Hopeful debut for
NBC's 'You're Here'

Two-hour improv show pulls a 3.6 in 18-49s

By Toni Fitzgerald
April 10, 2007

These days any new show that premieres with a 3.5 rating in adults 18-49 has to be considered promising, especially if that show can grow out of its lead-in. For NBC, “Heroes,” “Grease: You’re the One That I Want,” "Identity," "1 vs. 100" and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” debuted above a 3.5, but the latter four quickly plummeted.

Now NBC has another new program that looks promising, but time will tell if that holds. “Thank God You’re Here,” the new improv comedy show, debuted last night with a 3.5 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights.

That’s more impressive considering its usually formidable lead-in, “Deal or No Deal,” dipped to a season-low 3.1 at 8 p.m. up against ABC’s hit “Dancing with the Stars.”

“Here” grew 16 percent from “Deal” for its two-hour debut at 9 p.m., and it even registered an up tick from its first half hour to its second after “Stars” ended, rising from a 3.8 to a 4.1.

But its results in the second hour weren’t quite as good. “Here” averaged a 3.6 at 10 p.m. and a 3.0 at 10:30 p.m. despite airing against the lowest-rated episode ever of “CSI: Miami.” It also fell behind ABC’s “Bachelor” in the hour, finishing third.

Nonetheless, that marked NBC’s best rating in the timeslot since the Jan. 15 telecast of the Golden Globes.

The comedy sketch show has one more week in this timeslot and then moves to less-competitive Wednesday at 8 p.m. If it matches the 3.6 there, it could win the timeslot.

Meanwhile, CBS and ABC tied for the lead last night among 18-49s, each with a 4.1 average rating and an 11 share. NBC and Fox tied for third at 3.5/9, with Univision fifth at 1.8/5 and CW sixth at 0.8/2.
 
ABC started the night in the lead with a 4.6 rating at 8 p.m. for its first hour of “Dancing with the Stars.” NBC was second with a 3.1 for “Deal or No Deal,” CBS third with a 3.0 average for “How I Met Your Mother” (3.1) and “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (3.0), and Fox fourth with a 2.6 for a repeat of “House.” Univision was fifth that hour with a 2.0 for “La Fea Mas Bella” and CW sixth with a 0.8 for repeats of “Everybody Hates Chris” and “All of Us.”
 
CBS led the very competitive 9 p.m. hour with a 4.5 average for “Two and a Half Men” (4.5) and the return of “The King of Queens” (4.6). Fox moved to second that hour with a 4.4 for “24,” with ABC third with a 4.3 for the last half hour of “Stars” (5.2) and the first 30 minutes of “The Bachelor” (3.4) and NBC fourth with a 4.0 for the premiere of “Here.” Univision was fifth with a 1.9 for “Destilando Amor” and CW sixth with a 0.9 for repeats of “Girlfriends” and “The Game.”
 
At 10 p.m. CBS led again, this time with a 4.6 for “CSI: Miami.” ABC was second with a 3.5 for the last hour of “The Bachelor,” NBC third with a 3.3 for another hour of “Thank God You’re Here” and Univision fourth with a 1.5 for “Cristina.”
 
Among households, ABC led the night with a 9.2 average rating and a 15 share. CBS was second at 7.9/13, Fox third at 6.0/9, NBC fourth at 5.7/9, Univision fifth at 2.2/3 and CW sixth at 1.4/2