We're into week three of the 2006-07 US TV season.
Read about week one here, and week two here. Or read on for more on the latest developments this week...
Latest: Lost's third season debuts strongly but down on last year...
Monday October 2:
Things are not looking so good for Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (UK: Channel 4). In its third week, the NBC 10pm drama sank to 9m viewers - more than 30% down on its opening night of 13.4m. The show is not very good at hanging onto viewers it inherits from the preceding NBC programme, & is also losing audience across its hour - both bad signs for its future.
Variety suggests that Studio 60's upmarket audience demographic may save it - but not if its overall numbers continue to slide. Studio 60 also slips into Mediaweek ratings analyst Marc Berman's 'loser' category for the first time.
But better news for another new NBC drama, Heroes (UK: Sci Fi), which had 12.6m at 9pm - down just 7% on its opening night 14.1m last Monday. Heroes was second in its slot for overall viewers, after CBS sitcoms Two and a Men (15.9m) and The New Adventures of Old Christine (13.7m) and top in the advertiser friendly 18-49 demographic. Both Variety and Mediaweek's Berman reckon Heroes is shaping up to be a hit.
Ratings for CBS sitcom The Class (UK: Channel 4) continued to tumble, with 8m on Monday at 8pm - down from 10.6m on its debut two weeks ago. Stays in Berman's 'loser' category.
Another Monday night newbie, Fox's Vanished (UK: Five), held steady at 6.4m - still 4th in its 9pm slot behind rival shows on NBC, ABC and CBS. Berman: loser.
Wednesday October 4:
ABC's Lost (UK: Channel 4) returned for its third season and comfortably won its 9pm slot with 18.8m viewers. But this strong debut won't entirely please ABC bosses, as the show was 18% down on the second season's opening night last year.
Lost was followed on ABC by the debut of The Nine (UK: Five), a flashback-laden drama charting the relationships of nine survivors of an armed robbery. The show had an audience of 11.9m, second in its slot behind CBS's CSI:NY (UK: Five).
Meanwhile CBS's post nuclear apocalyse drama Jericho (UK:(ITV/Hallmark) slipped to 10.8m at 8pm, while NBC's Kidnapped (UK: Channel 4), slid to 5.2m at 10pm, suffering from the competition from CSI and The Nine.
