By David Bauder, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Nielsen’s first “most likely to succeed” list is out, and it includes Michael Weatherley, Mandy Moore, Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin James.
They are among the stars in new series that performed well during the first week of the new TV season, the Nielsen company said. The best performer was “Bull,” CBS’ series starring Weatherley as a trial consultant in a story loosely based on Dr. Phil McGraw’s life. Its audience of 15.6 million made it the most-watched debut of the week.
Moore is in the ensemble cast of NBC’s “This is Us,” and James in the CBS comedy “Kevin Can Wait,” which both finished among Nielsen’s Top 25 for their debuts.
All three series, however, had the advantage of following more popular returning series on the schedule: CBS’ “NCIS” and “The Big Bang Theory,” and NBC’s “The Voice.” That’s the television equivalent of beginning a 100-yard dash 50 yards ahead of your opponent.
Sutherland’s critically acclaimed “Designated Survivor” on ABC, however, was the only one of the four newcomers to gather a bigger audience than the show immediately preceding it on the schedule. ABC’s “black-ish” had 6.4 million viewers for its premiere, and “Designated Survivor” followed it with more than 10 million — a positive sign that many viewers specifically sought it out.
After finishing the summer months behind NBC in the ratings, CBS returned to the top spot last week. It also was the only one of the top four networks to gain in viewers compared to the first week of the 2015 season.
CBS averaged 11.2 million viewers in prime time for premiere week. NBC had 8.7 million, and won among the 18-to-49-year-old demographic sought by advertisers. ABC had 5.9 million, Fox had 3.6 million, Telemundo had 1.7 million, Univision had 1.6 million, ION Television had 1.1 million and the CW had 900,000.
ESPN was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 3.19 million people in prime time. Fox News Channel ad 2.33 million, TNT had 1.8 million, TBS had 1.44 million and HGTV had 1.31 million.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 8.2 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 8 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 6.7 million.
Below are primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Sept. 19-25. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.
1. NFL Football: Chicago at Dallas, NBC, 20.62 million.
2. NFL Football: Houston at New England, CBS, 17.55 million.
3. “NCIS,” CBS, 16 million.
4. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 15.82 million.
5. “Bull,” CBS, 15.57 million.
6. “NFL Pregame,” NBC, 15.41 million.
7. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 14.36 million.
8. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 12.29 million.
9. NFL Football: Philadelphia at Chicago, ESPN, 12.14 million.
10. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 12.1 million.
11. “Football Night in America,” NBC, 11.5 million.
12. “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 11.12 million.
13. “NFL Pregame,” CBS, 11.084 million.
14. “Kevin Can Wait,” CBS, 11.08 million.
15. “Empire,” Fox, 10.87 million.
16. “MacGyver,” CBS, 10.73 million.
17. “Dancing With the Stars,” ABC, 10.72 million.
18. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 10.55 million.
19. “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 10.34 million.
20. “Hawaii Five-O,” CBS, 10.22 million.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More