71 replies to this topic

[EolivetB]

My name is Sam Tyler. I had an accident, and I woke up across the pond, with an entirely new cast, and airing after Grey's Anatomy...

Here's hoping for a nice boost from the GA audience, and that Lost will have to find another time period when it comes back in January.

Edited by EolivetB, Oct 9, 2008 @ 12:01 PM.

[Last Time Lord]

The thread's title and narration are made of so much win.

I really hope the show does well.

[mittul]

In the battle of the two 10 p.m. series premieres, ABC’s Life On Mars won the hour with an 8.2/14 in the overnights. Retention out of the second half of lead-in Grey’s Anatomy (10.1/15 at 9:30 p.m.) was a very respectable 81 percent. And growth for Life on Mars versus year-ago occupant Big Shots (5.8/10 on Oct. 11, 2007) was 41 percent. CBS’ Eleventh Hour was a disappointment, meanwhile, at a second-place 7.4/12 -- 49 percent below the second-half of lead-in CSI (14.4/22 at 9:30 p.m.). One year earlier, Without a Trace averaged a 9.6/16 in the time period.


Despite the stronger lead-in support, NBC’s ER finished third at 10 p.m. with a 6.7/11.

[Featherhat]

Pretty good, especially since Grey's even at its peak has never been a good lead in. Personally as a GA watcher the last thing you want to see is another soapy dramedy after the often depressing emotional rollercoster that is Grey's, so maybe somehthing slightly different is better. Of course this had some very famous faces in it and it's only the premiere but a good start, especially since "Eleventh Hour" had the much better lead in this season.

[Shalala]

That is very good for the first episode.

[mittul]

Clearly shows the are more geared towards males work better after Grey's. Lost and now LOM are the only things that worked well although I think they aired PP there once and it also held on to a good chunk or Grey's ratings.

[Ginn]

ABC hyped this show to the gills; here's hoping that audience sticks around (or even increases) after the pilot.

[mittul]

Unfortunatley, the fast nationals are out and it only did a 7.7/13, which was good enough to win the timeslot but the demos are only 3.8 and Grey's had 5.5. It lost to ER in the demos.

Edited by mittul, Oct 10, 2008 @ 12:39 PM.

[EolivetB]

Final ratings have LoM winning its time period among HHs, A25-54, W35-64 (a huge accomplishment, considering far more W35-64 were watching CSI than GA) and tied for the lead among W25-54.

Not bad for its first week!

[crazydaizy3]

A show that wasn't demolished by the curse of the Post Grey's Anatomy time slot? Not bad!

[arizonamyrie]

It would be interesting to know how many people use the ABC.com website to watch as well. I'm usually busy on Thursdays, so that's how I watch in most cases. Have any of the networks made public that info?

[Kareny]

This is completely unscientific and doesn't prove anything, but I've heard three different people in the last 24 hours spontaneously discussing the show. Not my every day "water cooler" type people either - I walked into a classroom last night to hear two classmates casually discussing Michael Imperioli's mustache, and I was chatting in an elevator today with someone I only know casually, who brought up Jason O'Mara.

I have to say, both conversations caught me by surprise and gave me hope that the show might really catch on. People are definitely aware of it and watching, at least according to my not-so-random poll of men in the NYC area. If they can manage to tell a good story, people might just stick around.

[rsnation]

Sorry if this is addressed elsewhere. Is last night's episode up anywhere so I can see it and hopefully NOT fall asleep this time?

[pacejunkie]

Sorry if this is addressed elsewhere. Is last night's episode up anywhere so I can see it and hopefully NOT fall asleep this time?

abc.com puts it up but it may take a day or two. Try later today or tomorrow.

ETA: Just checked and it's there already, looks like they're going up faster now. I'm going watch again too.

Edited by pacejunkie, Oct 17, 2008 @ 7:55 AM.

[EolivetB]

Darn it! From Mediaweek's Programming Insider (fast affiliates)

week two of Life on Mars (#3: 6.1/10). What is concerning about Life on Mars is a) erosion of 26 percent from last week's debut (8.2/14 on Oct. 9), b) a loss of 14 percent in the second half hour (6.6/10 to 5.7/10), and c) retention of just 63 percent out of the second half of lead-in Grey's Anatomy (9.7/15).

Ay yi yi...let's hope there's better news in the demos. Or the fast nationals.

[pacejunkie]

What happened? All the buzz about this show has been good and I thought this episode was better than the first one.

[solvej]

PI Feedback

Week two of ABC’s Life on Mars (Viewers: #3, 8.47 million; A18-49: #3, 2.7/ 7) was not as fortunate, dipping by a significant 2.86 million viewers (11.33 to 8.47 million) and 27 percent in the demo (3.7/10 to 2.7/ 7) from one week earlier. Also concerning for Life on Mars was a loss in the second half-hour of 1.42 million viewers (9.18 to 7.76) and 20 percent among adults 18-49 (3.0/ 8 to 2.4/ 7).

Crap!

[pacejunkie]

My hubby said it might have been the World Series that had something to do with taking viewers in that second half hour. Seems the game got exciting around 10:30.

[Ginn]

The ALCS might have taken lots of viewers in the first half hour, as well- it might have been the last game of the series. That's a reassuring thought, because right now it's looking like every show I watch aside from House is in some danger of cancellation.

[rsnation]

Hoping you're right about the ALCS. Not only was it possibly the last of the season it also turned out to be the most amazing comeback since 1929 (sighed this Red Sox fan happily).

Anyway - while I do hope you're right honestly baseball ratings haven't exactly been sky high either.

I'm wondering if it's time to make ourselves heard about this show (not that I've decided I like it). If so, any ideas who to contact other than the network?

[pacejunkie]

If so, any ideas who to contact other than the network?

Kristin Dos Santos at E!

TV Guide

Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly

ETA: It could still be World Series erosion, but it looks like ratings are sliding steadily downwards. I don't know if I have these numbers right but this was what I found at PiFeedback:

Date Live+SD Viewers 18-49 Rating
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/09/08(SP) 11.33 M 3.7/10
10/16/08 8.22 M 2.5/7
10/23/08 7.86 M 2.4/6


We'll see how sweeps goes and once baseball is out of the way, but the show won't survive if it isn't pulling at least 8 million a week I would think. Key demo numbers are dropping too.

Edited by pacejunkie, Oct 28, 2008 @ 5:00 PM.

[pacejunkie]

Ratings are in. Looks like an increase over past weeks with baseball out of the way (8.41 and 2.7 demo is their second best result) but still a big loss over its Grey's lead in:

ABC scored a now typical Thursday performance with its combination of Ugly Betty (Viewers: #2, 8.55 million; A18-49: #2, 2.6/ 8), Grey’s Anatomy (Viewers: #2, 15.05 million; A18-49: #1 for the evening: 5.6/14) and week four of Life on Mars (Viewers: #3, 8.41 million; A18-49: #3, 2.7/ 8). Comparably, that put retention for Life on Mars out of Grey’s Anatomy of only 56 percent in total viewers and 48 percent in the demo.

[Knots Landing]

It's on par with Ugly Betty at least and is doing better than anything on Wednesday or Eli Stone, so hopefully the network looks at the quality of the show and gives it a full season.

[pacejunkie]

And it's harder to get that many viewers at 10pm, so the same number of viewers as Ugly Betty is actually a greater feat for its time slot. Plus, I think a genre show like this has the wrong lead in. Not too much crossover with that fanbase.

Edited by pacejunkie, Nov 1, 2008 @ 2:26 PM.

[honeybee111]

Indeed, this show would be better paired with Lost than Grey's Anatomy, or at least Pushing Daisies (although it wouldn't be as strong a lead in). But a Lost audience would be more equipped to handle the trippy weirdness.

[rsnation]

I'm not sure about Lost but I do agree that LoM would be much better off with a different lead-in. Grey's Anatomy, while obviously very popular, is a very different type of show. My guess is many of those viewers would be likely to head over to ER. Actually I'm surprised LoM is keeping as much of the audience as it is.

[EolivetB]

I don't want LoM airing after "Lost." Nothing has done well after "Lost," because people watching "Lost" get on the computer to discuss it after the show is over (they did studies, I think). "Lost" can stay at 10PM.

I always thought LoM would be better out of DwtS than GA. Older female base, who tends to enjoy cop shows -- and on Tuesday night, you've got two aging shows in the 10PM time period. I understand how ER could be stealing viewers (especially female) -- I don't get why "Eleventh Hour" is doing so well. Maybe it's a male/female thing...?

[Knots Landing]

Rounding off the 10 p.m. time period was ABC’s struggling Life on Mars, at 8.92 million viewers (#2) and a third-place 2.9/ 8 among adults 18-49. Comparably, that out retention out of the second half of lead-in Grey’s Anatomy (Viewers: 15.99 million; A18-49: 6.2/15) of just 56 percent in total viewers and 47 percent in the demo.

Retention out of Grey's is so-so, but the ratings have stabilized and look upthread and you see they keep rising each week, important 18-49 demo included. I'd say this show is a keeper. It's doing better than most of the series on ABC. If they continue to promote it and the show gets some buzz it has an audience to build off of. I just hope Midseason doesn't screw the show. You know they'll end up moving the timeslot. Rumors have it going to Wednesday nights.

Edited by Knots Landing, Nov 7, 2008 @ 9:54 PM.

[alynch]

You know they'll end up moving the timeslot. Rumors have it going to Wednesday nights.

If that's the case, they'll likely be putting it on after Lost, which will be taking the Wednesday at 9 timeslot. Along with Lost's track record of not being a very good lead-in, it would also have to deal with going up against two much more conventional procedurals in that hour.

[pacejunkie]

I'm actually glad for a day change, because while the ratings have been average, I think the time slot and lead in are hurting the show. It would do better at 9pm with a different lead in, even Lost would be better than Grey's.

But having said that, I'm actually relieved at those numbers, and they don't include the DVR numbers I'm assuming, so they should go up.