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Nielsen Ratings for
Buffy's Fifth Season


National Ratings for the Fifth Season

Notes:

1. For the 2000-2001 television season, each ratings point represents 1,022,000 households or one percent of the nation's estimated 102.2 million television households. So, for example, a rating of 3.4 means that an average of approximately (3.4 x 1,022,000) = 3,474,800 households were watching Buffy.

2. In the fourth column is the episode's rank among all prime time network shows for the week. For example, 93/112 means that particular episode of Buffy was in 93rd place out of the 112 network prime time shows that week. In the last column is the episode's rank among The WB network's shows for the week. For example, 4/14 means that particular episode of Buffy placed 4th out of the 14 programs on The WB that week. A "(t)" indicates a tie for that position.

3. There is additional information in a second table. The third column of that second table contains the same national household rating as in the first table, but that is followed by the share, both of which are averaged for the entire hour of the episode. Share represents the percentage of households actually watching TV at the time that were in fact watching Buffy. The last two columns contain separate ratings and share for both the first half hour and second half hour of the episode.

4. If you want to compare Buffy's ratings with those of other shows, check out the latest list of national Nielsen ratings from the San Jose Mercury News.

5. If you want insight into the way that Nielsen ratings are obtained, here is an article entitled What TV Ratings Really Mean from the official site of Nielsen Media Research.

DateEpisodeNational RatingRank: All Prime Time Shows Rank: All WB Shows
May 22, 2001The Gift3.477/1253/17
May 15, 2001The Weight Of The World3.284/1255/17
May 8, 2001Spiral3.382/127 (t)3/17
May 1, 2001Tough Love3.087/131 (t)3/17 (t)
April 24, 2001Intervention3.087/131 (t)3/17
April 17, 2001Forever2.789/1325/17
April 10, 2001Triangle (repeat)1.896/136 (t)7/17 (t)
April 3, 2001Into The Woods (repeat)1.894/133 (t)10/17 (t)
March 27, 2001Listening To Fear (repeat)2.093/137 (t)5/17 (t)
March 20, 2001Shadow (repeat)1.798/130 (t)11/17 (t)
March 13, 2001Fool For Love (repeat)2.195/136 (t)6/17 (t)
March 6, 2001Family (repeat)2.293/137 (t)4/17 (t)
February 27, 2001The Body3.582/1342/17
February 20, 2001I Was Made To Love You3.487/1333/16
February 13, 2001Crush3.388/1353/17
February 6, 2001Blood Ties3.391/1364/17
January 30, 2001The Replacement (repeat)2.4100/1389/17
January 23, 2001Checkpoint3.187/1353/17
January 16, 2001No Place Like Home (repeat)2.399/1377/17
January 9, 2001Triangle3.090/136 (t)4/17
January 2, 2001Out Of My Mind (repeat)2.684/129 (t)3/18 (t)
December 26, 2000Restless (2nd repeat)1.997/135 (t)7/17 (t)
December 19, 2000Into The Woods3.281/1232/17
December 12, 2000Real Me (repeat)2.793/135 (t)4/17
December 5, 2000Buffy Vs. Dracula (repeat)2.689/129 (t)4/17 (t)
November 28, 2000Listening To Fear3.694/1383/17
November 21, 2000Shadow3.285/1292/17
November 14, 2000Fool For Love3.689/134 (t)3/17
November 7, 2000Family3.990/1373/17
October 31, 2000Fear, Itself (2nd repeat)2.3108/13811/17
October 31, 2000Halloween (3rd repeat)1.9113/138 (t)16/17 (t)
October 24, 2000No Place Like Home4.188/1393/17
October 17, 2000Out Of My Mind3.484/128 (t)4/17 (t)
October 10, 2000The Replacement3.582/1244/17
October 3, 2000Real Me3.962/1113/17
September 26, 2000Buffy Vs. Dracula (Season Premiere)3.967/125 (t)1/17 (t)


DateEpisodeEntire Hour Rating/ShareFirst Half-Hour Rating/ShareSecond Half-Hour Rating/Share
May 22, 2001The Gift3.4/63.3/63.5/6
May 15, 2001The Weight Of The World3.2/53.1/53.3/5
May 8, 2001Spiral3.3/53.1/53.5/6
May 1, 2001Tough Love3.0/52.9/53.0/5
April 24, 2001Intervention3.0/53.0/53.1/5
April 17, 2001Forever2.7/42.7/52.8/4
April 10, 2001Triangle (repeat)1.8/31.9/31.7/3
April 3, 2001Into The Woods (repeat)1.8/31.6/31.8/3
March 27, 2001Listening To Fear (repeat)2.0/32.0/32.0/3
March 20, 2001Shadow (repeat)1.7/31.7/31.7/3
March 13, 2001Fool For Love (repeat)2.1/32.1/32.1/3
March 6, 2001Family (repeat)2.2/32.2/32.2/3
February 27, 2001The Body3.5/53.5/53.5/5
February 20, 2001I Was Made To Love You3.4/53.4/53.4/5
February 13, 2001Crush3.3/53.2/53.4/5
February 6, 2001Blood Ties3.3/53.1/53.5/5
January 30, 2001The Replacement (repeat)2.4/42.2/32.5/4
January 23, 2001Checkpoint3.1/53.0/53.3/5
January 16, 2001No Place Like Home (repeat)2.3/42.3/42.3/3
January 9, 2001Triangle3.0/52.9/43.0/5
January 2, 2001Out Of My Mind (repeat)2.6/42.5/42.8/4
December 26, 2000Restless (2nd repeat)1.9/32.1/41.7/3
December 19, 2000Into The Woods3.2/5----
December 12, 2000Real Me (repeat)2.7/42.7/42.8/4
December 5, 2000Buffy Vs. Dracula (repeat)2.6/42.6/42.7/4
November 28, 2000Listening To Fear3.6/53.5/53.7/5
November 21, 2000Shadow3.2/53.0/53.3/5
November 14, 2000Fool For Love3.6/53.5/53.8/6
November 7, 2000Family3.9/63.8/54.1/6
October 31, 2000Fear, Itself (2nd repeat)2.3/42.3/42.4/4
October 31, 2000Halloween (3rd repeat)1.9/32.0/31.9/3
October 24, 2000No Place Like Home4.1/64.0/64.3/6
October 17, 2000Out Of My Mind3.4/53.3/53.5/5
October 10, 2000The Replacement3.5/53.2/53.7/6
October 3, 2000Real Me3.9/63.7/64.1/6
September 26, 2000Buffy Vs. Dracula (Season Premiere)3.9/63.8/64.0/6


Overnight Ratings for the Fifth Season

Notes:

1. The following table contains the overnight household ratings that are based on results from viewing in some of the largest television markets, not the nation as a whole. This means that they cannot be directly compared to the national ratings above. Note that on October 1, 2000, the number of markets used to generate the overnight ratings increased from 48 to 49 with the addition of Albuquerque-Sante Fe, NM. On April 1, 2001, the number of markets used to generate the overnight ratings increased from 49 to 50 with the addition of Austin, TX. On May 1, 2001, the number of markets used to generate the overnight ratings increased from 50 to 51 with the addition of Fort Myers-Naples, FL. Here is a list of the overnight markets.

2. Buffy's overnight ratings tend to be higher than its corresponding national ratings for a couple of reasons. The WB reaches a higher percentage of households in these larger markets than in the nation as a whole because The WB lacks affiliates in some of the smaller markets. In addition, Buffy just tends to do better in these larger, urban markets.

3. Starting May 1, 2001, each overnight ratings point represents 683,536 households or one percent of the estimated 68,353,630 TV households in the 51 overnight markets. From April 1, 2001 to April 30, 2001, each overnight ratings point represented 680,014 households or one percent of the estimated 68,001,390 TV households in the 50 overnight markets. From October 1, 2000, to March 31, 2001, each overnight ratings point represented 675,096 households or one percent of the estimated 67,509,570 TV households in the 49 overnight markets. Before October 1, 2000, each overnight ratings point represented 669,391 households or one percent of the estimated 66,939,110 TV households in the 48 overnight markets. Share is the percentage of households in these markets actually watching TV at the time that were in fact watching Buffy.

4. Zap2it has changed their site so old overnight ratings pages are removed after a few weeks, so it doesn't pay anymore to link to their site. Overnight ratings for Buffy are now taken from the Futon Critic Buffy season ratings page linked on the date next to each program below. In cases where I believe the Futon Critic overnights aren't correct or are missing, I've left the values as taken originally from Zap2it.

DateEpisode
Overnight Rating/Share
May 22, 2001The Gift5.5/8
May 15, 2001The Weight Of The World4.7/8
May 8, 2001Spiral4.8/8
May 1, 2001Tough Love4.6/7
April 24, 2001Intervention4.8/8
April 17, 2001Forever4.7/7
April 10, 2001Triangle (repeat)2.7/4
April 3, 2001Into The Woods (repeat)3.3/5
March 27, 2001Listening To Fear (repeat)2.8/4
March 20, 2001Shadow (repeat)3.2/5
March 13, 2001Fool For Love (repeat)3.3/5
March 6, 2001Family (repeat)3.5/5
February 27, 2001The Body5.5/8
February 20, 2001I Was Made To Love You5.0/8
February 13, 2001Crush5.0/7
February 6, 2001Blood Ties5.3/8
January 30, 2001The Replacement (repeat)3.5/5
January 23, 2001Checkpoint5.0/8
January 16, 2001No Place Like Home (repeat)3.7/5
January 9, 2001Triangle4.6/7
January 2, 2001Out Of My Mind (repeat)3.8/5
December 26, 2000Restless (2nd repeat)2.6/4
December 19, 2000Into The Woods4.8/7
December 12, 2000Real Me (repeat)3.6/5
December 5, 2000Buffy Vs. Dracula (repeat)3.5/5
November 28, 2000Listening To Fear4.8/7
November 21, 2000Shadow4.7/7
November 14, 2000Fool For Love5.1/7
November 7, 2000Family5.1/7
October 31, 2000Fear, Itself (2nd repeat)3.1/5
October 31, 2000Halloween (3rd repeat)3.1/5
October 24, 2000No Place Like Home5.4/8
October 17, 2000Out Of My Mind5.0/7
October 10, 2000The Replacement5.0/7
October 3, 2000Real Me5.8/9
September 26, 2000Buffy Vs. Dracula (Season Premiere)5.7/9

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