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Week 11 Ratings Numbers Through Thursday; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 11 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):
Households: CBS: 9.8/14.9; ABC: 8.1/12.4; NBC: 7.9/12.0; FOX 5.0/7.5; The WB: 2.3/3.5; UPN: 2.3/3.5
Total Viewers: CBS: 15.7 million; ABC: 12.49 million; NBC: 12.17 million; FOX 7.98 million; The WB: 3.5 million; UPN: 3.45 million.
Adults 18-49: CBS: 5.2/13.0; NBC: 4.5/11.2; ABC: 4.4/11.1; FOX 3.4/8.4; UPN: 1.5/3.6; The WB: 1.3/3.1.

Analysis: These four days include the last three days of the November sweeps period and the first day of the post-sweeps period. Through Wednesday ABC was on top in all three categories but after a weak showing from the Pope John Paul II Movie, the numbers went down, but still had enough to be second place in households and total viewers over NBC. The Pope movie did terrible, especially in adults 18-49 with only a 1.4 rating, which was on par or even lower than the most recent Night Stalker episode. CBS did better than normal on Monday with its sitcoms thanks to Ray Romano's guest appearance on The King of Queens. The Colts were back on Monday Night Football and gave another very strong performance with over 22.6 million viewers and a very impressive 9.1 adult 18-49 rating. The Colts can draw a crowd! Will they go 16-0? Keep watching! NBC had a ratings suprising on Tuesday with a big crowd for The Biggest Loser 2. No one expected it to be that high. It drew 15.95 million viewers and even more impressive 6.7 adult 18-49 rating. The other big surprise was the classic holiday special on CBS called Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Yes, I'm sure everyone has seen it at least once. CBS had its best showing for this special in 5 years. 15.8 million tuned in and even a 5.8 adult 18-49 rating. Everything else this week was on par with normal levels.
Days 5 and 6: Friday saw ABC winning in total viewers and adults 18-49 thanks to holiday magic from the classic special Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town and an original holiday episode of AFV. CBS's normal dramas were either in repeats or pre-empted by the Knots Landing Reunion, which only averaged a 5.1 household rating. CBS should have aired that on Thursday instead since the series originally aired on Thursday nights (CSI and Without a Trace were reruns anyway!). Saturday saw NBC winning in total viewers and FOX in A18-49. ABC will come back and win the week in adults 18-49 even after the Thursday bomb. CBS will for sure win by a wide margin in total viewers for the week. Look for ABC of course winning big tonight with some new Home makeovers, some new Housewives and some new Grey. Pope will lose again tonight--this time on CBS.


Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - Raymond is back...and he gave this sitcom its highest ratings of the season with 12.92 million and an impressive 4.4 adult 18-49 rating.
  
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Thanks to a better than normal lead-in, this sitcom did very well with 12.27 million and retained 100% of its A18-49 lead-in.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 16.53 million tuned in. Not bad because the Colts were on MNF this week.
  
• Out of Practice (CBS) - This sitcom has remained consistent. CBS will remove it for a few months starting in January for The Jenna Elfman Show. If that show does similar numbers or better than OoP, then I'd suggest CBS move this show to Wednesdays at 8 or 8:30.
  
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - What NBC had in the '80s on Thursdays is what UPN has now on Mondays--just kidding. But this block is very consistent each week.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - Only 7.63 for Jim. With American Idol coming next month, Jim better shape-up.
  
• Rodney (ABC) - Say what you want about this show, but the numbers don't lie. Whatever ABC tried after Jim this season, has not worked, except Rodney. It built on Jim with 7.88 million. And as I say that, ABC will try another show here on Dec. 13 (Hope & Faith) for a one time airing.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• George Lopez (ABC) - Up against Rudolph on CBS, the vet sitcom still did decent with 7.93 million, but not so decent in A18-49 with probably a season low of a 2.5 rating.
  
• Freddie (ABC) - 8.05 million tuned in with a 3.0 A18-49 rating.
  
• That '70s Show (FOX) -Winning its slot in adults 18-49 among sitcoms with a 3.1 rating, but only 6.58 million overall.
  
• Stacked (FOX) - And Thursdays will help this sitcom? Gimme a break!
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Joey (NBC) - Finally the day has come! Joey will be gone by January! A repeat this week had 7.32 million.
  
• Will & Grace (NBC) - Can this show jump start a line-up in January? I doubt it but it will slightly be better than what Joey did. 7.63 million tuned in this week for a repeat.
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - 4.43 tuned in for a repeat.
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - It was repeats all around tonight. 2.44-2.62 million was the range here.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• Bernie Mac (FOX) - A new episode, at least I think, did nothing for FOX with just a 2.3 overall rating.
  
• Malcolm in the Middle (FOX) - 2.2 overall rating for an all-new episode. This is WB/UPN territory.
  
• What I Like About You (The WB) - A repeat was dead last. Even when a new episode is on, it is dead last. So what is the difference?
  
• Reba (The WB) - A repeat at 8:30 improved on its lead-in and another repeat episode at 9 p.m. did better.
• Twins (The WB) - The r word again--repeat.
  

Summing it up. Out of Practice, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, and The King of Queens were the only impressive sitcoms this week. Everything else was OK (such as Freddie, Rodney) or just plain old terrible (such as Stacked, Bernie Mac, Malcolm in the Middle).