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Ratings: Fox's 5th Grader Overachieves
This Tuesday, as the 90-minute American Idol averaged 30.44 million total viewers (a week-to-week bump of one million, this despite Sanjay's disturbing li'l outfit)....
• NCIS (16.2 million) was up 840,000, while Gilmore Girls stood pat with 4.08 mil.
• At 9, The Unit (12.81 million) surged 1.25 mil to deliver its best numbers since Oct. 10. Veronica Mars (2.74 mil) inched up 400K from last week's season low.
• Not at all surprisingly, Fox's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? quiz show enjoyed a big ol' ride on Idol's coattails at 9:30, debuting to an audience of 26.57 million. UPDATE: Fox notes that this is its highest-rated series premiere ever, and the most-watched series debut on any network in eight-and-a-half years (since NBC's Jesse, Sept. 1998).
• SVU drew 11.72 million (down 220 thou), besting a Criminal Minds repeat (10.52 mil) and ABC's Bob Woodruff special )10.11 mil).
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Feb 28, 2007 12:04 PM
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Thanks for the numbers, Matt. Glad to see Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars hanging in there!
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Feb 28, 2007 12:05 PM
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My problem with Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is that Jeff Foxworthy has a sort of smarmy attitude like he's so much better than the adult contestants.
But did they really have to pick the dullest lightblulbs in the box for the premiere. I think we get the premise. They could pick some men and women who haven't yet been lobotomized.
This would be a better daytime show. And they stole the whole premise for Howard Stern and have not acknowledged that.
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Feb 28, 2007 12:16 PM
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I was one of those 26M watching the 5th grade show (mostly because of my kids). I know it was the first show, and they have to explain the rules, etc., but they only asked 6 questions in 30 minutes! Gee whiz...
I might just tape a month's worth and watch in a regular 30-minute slot.
Also, I think they rated the questions a lot lower than reality. I don't think most first-graders know who Columbus is, much less when we celebrate Columbus Day. But I don't care, I got them all right anyway!! Scoreboard! 
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Feb 28, 2007 12:19 PM
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I'm interested in knowing if American Idol's numbers dropped in the 9 o'clock hour? I know that I turned the channel and watched The Unit instead of AI from 9pm on. Interesting also that The Unit's numbers were up from last week - still having to compete with AI.
Thanks for always keeping us so well informed!
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Feb 28, 2007 12:19 PM
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American Idol:
8-8:30 pm/ET: 27.27 million
8:30-9 pm: 31.03 million
9-9:30 pm: 33.03 million
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Feb 28, 2007 12:35 PM
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IMO, Are you smarter ... only shows us that so much information we learned in school is hardly ever used during real life.
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Feb 28, 2007 1:52 PM
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Wow. I'm so glad to see The Unit getting more viewers since that episode rocked (oddly, though it wasn't one of their best). BUT oh man, House must be feeling pretty silly right now. I mean if 'Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader' pulls in that kind of ratings after AI. Anything can. Where are they moving this show to? What day/time?
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Feb 28, 2007 1:54 PM
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So, since The Unit did so well, they can't cancel it, right? Right!? PLEASE TELL ME I'M RIGHT, MATT!!!!
Not that I'm anxious or anything 
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Feb 28, 2007 1:56 PM
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And we all know how well Jesse did.
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Feb 28, 2007 1:59 PM
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Sonnet53, what are you talking about? House has been pulling top ratings all season. Even before the return of AI.
This little quiz show is NOT going to be doing Millionaire or Deal kinds of ratings when it gets out from AI's wing.
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Feb 28, 2007 2:14 PM
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I work in an elementary school and yes, in the first grade they do learn who Columbus is on Columbus Day. I couldn't believe that a guy who had 3.0 grade point average and graduated from UCLA with a history degree did not know who is the first U.S. president to be impeach? (Andrew Johnson)
This week third graders are learning limmericks, and even the fifth graders I talk to, were laughing at Mr. UCLA.
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Feb 28, 2007 3:38 PM
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What I'm talking about AcheyFakey is that AI is the reason House NOW pulls in 26M in stead of 16 or 17 (on a good night). 16-17M is nothing to be ashamed of but my point is the reason it NOW pulls in 25-26M is because of AI and nothing else.
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Feb 28, 2007 4:43 PM
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Sonnet, but Fox was more than pleased with House's ratings without AI. Why would they the makers of House feel silly now? That little quiz show would not have done anywhere NEAR what House did back in the first half of this season.
House is a hit even on its own. Nothing to be ashamed about.
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Feb 28, 2007 6:12 PM
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You're right there IS nothing to be ashamed about but they can't BOAST that House draws 25M because without AI it wouldn't. I'm not sure you're getting my drift here but if that ridiculous 5th grader show can draw 26M after AI it takes away the bragging rights of House to say 'we have 25M viewers'. It's gotta be LESS satisfying than getting it all on your own. Now if they want to BOAST that they are a hit with 16-17M viewers... then I say fine. Other than that it's GOT to feel somewhat like an empty victory
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Feb 28, 2007 11:27 PM
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