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TV ratings: 'The Jay Leno Show' debuts to 17 million-plus
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Fast National ratings for Monday, Sept. 14, 2009The debut of "The Jay Leno Show" led NBC to a ratings victory Monday night, drawing an audience of nearly 18 million people for its premiere.
Leno's show, which featured Jerry Seinfeld and an unplanned interview with musical guest Kanye West about his much-talked-about Video Music Awards appearance, averaged 17.7 million viewers. That compares favorably to Leno's "Tonight Show" farewell in may, which brought in 11.9 million people.
NBC led the prime-time race by a wide margin, averaging 15.1 million viewers and a 9.3 rating/15 share in households for the night. CBS -- which had coverage of the U.S. Open men's final bleed into primetime -- was a distant second with 5.9 million viewers and a 3.8/6. ABC (5.01 million, 3.3/5) narrowly beat FOX (4.95 million, 3.3/5) for third. The CW's Monday premieres averaged 2.6 million viewers and a 1.7/3.
NBC also led the adults 18-49 demographic with a 3.9 rating. CBS and FOX tied for second at 1.8. ABC scored a 1.5 and The CW a 1.3.
Monday night hour by hour:
8 p.m.
NBC: "America's Got Talent" (12.7 million viewers, 7.9/12 households)
ABC: Movie - "Dreamgirls" (5.6 million, 3.6/6)
CBS: U.S. Open/"How I Met Your Mother" rerun (5.5 million, 3.4/5)
FOX: "House" rerun (4.8 million, 3.1/5)
The CW: "One Tree Hill" season premiere (2.6 million, 1.7/3)
18-49 leader: "America's Got Talent" (3.0)
9 p.m.
NBC: "America's Got Talent" (14.9 million, 9.1/14)
CBS: "How I Met Your Mother" reruns/"Two and a Half Men" rerun (6.1 million, 3.9/6)
ABC: "Dreamgirls" (5.16 million, 3.4/5)
FOX: "House" rerun (5.15 million, 3.4/5)
The CW: "Gossip Girl" season premiere (2.5 million, 1.7/3)
18-49 leader: "America's Got Talent" (3.6)
10 p.m.
NBC: "The Jay Leno Show" (17.7 million, 11.0/18)
CBS: "Two and a Half Men"/"The Big Bang Theory"/"CSI: Miami" reruns (6 million, 4.0/7)
ABC: "Dreamgirls" (4.3 million, 2.9/5)
18-49 leader: "The Jay Leno Show" (5.1)
Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change, especially in the case of live telecasts.
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Leno built on the AGT lead-in, which is surprising when taken out of context. This was his first show so the curiousity factor is there, and he had a fortuitous guest in Kanye West.
I suppose it will probably average half of this number on a regular basis, which will be enough for it to be profitable and good for NBC.
For all of the ones who doubted him- take it! I'm sure this is MUCH more than a lot of people expected
Almost all the other big networks were either playing reruns or movies. The real test to the Jay Leno Show would come once the Fall Season Premieres for the other shows would air as well.
Don't get too cocky about his performance. He never got ratings like that at late night even with overnight kick ins from DVR's. It's something new and different and I really don't think the 17.7 million viewers thing is going to last in this situation.
I expected this kind of audience for the first show SPECIALLY with a Kanye West interview after Sunday night. My nights of watching Monday night 10pm TV are over and it's because of NBC.
Like I said, I don't see the viewership being this high to continue what so ever...
Give it until next week..When Prime Time is all new. Then..bye bye Jay
When all the dust clears...Jay is going to average around 4.6 to 5.5 million views a night...varying from night to night. This is EXACTLY what NBC had wished for.
I am so pleased that OTH once again got the higher ratings compared to GG. The CW thought they were slick moving the timeslot so more viewers would watch GG and nope still didn't happen =p A 7 yr old show still beats out there 3 yr old show. (and yes I know its only 100,000 viewers, but still).
Oh, please. Jay is an unfunny jerk and so is his show. It got ratings the first night because of: a) curiosity; and b) it wasn't against any new programming. I bet NBC bails before Thanksgiving.
I am in entire agreement with Craig and Crest.
Leno made its debut with the biggest guest they possibly could think of and with a marketing blitz that heralded him as "the future of television".
I almost watched it myself just out of curiosity.
That said, I think it is going to quickly ebb and settle in the range Craig indicated (or lower).
NBC will of course claim victory no matter what and will refuse to see that Leno should be used for specials (where he'd get great numbers like he did yesterday) rather than as an every day show.
NBC of course will be the loser when all is said and done as it just killed 5 slots where it could have discovered the next Law and Order (something it has apparently decided is completely impossible as long as Jeff Zucker is in charge!)
As for Gossip Girl, its numbers were terrible as usual and much lower than last year (Alan do correct me if I am wrong :) ). It does say something when it gets lower ratings than a show twice its age which receives almost no push from CW...
well I'm suprised I thought that the MNF games would have pulled away more viewers that this.