NBC 2011-12 Ratings Report Card

There’s lots of data that the networks look at when deciding whether to renew or cancel a TV series but the ratings are the main ingredient. (Wonder if your favorite’s already been renewed or cancelled? Visit our NBC 2011-12 show page.

Which NBC shows are in danger of being cancelled or are hits? By looking at the chart below, you can see their current season ranking, ratings averages to date, and their letter grade in the all-important 18-49 demographic.

These charts incorporate final ratings data through Friday, June 1, 2012.

Demo rank	Scripted NBC TV shows	Demo grade	18-49 demo rating (actual)	Viewers in millions
1	The Office (renewed)	A++	2.8 (2.77)	5.39	ratings
2	Smash (renewed)	A++	2.3 (2.27)	6.74	ratings
3	Parenthood (renewed)	A-	1.9 (1.93)	5.13	ratings
4	Law & Order: SVU (renewed)	A-	1.9 (1.91)	6.87	ratings
5	Whitney (renewed)	A-	1.9 (1.87)	4.45	ratings
6	Up All Night (renewed)	A-	1.9 (1.86)	4.45	ratings
7	Parks and Recreation (renewed)	A-	1.8 (1.84)	3.73	ratings
8	30 Rock (renewed)	B-	1.5 (1.54)	3.49	ratings
8	Community (renewed)	B-	1.5 (1.54)	3.42	ratings
10	Grimm (renewed)	A*	1.5 (1.53)	5.02	ratings
11	Are You There, Chelsea? (cancelled)	B-	1.5 (1.48)	3.76	ratings
12	The Playboy Club (cancelled)	C+	1.4 (1.37)	4.15	ratings
13	Free Agents (cancelled)	C	1.4 (1.35)	4.08	ratings
14	Prime Suspect (cancelled)	C-	1.2 (1.19)	4.61	ratings
15	Awake (cancelled)	D+	1.1 (1.08)	3.34	ratings
16	Harry's Law (cancelled)	D+	1.1 (1.06)	7.79	ratings
17	Chuck (ended)	C-*	1.0 (0.98)	3.44	ratings
18	Bent (cancelled)	D-	0.8 (0.83)	2.37	ratings
19	Best Friends Forever (cancelled)	F	0.8 (0.78)	2.68	ratings
20	The Firm (cancelled)	D-*	0.7 (0.65)	3.11	ratings

Demo rank	Non-scripted NBC TV shows	Demo grade	18-49 demo rating (actual)	Viewers in millions
1	The Voice (renewed)	A++	5.0 (4.99)	13.14	ratings
2	Fear Factor (cancelled)	A-	2.4 (2.41)	6.08	ratings
3	The Biggest Loser (fall) (cancelled)	B+	2.2 (2.21)	6.21	ratings
4	The Biggest Loser (spring) (renewed)	B	2.2 (2.18)	6.44	ratings
5	Celebrity Apprentice (renewed)	B-	2.0 (2.03)	6.30	ratings
6	Betty White's Off Their Rockers (renewed)	C	1.6 (1.62)	6.14	ratings
6	Who's Still Standing? (cancelled)	C	1.6 (1.62)	5.98	ratings
8	Fashion Star (renewed)	C-	1.6 (1.56)	4.45	ratings
9	The Sing-Off (cancelled)	C-	1.5 (1.52)	4.56	ratings
10	Dateline (Fridays, renewed)	C-*	1.3 (1.27)	4.98	ratings
11	Dateline (Sundays, unknown)	D-	1.0 (1.04)	4.87	ratings
12	Who Do You Think You Are? (cancelled)	D*	1.0 (1.03)	5.41	ratings
13	Rock Center with Brian Williams (renewed)	F	0.9 (0.88)	3.54	ratings
14	Escape Routes (cancelled)	F*	0.3 (0.26)	1.08	ratings

Other ratings report cards: ABC | CBS | The CW | FOX

Summer 2012 ratings report card.

Original ratings data ©The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.

A couple of notes about these charts:
The averages included in this chart are based on the final numbers, not the fast affiliate ratings that are typically reported the next morning. The final numbers become available about a day after the broadcasts or in some cases several days later. The charts will be updated as the new data becomes available.

Keep in mind that the demo numbers (not total viewers) are what’s most important to advertisers. Therefore, that’s how the networks measure success. Advertisers pay more for ad time on a show that has a higher demo rating versus one with a lot more overall viewers.

Demo numbers are reported by Nielsen using the 10ths decimal place (2.4, for example). We used to report averages that way but it ends up being hard to see any movement week to week. It can also be a little misleading since a show with a 2.35 average and a show with a 2.44 average will both round to a 2.4 rating.

In these charts, we’re including the demo average rounded to the 10th (2.4) as well as the 100th place (2.41) in parenthesis so you can get a better idea of how the average has been affected by the latest episode’s demo rating.

The letter grades are relative (kind of like grading on a curve) and are based on the individual network’s demo performance (either scripted or non-scripted). All of the networks have very different gauges for success right now. (A successful show for The CW would get quickly cancelled on CBS.) Our system for coming up with letter grades isn’t perfect but it should still give you an idea of where the different shows stand.

*The grades for TV series that run on Friday and Saturday nights are weighted a little differently, to compensate for airing on little-watched nights.

What do you think? Are surprised by any of the ratings? Are any of your favorite shows in danger of being cancelled? Which should be doing better?

More about: 30 Rock, 30 Rock: ratings, Are You There Chelsea?, Are You There Chelsea?: ratings, Awake, Awake: ratings, Betty White's Off Their Rockers, Betty White's Off Their Rockers: ratings, Chuck, Chuck: ratings, Community, Community: ratings, Dateline, Dateline: ratings, Fear Factor, Fear Factor: ratings, Free Agents, Free Agents: ratings, Grimm, Grimm: ratings, Harry's Law, Harry's Law: ratings, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: ratings, NBC TV shows ratings, Parenthood (2010), Parenthood (2010): ratings, Parks and Recreation, Parks and Recreation: ratings, Prime Suspect (US), Prime Suspect (US): ratings, Rock Center with Brian Williams, Rock Center with Brian Williams: ratings, The Biggest Loser, The Biggest Loser: ratings, The Firm, The Firm: ratings, The Office (US), The Office (US): ratings, The Playboy Club, The Playboy Club: ratings, The Sing-Off, The Sing-Off: ratings, TV show ratings report cards, Up All Night, Up All Night: ratings, Whitney, Whitney: ratings, Who's Still Standing?, Who's Still Standing?: ratings

 

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