In a first for Bravo, this the fourth season of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, went straight into production immediately after the 3rd season premiered in May 2011 meaning that any fallout between the cast that occurred during the airing of the third season could impact the 4th season relationships in real time. The cast normally aren’t aware of what their fellow cast members have said about them in ‘talking head interviews’. Thus it’s possible a scene for the 4th season was filmed one day with two friendly cast mates who then later that day watch a 3rd season episode, get upset with each other because of it and then the next day film another scene for the 4ths season where they’re at loggerheads. Confused? Well, welcome to RHoNJ Season 4!
It features the lives of Teresa Giudice, Melissa Gorga, Jacqueline Laurita, Caroline Manzo & Kathy Wakile and is set in and around Franklin Lakes, NJ.
Final Update after the Lost Footage Episode
Last Sunday, the fourth season of RHoNJ wrapped up with off cuts pieced together for the Lost Footage episode. The three reunion episodes for this season averaged 3,464,333 viewers (1.63 in the 18-49 demo), however less than half of those bothered to tune-in Sunday. However, the 1,641,000 (18-49 demo 0.80) viewers that did is still a larger audience than the average for the entire 5th Season of RHoNY (1,616,250 & 0.70 demo) and more than double the ratings for last week’s 6th episode of RHoM.
Photo courtesy of BravoTV ©
Last season’s third season of RHoNJ didn’t have a Lost Footage episode and so it’s difficult to do a fair and accurate comparison. The average viewership of all 24 RHoNJ episodes of Season 4 was 2,665,250 and a 1.28 in the 18-49 demo and that includes the lower ratings for the Lost Footage episode. With that included that means that Season 4 only just rated higher than Season 3 which averaged 2,662,905 although its 18-49 demo rated fell ever so slightly.
Update After 3rd Reunion Episode
Last Sunday night The Real Housewives of New Jersey sat down for a third hour as they rehashed the preceding 20 episodes of their regular season in what has become their longest season in their four seasons. After the first two Reunions had scored ratings of 3,493,000 and 3,594,000 respectively we expected that the third hour would drop from those numbers to 3.3m. We were almost spot on as in fact 3,306,000 viewers tuned in at 10pm. However despite the drop of 288,000 viewers from the 2nd Reunion the 18-49 demo percentage held at 1.60.
Reunion Part 2 Update – 09 October 2012
Sunday saw the 22nd episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey’s fourth season which was the second part of the RHoNJ Reunion. After last week’s impressive 3,493,000 audience (and an 18-49 demo rating of 1.7), all eyes were on the ratings as they were released today to see if Part 2 could do better than part one did.
Sunday night’s ratings are in and the second part of the reunion did better AND worse than part one in the ratings. Overall viewership increased for the second part of the reunion by 103,000 viewers to 3,594,000 (+2.89%), but the 18-49 demo dropped from last week’s 1.70 to this weeks 1.60. However both ratings numbers are great news for Bravo. In our weekly projections we didn’t expect them to beat the previous week nor exceed 3.5m viewers, but they did that by close to 100,000 viewers.
Reunion Update – 02 October 2012
The first part of RHoNJ’s fourth season’s reunion episodes, aired Sunday night to 3,493,000 viewers; a growth of 86,000 over the previous week’s finale. More important was the 18-49 demo rating which grew from last week’s 1.60 to this week’s 1.70. That’s the first time this season that the 18-49 demo has been as high as 1.70, a feat RHoNJ last achieved for both parts 1 & 2 of last season’s reunions.
Sunday’s episode was the 21st of this season and with at least two more reunion episodes scheduled, making 23 in total, this will be the longest season of RHoNJ of the four that have aired. This franchise will thus join RHoA & RHoBH in having had 23 episodes in a season (not including a ‘lost footage’ episode).
Sunday’s night saw the RHoNJ fourth season finale and what a night it was for Bravo’s ratings! For the 20th regular episode of this season a very healthy 3,407,000 viewers tuned in just topping our upper projection of 3.4m. But what made those ratings even better was that the 9/8c repeat airing of episode 19, scored 1,048,000 viewers (Demo 0.40) and the 11.30 repeat of the finale 1,266,000 (Demo 0.50), meaning that on Sunday night RHoNJ episodes on Bravo had a cumulative audience of 5,721,000 viewers.
The second last regular episode of this 4th season of RHoNJ aired two nights ago and as we forecasted, it didn’t exactly set the ratings alight. This 19th episode dropped 221,000 (-7.12%) on the previous weeks with a total audience of 2,744,000 viewers and a demo of 1.20. In our weekly projections we had surmised that this episode would be watched by between 2.8-3.0m viewers, and we are a little shocked that the actual viewership was below the bottom of our range. From what we have seen online after this episode aired is a great deal of push-back from the viewers who seem to smell too much of a set-up by Bravo and their producers. Are these shows becoming too contrived?
With the summer behind us, Bravo returns this week to 5 days of original programming, and the week started with what is historically their highest rated hour and a half of television, this past Sunday. Episode of 18 of the fourth season of RHoNJ was watched by 2,965,000 viewers, which was down 4.48% from the prior episode, but up an impressive 19.70% versus the comparable episode in the 3rd season. This has boosted the season-to-date average to now be 2,543,389 viewers per episode, which is just 1.36% down on the 3rd season at the same stage. For the 3rd week running the 18-49 demo has been 1.40, which as also brought the demo average up to 1.24 just 1.76% down against season 3. In our weekly projections we had forecast a range of between 3.0 & 3.2m viewers, and so this week fell just short of the bottom of our range.
Prior to a special airing of WWHL on Sunday, the 17th episode of Season Four’s RHoNJ aired and after last week’s record breaking episode, this one reached an even higher number of viewers. An audience of 3,104,000 people tuned in and this is the first time this season that 3m has been breached. Additionally this is the highest non finale regular episode in the NJ franchise’s history. The previous record holder was Episode 14 of the 2nd season, which was watched by 3,083,000.
This Sunday’s 16th episode of the 4th season of RHoNJ shattered a few records. With a massive 2,980,000 viewers tuning in, it became the highest rated non-reunion episode since Season 2′s finale, which aired almost 2 years ago on August 23rd, 2010, and garnered 3,362,000 viewers. This season’s premiere audience of 2,957,000 was also exceeded although the demo percentage was down 1/10th. The premiere rated 1.50% of available 18-49 viewers, whereas this week’s episode was watched by 1.40% of that ad coveted demo.
Last week WWHL aired but not RHoNJ and this Sunday it was the other way around as WWHL starts its end-of-summer hiatus until September 9th. Up against the Olympics Closing Ceremony delayed telecast, the 15th episode of this 4th season posted its second lowest ratings, with just 2,231,000 viewers tuning in for the 10pm original broadcast. It managed to hold on to a demo rating of 1.0 and the season is now averaging 2,448,800, some 4.29% lower than Season 3 and 4.62% down against the second season.
Sunday night saw episode 14 of this season of RHoNJ and at Bravo Ratings we’re wondering whether it was the Olympics or just general RH ennui that pushed this episode to season low ratings of just 2,068,000 viewers with 1.0 in the 18-49 demo. The Napa trip kicked off with them leaving during Hurricane Irene and enjoying competitive shopping and fashion parades, to be continued. That’s the lowest rated episode of RHoNJ since Season 3, episode 7 scored 2,030,000 on Sunday June 26th 2011. This season has seen great fluctuation in audience totals from the 2.95m who watched the premiere to Sunday’s 2.068m and it’s now averaging 2,464,357 and a demo of 1.22. That’s down 4% in both total audience and demo compared to the same stage last season.
Sunday night saw the 13th episode air of this season’s RHoNJ and was it a lucky episode for the viewers or the cast? As the men sat down to discuss the upcoming Napa trip they all laid into the latecomer, Joe Guidice, both before and after he arrived, but in the end they all showed that bitchiness is definitely not just a female trait. In the fight over the ‘lost’ tools it is just too easy to joke which of them most looked most like one. However, this episode didn’t draw the viewers in quite the same numbers as previous episodes, as it dropped by 297,000 versus episode 12, with a total audience of 2,345,000 and 1.20 in the demo. Throughout 13 episodes RHoNJ is averaging slightly under 2.5m per episode with 1.24% of the 18-49 demo. That’s down by 2.58% after 13 episodes of Season 3 and down 1.25% compared with Season 2.
On Sunday night the RHoNJ cast & crew traipsed to a tradeshow, an ice cream parlor and a concert venue in the name of business promotion, resulting in an episode that felt like an hour-long advertisement. Nevertheless, the ads came with a healthy side of drama and flatulence, so all was not lost. In fact this ended up being the fourth highest rated episode of the 12 that have aired so far and was significantly higher than our forecast of 2.2-2.4m with 2,642,000 viewers tuning in and scored 1.20% in the 18-49 demo. That helped push this season’s average back above 2.5m keeping it more or less level with both seasons 2 (0.4% down) & 3 (1.5% down).
After last week’s episode of RHoNJ dipped by 20% from its 9th, this week saw a return to above average Jersey ratings as 2,516,000 viewers (1.20 18-49 demo) tuned in to see Gia emerge the victor in her dance audition setting herself up to appear on the same bill as Auntie Melissa at Beadstock in a future episode. In our weekly projections we’d estimated a range of 2.5- 2.8m for RHoNJ and it just scraped in at the bottom of our predictions. Now presumably half way through this 4th season, RHoNJ is just under the 3rd season’s ratings at the same stage 2,495,091 versus 2,566,545 and in the 18-49 demo average is down by 2.84%
The Independence Day holiday week is upon us and not only has it impacted Bravo’s schedules but clearly had a negative impact on its ratings. RHoNJ which last week scored its second highest ratings of this 4th season, plunged on Sunday down to 2,284,000 and a 1.1 in the 18-49 demo. That’s the second lowest ratings of the season since the season low on May 13th. In our projections for this week, we suggested a range of 2.2-2.4m and it scored just below our mid range but that’s down 20% compared to last week. For those who were away this week, you can catch a repeat at 10p, after the Fireworks on Wednesday, and of course at 9pm next Sunday July 8th prior to the 11th episode airing at 10pm.
This week RHoNJ scored it’s second highest ratings of the season, behind the premiere audience of 2.96m with 2,872,000 tuning in (and getting a great 1.40 in the 18-49 demo) for the 10pm airing. With this great number its season average has now moved ahead of last season’s and is up 0.73% overall and is tying the demo average of 1.27 of last season too.
Coinciding with the return of ‘WWHL‘ for its 7th season, the eighth episode of ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey‘ stormed to a 16% growth in viewers over last week’s episode and a massive 18% in the ad coveted 18-49 demo, with 2,654,000 viewers and 1.3 in the 18-49 demo.
After 7 episodes the 4th Season is still down slightly on Season 3 with overall viewers down 3.64% and in the 18-49 demo trending down a tad more – down 4.40%. But it’s up 9% & 6% respectively versus seasons 1 & 2 which were averaging 2,250,000 & 2,302,857 after their first seven episodes, although by this stage in Season 1 the season finale hand already aired.
UPDATE – 05-Jun-2012
After 6 episodes the 4th Season is still down slightly on Season 3 with overall viewers down 5.58% and in the 18-49 demo trending down a tad more – down 6.17%. But it’s up 14% versus seasons 1 & 2 which were both averaging 2,168,000 after their first six episodes.
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| Episode# | Time_Aired | Date_Aired | Episode Name | Total Audience | 18-49 Demo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S04E01 | 10:00pm | 22-Apr-2012 | High Tide, Low Blow | 2,957,000 | 1.50 | S04E02 | 10:00pm | 29-Apr-2012 | Poker Face | 2,240,000 | 1.20 | S04E03 | 10:00pm | 06-May-2012 | Third Eye Blind | 2,543,000 | 1.20 | S04E04 | 10:00pm | 13-May-12 | Drowning Pool | 2,259,000 | 1.20 | S04E05 | 10:00pm | 20-May-2012 | Spoiled Sports | 2,345,000 | 1.30 | S04E06 | 10:00pm | 03-Jun-2012 | Uncivil Union | 2,483,000 | 1.20 | S04E07 | 10:00pm | 10-Jun-2012 | True Love, True Lies | 2,293,000 | 1.10 | S04E08 | 10:00pm | 17-Jun-2012 | Best Friends for Never | 2,654,000 | 1.30 | S04E09 | 10:00pm | 24-Jun-2012 | Public Display of Rejection | 2,872,000 | 1.40 | S04E10 | 10:00pm | 01-JuL-2012 | Temporary Shrinkage | 2,284,000 | 1.10 | S04E11 | 10:00pm | 08-JuL-2012 | The Sniff Test | 2,516,000 | 1.20 | S04E12 | 10:00pm | 15-JuL-2012 | The Jersey Side Step | 2,642,000 | 1.20 | S04E13 | 10:00pm | 22-JuL-2012 | Sit Down and Man Up | 2,345,000 | 1.20 | S04E14 | 10:00pm | 29-JuL-2012 | Pack Your Baggage | 2,068,000 | 1.00 | S04E15 | 10:00pm | 12-Aug-2012 | If This RV is a Rockin’ | 2,231,000 | 1.00 | S04E16 | 10:00pm | 19-Aug-2012 | Whine Country | 2,980,000 | 1.40 | S04E17 | 10:00pm | 26-Aug-2012 | Hot Tub of Sour Grapes | 3,104,000 | 1.40 | S04E18 | 10:00pm | 09-Sep-2012 | Dinasty of Denial | 2,965,000 | 1.40 | S04E19 | 10:00pm | 16-Sep-2012 | A Bald Canary Sings | 2,744,000 | 1.20 | S04E20 | 10:00pm | 23-Sep-2012 | Strip Down Memory Lane | 3,407,000 | 1.60 | S04E21 | 10:00pm | 30-Sep-2012 | Reunion Part 1 | 3,493,000 | 1.70/td> | S04E22 | 10:00pm | 07-Oct-2012 | Reunion Part 2 | 3,594,000 | 1.60 | S04E23 | 10:00pm | 14-Oct-2012 | Reunion Part 3 | 3,306,000 | 1.60 | S04E24 | 10:00pm | 21-Oct-2012 | Lost Footage | 1,641,000 | 0.80 | Average Season 4 | 2,665,250 | 1.28 | Average Season 3 | S4 v. S3 | +0.09% Total Aud | -1.96% 18-49 Demo | 2,662,905 | 1.30 | Average Season 2 | S4 v. S2 | -1.96%/font> Total Aud | -10.76% 18-49 Demo | 2,718,556 | 1.43 | Average Season 1 | S4 v. S1 | +8.44 Total Aud | -10.72% 18-49 Demo | 2,457,778 | 1.43 |
Source: Nielsen Media Research via TVByTheNumbers
Just proves again there is no show without Teresa. Love her or hate her she is ratings gold….Just like Bethenny was to NY