NBC - The Emmy Awards (13.5m/4.1) could only manage about a third of the viewers and demo of the Oscar telecast, but they did still manage to knock off pre-season football and take the top spot for the week in both measures. A solid summer week continued with double-shots of Minute To Win It (5.92m/1.7) and America’s Got Talent (11.5m/3 – 10.47m/2.5).
ABC - Bachelor Pad (6.21m/2) and Dating in the Dark (3.75m/1.5) were up first, landing at usual levels on Monday. Tuesday brought Wipeout (6.93m/2.4) – again the most successful show of the week for the network – and Shaq Vs (4.26m/1.8). Things changed up on Wednesday, with the broadcast of the CMA Music Festival (6.02m/1.7). And the week closed with soft numbers from Rookie Blue (4.68m/1.1).
FOX - NFL pre-season (10.13m/3.7) led off the week on Sunday. That was followed by another ho-hum showing from Lie To Me (5.33m/1.8) on Monday, and the still-slipping Master Chef (4.7m/2) on Tuesday.
CBS - Big Brother (7.8m/2.8 – 7.87m/2.9 – 6.54m/2.3) brought the usual numbers for three episodes, making up three quarters of the new programming. That fourth hour came from Flashpoint (5.86m/1).
CW - Once again, Plain Jane (.97m/.4) carried the mail for the little network.
CABLE - Despite the recent critical acclaim for some of their shows, Showtime is still yet to find an HBO-sized hit where the numbers are concerned. Of course, the numbers are different for the premium channels, but you do have to be concerned with what we’re seeing from The Big C (.88m/.4). Those are really low numbers, and they’re dropping every week. Other cable notes:
Basic:
Premium
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Sep 06, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
Is that a high for Project Runway? I don’t remember seeing a number over 4 million for it. This season has been entertaining. Not sure about the fashions or the judges decisions some of the time, but entertaining for sure!
*POST AUTHOR*
It’s not a high for the series, or even for the series on Lifetime. The original premiere on Lifetime was at 4.2m, and the first Lifetime finale was at 4.28m. It is, however, higher than the show has been in a long time.
I have a Dexter question — I’m assuming (possible incorrectly) that it’s one of Showtime’s highest rated original programs. How do the ratings for Dexter compare to True Blood, or any other HBO show you referred to (probably Sopranos)?
Also, I always assumed that more people had HBO than Showtime. I would have guessed double the subscriptions at least. But, I could be way way off.
I watch the Showtime shows on Netflix streaming after they air on Showtime, since I don’t have it.
I “which”?!?!? No clue where that came from. I watch…
*POST AUTHOR*
Fixed it for you. :D
*POST AUTHOR*
Your assumption about Dexter would be correct. In fact, the last finale (2.56m/1.3) was the most watched original series episode the network has ever had. True Blood is probably the better comparison, because the shows are running at the same time. For some perspective, the last True Blood finale (5.11m/2.9) pretty much doubles Dexter.
CJ makes a fair point that more people have HBO subscriptions, but that’s certainly not the only answer. If subscriptions were what set the ratings, we wouldn’t see things like Hung regularly getting half the audience of True Blood, even though it airs right after it.
I would also add that how many people have Showtime subscriptions isn’t nearly as important in this context as how many people have the option to subscribe. I think it stands to reason that if Showtime could produce something that caught on like True Blood, those subscription numbers would increase.
That’s very discouraging news for The Big C, because it really is a fantastic little program. Since Showtime doesn’t get huge ratings, I’m hoping they give it a thumbs up for a second season for the quality and cast alone. Think Mad Men, if you will. ;-P
*POST AUTHOR*
A better example might be Treme, which struggled to reach a million viewers also, and fell to half a million at one point, but still managed to get another season from HBO.
The situation isn’t dire for The Big C at this point. It’s still within the realm of what Nurse Jackie and United States Of Tara are doing. The downward trend is the more concerning bit. How far down will the numbers go before the show finds its level?
I actually ind of hope that The Big C doesn’t do insanely well. Weeds will continue on and on, downward and downward, but The Big C needs to have an end date. I just hope, I know it won’t happen, that Showtime does give them time to kill the show, and the main character. It could be such a fun little show that only goes on for a few seasons.