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TV Ratings: 'Lost' finale takes off for ABC Sunday
Fast National ratings for Sunday, May 23, 2010The highly anticipated series finale of "Lost" paid off in more ways than one. It gave ABC an easy victory on Sunday in both households and demo for both "The Final Journey" lead-in (9.8 million, 5.5 rating/10 share) and then the "The End," the finale itself (13.5 million, 7.5/13). Over on NBC, the finale of "The Celebrity Apprentice," which Bret Michael was able to attend, finished strong in its second hour.
ABC averaged 11.4 million viewers and a 6.4 rating/11 share for the night, followed by CBS with 9.1 million and a 5.8/10, NBC (7.4 million, 4.6/8) and FOX 4.7 million, 2.7/5.
Among adults 18-49, the "Lost" programming also won ABC first with a strong 4.8 rating. Next came NBC, 2.4, FOX, 2.2 and then CBS, 1.5.
Sunday hour by hour:
7 p.m.
CBS: "60 Minutes" (9.4 million viewers, 6.1/11 households)
ABC: "Lost: The Final Journey" (9.1 million, 5.2/10)
NBC: "Dateline NBC" (5.2 million, 3.5/7)
FOX: "'Til Death" (2.2 million, 1.3/3), "The Simpsons" rerun (2.9 million, 1.7/3)
18-49 leader: "Lost: The Final Journey" (3.7)
8 p.m.
ABC: "Lost: The Final Journey" (10.5 million, 5.9/10)
CBS: "ACM Presents Brooks & Dunn: The Last Rodeo" (9.7 million, 5.9/10)
NBC: "Minute to Win It" (5.6 million, 3.5/6)
FOX: "The Simpsons" (5.7 million, 3.2/6), "The Cleveland Show" (4.9 million, 2.9/5)
18-49 leader: "Lost: The Final Journey" (4.3)
9 p.m.
ABC: "Lost" finale (13 million, 7.2/11)
CBS: "ACM Presents Brooks & Dunn: The Last Rodeo" (10.9 million, 6.7/11)
NBC: "The Celebrity Apprentice" finale (8.6 million, 5.3/8)
FOX: "Family Guy" two episodes (6.3 million, 3.6/6)
18-49 leader: "Lost" finale (5.6)
10 p.m.
ABC: "Lost" finale (13.1 million, 7.2/12)
NBC: "The Celebrity Apprentice" finale (10 million, 6.2/10)
CBS: "CSI" (6.8 million, 4.5/7)
18-49 leader: "Lost" finale (5.6)
Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change. Source: The Nielsen Company.
More ratings at Zap2it: Daily, weekly and cable
Photo credit: ABC
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The finale of LOST was great, funny how CBS just gave up and aired, talk shows, mtv type programming and repeats of tired crime shows. Not sure how they will fair next season with this sub type programming.
LOST show win an Emmythis years, best two and a half hours of tv.
LOST! *sigh* the greatest TV show ever to exist is over! I'll miss you, my beloved!
LOST...i cant even work today still thinking about the finale...not sure if I liked it or not but i know i already really miss this show
Lost I love you!
what did the last half hour do?
Miss know it all is Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Here we go again, about know it all saying 18 to 49 yo demo isnt important. An aging 6 year show pulling in 13 million viewers is bad. What planet is know it all from. Poor thing maybe some education can help know it even know more.
ABC's commitment failed to pay dividends?
ABC was reportedly charging approximately $900,000 per 30 second ad spot during the finale, and included about 107 spots during the course of the entire thing (although some of them, of course, were for ABC's own programming). I'd say that's a lot of bank.
you and me both!
@Hahn: I found those numbers extremely disappointing.
Despite the almost unprecedented amounts of hype and PR spent on Lost, it still couldn't even get close to the numbers it used to get.
With all the hype, it won't even be the highest rated scripted show of the week.
ABC, while pretending this was a huge TV even that all saw, must be mightily disappointed that they used up all their PR efforts on getting 13 million viewers one night.
Of course the press will hype this and pretend it was hugely rated, but in reality, Lost failed to regain its first year luster and ABC's commitment to keeping the show alive for 6 long years failed to pay dividends.
In other news, FOX kept with 'Til Death until it induced a coma on its Sunday night.
It used to be networks yanked shows because they were afraid of losing audience because of the lead-in effect.
Why FOX decided that keeping 'Til Death (a show that never once had good ratings) on for five years of dragging down its network is yet another question that illustrates how poorly-run network television is these days.
At least Lost had good ratings for one season...