The Top 10 TV Ratings Moments of 2014, 5 to 1

It's time for my fifth annual look back at the year's top 10 moments in TV ratings! As always, the criteria are pretty subjective, but I go for a blend of 1) relatively isolated incidents that are impressive for their sheer enormity/cultural impact and 2) moments that exemplify much larger trends in TV this year. The headlines link back to writings on these moments at the time they happened. Enjoy, please let me know about my most egregious rankings/omissions, and check out the first post from yesterday. Happy New Year!

The Top 10 TV Ratings Moments of 2014, 10 to 6

It's time for my fifth annual look back at the year's top 10 moments in TV ratings! As always, the criteria are pretty subjective, but I go for a blend of 1) relatively isolated incidents that are impressive for their sheer enormity/cultural impact and 2) moments that exemplify much larger trends in TV this year. The headlines link back to writings on these moments at the time they happened. Enjoy, please let me know about my most egregious rankings/omissions, and check out the now live top five. Happy New Year!

Schedules Plus Update, NBC (2001-02 & 2002-03)

Schedules Plus looks at the evolution of network schedules and timeslots using numbers adjusted for historical decline. These update posts, looking back on the newly added 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, will link back to the now updated full posts for each day, and the update posts have exclusive year-to-year trends and ranks among the 13 iterations of each hour.

Many more disclaimers can be seen on the individual pages, but the most basic one is that the listed schedules are fall lineups, even when midseason replacements may have done much better. (I try to mention those midseason replacements that did better.) Please also note that the 2003-04 thru 2005-06 numbers still contain the "old" A18-49+ scores from before I filled in the missing data from those seasons. So those numbers will change (slightly) when the 2014-15 numbers are entered this summer.

Schedules Plus Update, CBS (2001-02 & 2002-03)

Schedules Plus looks at the evolution of network schedules and timeslots using numbers adjusted for historical decline. These update posts, looking back on the newly added 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, will link back to the now updated full posts for each day, and the update posts have exclusive year-to-year trends and ranks among the 13 iterations of each hour.

Many more disclaimers can be seen on the individual pages, but the most basic one is that the listed schedules are fall lineups, even when midseason replacements may have done much better. (I try to mention those midseason replacements that did better.) Please also note that the 2003-04 thru 2005-06 numbers still contain the "old" A18-49+ scores from before I filled in the missing data from those seasons. So those numbers will change (slightly) when the 2014-15 numbers are entered this summer.

Spotted Ratings, Thursday 12/18/14

WHAT MATTERS:

• FINALS UPDATE: With Thursday Night Football hitting a runaway season low (just a 1.6 on NFL Network) in two small markets, adjustments were minimal. Only Elementary (1.3) and the 8:00 Bones repeat adjusted down. That meant Mom (2.3) finished at a noticeable 0.3 points higher than its last episode after a repeat two weeks ago.

• Pending preemptions, CBS' Mom (2.3) and Two and a Half Men (1.9) took hits with a repeat lead-in from The Big Bang Theory (2.3), while The McCarthys (1.6) and Elementary (1.4) were even. These numbers may adjust down a bit due to a Jacksonville football preemption.

• These numbers came against virtually no competition on the other networks. NBC saw The Biggest Loser (0.9) get into truly disastrous territory, and it led into an unwatched new awards show called the People Magazine Awards (0.8). But somehow that combo was still enough for second place against ABC with The Taste (0.8) and Fox with Bones repeats (0.8 pending a preemption). Compared to these stinkers, the CW looked like a winner with the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball special (0.6), up a tenth year-to-year.

• Programming note: I won't be doing updates based on preliminary ratings for the next two weeks, but I'll have a few roundup posts as the finals trickle in. Happy holidays!

Spotted Ratings, Wednesday 12/17/14

WHAT MATTERS:

• FINALS UPDATE: The Survivor reunion dropped to 1.8 in finals, putting it on the narrow year-to-year downside. 

• The two-hour finale of Survivor (2.4) was the dominant option on a night full of unscripted programming. Though it didn't get any week-to-week bounce, it was just two tenths below the previous fall finale, and the 10/9c reunion show was even with last year's 1.9.

• NBC brought back The Sing-Off (1.3) with modest results as just a one-time special this year; it tied both its Michael Buble special lead-in (1.3) as well as Fox's two-hour finale of Hell's Kitchen (1.3).

• The CW's The 100 (0.5) was Wednesday's only scripted original, dropping a tenth with a reduced lead-in. Led by Modern Family (1.7), ABC averaged a 1.3 with three hours of comedy repeats, tying the NBC and Fox averages. The three-episode Black-ish marathon hit 1.3/1.1/1.0.

Schedules Plus Update, ABC (2001-02 & 2002-03)

Schedules Plus looks at the evolution of network schedules and timeslots using numbers adjusted for historical decline. These update posts, looking back on the newly added 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, will link back to the now updated full posts for each day, and the update posts have exclusive year-to-year trends and ranks among the 13 iterations of each hour.

Many more disclaimers can be seen on the individual pages, but the most basic one is that the listed schedules are fall lineups, even when midseason replacements may have done much better. (I try to mention those midseason replacements that did better.) Please also note that the 2003-04 thru 2005-06 numbers still contain the "old" A18-49+ scores from before I filled in the missing data from those seasons. So those numbers will change (slightly) when the 2014-15 numbers are entered this summer.

Spotted Ratings, Tuesday 12/16/14

WHAT MATTERS:

• FINALS UPDATE: NCIS (2.4) avoided its season low with a finals uptick, while The Voice (3.3) was also up, taking its y2y decline to just 18%.

• NBC's two-hour finale of The Voice (3.2) was the series' best rating since early November, but it was down 20% vs. last year's fall finale. Considering how poorly the series fared in the closing weeks of the season, going -15%/-20% on the last two nights isn't really that terrible/unexpected. But this season seems to have confirmed the notion that the series is on the downturn.

• CBS tried throwing originals at NBC's finale, and it went about as badly as the last time the shows had major NBC competition (when The Voice was two hours on November 11). NCIS (2.3) and Person of Interest (1.3) each tied their season lows from that night, and they sandwiched a new one for NCIS: New Orleans (1.9).

• In the 8:00 hour, ABC's A Charlie Brown Christmas (1.7) tied the finale of MasterChef Junior (1.7) for second. NBC brought up the rear, not getting much out of a new Elf special (1.3).

SpotVault - Hart of Dixie (CW) - 2014-15 Ratings

Hart of Dixie

Fridays, 9/8c, CW

SpotVault - Undercover Boss (CBS) - 2014-15 Ratings

Undercover Boss

Sundays, 8/7c and Fridays, 8/7c, CBS