TV Ratings: AGT Dominates

NBC’s variety showcase 'America's Got Talent' brought in 9.7 million viewers last week according to The Associated Press citing Nielsen company’s ratings. That was well clear of second-place “60 Minutes” on CBS, which brought in 6.8 million viewers.

“Celebrity Family Feud” on ABC was a distant third with 4.8 million as game show revivals, reality shows, news shows and talent contests squeezed dramas and comedies almost entirely out of the top of the rankings as they have for most of the summer.

“Beverly Hills 90210” made a splash in its revival on Fox, finishing 12th with 3.84 million viewers as it brought back most of its original cast, scoring a rare high finish for a “new” show this summer.

“Blue Bloods” and “Instinct,” both on CBS, were the only other scripted shows in the Nielsen Top 20.

NBC rode “America’s Got Talent” to win the week among broadcast networks with an average of 3.3 million viewers. CBS had 3 million, ABC had 2.9 million, Fox had 1.7 million, ION Television had 1.4 million, Telemundo had 1 million, Univision had 940,000 and the CW had 690,000.

Fox News was first among cable networks with an average of 2.4 million viewers. MSNBC was a distant second with 1.5 million. HGTV had 1.2 million, TLC had 1.1 million and Hallmark Channel had 1 million.

⏩ Basic cable ranker: Week of... on Scribd

Tucker Carlson Tonight was the No. 1 show in cable news last week, moving past Hannity, according to TV Newser.

The week was a chaotic one for Carlson, something which may have actually added to the ratings success of his program, which typically finishes in second. On Tuesday, he claimed on his 8 p.m. broadcast that white supremacy is “not a real problem in America,” and also claimed that it a “hoax” that’s being used to divide people.

The remarks yielded significant backlash from talking heads on rival networks and social media the following day.  He announced the following night on his program that he was taking several days off, “headed to the wilderness to fish with my son…Politics is important, fishing with your son, sometimes more important. So I’m doing it.”

Carlson is scheduled to return Monday, Aug. 19.

Broadcast TV Evening News

ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 8 million viewers. The “NBC Nightly News” had 5.7 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 3.9 million.

⏩ Broadcast Prime-time Top20 for Aug. 5-11:

1. “America’s Got Talent,” NBC, 9.66 million.
2. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 6.76 million.
3. “Celebrity Family Feud,” ABC, 4.78 million.
4. “The $100,000 Pyramid,” ABC, 4.67 million.
5. “American Ninja Warrior,” NBC, 4.63 million.
6. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 4.58 million.
7. “Bachelor in Paradise” (Monday), ABC, 4.38 million.
8. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 4.33 million.
9. “Bring the Funny,” NBC, 4.21 million.
10. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 3.99 million.

11. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 3.9 million.
12. “Beverly Hills 90210,” Fox, 3.84 million.
13. “To Tell the Truth,” ABC, 3.81 million.
14. “Bachelor in Paradise” (Tuesday), ABC, 3.58 million.
15. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 3.42 million.
16. “Dateline NBC” (Monday), NBC, 4.04 million.
17. “Press Your Luck,” ABC, 3.57 million.
18. “Instinct,” CBS, 3.5 million.
19. “Instinct” (10 p.m. special), CBS, 3.39 million.
20. “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Fox News, 3.36 million.


⏩ Syndication

The big story of the session ending Aug.4 featured Judge Judy elbowing aside all competition and topping the Nielsen chart in the household ratings for the third time in four weeks.

TV NewsCheck reports tt was an extraordinary effort since the show was in reruns on all five days and was unable to be seen along with other programs on the 28 CBS-owned stations carried by satellite giant DirecTV and AT&T U-verse in 14 markets including New York and Los Angeles.

Nevertheless, Judy jumped 2% from the week before to a top-rated 5.8 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating. Dr. Phil also rose to the occasion with a 5% advance to a 2.1 and led the talk shows for the 152nd week in a row. Close behind, Live with Kelly and Ryan extended its streak as the second-highest talker to 23 weeks, holding its ground at a 1.9. Ellen DeGeneres took third with an unchanged 1.4, followed by Wendy Williams and Maury, which both moved up 9% to a 1.2.