By David Bauder, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --NBC’s personality-oriented drama “This is Us” received the latest confirmation of its status as a freshman yet, ranking as the No. 1 prime-time show last week for the first time among youthful viewers desired by advertisers
Counting all viewers, the Nielsen company said the show ranked fifth.
In a cluttered marketplace where it is hard for new programs to break through and get attention, “This is Us” is a rarity for the broadcast networks for its status as an instant hit. The show had 9.6 million viewers on NBC last Tuesday and, in a sign viewers are making a habit of seeking it out, gained nearly 5 million more viewers each of the last two weeks when people who watched on a delayed basis within three days are counted in.
Oddly, another freshman series that airs at the same time — CBS’ “Bull” — had more viewers last week. “Bull” has the edge of airing directly after television’s most popular show, “NCIS.”
ABC newsman David Muir landed in the top 10 with his interview of President Donald Trump, which was seen by 7.5 million people.
CBS easily won the week in prime time, averaging 7.5 million viewers. ABC had 5 million viewers, NBC had 4.2 million, Fox had 3.6 million, Univision had 1.9 million, the CW had 1.52 million, Telemundo had 1.51 million and ION Television had 1.4 million.
Fox News Channel was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 3.35 million viewers in prime-time. ESPN had 2.31 million, HGTV had 1.67 million, BET had 1.66 million and TBS had 1.64 million.
NBC’s “Nightly News” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9.4 million viewers. ABC’s “World News Tonight” was second with 9.1 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 7.9 million viewers.
Below are primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Jan. 23-29. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.
1. “NCIS,” CBS, 16.21 million.
2. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 11.51 million.
3. “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 11.29 million.
4. “Bull,” CBS, 11.18 million.
5. “This is Us,” NBC, 9.63 million.
6. “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC, 9.59 million.
7. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 9.35 million.
8. “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 9.18 million.
9. “Madam Secretary,” CBS, 8.71 million.
10. “Kevin Can Wait,” CBS, 8.62 million.
11. “Scorpion,” CBS, 7.77 million.
12. “Man With a Plan,” CBS, 7.69 million.
13. “Scandal,” ABC, 7.62 million.
14. “President Trump Interview,” ABC, 7.5 million.
15. NFL Football: Pro Bowl, ESPN, 7.45 million.
16. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 7.38 million.
17. “The Bachelor,” ABC, 7.36 million.
18. “Hawaii Five-0,” CBS, 7.14 million.
19. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 7.13 million.
20. “The Big Bang Theory” (Monday, 9:30 p.m.), CBS, 7.11 million.
Review: Writer-Director Aaron Schimberg’s “A Different Man”
Imagine you could wake up one morning, stand at the mirror, and literally peel off any part of your looks you don't like — with only movie-star beauty remaining.
How would it change your life? How SHOULD it change your life?
That's a question – well, a launching point, really — for Edward, protagonist of Aaron Schimberg's fascinating, genre-bending, undeniably provocative and occasionally frustrating "A Different Man," featuring a stellar trio of Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson and Renate Reinsve.
The very title is open to multiple interpretations. Who (and what) is "different"? The original Edward, who has neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes bulging tumors on his face? Or the man he becomes when he's able to slip out of that skin? And is he "different" to others, or to himself?
When we meet Edward, a struggling actor in New York (Stan, in elaborate makeup), he's filming some sort of commercial. We soon learn it's an instructional video on how to behave around colleagues with deformities. But even there, the director stops him, offering changes. "Wouldn't want to scare anyone," he says.
On Edward's way home on the subway, people stare. Back at his small apartment building, he meets a young woman in the hallway, in the midst of moving to the flat next door. She winces visibly when she first sees him, as virtually everyone does.
But later, Ingrid (Reinsve) tries to make it up to him, coming over to chat. She is charming and forthright, and tells Edward she's a budding playwright.
Edward goes for a medical checkup and learns that one of his tumors is slowly progressing over the eye. But he's also told of an experimental trial he could join. With the possibility — maybe — of a cure.
So... Read More