"West Wing" Ratings Week 22

From the New York Times:
"President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) pardoned Toby (Richard Schiff), watched the inauguration of Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) and gazed at the napkin on which Leo (John Spencer, who died in December) had written "Bartlet for America" years before. So ended the seven-season run of NBC's "West Wing." An audience of 9.91 million had their tears jerked during its series finale on Sunday, which also included a cameo appearance by the show's bygone creator, Aaron Sorkin and, oddly, the detail that the president kept a book by Michel Foucault, the French philosopher, in the Oval Office."

From NBC:
"On Sunday, the series finale of "The West Wing" polled that drama's highest numbers to date as a Sunday series. The finale was up 32 percent in 18-49 versus the show's Sunday average this season and up 71 percent versus its lead-in, a special encore telecast of the drama's original debut episode. "


From Calendar Live:
"The series finale of "The West Wing" rounded up 9.9 million viewers, with a 2.8 rating/7 share among 18- to 49-year-olds."

From Broadcasting & Cable:
"NBC’s The West Wing left office for good on Sunday night, airing the pilot episode at 7 and the show’s final episode at 8, but the TV audience didn’t vote it a ratings winner. The final airing of Wing scored just a 2.8 rating/7 share in the key 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen Fast Affiliate numbers, beating only The WB’s Charmed (1.5/4) in the time slot. Originally, a clip show was going to air in the first hour, but the retrospective was scrapped in favor of the re-airing of the pilot (which earned a 1.7/6), reportedly for financial reasons.

Wing did have some formidable competition in the first hour of the series finale of CBS’ Survivor. The reality show scored a 5.9/15 in the time slot, going up to a 6.3/14 in its second hour. But it was no match for ABC’s Desperate Housewives, which scored an 8.1/18 in the time slot. And the Survivor reunion at 10 was trounced by Grey’s Anatomy (4.9/11 to a 9.6/22)."

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