Comedy is sure back in Canadian prime time.
One week into the fall TV season, Glee returned strong for Global Television with 2.18 million viewers, and CTV quite possibly has a Friends-sized franchise in The Big Bang Theory on Thursday night, with a whopping 3.11 million total viewers, according to BBM Canada PPM data.
Other comedy winners last week included Modern Family for Citytv, up double digits from its 2009 premiere, and the launch of A channels’ Monday-night comedy block with Two and a Half Men pulling in 1.33 million total viewers, while the rookie series Mike & Molly grabbed 894,000.
Other strong openings last week included CTV’s Blue Bloods on Friday night with 2.12 million total viewers, and $#*! My Dad Says on Sunday night with 1.48 million viewers, despite poor reviews. It moves to Thursday nights at 8:30 p.m. in simulcast once So You Think You Can Dance Canada wraps.
Citytv held its own Thursday night with the NBC comedies Community and 30 Rock, but the CBS decision to shake up TV’s biggest night with The Big Bang Theory and $#*! My Dad Says – with the latter to shift to CTV in a month, after So You Think You Can Dance Canada ends its current season – portends stiff competition for Rogers’ marquee sitcoms.
Dramas produced a few standouts. House returned strongly for Global Television to win Monday night with 2.69 million total viewers, followed by perennials like The Mentalist on CTV Thursday night with 2.64 million viewers, and Criminal Minds on Wednesday with 2.63 million viewers.
And Citytv could claim a victory with the Monday mystery thriller The Event, which won the night in Toronto with an 8.7 rating.
From Playback Daily
This article was updated at 11 a.m. to correct the reference to $#*! My Dad Says, which was incorrectly stated to have debuted on Thursday Sept. 23.
