By David Bauder, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --No one is coming close to challenging “The Big Bang Theory” when Americans turn on prime-time television in search of a few laughs.
The Nielsen company’s ratings last week illustrate the CBS comedy’s dominance. Nielsen said 15.2 million people watched “The Big Bang Theory” on Thursday, far above the second most-popular sitcom, ABC’s “Modern Family,” which had 8.4 million viewers.
The Chuck Lorre-created comedy about socially challenged brainiacs is headed toward some memorable episodes, with Jim Parsons’ character, Sheldon Cooper, about to consummate his romance with Amy, played by Mayim Bialik.
“The Big Bang Theory” is also the most popular sitcom among viewers ages 18- to 49-years-old, although the gap with “Modern Family” is narrower.
The bench strength for televised sitcoms has to be concerning for television executives. At NBC, ancestral home of “Cheers,” ‘’Friends” and “Seinfeld,” the most-watched sitcom last week was “Undateable,” a Friday-night show with 2.7 million viewers. Jimmy Fallon often draws that many viewers late at night.
The American Music Awards led ABC to its best Sunday-night showing since last spring, although its audience of 11 million viewers was a dip from last year’s 11.6 million, Nielsen said.
CBS won the week in prime time, averaging 8.4 million viewers. NBC had 7.7 million viewers and was the most popular network among 18- to 49-year-old viewers. ABC had 7.1 million, Fox had 5.3 million, Univision had 2.4 million, the CW had 1.49 million, Telemundo had 1.48 million and ION Television had 1.2 million.
ESPN was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 2.88 million viewers in prime time. Fox News Channel had 2.27 million, Hallmark had 1.88 million, USA had 1.61 million and TBS had 1.56 million.
During a busy news week, NBC’s “Nightly News” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9.6 million viewers. ABC’s “World News Tonight” was second with 9.2 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 8 million viewers.
Primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Nov. 16-22. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.
1. NFL Football: Cincinnati at Arizona, NBC, 18.01 million.
2. “NCIS,” CBS, 16.59 million.
3. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 15.19 million.
4. “Sunday Night NFL Pregame Show,” NBC, 13.69 million.
5. “The Walking Dead,” AMC, 13.22 million.
6. “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 13.01 million.
7. “The OT,” Fox, 12.73 million.
8. “Dancing With the Stars,” ABC, 12.35 million.
9. NFL Football: Houston at Cincinnati, ESPN, 12.19 million.
10. “Empire,” Fox, 11:34 million.
11. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 11.21 million.
12. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 11.18 million.
13. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 11.01 million.
14. “American Music Awards,” ABC, 11.007 million.
15. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 10.99 million.
16. “Football Night in America,” NBC, 10.88 million.
17. “Madam Secretary,” CBS, 9.91 million.
18. “Scorpion,” CBS, 9.16 million.
19. “Hawaii Five-O,” CBS, 9.1 million.
20. “Survivor,” CBS, 9.05 million.
Object & Animal Signs Director Alana O’Herlihy To Its Global Roster
Object & Animal has added multidisciplinary artist, photographer and director Alana O’Herlihy to its roster for exclusive worldwide representation spanning commercials, branded content and music videos. This marks the first production house representation for O’Herlihy. Her portfolio encompasses a wide range of visual artistry, from directing films and music videos to creating photographic stills. Known for a unique blend of analog and digital mediums, O’Herlihy’s work includes leading brands and top-tier magazines, where her vision consistently sparks conversation and brings heightened visibility to her subjects. Her glamorous, campy style pushes the boundaries of conventional artistry. Among her notable directorial credits is the Miley Cyrus music video “Prisoner” featuring Dua Lipa. “Alana’s ability to seamlessly merge old mediums with cutting-edge processes is a testament to her boundless creativity,” said Emi Stewart, executive producer at Object & Animal. “Her work challenges conventions while celebrating the visual grandeur of both past and present.” Object & Animal maintains offices in London, Los Angeles and New York. Read More