The third episode of "The Amazing Race 14" has been confirmed to have scored its highest ratings of the TAR14 run to date. The final same day Nielsen estimate of a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 age group was well above either one of the gfirst two episodes, the 10.6 million overall viewer estimate set a like minded mark.
The 18-49 rating stands as a more impressive accomplishment because it was achieved without any help whatsoever from the older-skewing "60 Minutes" and "Jesse Stone" movie. By contrast, the overall audience level for TAR 14.3 was clearly artifically boosted by those two programs.
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"The Amazing Race 14" episode three finished in 18th place for the week among all prime-time programs in overall audience, a tie for 19th in the 25-54 age group and in 24th place among age 18-49 viewers.
If this week's ratings (as opposed to the holiday and Academy Awards marks) are any indication of TAR's true strength, it should have no problem making the CBS fall lineup. What the network will have to figure out though is how to make its programming flow more efficiantly to the benefit of the network as a whole.
The presence last Sunday of the popular but incredibly older skewing "Jesse Stone: Thin Ice" telemovie emphasized just how incompatible TAR's age demographic has become with its neighboring programs. While my fears of TAR being pulled from the lineup have eased, a scheduling change come fall would still not surprise me.
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| EST | Series | Viewers
(millions) | Rating
(18-49) |
|---|
| 7 p.m. | 60 Minutes | 14.2 | 2.2 |
|---|
| 8 p.m. | The Amazing Race 14 | 10.6 | 3.0 |
|---|
| 9 p.m. | Jesse Stone: Thin Ice | 15.2 | 2.2 |
|---|
| CBS weekly average | 11.0 | 2.5 |
|---|
| Episode | Viewers
(millions) | Rating
(18-49) | Overrun |
|---|
| TAR 14.1 | 9.2 | 2.6 | none |
|---|
| TAR 14.2 | 7.8 | 2.6 | none |
|---|
| TAR 14.3 | 10.6 | 3.0 | none |
|---|
____________________________Labels: cbs, ratings, scheduling, tar 14.3, the amazing race, the amazing race 14
