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‘24‘ premiere racks up record numbers (The West Wing - record low ratings)
Ely Times & County ^ | 1/17/06 | Cynthia Littleton

Posted on 01/17/2006 2:31:20 PM PST by LdSentinal

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Jack Bauer‘s latest marathon workday got off to a good start Sunday, ratings-wise.

The Fox drama "24" notched its most-watched episode ever with its fifth-season premiere as the first of two back-to-back episodes got a boost from a primetime overrun (in East Coast and Midwestern markets) of the NFL‘s NFC divisional playoff game between the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears.

Airing from about 8:13-9:11 p.m. EST, the first episode of "24" averaged 17 million viewers and a 7.3 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic (demographic share data for Sunday were not available Monday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday), according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. The second hour of "24," which ended at about 10:13 p.m. EST, held onto the majority of its lead-in to finish out with 15.5 million viewers and a 6.7 rating in adults 18-49.

According to Fox, Sunday‘s episodes marked the two most-watched installments of the Emmy-winning real-time drama series since the clock began ticking on "24" in fall 2001. Last year, Fox shifted the series to a January premiere date in part to allow the show to run original episodes in its regular Monday 9 p.m. slot through the end of the season without taking any weeks off for repeats.

The first hour of Sunday‘s season opener improved on last year‘s "24" premiere episode (which also had a special Sunday kickoff) by 16% in adults 18-49 and 11% in total viewers. ABC‘s 9 p.m. dynamo "Desperate Housewives" (22.5 million, 9.5/20) held onto its No. 1 ranking by a comfortable margin, though the presence of "24" probably helped drive the soap to its lowest marks of the season to date for an original episode. At 10 p.m., ABC‘s "Grey‘s Anatomy" (19.1 million, 8.6/20) hung tough and registered its best-ever retention of an original "Housewives" lead-in.

But the combination of the NFL overrun and double dose of "24" gave Fox the clear victory for the night (22 million viewers, 9.2 in adults 18-49) and its highest-rated Sunday since last year‘s Super Bowl telecast on February 6.

In other weekend ratings news, ABC had a good turnout Friday for the second week of its "Dancing With the Stars Results Show" (13.7 million, 3.4/11), which kept the network at No. 1 in both key measures in the 8 p.m. hour, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen. The news was not so good on Friday for NBC‘s limited-run 10 p.m. drama "The Book of Daniel" (7 million, 2.2/6), which lost Nielsen ground from the previous week‘s underwhelming two-hour premiere. CBS wound up taking Friday honors overall on the strength of the 10 p.m. drama "Numbers" (12.8 million, 3.8/11).

On Thursday, NBC‘s new comedy lineup, anchored by 9-10 p.m.‘s "My Name Is Earl" (12.5 million, 5.9/14) and "The Office" (10.3 million, 5.1/12), made hay in the adults 18-49 demo derby against a repeat of CBS‘ "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (17.8 million, 5.4/13). A good showing from NBC‘s 10 p.m. stalwart "ER" (15.4 million, 6.7/17) gave NBC the nightly win in adults 18-49 (5.6/14) and its highest-rated Thursday since May.

ABC was a player from 8-9:30 p.m. with the second week of its 90-minute performance edition of "Dancing With the Stars" (17.4 million, 4.6/12). The network‘s momentum ebbed at 9:30 p.m., however, with the debut of the sitcom "Crumbs" (11.8 million, 3.6/9).

WB Network also had some good news Thursday with the 9 p.m. second-season premiere of "Beauty and the Geek" (5 million, 2.3/6). On the heels of a solid showing from 8 p.m.‘s "Smallville" (5.5 million, 2.4/6), "Geek" delivered WB‘s best numbers of the season in the time period in all key measures, particularly women 18-34 (3.2/8), female teens (4.0/12) and male teens (3.1/10).


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 24; baur; bias; boxoffice; cancellation; crap; foxtv; jackbauer; liberal; nieslen; ratings; thebookofdaniel; westwing
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To: jackieaxe
BTW: Alan Alda is a CREEP!

Amen.

And so were the PREVIOUS White House occupants...


261 posted on 01/18/2006 2:17:20 PM PST by Paul Ross (My idea of American policy toward the Soviet Union is simple...It is this, 'We win and they lose.')
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To: Guenevere
..and if it's a mideast terrorist....it plays as it is!

The terrorists in the current season are obviously Chechen Muslims. At least the ones at the airport were -- the guy(s) pulling the strings might be something else.

262 posted on 01/18/2006 2:34:56 PM PST by Ichneumon
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To: rabidralph
Chloe should stick with the guy she has now

I've got a bad feeling about that guy...

263 posted on 01/18/2006 2:36:44 PM PST by Ichneumon
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To: Ichneumon

So do I.


264 posted on 01/18/2006 2:48:14 PM PST by pbear8 (Please tell Ted to shut up.)
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To: frankjr

Yeah.

Anybody care to tell us what happened in the third hour?
Or the first half of the second day?

Thanks...


265 posted on 01/18/2006 2:55:43 PM PST by It's me
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To: Ichneumon

He's definitely a bad dude.


266 posted on 01/18/2006 2:57:33 PM PST by conservative barking moonbat (2000 Light years from home)
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To: LdSentinal

I always had a soft/hard spot for that "designen woman"?


267 posted on 01/18/2006 2:59:05 PM PST by conservative barking moonbat (2000 Light years from home)
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To: Ichneumon

So do I. But then I started to wonder, how does CTU-LA end up with so many traitors and moles? Then I remembered the current situation at State, FBI and CIA. I guess it's not unusual.


268 posted on 01/18/2006 3:30:09 PM PST by rabidralph (Free, to bet.)
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To: Delta Dawn
If you buy the DVD set for the last season they include a "bonus" disc that gives you a episode that is not shown on TV. I don't know how long it lasts, I think about 10 minutes but then I can't believe how fast an hour goes when you are watching.

This last bonus disc starts "12 months later". Jack is in Chicago,has long hair and kind of homeless looking. He meets Chloe who tells him somehow someone has unscrambled the telephone call to President Palmer and they know he is alive. That he has to get out of Chicago and get out now!
From the set it does look like it is set in Chicago, but regardless, Chloe obviously has flown from LA to Chicago to tell him to get out. Jack asks if Chloe has been followed, and she says in her matter-of-factly way, "No, I'm here".
Then as Chloe leaves a motorcycle guy starts stalking Jack down the street and then comes a car gunning for him. Jack steals a car and manages to lead the guys into a crash and ultimately gets away.

Seems that without this information you wouldn't know until Sunday night that anyone knew Jack was alive until 18 months later.
269 posted on 01/18/2006 4:07:28 PM PST by not2worry (What goes around comes around.)
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To: Ichneumon

Edgar will sniff out what Chloe's guy is all about. I think he has a crush on Chloe, or at least cares about her enough not to want to see her hurt.

Hope we don't get surprised that Chloe's really out to rub Jack out.

Wonder how many of the cast of '24' are begging to be a good guy to be keep on the show?


270 posted on 01/18/2006 4:11:05 PM PST by not2worry (What goes around comes around.)
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To: Ichneumon

When I saw them take over the airport (although I was already leaning toward Chechen's), I thought of Beslan.


271 posted on 01/18/2006 4:14:23 PM PST by ican'tbelieveit
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To: InterceptPoint

Well, I suspect Donald Sutherland will be very pleased with your decision!

I don't know how close the father/son relationship is, but I do know this show is getting the message across to America just how deadly this War of Terror is to the USA. It seems, just as President Bush predicted, 9/11 is just a passing bad memory.


272 posted on 01/18/2006 4:16:12 PM PST by not2worry (What goes around comes around.)
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To: Arizona Carolyn
What would Sutherland be doing if he were in charge everything was hitting the fan during Katrina?

Drinking some wine? Eating some cheese? Catching some rays?

Probably.

273 posted on 01/18/2006 5:53:47 PM PST by Tribune7
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To: not2worry

Refer to post 250. We were talking about commander in chief and Donald Sutherland's nasty comments prior to it's premier; nothing bad about Keifer or 24... Keifer is smart and keeps his politics to himself and 24 is, hands' down the best or one of the best shows on television.


274 posted on 01/18/2006 8:52:45 PM PST by Arizona Carolyn
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To: LdSentinal; windcliff
I watched 24 and it was very entertaining.

I see the ratings for Commander in Chief "another show that I don't watch" are falling too.

275 posted on 01/20/2006 2:19:22 PM PST by I Drive Too Fast
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To: misterrob; All

I have all 4 seasons.It so cool when there is nothing worth watching, you can put on 24 and you be in front of the TV for hours.Jack makes the show,the writers are so right on about what goes on behind the scene's in the fight against terror.I saw a show on Fox with a couple of the cast members talking to some CIA folks,They said (CIA)was surprised at the parity of reality to the show 24.I hope it runs for many many more years to come.


276 posted on 01/22/2006 11:03:32 AM PST by pitbully (Let Freedom Ring ! Loud and Proud From So Cal !!)
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To: Arizona Carolyn
I belive you...(although I haven't seen the stats)...

..I personally find it hard to believe more folks watched the stupid Globes. ....than 24.

I thought the numbers were going down for awards show of that nature????

Extremely disappointing.

277 posted on 01/22/2006 11:07:09 AM PST by Guenevere
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To: Guenevere
I was disappointed as well.

I did read an interesting stat this morning -- movie 'stars' are taking cuts in pay due to how tough things have become lately (in hollywood). However, while they are taking smaller salaries up front, they are asking for larger percentages.

278 posted on 01/22/2006 1:50:29 PM PST by Arizona Carolyn
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