TV Ratings: New 'Jesse Stone' movie helps CBS win, lose Sunday

Tom Selleck telefilm helps CBS overall, kills CBS in the key demographic

By Daniel Fienberg Monday, May 10, 2010 11:41 AM

Tom Selleck of 'Jesse Stone: No Remorse'

Credit: CBS

Fast National ratings for Sunday, May 9, 2010.

When can a TV movie both help and harm a network in the nightly ratings?

When it's CBS' "Jesse Stone: No Remorse."

The latest Tom Selleck telefilm wasn't able to reach the ratings heights achieved by its predecessors, but it still drew a big enough audience to help CBS dominate Sunday night overall. However, its ratings were low enough in the key demographic to knock CBS all the way down to fourth for the night.

Among adults 18-49, ABC came in first with a 2.6 rating, edging the 2.3 rating for FOX and NBC's 2.1 rating. CBS' 1.8 rating was fourth in the coveted demographic.

Overall, however, CBS averaged an estimated 11.06 million viewers and a 6.8 rating/12 share, comfortably beating the 5.2/9 for ABC. NBC's 3.5/6 and the 2.8/5 for FOX followed.

CBS started the night off in first with a 6.9/14 for "60 Minutes," which dropped back down to a 1.5 demo rating after last week's Conan O'Brien bump. ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" was second overall with a 4.1/8 and won the hour in the demo with a 2.0 rating. NBC's "Dateline" was third with a 2.3/5, beating FOX's new "'Til Death" and a repeat of "The Simpsons."

"The Amazing Race" finale won the 8 p.m. hour for CBS with a 6.0/11 and a 2.9 demo rating. ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was second overall with a 4.4/8, but third in the key demo. FOX's "The Simpsons" and "The Cleveland Show" had a 3.2/6 overall and finished second in the demo. NBC's "Minute to Win It" was fourth.

In the 9 p.m. hour, CBS' "Jesse Stone: No Remorse" and "Desperate Housewives" both did a 6.9/11. However, while the CBS telefilm had a slim advantage in viewers, ABC's series did a 3.7 demo rating, compared to the 1.4 rating for "No Remorse." The first hour of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" was third, beating the 3.8/6 for FOX's "Family Guy" and "American Dad," which still finished second for the hour in the demo (with "Family Guy" actually winning the first half-hour).

"Jesse Stone: No Remorse" dominated the 10 p.m. hour overall with a 7.3/12, but finished a distant third in the key demo. ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" was second with a 5.4/9. NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" was third overall with a 4.7/8, but won the hour with a 3.1 rating in the 18-49 demo.

All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.