By David Bauder, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --NBC’s summer run of “Weekend Update” segments from “Saturday Night Live” and ABC’s two-part special on Princess Diana were modest successes for their television networks last week.
The first of four weeks where “SNL’s” Michael Che and Colin Jost deliver topical jokes on NBC’s primetime lineup was seen by nearly 4.9 million viewers last week. It was the 17th most popular program on last week but did better in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic NBC pays most attention to. Aside from “Game of Thrones,” only competition shows like “America’s Got Talent” or “Big Brother” beat the program among the younger viewers.
Although its audience skewed older, the two-part ABC News special recalling Diana also landed in the Nielsen company’s top 20 last week. Only “The Bachelorette” did better last week for ABC.
With its powerful one-two punch of “America’s Got Talent” and the summer finale of “World of Dance,” NBC again dominated in the ratings last week.
NBC averaged 4.9 million viewers in primetime, Nielsen said. CBS had 3.99 million, ABC had 3.95 million, Fox had 1.7 million, Univision had 1.49 million, Telemundo had 1.45 million, ION Television had 1.3 million and the CW had 940,000.
Fox News Channel was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 2.09 million viewers in prime time. MSNBC had 1.72 million, USA had 1.46 million, HGTV had 1.41 million and TBS had 1.24 million.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 7.8 million viewers. ABC’s “World News” was second with 7.5 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 6.4 million viewers.
Below are primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Aug. 7-13. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.
1. “America’s Got Talent” (Tuesday), NBC, 13.32 million.
2. “Game of Thrones,” HBO, 10.72 million.
3. “World of Dance,” NBC, 8 million.
4. “The Bachelorette,” ABC, 7.58 million.
5. “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday), NBC, 7.02 million.
6. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 7.01 million.
7. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 6.4 million.
8. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 6.22 million.
9. “American Ninja Warrior,” NBC, 6.2 million.
10. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 5.979 million.
11. “NCIS,” CBS, 5.976 million.
12. “Story of Diana, Part One,” ABC, 5.45 million.
13. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 5.42 million.
14. “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 5.34 million.
15. “Bull,” CBS, 5 million.
16. “Story of Diana, Part Two,” ABC, 4.88 million.
17. “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update in Primetime,” NBC, 4.71 million.
18. “Celebrity Family Feud,” ABC, 4.52 million.
19. “The Wall,” NBC, 4.22 million.
20. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 4.217 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