Welcome to summer TV.  Collectively, the broadcast networks declined 22% from the same night last year. NBC:  The network can’t get rid of the awful SAVE ME fast enough, as NBC is double-pumping it on Thursdays to make the pain pass quicker.  It debuted last night with twin 0.7 ratings, the same as the [...]

  Last night the May sweep and the broadcast season ended with a whimper.  For the season as a whole, (757 prime time hours in the 34 1/2 weeks between Monday, September 24, 2012 and last night), CBS finished at #1 as expected, with a 2.40 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic.  FOX was #2 [...]

  Viewers continued to check out early on the season last night. ABC:  The season finale of DANCING WITH THE STARS was up a big 0.8 from last week to 2.6–but that was also down a big 0.7 from last season’s finale, for the lowest rated finish in the show’s history.  The night started with [...]

  Viewers have started to exit the season before it’s even ended, as neither premieres nor finales excited anyone last night. NBC:  THE VOICE, as usual, won the night for NBC, but with its lowest-rated Monday episode ever, a 3.4 that was down 0.4 from last week.  In that context, REVOLUTION looked good by holding [...]

Projected weekly network ratings in prime time (based on four days of official nationals and three days of fast nationals).  ABC wins the week, thanks mostly to the Billboard Music Awards, which is up 30% over the 2012 version, making up for declines on the rest of the schedule.  With the finale of American Idol, FOX is [...]

The second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown was up versus last year (the pre-race coverage was up 24-49% versus last year, while the race coverage was up only 9% versus last year).  Certainly, millions of TV sets were immediately shut off when Orb (winner of the Kentucky Derby failed miserably in the Preakness).  The [...]

Live awards shows have been surging in the DVR age, and last night it happened again. ABC:  The BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS blew away the competition with a 3.6 (peaking at 3.9 in the 9-9:30PM half-hour), the show’s highest rating in 10 years and up a huge 1.2 from last year.  Before that, the season finale [...]

  Only one show last night topped a 1.5 rating. ABC:  An 8PM SHARK TANK only managed a 1.2, but the 9PM season finale zoomed up to a 1.9, easily the highest-rated show of the night (but down a tick from last week).  2d highest:  the 1.5 for 20/20, although that was down 0.2 from [...]