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How 'Veronica Mars'
found her groove


Move to post-Tyra timeslot boosts ratings

Nov 30, 2005

From the beginning, UPN’s “Veronica Mars” has been a critics’ favorite. It premiered last season to high praise, lauded as intelligent and well-written. But despite all that the show failed to take off.
 
Now "Mars''" ratings are finally catching up. What it took was a move to a new night and the resulting boost of a much stronger and more compatible lead-in.
 
So far this season, “Mars” has averaged 956,000 viewers 18-34 in its new Wednesday 9 p.m. timeslot. That’s up 29 percent from its 739,000 season average last year. And that’s despite facing one of the top-rated shows on broadcast, ABC’s “Lost.”
 
Among 18-49s, the show is up 24 percent from last season, to 1.6 million viewers in that demo.
 
The simple explanation for “Mars’” significant rise this year is Tyra Banks' “America’s Next Top Model,” its new lead-in. The show went from having virtually no lead-in last year, when it aired after “Eve” at 9 p.m. Tuesdays, to following the network’s highest-rated program. 
 
“Now it’s in UPN’s best time period,” notes Jordan Breslow, director of broadcast research at MediaCom. He says buyers like the show, which follows a teenage girl detective, because it’s different from most of UPN’s standard one-note fare.
 
Also at work is the synergy between the two shows, which both skew young and female, suggests Bill Carroll, director of programming at Katz Television Group.

“This move made Wednesday on UPN a destination for young women,” he says. The network is up 3 percent for the night among female teens versus last year, with a 3.1 average rating. "Kevin Hill" occupied "Mars'" timeslot last year.
 
Another factor could just be that the show is finally coming into its own in its second season.
 
“It takes time sometimes for a drama to find its core audience,” says Breslow. “[The network] is giving this the time that it needs to flourish.” 
 
Nonetheless, UPN is making sure it does what it can to ensure the continued upswing for the show, including a tie-in with AOL.com. An alternative ending to tonight’s episode will be available exclusively through the site, along with the original televised ending. Fans can then vote for their favorite. The winning ending will be revealed Dec. 7 on AOL and during the airing of that night’s episode.
 
Meanwhile, in other broadcast ratings for the week ended Nov. 27:
 
Among adults 18-49, ABC finished first with a 4.3 average rating and a 12 share. CBS ended a six-week run on top and dropped to second at 4.1/11, with Fox third at 3.6/10, NBC fourth at 3.1/8, and UPN and the WB tied for fifth at 1.3/3.
 
Among adults 18-34, ABC finished on top for the third straight week with a 3.6 average rating and 11 share. Fox was a close second at 3.5/11, CBS third at 2.7/8, NBC fourth at 2.5/8, and UPN and the WB tied for fifth at 1.4/4.
 
Among adults 25-54, CBS finished first for the eighth straight week, coming in with a 5.2 average rating and a 13 share. ABC finished second at 4.9/12, Fox third at 3.8/9, NBC fourth at 3.6/9, the WB fifth at 1.3/3 and UPN sixth at 1.2/3.
 
Top five (18-49s): 1. “Desperate Housewives” (ABC) 11.1; 2. “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC) 8.9; 3. “CSI” (CBS) 8.4; 4. “Lost” (ABC) 7.8; T5. “CSI: Miami” (CBS), “Survivor: Guatemala” (CBS) 8.3.
 
Top five (total viewers): 1. “Desperate Housewives” (ABC) 25.89 million; 2. “CSI” (CBS) 25.72 million; 3. “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC) 19.59 million; 4. “Survivor: Guatemala” (CBS) 19.54 million; 5. “Without a Trace” (CBS) 19.50 million.
 
Bottom five (18-49s): T100. “One Tree Hill” (WB), “Love, Inc.” (UPN), “Cuts” (UPN), “Eve” (UPN) 0.7; 104. “Everwood” (WB) 0.5.
 
Bottom five (total viewers): T99. “What I Like About You.” (WB), “Cuts” (UPN) 1.92 million; 101. “Eve” (UPN) 1.83 million; 102. “Love, Inc.” (UPN) 1.75 million; 103. “One Tree Hill” (WB) 1.67 million; 104. “Everwood” (WB) 1.49 million.
 
Show on the rise: “The Simpsons,” Fox, Sunday 8:47 p.m. “The Simpsons” benefited from spillover from the biggest audience to watch Fox’s late NFL coverage in three years, earning a 5.4 rating among viewers 18-49, a 10.2 percent increase versus the previous week’s 4.9.
 
Show on the decline: “Lost,” ABC, Wednesday 9 p.m. Freddie Prinze Jr. is clearly a better lead-in than Kenny Chesney. Last week, with a Kenny Chesney special as its lead-in, “Lost” averaged a 7.8 rating among 18-49s, down 15.2 percent from the previous week’s 9.2, when the show had its normal “Freddie” lead-in.

 

PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 27

Network

Households

People 2+

Adults 18-49

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

CBS

8.9

9830

15

5.1

14270

13

4.1

5320

11

ABC

7.1

7790

12

4.1

11410

10

4.3

5600

12

NBC

5.8

6400

10

3.3

9170

8

3.1

3980

8

FOX

5.5

6040

9

3.2

9020

8

3.6

4670

10

UPN

2.2

2400

4

1.2

3270

3

1.3

1680

4

WB

2.2

2370

3

1.2

3310

3

1.3

1720

3

PAX

0.4

470

1

0.2

610

1

0.1

170

0

* Each rating point is equivalent to 1.096 million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 27

Network

Households

People 2+

Adults 18-49

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

CBS

8.7

9610

14

4.8

13480

12

4.1

5340

11

ABC

7.1

7800

11

3.9

10980

10

4.1

5360

11

NBC

6.2

6880

10

3.3

9340

9

3.2

4210

9

FOX

5.5

6060

9

3.1

8600

8

3.3

4240

9

UPN

2.4

2630

4

1.3

3610

3

1.5

1950

4

WB

2.4

2610

4

1.3

3590

3

1.5

1960

4

PAX

0.4

460

1

0.2

570

1

0.1

130

0

* Each rating point is equivalent to 1.096 million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research 

 

NETWORK TV
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 27

#

PROGRAMS

Net

HOUSEHOLDS

PERSONS 2+

Rtg%

Shr

(000)

#

Rtg%

(000)

1

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

ABC

15.8

22

17446

1

9.2

25890

2

CSI - THANKSGIVING(S)

CBS

14.6

26

16109

1

9.2

25722

3

CSI: MIAMI

CBS

12.7

20

13986

6

6.9

19355

4

GREY'S ANATOMY

ABC

12.6

19

13865

3

7.0

19592

5

COLD CASE

CBS

12.2

18

13490

6

6.9

19365

6

WITHOUT A TRACE-THNKS(S)

CBS

11.9

23

13152

3

7.0

19496

7

LAW AND ORDER:SVU

NBC

11.2

18

12388

9

6.1

17083

8

LOST

ABC

10.8

17

11856

6

6.9

19293

8

NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

ABC

10.8

17

11933

11

5.8

16285

10

SURVIVOR: GUATEMALA THNKS(S)

CBS

10.6

21

11670

3

7.0

19538

11

CBS SUNDAY MOVIE

CBS

10.3

15

11384

12

5.7

16104

12

NCIS

CBS

10.2

16

11237

10

5.9

16427

13

TWO AND A HALF MEN

CBS

10.1

15

11089

14

5.6

15745

14

60 MINUTES

CBS

9.6

15

10566

15

5.2

14566

14

EXTREME MAKEOVER:HOME ED.

ABC

9.6

14

10603

12

5.7

16073

16

CSI: NY

CBS

9.2

16

10151

15

5.2

14520

17

HOUSE

FOX

9.1

14

10074

15

5.2

14723

18

OUT OF PRACTICE

CBS

8.8

13

9696

19

4.7

13259

19

MEDIUM

NBC

8.7

14

9541

18

4.8

13415

20

NFL MONDAY SHOWCASE

ABC

8.6

13

9445

19

4.7

13252

21

CRIMINAL MINDS

CBS

8.3

13

9120

21

4.6

12831

22

LAS VEGAS

NBC

7.9

11

8672

23

4.4

12385

22

NUMB3RS

CBS

7.9

14

8758

22

4.5

12671

24

CRIMETIME SATURDAY

CBS

7.7

13

8499

23

4.4

12357

24

LAW AND ORDER

NBC

7.7

13

8455

26

4.3

11934

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

TOP 25 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST
Adults 18-49
Week Ending November 27

Rank

Program

Net

Rtg%

(000)

1

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

ABC

11.1

14477

2

GREY'S ANATOMY

ABC

8.9

11595

3

CSI - THANKSGIVING(S)

CBS

8.4

10894

4

LOST

ABC

7.8

10154

5

CSI: MIAMI

CBS

6.6

8597

5

SURVIVOR: GUATEMALA THNKS(S)

CBS

6.6

8528

7

EXTREME MAKEOVER:HOME ED.

ABC

6.5

8461

8

NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

ABC

6.1

7932

9

WITHOUT A TRACE-THNKS(S)

CBS

5.9

7662

10

LAW AND ORDER:SVU

NBC

5.7

7344

11

SIMPSONS

FOX

5.4

6960

12

TWO AND A HALF MEN

CBS

5.2

6797

13

HOUSE

FOX

5.1

6565

14

MY NAME IS EARL

NBC

5.0

6559

15

FAMILY GUY

FOX

4.9

6323

16

CSI: NY

CBS

4.7

6053

16

MEDIUM

NBC

4.7

6105

16

NFL MONDAY SHOWCASE

ABC

4.7

6166

19

COLD CASE

CBS

4.5

5911

19

PRISON BREAK

FOX

4.5

5785

21

AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS(S)

ABC

4.4

5727

21

WAR AT HOME

FOX

4.4

5695

23

AMERICAN DAD

FOX

4.3

5540

23

LAS VEGAS

NBC

4.3

5563

23

OUT OF PRACTICE

CBS

4.3

5636

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

CABLE TV
Ranked on Households
Week Ending
November 20

BASIC CABLE

#

PROGRAM NAME

NET

Households 

Persons 2+

(000)

Rtg %

(000)

1

NFL REGULAR SEASONL (CHIEFS/TEXANS)

ESPN

5190

4.7

6811

2

WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)

USA

4133

3.8

5721

3

WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)

USA

3986

3.6

5513

4

LAGUNA BEACH

MTV

3503

3.2

4342

5

COLL FTBALL-SAT AFT L (PENN STATE/MICHIGAN STATE)

ESPN

3446

3.1

4683

6

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

3242

2.9

4189

7

SPONGEBOB

NICK

3200

2.9

4152

8

SPONGEBOB

NICK

3130

2.8

4258

9

COLL FTBALL-SAT PRIME   L (GEORGIA TECH/MIAMI)

ESPN

3074

2.8

4038

10

FAIRLY ODD PARENTS

NICK

3048

2.8

3961

11

COLL GAMEDAY SCOREBOARD L

ESPN

3027

2.7

3931

12

SPONGEBOB

NICK

2918

2.6

3644

13

MULAN II

DSNY

2859

2.6

3845

14

NFL PRIME TIME         L

ESPN

2853

2.6

3765

15

SPONGEBOB

NICK

2824

2.6

3691

PAY CABLE

#

PROGRAM NAME

NET

Households 

Persons 2+

(000)

Rtg %

(000)

1

ROME

HBO

1901

1.7

2592

2

WCB: MAYWEATHR VS MITCHEL 11/19/2005

HBO

1379

1.3

2062

3

WCB: MAYWEATHR VS MITCHEL 11/19/2005

HBO

1274

1.2

1895

4

RACING STRIPES

HBO

1187

1.1

1923

5

NATIONAL TREASURE

STARZ

1115

1.0

1655

* Ratings based on 109.6 million U.S. TV homes. One ratings point represents 1.096 million homes.
Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 13

#

 PROGRAMS

Syndicator

Households

US Rtg%

(000)

1

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

KIN

8.7

9559

2

OPRAH WINFREY SHOW (AT)

KIN

8.0

8838

3

ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON

ESP

7.2

7938

4

JEOPARDY

KIN

6.6

7247

5

EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN (AT)

KIN

6.5

7108

6

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)

PRM

5.5

6085

6

SEINFELD (AT)

SPT

5.5

6081

6

DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)

KIN

5.5

6048

9

SEINFELD-WKND (AT)

SPT

5.4

5957

9

CSI-SYN (AT)

KIN

5.4

5953

11

FRIENDS (AT)

WB

5.0

5499

12

JUDGE JUDY (AT)

PRM

4.8

5325

13

THAT 70S SHOW-MF-SYN (AT)

2/T

4.4

4806

14

EVBDY LVS RAYMOND-WKD-SYN

KIN

4.1

4564

15

INSIDE EDITION

KIN

3.6

3981

15

LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY

BV

3.6

3975

17

WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND

KIN

3.2

3518

18

MILLIONAIRE (AT)

BV

3.1

3372

19

JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)

PRM

3.0

3292

20

INSIDER (AT)

PRM

2.9

3250

20

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD

PRM

2.9

3217

20

MAURY (AT)

NBU

2.9

3186

23

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD (AT)

WB

2.8

3132

23

KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)

SPT

2.8

3122

23

PEOPLE'S COURT (AT)

WB

2.8

3074

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 27

#

PROGRAMS

Net

NHTI

(000)

1

CONTRA VIENTO Y MAREA M-F

UNI

19.7

2216

2

ESPOSA VIRGEN M-F

UNI

19.0

2132

3

PIEL DE OTONO M-F

UNI

17.9

2014

4

DON FRANCISCO PRESENTA-WE

UNI

15.2

1708

5

SABADO GIGANTE-SAT

UNI

13.9

1566

6

CRISTINA-MON

UNI

13.7

1534

7

CASOS VIDA R: ED. ESP TUE

UNI

13.6

1530

8

HORA PICO-SUN

UNI

13.0

1457

9

ASI ES GILBERTO GLESS FRI

UNI

12.9

1450

10

FSTL MARIACHI DISNEY11/27(S)-11/27/2005

UNI

12.4

1396

11

CASOS FAMILIA ED ESP SAT

UNI

10.6

1192

12

VER PARA CREER-SUN

UNI

10.1

1129

13

LO Q NO VIO P TV Y N11/24(S)-11/24/2005

UNI

9.9

1117

14

PERPLEJOS FRI

UNI

9.8

1096

15

CHESPIRITO 35 ANOS 11/24(S)-11/24/2005

UNI

9.1

1027

16

CUERPO DEL DESEO M-F

TEL

8.6

972

17

CINEMUNDO PREMIER

TEL

7.0

784

18

DECISIONES M-F

TEL

6.6

744

19

TORMENTA M-F

TEL

6.4

720

20

ANA GABRIEL CONCERT 11/26(S)-11/26/2005

TEL

6.3

707

21

ACCION EXTREMA U

TEL

6.1

687

22

FESTIVAL DE CINE IV 11/24(S)-11/24/2005

TEL

6.0

673

23

CINEMUNDO DEL SABADO

TEL

5.8

647

24

SIN FRONTERAS

TEL

5.6

627

25

DECISIONES EXTRA M-F

TEL

5.4

610

* Nielsen Hispanic Television Index; ratings based on 9.7 million Hispanic TV homes.
Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

NETWORK SPORTS PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 13

#

PROGRAMS

Net

Episode

Households

Persons 2+

US Rtg%

Shr

(000)

(000)

1

NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

ABC

INDIANAPOLIS AT NEW ENGLAND

14.3

23

15719

21860

2

FOX NFL SUNDAY-NATIONAL

FOX

VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES

12.9

24

14237

19833

3

NFL MONDAY SHOWCASE

ABC

 

10.5

16

11524

16304

4

CBS NFL SINGLE

CBS

VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES

9.1

21

9996

13529

5

FOX NFL SUNDAY-REGIONAL

FOX

VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES

8.0

18

8853

11800

6

NFL MONDAY POST GUN

ABC

 

7.4

17

8146

11081

7

OT, THE

FOX

 

6.7

11

7431

10384

8

PHOENIX 500(S)-11/13/2005

NBC

NEXTEL CUP

5.0

10

5459

7433

9

CBS NFL SINGLE POST GAME(B)-11/13/2005

CBS

VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES

4.7

10

5151

6697

10

HOME DEPOT CLLG FOOTBALL2

CBS

LSU AT ALABAMA

4.4

10

4795

6505

11

ABC COLLEGE FTBL GM-LATE

ABC

VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES

3.7

9

4037

5181

12

FOX NFL SUNDAY-PRE

FOX

 

3.1

8

3449

4290

13

ABC COLLEGE FTBL GM-EARLY

ABC

VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES

2.9

7

3148

3959

14

WWE SMACKDOWN!

UPN

 

2.7

5

3014

4219

15

NASCAR TUNE-UP-SUN

NBC

 

2.5

6

2776

3488

16

CBS NFL TODAY

CBS

 

2.2

6

2458

2971

17

NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

NBC

NAVY AT NOTRE DAME

2.1

6

2349

3057

18

FRANK TEMP SHARK SHOOT-SU(S)-11/13/2005

CBS

 

2.0

4

2221

2678

19

NBC SPORTS SPECIAL 11/12(S)-11/12/2005

NBC

IRONMAN

1.3

3

1436

1624

20

NBC SPORTS SPECIAL 11/13(S)-11/13/2005

NBC

PRO BULL RIDING

1.2

3

1283

1626

21

FRANK TEMP SHARK SHOOT-SA(S)-11/12/2005

CBS

 

0.9

2

954

1165

22

ML SOCCER CUP '05(S)-11/13/2005

ABC

NEW ENGLAND VS LOS ANGELES

0.8

2

854

1137

23

THRIFTY MID-POST(B)-11/12/2005

ABC

NORTHWESTERN AT OHIO ST

0.7

2

743

979

24

NBA INSIDE STUFF-ABC

ABC

 

0.7

2

788

996

25

UNDER THE HELMET

FOX

 

0.6

2

693

1024

26

WGC: WORLD CUP-11/13(S)-11/13/2005

ABC

 

0.5

1

540

643

27

FRNK TMP SHRK SHT-11/13(BS)-11/13/2005-11/13/2005

CBS

 

0.5

1

570

698

28

FRNK TMP SHRK SHT-11/13(S)-11/13/2005

CBS

 

0.5

1

570

698

Source: Nielsen Media Research


 



Abigail Azote is a staff writer for Media Life.




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