'Stars' are out in force for ABC victory
ABC dances to Wed. win
July 8, 2005
Blame it on the bossa nova? Actually, it was a samba that helped put "General Hospital" star Kelly Monaco over the top Wednesday as the winner of ABC's surprise summer hit "Dancing With the Stars."
"Stars," a ballroom dance competition series that featured celebrities paired with professional hoofers, wrapped its six-week run with a live telecast (taped delay on the West Coast) that drew an average of 22.4 million viewers and a 6.7 rating/19 share from 9-10 p.m., according to Nielsen Media Research.
Monaco and partner Alec Mazo aced the final dance-off against actor John O'Hurley and partner Charlotte Jorgensen with their spirited samba followed by a freestyle dance.
"Stars" had a solid six-week growth pattern for ABC, giving the network a 70% increase over its performance in summer 2004 in adults 18-49.
The other ratings news on a night otherwise dominated by repeats on the major broadcast networks was the finale of WB Network's "Beauty and the Geek." For a network that has struggled with unscripted fare in the past, "Geek's" steady growth during the past six weeks was a big win.
Wednesday's 8 p.m. "Geek" closer garnered 4.3 million viewers. It also scored among WB's target demos of females 12-34 (2.5/9) and women 18-34 (2.4/8).
In cable, Comedy Central saw a modest bow for "Mind of Mencia," which drew 1.2 million in its 10:30 p.m. premiere. "Mencia" held onto 80% of its "South Park" lead-in.
On Tuesday, MTV got a strong turnout for the premiere of its unscripted series "The '70s House," which drew nearly 6 million at 10:30 p.m. More than 4 million were ages 12-34, making "House" the most-watched program in that demo for the time period against broadcast and cable competition.
"Stars," a ballroom dance competition series that featured celebrities paired with professional hoofers, wrapped its six-week run with a live telecast (taped delay on the West Coast) that drew an average of 22.4 million viewers and a 6.7 rating/19 share from 9-10 p.m., according to Nielsen Media Research.
Monaco and partner Alec Mazo aced the final dance-off against actor John O'Hurley and partner Charlotte Jorgensen with their spirited samba followed by a freestyle dance.
"Stars" had a solid six-week growth pattern for ABC, giving the network a 70% increase over its performance in summer 2004 in adults 18-49.
The other ratings news on a night otherwise dominated by repeats on the major broadcast networks was the finale of WB Network's "Beauty and the Geek." For a network that has struggled with unscripted fare in the past, "Geek's" steady growth during the past six weeks was a big win.
Wednesday's 8 p.m. "Geek" closer garnered 4.3 million viewers. It also scored among WB's target demos of females 12-34 (2.5/9) and women 18-34 (2.4/8).
In cable, Comedy Central saw a modest bow for "Mind of Mencia," which drew 1.2 million in its 10:30 p.m. premiere. "Mencia" held onto 80% of its "South Park" lead-in.
On Tuesday, MTV got a strong turnout for the premiere of its unscripted series "The '70s House," which drew nearly 6 million at 10:30 p.m. More than 4 million were ages 12-34, making "House" the most-watched program in that demo for the time period against broadcast and cable competition.
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