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PERFORMANCE/SCHEDULE ANALYSIS
(Updated as of June 23, 2008)
TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC:
Adults 28-42 "in the midst of major life transitions - getting married, first home, having children." This month, again, TLC hit the high end of that projection…slightly older than last month.
MAY 2008 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
TOP PRIMETIME SHOWS:
LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD, JOHN & KATE PLUS 8, WHAT NOT TO WEAR, MIAMI INK, 10 YEARS YOUNGER, AMERICAN CHOPPER, BIG MEDICINE, 48 HOURS: HARD EVIDENCE, MOVING UP, DATELINE: REAL LIFE MYSTERIES
SCHEDULING STRATEGIES:
Monday is mainly families of different sizes (pun intended). Tuesday is no longer tattoos…..TLC did both property and crime/investigation there in March. Wednesday is medicine and families again. Thursday is still TURBO. Friday is Stacy and other makeover programs. Saturday is property. Sunday is a whole night of some of the above.
In the upfront, TLC announced a perhaps more streamlined themed-night strategy, as follows: Monday will continue with real family “sitcoms” (8 kids are funny?), Friday continues as makeovers, Saturday stays home and decorating. Other nights will be about relationships, careers and entertaining, competition, games….with each evening focusing on people and storytelling”.
Um….what’s changed? And that focus…ah, isn’t that what every network has been saying lately? (Check out IN DEVELOPMENT to see what they mean).
PROGRAM/SCHEDULE CHANGES:
APRIL - MAY 2008:
April to May changes were limited to one minor change with FLIP THAT HOUSE added on Saturdays at 8:30pm to complete the double-play.
PREMIERES:
**BIG MEDICINE - May 18, 8pm.
FINALES:
**LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD (Season 4) - May 5, 8:30pm.
JUNE AND BEYOND:
Week of 4/28/08: All LITTLE PEOPLE again on Wednesday. All WHAT NOT TO WEAR on Thursday.
Week of 5/5/08: Just JON & KATE 8-10pm Sunday, followed by WHAT NOT TO WEAR at 10pm.
Week of 5/12/08: 48 HOURS goes in for DATELINE, Tuesday, 9 and 10pm. BIG MEDICINE is back, all night Sunday.
Week of 5/19/08: Back to all JON & KATE Wednesday. All TRADING SPACES on Sunday.
Week of 5/26/08: All 48 HOURS now on Tuesday. Sunday goes bridal: RUNNING OF THE BRIDES; ROCK THE RECEPTION; MADE OF HONOR
Week of 6/2/08: Another week of the same lineup, until all the way to Sunday: YOUR PLACE OR MINE? Premieres at 8pm. MASTER OF DANCE splits to 2 half-hours, 9 and 9:30pm. ROCK THE RECEPTION finishes up at 10pm.
Week of 6/9/08: MASTER OF DANCE doubles up on Monday from 8-9pm. Thursday has OVERHAULIN' at 8pm. and Sunday features Your Place or Mine at 8pm.
Week of 6/16/08: MASTER OF DANCE doubles on Monday from 8-9pm. OVERHAULIN' and AMERICAN CHOPPER at 8pm and 9pm Thursday. WHAT NOT TO WEAR at pm and 10 YEARS YOUNGER at 10pm Friday. FLIP THAT HOUSE at 8pm Saturday.
PREMIERES:
**June 1st – RUNNING OF THE BRIDES
**June 1ST – ROCK THE RECEPTION
**June 1ST – MADE OF HONOR
**June 8th - YOUR PLACE OR MINE?
**June 9th - MASTER OF DANCE
**June 28th - HOLMES ON HOMES
**June 29th -THE SINGING OFFICE
**July 11th - ASLEY PAIGE: BIKINI OR BUST
**July 15th - SAY YES TO THE DRESS
**July 15th - ROCK THE RECEPTION
**July 15th - MUST LOVE KIDS
**July 21st-TAKE HOME NANNY
**August 22nd-WHO ARE YOU WEARING
**August 24th-GET YOUR FACE ON WITH NAPOLEON PERDIS
YEAR AGO/BIG PICTURE
The Roloff’s (LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD) are still the highest rated family on the network but the show has seen steep declines of 42% in Women 25-54; 35% in P25-54 and 33% in P18-49. WHAT NOT TO WEAR is showing similar declines year-to-year.
On a positive note, Young men (M18-49) are showing 25% gains for AMERICAN CHOPPER on Thursday nights from a year ago.
MAY 2008 PRIMETIME RATING ANALYSIS:
Some of the core franchises are starting to show some age and its reflected in the ratings. May is down double digits, 16% for P25-54 and 11% P18-49 from a year ago. A bit of good news here is that the declines in both demos are driven by men. That’s understandable considering the network is targeting younger women 6 out 7 nights in Primetime.
Mondays showed a nice year-to-year increase of 13% in Households due to a strong delivery by the Gosselins (JOHN & KATE PLUS 8) of younger viewers especially men who increased by 24% in the 18-49 demo.
Tuesdays are down significantly year-to-year. For some reason, Men left in droves in May 2008, M18-49 were down 64% while M25-54 were down 58% year-to-year. Overall the night is showing a 31% decline in P25-54.
JOHN & KATE PLUS 8 filled the primetime for Wednesdays and helped drive a modest increase of 4% in both P18-49 and P25-54 from last year.
TURBO NIGHT has now settled in on Thursdays and their core target M-18-49 has found them again and increased by 11% while older men 25-54 were down slightly from last year. The Teutels (AMERICAN CHOPPER) have their mojo back and are helping drive dramatic increases in the female audience in both 18-49 at 63% and 25-54 at 53% year-to-year.
Personal Makeover on Friday nights is showing a drop in ratings from last year, especially in women. WHAT NOT WEAR is starting to fade, Women 18-49 dropped by 30% and women 25-54 dropped by 37%.
Property Nights on Saturday are enduring the steepest declines for TLC. Every demo split is showing dramatic declines from last year, all that adds up to an overall loss of 40% in Households 44% in P25-54.
Sunday night’s anthology hasn’t found a strong audience this May. Another night with steep declines from last year, Male viewers are the culprit. Declines of 62% in Men 18-49 and 56% in Men 25-54 from last May drove the losses for Sunday.
PROGRAMACQUISITIONS:
None announced.
PROGRAM RENEWALS:
AMERICAN CHOPPER; RIDES; LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG WORLD; JON & KATE + 8; LA INK; WHAT NOT TO WEAR; TRADING SPACES; FLIP THAT HOUSE; SAY YES TO THE DRESS
PROGRAM CANCELLATIONS:
MIAMI INKADDITIONAL SHOWS CURRENTLY AIRING:
A BABY STORY, DINNER TAKES ALL, HOME MADE SIMPLE, HOUSE OF TINY TERRORS, TEN YEARS YOUNGER, SPORTS DISASTERS, TAKE HOME CHEF, MOVIN’ UP, ONE WEEK TO SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE, HONEY WE’RE KILLING THE KIDS!, BACKYARD NATION, I’VE GOT NOTHING TO WEAR; RIDES; MARRIAGE CAMP; DIAGNOSIS X; LOTTERY CHANGED MY LIFE; FASHIONABLY LATE WITH STACY LONDON.
