most key demos and #1 in adults 18-34 (tied).
NBC Wins Monday with ‘Deal,’ ‘Studio 60′ (link sent to us by Derek Miner)
NBC won the first night of the 2006-07 season in adults 18 to 49 with a two-hour season premiere of its game show “Deal or No Deal” and the critically acclaimed drama “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.”

…The No. 2 show for the night was “CSI: Miami’s” time period competitor “Studio 60,” a behind-the-scenes look at a late-night comedy sketch show written by “The West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin. “Studio 60″ scored a 5.0 in adults 18 to 49, up 11 percent from the year-ago season premiere of former time-slot holder “Medium” (4.5). The drama declined from a 5.4 its first half-hour to a 4.6 for its second half-hour. ABC was third in the time period with a special episode of reality series “Supernanny” (3.1)….

NBC was tops for the night with a 4.9, followed by CBS with a 4.7 and ABC and Fox, which tied with a 3.3.
Media Life: NBC captures Monday night
There�s a new leader on Monday night. NBC, boosted by hit returning game show �Deal or No Deal� and a decent debut for much-buzzed-about new drama �Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,� edged CBS for No. 1 on a competitive evening.

…While the new Aaron Sorkin show, tabbed by many critics as the best of the new season, averaged a 5.4 in its first half hour, just 0.3 behind CBS�s �CSI: Miami,� it dipped an alarming 15 percent in its second half to a 4.6. It averaged a decent 5.0 overall.

Still, it was up about 10 percent over the premiere of �Las Vegas� in the same timeslot last year. And what NBC really wants from the show is strong ratings from the affluent, educated and advertiser-coveted viewers who stayed loyal to Sorkin�s �West Wing� for years. Among 25-54s, the show averaged a 6.0, 1.2 behind �Miami.�


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