Primetime Ratings: 'Lost' Premieres Low, But Boosts ABC
'American Idol' gives Fox a Wednesday night ratings win
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/22/2009 3:13:06 PM
The fifth season premiere of Lost was the series’ lowest ever, down 26% from last season. Still despite the drop, it was enough to boost ABC for the night, placing the network second behind Fox, itself boosted from American Idol.
Lost drew a 5.1 rating/12 share in the 18-49 demo from 9-10 p.m. and a 4.9 rating/13 share from 10-11 p.m. Its lead-in, Lost clip show Lost: Destiny Calls drew a respectable 3.3 rating/8 share against Idol. For the night (8-11 p.m.) ABC averaged a 4.5/11.
Fox won the night handily, thanks to American Idol at 8 p.m. and the series premiere of Lie To Me, which topped Lost in the 9 p.m. hour.
American Idol drew a 9.6 rating/25 share among A-18-49 from 8-9 p.m., while Lie To Me drew a 5.2/13 from 9-10, eking past the first hour of Lost. For the evening, Fox averaged a 7.4/18.
CBS was third, its top show being Criminal Minds, which drew a 3.5 rating/8 share from 9-10 p.m. For the night, CBS averaged 2.9/7.
NBC was fourth, its top show being Law & Order: SVU, which drew a 2.5/6 from 10-11 p.m. For the night, NBC averaged a 1.9/5.
The CW aired 13: Fear is Real and a rerun of 90210, averaging a .5/1.
