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Weekly TV Ratings Round-Up; What Caught My Eye? And What Didn't?

Week two has seen ups and downs for all the networks. Good in week one rookies like Invasion, Everybody Hates Chris, My Name is Earl, all took a bit of a hit but still were positive for their respective networks and all should last the season. How I Met Your Mother is doing decent for CBS but Out of Practice isn't doing as well as they would like after Two and a Half Men. Bad in week one rookies got even worse such as The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, Inconceivable and Kitchen Confidential. There was an impressive series debut from Commander in Chief but it didn't do quiet as well in adults 18-49 but it is an ultra competitive timeslot. The season premieres of Alias and Smallville in a tough timeslot were both pretty good. Smallville did well in adults 18-49 and Alias was second to Survivor in the hour in total viewers. And the season premiere of the "live" Will & Grace built considerably on the soon to be canceled Joey. The series premiere of Night Stalker was down from Alias' 8.21 million to 7.12 million but built on Alias' adult 18-49 rating in a timeslot occupied also by CSI and The Apprentice.

Week 2 numbers (first four nights):
Households: CBS: 9.5/14.6; ABC: 7.6/11.9; NBC: 7.3/11.2; FOX: 4.7/7.2; The WB: 2.6/4.0; UPN: 2.3/3.4
Total Viewers: CBS: 14.68 million; ABC: 11.78 million; NBC: 10.74 million; FOX: 7.33 million; The WB: 3.49 million; UPN: 3.4 million.
Adults 18-49: CBS: 4.8/12.4; ABC: 4.2/11.0; NBC: 4.1/10.5; FOX: 3.1/8.1; The WB: 1.6/4.2; UPN: 1.5/3.8

Analysis: All of the networks are down from week one but CBS and FOX. The WB was also up thanks to a nice showing of Smallville on Thursday. Remember this is not including last night, tonight and Sunday. Last night saw NBC going way downhill. NBC usually wins Fridays but Three Wishes was way down from its premiere and Inconceivable was even down more from its terrible premiere. 9:00 p.m. Friday is very weak right now that even Threshold with its OK numbers is winning the hour. Look for CBS to win in total viewers like in week one and possibly ABC making a run (thanks to Sunday) in the key demos like in week one.

So what shows caught my eye this week (in terms of ratings)?
MONDAY
- King of Queens & How I Met Your Mother: Not big time players but solid enough to win the hour in both measures.
- Two and a Half Men: Almost not on this list but still the highest rated sitcom despite not putting up what Raymond did last year in this slot.
- CSI: Miami & Medium: With the football game not as competitive, Medium strived. CSI: Miami won the hour by a lot, but was also down from the season premiere by a lot.
- Prison Break: A nice little hit for FOX building almost 5 million viewers on the viewerly challenged Kitchen.
TUESDAY
- NCIS: No one ever talks about this show, it just wins its hour and no one notices. It even wins in adults 18-49 now.
- According to Jim one hour episode: Built on the season premiere last week and still a solid second place in its slot in total viewers but 18-49 is still shaky and was not almost on this list.
- Commander in Chief: Excellent debut with total viewers and adults 25-54. 18-49 was not as good, but ABC has another hit as the show built in the second half hour.
- My Name is Earl: Down a lot from the pilot but still won its half hour in adults 18-49 and was the highest rated sitcom in that measure for the week.
- Law & Order: SVU & Boston Legal: No one expected Boston Legal to win this hour and it didn't but still it was a solid second place in total viewers. 18-49 was not so good, but ABC will live with that as it did win Tuesday in total viewers.
WEDNESDAY
- Lost encore: Even an encore won its hour. Lost is certainly not lost in its second season.
- Lost: Down just slightly in both measures and dominated the hour.
- UPN: Top Model 5 was its usual self but Veronica Mars came out and had its best ratings ever!
- 10 p.m. dramas: A highly competitve hour and all three shows had something to write home about. Law & Order was up from its premiere thanks to a crossover with spin-off Law & Order: SVU. Invasion was down big in total viewers but still had enough to win the hour in adults 18-49. And CSI: NY's season premiere was decent for second place in total viewers but a not so good third place in A18-49.
THURSDAY
- CBS: Dominant in all three hours led by CSI's 28 million viewers.
- Will & Grace: Yes, it's on this list actually. It built on Joey A LOT. Maybe because it was a live episode? Maybe they should just do it live every week if they want ratings.
- Smallville & Alias: Both showed good signs in a tough timeslot. Alias with total viewers and Smallville in A18-49.
FRIDAY
- Ghost Whisperer: I expected a big drop, but it was practically identical to is premiere. So CBS has done well with this show so far.
- Hope & Faith: A nice one hour season premiere and built on Supernanny by a lot.
- NUMB3RS: Highest rated show of the night.
- 20/20: Still going strong and probably won the hour in A18-49 (Friday final numbers are not in yet).


What didn't?
MONDAY
- Monday Night Football: Chiefs at Broncos: Down considerably from last week's game and almost cost ABC the night in adults 18-49 and did in total viewers.
- Surface: Big drop from the series premiere and looks like it will continue to drop.
- Arrested Development & Kitchen Confidential: Both down even more. Both will never get an audience. Will FOX risk it?
- Just Legal: Cancelation clock is ticking.
- Out of Practice: Airing after the highest rated sitcom should help this show but CBS is expecting more like what Men did last season after Raymond. Practice had a 3 million drop and almost two ratings point of a drop.
TUESDAY
- Sex, Love, & Secrets: 1.4 million? Ouch!
- The Office: Why did NBC pick-up seven more episodes? It continues to go way down from Earl.
- The Amazing Race 8: Decent in adults 18-49 but terrible in total viewers, down a lot from previous installments.
WEDNESDAY
- The Apprentice: Martha Stewart: Maybe she should do the show from her jail cell? She should just go back to jail for terrible ratings. Next week she'll be up against Lost as NBC has made a switch.
- E-Ring: Down over two million viewers from premiere and is on the move to 8:00 p.m. next week. Criminal Minds was second in this hour behind Lost. Will the move to 8 p.m. help? We'll see.
THURSDAY
- Joey: NBC has three new mid-season comedies coming plus Scrubs. Joey needs to shape-up or it will be gone faster than Matt LeBlanc can say Mel Blanc (I know, corny joke).
- Reunion: The show had so much potential out of The O.C., but is almost now in the range of other post O.C. timeslot shows.
- Primetime Live: Terrible. Cost ABC from a decent night as Alias and Night Stalker had some positive things to it.
- Post 8:30 p.m. on UPN: UPN is not "getting it on" after Everybody Hates Chris. Going from 6.01 million at 8 p.m. to 2.75 million at 9:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
- NBC: What a terrible night for NBC. Even Dateline was VERY weak. Three Wishes did decent last week but it had a BIG drop this week and went from 1st place to 3rd place in its slot. Inconceivable at 10 p.m. is my next pick for cancelation.
- Supernanny: It should do better than a 4.2 rating.
- FOX: Fox's ratings continue to do bad on Fridays with Bernie Mac and Malcolm doing bad and their new drama at 9 p.m. is even worse.
- The WB Comedies: Even Reba is now last place thanks to Smackdown.