TV Ratings: Thursday, January 8, 2009

Now these are the ratings I've been looking forward to seeing. How did the sole survivor of ABC's failed Wednesday night line-up "Private Practice" do in its new timeslot following parent series "Grey's Anatomy"?

Given the fact that "Grey's Anatomy" plummeted to a new season-low (and I would think series-low) of only 13.71 million viewers, the show's audience of 9.03 million meant a decent 65% retention rate (it could have been better, but most of its predecessors in the timeslot have done worse).

This was of course an improvement over its recent Wednesday night figures where the show averaged 7-8 million viewers. Then again, its lead-in on Wednesdays "Pushing Daisies" was almost three times weaker than "Grey's Anatomy."

The ratings last night were obviously affected by BCS Championship game on CBS (many other shows slid to season lows). We'll have a clearer picture of where Thursday night shows stand next week.

8:00
FOX BCS Championship Game 24.17 million
CBS CSI: NY (R) 8.59 million
ABC Ugly Betty 7.51 million
NBC My Name is Earl 5.50 million
CW Smallville (R) 2.30 million

8:30
NBC Kath & Kim 4.15 million

9:00
FOX BCS Championship Game 24.55 million
ABC Grey’s Anatomy 13.71 million
CBS CSI (R) 10.98 million
NBC The Office (R) 4.68 million
CW Supernatural (R) 1.87 million

9:30
NBC 30 Rock 5.24 million

10:00
ABC Private Practice 9.03 million
CBS Eleventh Hour(R) 7.70 million
NBC ER 7.32 million

ABC Wednesday Ratings Meltdown

Highly-anticipated ABC Wednesdays got off to a lackluster start this week as the trio of sophomore dramas "Pushing Daisies," "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money" pulled in just 6.5-8 million viewers.

ABC tried to spin the numbers in their press release, but the best they could do is say that the 2nd season opener of whimsical "Pushing Daisies" beat NBC's "Knight Rider" in key female demos.

The truth is the show generated only 6.32 million viewers vs. the hideous "Knight Rider", which actually went up in the ratings to 7.56 million.

"Private Practice" at 9pm pulled in only 8.05 million viewers, a far cry from the 14 million who tuned into the series premiere last September, or the 11 million that the show averaged during its short 9-episode run last fall.

Finally at 10pm, Dynasty-esque sudser "Dirty Sexy Money" kept 7.15 million viewers tuned to ABC. That is a little higher than its last episode last year (6.7 million) and the show did retain almost 90% of the PP audience.

Unfortunately, only "Private Practice" built its audience during the hour, both "Pushing Daisies" and "Dirty Sexy Money" shed viewers during their respective hours.

Kate Walsh Promotes "Private Practice" DVD

All 9 season 1 episodes of the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off "Private Practice" are released on DVD September 16. Its principal star Kate Walsh made an appearance at a special event in Hollywood last night to promote the release.

After the writers' strike cut the show's firt season off just before Christmas, the show went on a 10-month hiatus.



The medical series was one of last season's most popular new shows averaging over 11 million viewers on Wednesday nights.

The popular show will be back October 1, in its regular timeslot at 9:00pm, along with the rest of the ABC Wednesday night line-up.

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VIDEO: Kate Walsh on Jimmy Kimmell

Towel-clad star of ABC's hot new medical drama "Private Practice," Kate Walsh made an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmell show last night. When the late-night host asked the sultry actress about the recent Katherine Heigl controversy...

...Walsh simply underlined how "Private Practice" has excellent writers and how she hates that the viewers would have to wait until the beginning of October to see the new episodes because they are really juicy. Take a look.



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Kate Walsh to Begin Filming Season 2 of "Private Practice"

Season 2 of ABC's "Private Practice" will launch at an undisclosed date this fall and the cast and crew are already about to get down to business and produce the first of at least 22 new episodes, titled "A Family Thing."

In the first all-new episode (which the producers have already begun prepping), a young couple arrive in the Santa Monica-based co-op with premonition that their unborn child may die while one of the doctors breaks their 14-year old patient's trust, when they tell his parents the boy is planning to have sex with his girlfriend.

"Private Practice" was the most successful new drama last fall on all broadcast networks averaging over 11 million viewers. Its run was however cut short by the writers' strike after only 9 episodes.

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Kate Walsh on "Grey's Anatomy" (May 1)

You may have heard Kate Walsh, whose new medical series "Private Practice" won't be coming back before September, is making a guest appearance on the parent series "Grey's Anatomy" May 1. ABC has now released images of Dr. Addison Montgomery back at Seattle Grace, for one episode only.

The reason Addison returns to Seattle Grace is to perform a groundbreaking surgery. In the process, she meets all of her former co-workers, husbands and lovers, and is taken aback by all of the changes in their lives. Not that she didn't have a turbulent fall in her Santa Monica co-op herself.



The episode titled "Piece of My Heart" (2nd of 6 post-strike episodes) airs May 1. "Grey's Anatomy" returns next Thursday, April 24. The 2-hour season finale airs May 22.

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Kate Walsh Stands Up For Real Sex Education

"Private Practice" star Kate Walsh appeared at the "Stand Up For Real Sex Education" congressional briefing on Thursday in Washington, DC and spoke to teen peer educators, health education experts, and Planned Parenthood doctors.


Walsh's freshman ABC drama is currently on hiatus and scheduled to return in the fall (only 9 episodes have aired thus far), but the actress will make a special appearance in the May 1 episode of the parent series "Grey's Anatomy."

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Kate Walsh @ Red Cross Red Tie Affair

"Private Practice" star Kate Walsh, who will returning to Seattle Grace hospital this spring for one episode only, made an appearance at the Santa Monica Annual Red Cross Red Tie Affair on Saturday night.

Among others, the gala honored the humanitarian spirit of the cast and crew of "Grey’s Anatomy," as recipients of the prestigious Spirit Award. The fundraiser was held at the ballroom of the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.

Walsh, whose L.A.-based medical drama returns to ABC in September, has been the spokesperson for Narcolepsy Network since last summer, working to promote national awareness of narcolepsy through infomercials and DVDs.

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Kate Walsh Returns to "Grey's Anatomy"...

...for one episode only. EW reports Ocean Wellness Center's hot redhead is coming back to Seattle Grace for one of the 5 all-new episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" to air this spring on ABC.

The stint will give fans of Kate Walsh an opportunity to see the actress while her new show "Private Practice" takes a break until fall 2008.

"Private Practice" is this troubled season's hottest new drama with almost 11 million viewers tuning in on Wednesday nights.

ABC aired only 9 episodes of the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off before it was taken off air at Christmas due to the writers' strike.

Personally, I have always adored (and preferred) Kate Walsh's Dr. Addison Montgomery on "Grey's Anatomy" and seeing her back at Seattle Grace will only remind me how much I miss her.

"Grey's Anatomy" returns to ABC on Thursday, April 24 at 9/8c. The 4th season finale will air on May 22.

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Kate Walsh: "Private Practice" Gets Head Start

Actress Kate Walsh revealed during her attendance of the NAACP Image Awards on Thursday, her hit medical drama "Private Practice" is going back to production in April.


ABC has however decided not to air any new episodes of "Private Practice" before it relaunches the show, along with the rest of the Wednesday night line-up ("Pushing Daisies" and "Dirty Sexy Money") next fall.



The studio would therefore get a head start on the new season, allowing them to stockpile episodes in case there is an actors' strike.

Only 9 episodes aired last year, although the show had been picked up for a full season of 22 episodes.



"Private Practice" is ABC's top rated freshman drama averaging 10.76 million viewers this season. Given "Terminator's" (FOX) recent decline in the ratings, the show can also be considered this season's top new drama overall.

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New Kate Walsh & "Private Practice" Cast Pics

ABC has continued releasing midseason stills of its hit shows, and following "Ugly Betty," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Brothers & Sisters" here are now new cast pictures of this season's top new drama (take that "Terminator") "Private Practice," starring the adorable Kate Walsh.

As you may know, ABC has temporarily taken the show off air, because its serialized dramas are known to repeat very badly (even "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" aren't breaking any rerun records), and the studio was able to complete only 9 episodes before the scripts ran out.

Should the writers' strike be settled within the next month or so, the medical drama is supposed to return along with the rest of ABC's frosh Wednesday night line-up, before the season is over and battle "American Idol" results shows. The cast of "Private Practice" (in order of appearance) are:

Kate Walsh, Tim Daly, Audra McDonald, Taye Diggs, Amy Brenneman, Paul Adelstein, KaDee Strickland and Chris Lowell.

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