Image Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBSThe new drama Blue Bloods, which marked the return of Tom Selleck to prime time, was a hit for CBS on an otherwise humdrum night for broadcast television. The cop drama attracted 12.8 million viewers and posted a 2.2 rating/7 share in adults 18-49 – a 22% increase versus what Numb3rs did last year. The drama also rocked its 10 p.m. time slot in the key demographic, along with posting wins among adults 25-54 and women 18-49.
Coupled with an impressive performance by the return of CSI: New York (10.27 million viewers) – which featured new castmember Sela Ward – CBS easily won the night in viewers (9.7 million) and adults 18-49. Medium also returned to the network at 8 but was down 39% among adults 18-49 compared to what The Ghost Whisperer was doing in the time slot a year ago. The Patricia Arquette series only averaged 6.1 million.
NBC aired a two-hour Dateline followed by the premiere of Outlaw, the Jimmy Smits starrer that only averaged 4.98 million. Still, NBC came in second in viewers (6.47 million) and adults 18-49 for the night.
The CW rolled out a new season of Smallville, which rocked its timeslot among teens and men 18-49 and averaged 2.9 million viewers. It scored the CW’s best performance in the Friday slot in two years among viewers and adults 18-49. Supernatural also staged a return, which also won its slot among teens and averaged 2.78 million viewers.
Fox aired a repeat of Human Target and an original of The Good Guys, which averaged 2.9 million. For the night, Fox finished in fourth place among viewers (3.0 million).
ABC repeated two of its comedies, The Whole Truth and an original 20/20. It finished the night in third place among viewers (3.98 million).
Wow. When was the last time a Friday 10pm show got almost 13 million viewers? So CBS is five for five on the new season.
Can’t believe CBS successfully released all 5 new shows in one week, including one which got 13 million in the Friday death slot.
I hope this means that Blue Bloods will be moved from Friday to some other night. How about moving it to Monday at 8 pm (CST) and move two and a half-men to 7:30 pm (CST)? Rules of Engagement can move to Thursday at 8:30 pm. You can move “$#! My Dad Days” and Mike and Molly to Friday since they are going to die anyway. (Or the much easier thing is move Big Bang Theory back to Monday’s. Put CSI at 7 pm on Thursday and Blue Bloods on at 8 pm on Thursday)
Why don’t you just buy a DVR and be done with it?
Leave it where it is and lead the way in revitalizing Friday night TV! It’s about time there is something worth watching on Friday nights.
I agree with moving bleep my dad says and mike and molly to Fridays…personally, I found mike and molly unfunny and offensive. LOVED Blue Bloods!!!
Wow. almost 13 million people asleep in front of their murmuring TV, yet again watching police cars, spinning red lights, chases on foot and faux debates about our system and values. We’re gonna party like it’s 1989.
Do you mean by watching “Falcon Crest”?
typo — left out half in” half-asleep in front, etc”
Looks like out of all the new fall shows, Hawaii 5-0 and Blue Bloods had the most viewers. CBS had a great premiere week.
I have been following Ms. Ward’s career ever since she was a mouseketeer.
…uhmmmm who cares.
CBS should never have cancelled Ghost Whisperer. Sure the ratings were down last season but still it was a show that routinely got about 8 million or more… Even though I love Medium; and the season premiere last night was pretty funny… It’s not good to change timeslots. It’s more of a 9 p.m. show, not 8 p.m. Ghost Whisperer was more of a 8 p.m. show. And was able to lead off the night… I bet CBS is wishing they had kept GW. Even though they did very well with the night…
I agree with the spirit of your statement Stacey, but perhaps we could find a more private place to weigh your beautiful opinions.
Why would they do that? Its a COMMENTS section. It’s a public comments board where people are supposed to put their opinions about the article.
Yeah, that has to be the most odd remark on a comment I’ve ever seen.
You know Medium would usually beat GW in the ratings. However, you are right about keeping Medium at 9.
In the spirit of the debate and acknowledging its title is, indeed, Medium, wouldn’t the best time slot, therefore, be 8:30?
CBS had a great Friday night because its got a pair of shows that aren’t really Friday night shows. They will every Friday this season.
Tom Selleck is da Man!
Nothing against Selleck and maybe I’m being nit picky, but how did 6’4″ Selleck end up with a short father and a slew of short kids? Does not compute.
Short mother?
hey, wizard, yep, i love me some Tom Selleck.
Murder, seduction and betrayal / deceit inside the NYPD. I’m in.
This is the best new CBS show this season.It would had done so much better in another night.At least 3 more million viewers.
Even though I said I wouldn’t watch any new show, because they cancel them anyway…..I tuned into Blue Bloods, because, of Donnie Wahlberg. Loved him on Boomtown. I enjoyed the show. And will watch again. Tuned into Detroit 187 and made it through 9 whole minutes. CBS chose better selecting it’s shows it seems…..
Not surprising you passed on Detroit. How did such a sloppy script ever make it to TV? The ballistics BS was laughable, the jargon was NYC not Detroit and it should be cancelled.
I agree. Tom Selleck is a legend, but Donnie Wahlberg is the most underrated actor today. Since the minute he came on the screen and stole the scene in “Sixth Sense” from Bruce Willis, I have loved everything he’s done. Boomtown was not given enough of a chance to grow. Hopefully Blue Bloods will stay on a lot longer.
Agreed – Donnie Wahlberg was also very good on his small role in Rizzoli and Isles. I wanted to see more of him but I guess he’s got a better gig. So far of the new shows that I have watched, Blue Bloods is the only one that I’d definitely watch again and am adding to the tivo for a season pass. (I do note that some of the supporting cast seemed to have more of a New England accent than a NY accent. The rest did not even bother to try.)
I agree about Donnie Whalberg! I liked him on Boomtown, and have been wondering when he would be cast in something that lasts more than a season or 2. Maybe Blue Bloods is it. Who would have thot that Mark and Donnie would turn out to be such great actors? I guess you never can tell.
I didn’t mean to watch this show last night, but in the minute or so between when I turned on the tv and when I finally found the remote, I was sucked in. I loved this show! I was talking to a friend about it today, and I had the realization, ‘Oh, no, I’m invested in a new show!’ SO GLAD it did well. It was really great. Hooray!
Damn. Blue Bloods beat Outlaw by 8 million viewers??? Guess there goes my Jimmy Smits fix.
NBC committed harikari with Outlaw. They showed a preview after America’s Got Talent, then 3 days later repeated the same episode in the regular slot. Way to kill momentum.
Of course the fact that the pilot was abysmal didn’t help either. There wasn’t a single unused cliche or obvious plot twist it didn’t use.
The show was just a dumb idea in the first place. Who ever resigns from the Supreme Court for any reason but retirement or illness?
I thought the pilot was a bit preposterous but still watchable and Smits was good. But that second episode was so bad and made no sense whatsover and not to mention was a complete flip of what the character i guess is supposed to do.
Outlaw stinks, plain and simple.
I wanted to like Outlaw. I tried to like Outlaw. I wasn’t loving it after the first episode, but stuck around for one more. No more. It’s going bye-by from the dvr schedule.
I love Sela Ward! She is quite possibly one of the best dramatic actresses on television… Thrilled to see her back! Never watched CSI: NY before, but will be watching this season! Good to know that the season started on a high note!
I love her, too, but felt she was too cutesy and playful, maybe even a bit trashy. Not her fault, but the writers’.
I agree… I thought the same. I am giving it more time — Sela Ward is one of those actors who can add depth and layers to a character almost seamlessly. I was amazed at how good she was in ONCE AND AGAIN, and know that she will totally raise the bar in CSI…. she really is that good.
I love Sela Ward and was looking forward to her back on TV, but I hated (with a passion) the character of Jo. Again, I’m talking the character not the actress. I found Jo to be annoying, know-it-all and uninteresting. Let’s hope they give Sela better material to work with in the future.
ITA. She almost came off as a cougar on the prowl.