Viewers Go for CBS’ Summer Scripted Repeats

Network had Top 10 most watched scripted shows last week, but it still finished fourth among the 18-49 demo

CBS had the top 10 primetime scripted programs among viewers during the week ending June 20, proving that the network's sitcoms and procedural dramas are the best in drawing viewers in repeats.

The Eye averaged 6.3 million viewers per night, second to ABC's 7.5 million, but ABC was bolstered by sizable ratings for two NBA playoff finals games. The two NBA Finals games on ABC averaged 18.1 million and 28.2 million respectively. NBC averaged 5.8 million viewers for the week, and Fox averaged 4.5 million.

The Top 10 scripted repeat shows among viewers were: "NCIS" (9.6 million); "Two and a Half Men" (9.2 million); "NCIS: Los Angeles" (9.1 million); "The Big Bang Theory" (8.8 million); "CSI" (8.3 million); "The Mentalist" (8.2 million); "CSI: Miami" (7.5 million); "Flashpoint" (7 million); "The Mentalist" (Special, 6.9  million); and "The Good Wife" (6.5 million).

The  scripted show that drew the next most viewers for the week other than a CBS show was a Fox episode of "Lie to Me," which averaged 6.4 million viewers.

The bad news is that CBS' cumulative audience was much older than the other networks. Among adults 18-49, CBS averaged a rating of only 1.3, fourth among the broadcast networks, with ABC (2.6), Fox (1.7) and NBC (1.6) ahead of them. And in the 18-34 demo, CBS averaged only a 0.7, compared to a 2.4 for ABC, a 1.6 for Fox, and a 1.2 for NBC. But ABC's numbers were raised by the younger NBA audience.

Although CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" was the highest rated scripted show of the week among the 18-49 demo with a 2.6, and CBS' "Two and a Half Men" was second with a 2.4, all of the other CBS shows averaged below a 2.0.

The two NBA finals games averaged a 7.1 rating among the 18-49 demo for Game 6 and an 11.1 18-49 rating for Game 7. That helped ABC win the week for the fourth time in five weeks among viewers 18-49, but it will be interesting to see what happens this week with no NBA playoffs, and where those younger viewers go this week.

The highest-rated non-scripted show last week among the 18-49 demo, other than the NBA Finals, was the NBC show "America's Got Talent," with two episodes averaging a 3.1 and 3.0.
 

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