Just back off the road this week so bit late on the numbers but here’s what we’ve got: Dancing with the Stars has waltzed back into the picture with a strong opener, bested only by the usual high note from American Idol. Celebrating 40 years, The Juno Awards had its strongest outing ever Sunday backed by the full muscle of the CTV marketing machine, the return of Neil Young and plenty of press. Here’s a look at the overnight estimates for March 21 to 27 among Canadian viewers 2+:
MONDAY
The return of Dancing with the Stars swung the night back to CTV this week, with an average of 2.5 million-plus catching the two hour mid-season premiere. That was enough to edge out Global’s House at 8 p.m., which drew 2,389,000 overnight, estimated viewers. Over at CBC, Little Mosque was down to 426,000 viewers, with 18 to Life at 360,000.
Global’s new crime import The Chicago Code arrested 1,333,000 at 9, leaving just 244,000 for CBC’s Halifax Comedy Fest. A rerun of 22 Minutes, sorely missed with an election called, came back for 268,000.
CTV’s Castle took the 10 o’clock crown with 1,917,000 viewers, with Global’s Hawaii FIVE-0 breaking at 1,413,000. All this election talk did little for The National, stalled at 662,000.
Despite good reviews, the second episode of Showcase’s new Shawn Doyle drama Endgame drew 154,000, shedding close to a third of its opening week audience.
TUESDAY
Global does better without Glee on their schedule. With the high school musical taking a week off, NCIS was simulcast to the tune 2.2 million overnight, estimated viewers. NCIS: Los Angeles followed at 9 with 1,820,000, with a juicy episode of The Good Wife completing the Global sweep with 1,289,000.
That still left 1,007,000 viewers for CBC’s Rick Mercer Report, but only 321,000 stuck around for the CBC InSecurity—yet another week where cancelled 18 to Life outperformed the renewed spy spoof.
No Ordinary Family drew an ordinary 960,000 at 8. CTV followed at 9 with Law & Order: SVU (1,139,000) and at 10 with another solid, stand-alone, near-million outing for The Listener (996,000). The shot-in-Toronto drama moves to Fridays starting this week.
What election fever? CBC’s The National did 667,000 at 10 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday is the new Thursday in Canada, a must-see night with 6.8 million viewers divided between strong shows on three networks. A two hour American Idol took the 8 to 10 p.m. slot with 2,715,000 viewers but Global’s Survivor: Redemption Island was close behind in the 2+ tally with over 2.5 million (and ahead in the key demos). CBC’s Dragon’s Den counted 1,611,000.
CBC’s Republic of Doyle had a strong week with 1,021,000 9 p.m. viewers. Global’s Off The Map stayed on the radar in Canada with 1,108,000 viewers at 10 p.m., opposite timeslot winner Criminal Minds:SB on CTV (1,607,000). Election hoopla helped drive The National up to 785,000 at 10 on CTV.
THURSDAY
CTV got to keep American Idol on the main network for a second week and were rewarded with 3,039,000 viewers. That’s still below what CTV regularly draws Thursday nights with The Big Bang Theory, which is back this week. CTV’s winning night continued at 9 with Grey’s Anatomy (2,629,000), which bursts into song this week. Relocated Blue Bloods drew 1,207,000 at 10.
Global saw close to a million bounce over to Wipeout at 8, followed by strong Bones at 9 (1,191,000). The Office and Outsourced flirted above and below the 450,000 mark.
CBC saw 690,000 show up for David Suzuki’s 75th birthday party on The Nature of Things. Doc Zone pulled in another 679,000.
What was at the 1.2 million mark pretty much all week? That would be CBC’s Jeopardy! at 7:30, Alex.
FRIDAY
There was nothing over a million between 8 and 11 p.m. on any network in Canada. CTV won with The Defenders (763,000), CSI (987,000) and Flashpoint (860,000). Marketplace did close to 700,000 at 8 on CBC. Global was cooking at 8 with Kitchen Nightmares (684,000) then simmered down to Haven at 10 (307,000).
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SATURDAY
HNiC Game 1 2,070,000, Game 2 1,022,000. SNL: 373,000.
SUNDAY
The Heartland finale at 7 galloped off with 1,253,000, which may be its biggest audience ever. Yet it finished second in the timeslot since CTV bumped the Amazing Race (1,809,000) up an hour to accommodate the Juno Awards. The annual Canadian music industry salute drew 2,360,000, amazing by Canadian award show standards and besting the previous high set by hostess Shania Twain in 2003 (2.2 million). More may have been expected, however, given CTV’s full court PR press, the star power of Twain, Neil Young and Arcade Fire and the weak competition (a CBC movie drew 684,000, Global’s Bob’s Burgers surprised at well over a million).
Other Sunday winners: The Celebrity Apprentice (goodbye, Dionne Warwick, you nasty piece of work) drew 1,186,000. Family Guy did 867,000.
