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 Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance”
In its first two hours, "The Substance" is a well-made, entertaining movie. Writer-director Coralie Fargeat treats audiences to a heavy dose of biting social commentary on ageism and sexism in Hollywood, with a spoonful of sugar- and sparkle-doused body horror.
But the film's deliciously unhinged, blood-soaked and inevitably polarizing third act is what makes it unforgettable.
What begins as a dread-inducing but still relatively palatable sci-fi flick spirals deeper into absurdism and violence, eventually erupting — quite literally — into a full-blown monster movie. Let the viewer decide who the monster is.
Fargeat — who won best screenplay at this year's Cannes Film Festival — has been vocal about her reverence for "The Fly" director David Cronenberg, and fans of the godfather of body horror will see his unmistakable influence. But "The Substance" is also wholly unique and benefits from Fargeat's perspective, which, according to the French filmmaker, has involved extensive grappling with her own relationship to her body and society's scrutiny.
"The Substance" tells the story of Elisabeth Sparkle, a famed aerobics instructor with a televised show, played by a powerfully vulnerable Demi Moore. Sparkle is fired on her 50th birthday by a ruthless executive — a perfectly cast Dennis Quaid, who nails sleazy and gross.
Feeling rejected by a town that once loved her and despairing over her bygone star power, Sparkle learns from a handsome young nurse about a black-market drug that promises to create a "younger, more beautiful, more perfect" version of its user. Though she initially tosses the phone number in the trash, she soon fishes it out in a desperate panic and places an order.
The one rule to follow is that... Read More