CBS’ Undercover Boss (1.9/9 in adults 18-49, 8.6 million viewers) dropped 21% in 18-49 from its big Friday premiere last week but still ranked as the top program of the night in the 18-49 demographic. The reality series was also the most watched show last week but that title went back to CBS’ Friday staple Blue Bloods…

Last night’s ratings provided more ammunition for the theory that scripted programming may be doomed on Friday. The two highest-rated programs on the night in adults 18-49 by a mile were a a reality series, CBS’ Undercover Boss (2.4/8), and a newsmagazine, ABC’s 20/20 (2.0/6). The former made a very strong entry on…

CBS’ Friday lineup posted gains in its return to originals after a month of reruns. A Gifted Man (1.5/5) was up 15% from its most recent original on December 2, CSI:NY (1.8/5) was up 29% and Blue Bloods (1.8/5) was up 13%. Similarly, the CW’s Nikita (0.6/2) climbed 20% from its most recent first-run episode, and Supern…

When it announced its midseason plans last month, CBS slated reality series Undercover Boss as a bridge between the two cycles of The Amazing Race on Sunday, beginning Jan. 15. Today, the network set a return date for The Amazing Race, Feb. 19. After 3 original telecasts on Sunday, Undercover Boss will relocate to…

Last time we checked on Grimm the week before the Thanksgiving holiday, the rookie NBC drama seemed to be bottoming out, holding steady week-to-week to stop its post-premiere slide. But then the fairytale procedural was benched once for the holiday, which is understandable, and then again last night for original movie…

On the heels of getting a three-episode back order this week, CBS’ freshman drama A Gifted Man (1.3/4 in adults 18-49, 8.2 million viewers) posted a ratings uptick of a tenth of a point in 18-49. Since premiering with a 1.4, the medical/supernatural drama had been stuck at a 1.2, only once logging a 1.3 in the fast…

CBS has ordered three additional episodes from modestly rated A Gifted Man, bringing the medical/ghost drama’s freshman season to 16 episodes. It is not clear what CBS plans to put in the low-trafficked Friday 8 PM time slot after A Gifted Man ends its run. The network is yet to schedule midseason drama The 2-2, but…

The fast nationals for last night were delayed by Nielsen this morning … or was it sabotage at the hands of Fringe fans trying to delay the bad ratings news? The Fox sci-fi drama (1.1/3 in adults 18-49) was down 15% from last week to post a series low. That was despite its lead-in, Kitchen Nightmares (1.6/5), rising a…

Following its surprisingly strong debut against Game 7 of the World Series last week, NBC’s new fairytale-themed drama Grimm (1.8/5 in 18-49, 5.92 million viewers) dropped a modest 14% in its second airing. It won the 9 PM hour in the demo and ranked as the second-highest-rated program of the night behind the CBS…

Just like it happened the same time last year, once ABC dropped repeats on Friday to go for a lineup of reality series and newsmagzines, it became an instant formidable rival to CBS for the top spot on the night among adults 18-49. Last year, it started with a tie before ABC posted a couple of outright victories in…

Another Friday with mostly minor adjustments of a tenth of a 18-49 rating. CBS’ 10 PM drama Blue Bloods (1.7/5 in adults 18-49, 10.9 million viewers) posted the biggest drop from last week — two tenths in 18-49. It was still the highest-rated and most-watched program of the night, tied in 18-49 with another CBS drama…

Last November, when ABC beat CBS’ scripted Friday lineup multiple times in adults 18-49 with a mix of reality shows and newsmagazines, I wondered whether the concept of putting scripted series on Friday was doomed. Well, looking at the numbers last night, it certainly seems that way, particularly if you program for…