The Singing Bee was hailed as the top show of the week. According to Nielsen Media Research, NBC’s new game show hit the number 1 spot, peaking in the 18-49 primetime’s key demographic of adults and total viewers. This also fueled the network to rank number 2 for the week of July 9 to 15.

The early launch of Singing Bee positively resulted to soaring ratings.  Originally slated to begin with a six episode series during the fall of 2007, it aired early in reaction to FOX’s competing show Don't Forget the Lyrics.  When Singing Bee premiered with a half-hour episode on Tuesday, July 10, it delivered the highest rating for any new summer series on any network in almost five years.

With an initial 13.1 million viewers, the promising performance of the game show led NBC to make some changes in its fall lineup to give Singing Bee a permanent timeslot on Tuesday nights between The Biggest Loser and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Hosted by former Dancing with the Stars contestant and ex-NSYNC member Joey Fatone, The Singing Bee is a competition that combines karaoke singing with a spelling bee-style challenge.  In each episode, six contestants will be selected from the audience to play a series of games that would test their knowledge of song lyrics.

Meanwhile, Singing Bee wasn’t the only show included in the roster of top charting programs of the week in primetime's key demographic of adults 18-49.  NBC’s America’s Got Talent, a reality talent show for amateur performers that also airs on Tuesdays, ranked number 3.  Additionally, Last Comic Standing and Law & Order: SVU were tied at number 8.  In over all total viewers, Singing Bee was in first place, America’s Got Talent ranked in third, and Law & Order: SVU was in tenth place.

Taken as a whole, NBC held two out of the top 5 and four of the top 10 programs.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: NBC
(Image courtesy of TV Guide)