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Week 31 First Four Day Ratings; How the Sitcoms Did

After a few weeks off--we're back with our numbers!

Week 31 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: CBS: 9.0/14.5; FOX 8.7/13.7; NBC: 4.8/7.7; ABC: 4.7/7.6; The WB: 2.3/3.7; UPN 1.8/2.9.
Total Viewers: FOX 14.14 million; CBS: 13.95 million; NBC: 7.19 million; ABC: 7.04 million; The WB: 3.49 million; UPN: 2.68 million.
Adults 18-49: FOX 5.8/15.8; CBS: 4.2/11.3; NBC: 2.6/7.1; ABC: 2.5/6.9; The WB: 1.5/4.1; UPN: 1.2/3.3.

Analysis: We're back in action. Too bad repeats dominated this week. May sweeps starts this coming Thursday, so we can't wait! Well FOX did have something new and big in American Idol that helped them on Tuesday and Wednesday. And House is benefiting even more this year. Fox again had a strong Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 24 was first in its timeslot with 13.26 million viewers and a strong 5.5 rating in A18-49. Prison Break before that was second place in A18-49 and total viewers. CBS's comedies were all repeats, well except New Adventures of Old Christine, which doesn't do as well when Men is a rerun. Monday's highest rated show, CSI: Miami, was a repeat and still won its slot by a wide margin with 16.33 million viewers. ABC's What Abut Brian at 10 pm and NBC's Celebrity Cooking Showdown at 9pm didn't do too well. Tuesday was all Fox with American Idol & House, with 28.44 and 22.64 million viewers. Damn that AI. CBS's dramas did well against them but everything else was anemic, including a dismal 1.1 A18-49 rating for night two of NBC's Celebrity Cooking Showdown. ABC's Less Than Perfect returned with its season premiere but it didn't do too well, coming second place in the half hour among sitcoms, losing to NBC's sitcom Teachers in A18-49 (1.8 to 2.1 rating) and barely winning in total viewers with 4.51 million to 4.5 million. Wednesday it was a little better for the other networks but still Fox's Idol was too much for everyone. Lost was pre-empted, because of the two-hour return of Alias and the return of Invasion. That Invasion is one hell of a show. It better be back next season, I don't even care if it is Friday or Saturday night! CBS's Criminal Minds, but like most of CBS's other crime dramas, they do well against AI. Bones at 8 p.m. put Fox on the map at first place--I call it the waiting for AI factor. Thursday it was all CBS despite repeats of their two best shows. CBS's Surviror easily won in total viewers and adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. CBS won the 9 and 10 p.m. hours with repeats of CSI and Without a Trace. NBC's comedies were all repeats and didn't do well, as was ER. Commander in Chief was a distant second place in total viewers at 10 p.m. for ABC. Friday it was a battle between CBS and ABC, with CBS winning total viewers and ABC the young adults. A special Primetime did decent for ABC. NBC saw terrible numbers for Miss USA and a repeat, yes a repeat, of Deal or No Deal did decent to start off the night. It was a repeat because NBC had to can Celebrity Cooking Showdown after three airings because it did terrible. Saturday saw decent numbers for CBS and ABC with movies, while Fox and NBC bombed with Nascar and burn-off episodes of Celebrity Cooking Showdown. FOX will win the week in adults 18-49, but CBS can pull through in total viewers possibly. Look for ABC to take 3rd place in both measures. Sunday, ABC will probably still win even with a repeat of EM: Home Edition and DH & GA Specials.


Monday Sitcoms

• The King of Queens (CBS) - 7.25 million tuned in for a repeat. It usually does 9 million in repeats.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 7.05 million for a repeat.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.93 million for a repeat and still highest rated sitcom for the week.
• New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) - A new episode held total viewers from lead-in well, with 11.38 million and 100% of A18-49 with a 3.7 rating.
• One on One (UPN), All of Us (UPN), Girlfriends (UPN), Half and Half (UPN) - All new and had usual numbers, peaking at 9 p.m. with over 3.5 million.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - Repeat only scored 4.51 million. I want a new episode, haven't seen one since March!
• Hope & Faith (ABC) 2 episodes - 2 all new episodes. 4.11 million at 8:30 and 5.43 million at 9 p.m. I think ABC should put Hope & Faith 8-9pm and According to Jim at 9pm for sweeps (which will only be May 2 for them).
  
• Less than Perfect (ABC) - 4.51 million for its return, losing almost a million from lead-in. This will be its last season I'm sure, despite being great in quality.
  
• Scrubs (NBC) - 5.72 million, just beating the competing ABC comedy. Question is, will this sitcom make the cut for next fall?
  
• Teachers (NBC) - 4.5 million--say so long next season.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

Nothing!

Thursday Sitcoms

• Will & Grace (NBC) - Last minute repeat scored 4.99 million
• That's 70s Show (FOX) 2 episodes - Two repeats did bad...3.93 million and 4.26 million.
  
• My Name is Earl (NBC) 2 episodes - Both repeats...8:30 did only 4.81 million. Regular 9pm airing jumped to 7.73 million.
  
• The Office (NBC) - 6.09 million for a repeat
  
• Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) - 3.96 million tuned in for an all-new show.
  
• Love, Inc. (UPN), Eve (UPN), Cuts (UPN) - New episodes of these sitcoms did bad...but better than usual, ranging from 2.1-2.7 million.

Friday Sitcoms

Reba and Modern Men: All-new and dead last.

Summing it up. Repeats of Two and a Half Men & My Name is Earl and a new Adventures of Old Christine were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as repeats of The Office, King of Queens, How I Met Your Mother) or just plain old terrible (such as UPN Thursday, That '70s Show, Modern Men).