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Week 17 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Before we get to the numbers, we would like to let you know that TCA Winter Network Press Tour is underway with ABC up today. Come back at 12 midnight ET tonight for a recap!

Week 17 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: Fox: 9.1/13.8; CBS: 7.2/11.2; NBC: 6.2/9.6; ABC: 6.0/9.3; The CW: 1.8/2.8.
Total Viewers: Fox: 14.9 million; CBS: 11.01 million; NBC: 9.46 million; ABC: 9.06 million; The CW: 2.73 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox: 5.6/14.1; NBC: 3.4/8.6; CBS: 3.4/8.5; ABC: 3.3/8.4; The CW: 1.2/3.0.

Analysis: The 17th week saw Fox starting off big with the BCS National Championship Game and a good showing for House on Tuesday and the network has the lead through Thursday. CBS has won households for 16 straight weeks, which will likely come to an end this week, with Fox winning likely because they also had the NFL playoff game last night. Fox will win the week in Adults 18-49 because of the NFL game yesterday and the BCS game on Monday. Fox will be a player now because American Idol will now launch in week 18--god help us all. As usual, Friday and Saturday numbers are not above, since final numbers are not available yet. CBS is in second place for the week, and will likely stay there for the first time this season. NBC & ABC are almost neck-and-neck through Thursday, and I think ABC will prevail for a decent third for the week, because ABC will do very well tonight. On Monday it was all Fox as the BCS National Championship Game did 28.8 million, down from last year when it was on ABC, but still massive. CBS's CSI: Miami was back with its first new episode of 2007 and did 16.01 million, and NBC's Heroes encore marathon (yes another) from 9-11pm struggled doing 5.72 and 4.45 million, Deal or No Deal started the night off well though with 14.06 million. CBS sitcoms did OK in the 8pm hour doing 8.37 and 7.65 million. Two and a Half Men rose from those numbers and did 14.78 million, with Christine following and holding on well with 12.08 million. ABC saw decent numbers for all-new episodes of Wife Swap & Supernanny doing 7.94 and 8.17 million. Tuesday was again Fox's night. House encore and an all-new House was enough to win the night. The encore did 9.02 million, but the new episode nearly doubled that and did 17.78 million. NBC got decent numbers from both Law & Order spin-offs doing 11.78 and 14.41 million from 9-11pm (though down from last week), with Dateline kicking the night off with a respectable 9.52 million, slightly up week to week. CBS's repeat of NCIS started off strong with 12.84 million, and The 33rd Annual People's Choice Awards did OK with 11.33 million. ABC saw a AFV repeat open up decently with 7.58 million (down from last week's 8.14), but then two episodes of the new sitcom Big Day wasn't so hot, as they did 4.2 and 3.92 million each, down from last week. A new episode of Boston Legal did 8.9 million, not good. Wednesday saw President Bush mess up the night by scheduling a speech for 9pm. All the networks had to retool their schedule. CBS won the night with repeats. Premiere of Armed & Famous didn't do too well though at just 8.07 million, then repeats of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY did decent with 10.85 and 9.68 million. NBC saw Friday Night Lights limping still with just 6.41 million (up slightly week to week), a shortened encore of Deal or No Deal followed the Bush speech at 9:30 with 10.42 million. Medium repeat followed with 7.56 million. ABC's comedy block opened up better than last week with two episodes of According to Jim doing 7.81 and 8.62 million--way up from last week! And it is quite unfortunate that The Knights of Prosperity couldn't get that 8.62 million lead-in because of Bush, instead it started around 9:23 and viewers must have been lost and the momentum that Jim left was gone, the show did 5.2 million only. In Case of Emergency followed that with 5.22 million. Let's hope we see this block doing consistent numbers, which I think it could do. Bush ruined it in week 17. Fox aired a Bones repeat that did OK with 7.09 million and then Bush speech followed by a low rated 'Til Death encore doing 3.32 million. The CW did decent with Beauty & the Geek doing 3.91 million, though down from the premiere. On Thursday we saw ABC dominate with all-new episodes, as CBS was in repeats from 9-11pm this week. ABC opened with an all-new Ugly Betty winning the hour with 13.49 million followed by a new Grey's Anatomy doing a very good 23.03 million, Men in Trees followed with 9.94 million...it should be doing close to 12 million for respect. CBS opened the night with night two of Armed & Famous, doing just 7.69 million, a CSI repeat followed with 12.03 million and a repeat of Shark did 10.2 million. NBC aired all-new episodes of comedies from 8-10pm and did great for the first hour with season highs, but saw bleeding from Scrubs and 30 Rock. They all did decent though in 18-49 from a 2.9-5.0 in range. ER was new and did just 12.18 million though up from last week, 30 Rock is not helping it. And Fox saw pathetic numbers with 'Til Death, War at Home and The O.C.
Friday (numbers not counted in our ratings), saw CBS win each hour. CBS's NUMB3RS was #1 at 10 p.m. and for the night with a 7.3/13 rating. NBC was second in each hour, with its line-up of 1 vs. 100, Las Vegas and Law & Order. ABC re-aired the latest episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives for third in the hour but 20/20 built on their numbers and did well. And The CW and Fox battled for last place, but Fox did better than usual. Saturday ratings saw the NFL playoffs on Fox dominate. We don't have numbers yet. As for tonight, ABC, CBS, and Fox will likely share a win and have something to brag about, with ABC's Desperate Housewives dominating 9 p.m. and the rest of its A-class line-up of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition & Brothers & Sisters. NBC's reality shows will likely take a big dip this week and won't help the season premiere of Crossing Jordan at 10. Fox will likely battle well with the 2-hour season premiere of 24 from 8-10, doing well primarily in the demo. As for this week in general, I expect Fox to win the demo because of the sporting events and also in total viewers most likely. American Idol returns this coming week. Let's hope it goes down a but at least.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of Jan. 1-7)

• Reba (The CW) 2 episodes - Two repeats did 2.29 and 3.06 million.
  
• The Simpsons (Fox) - 11.62 million tuned in for an all-new episode right after a NFL Playoff game.
  
• American Dad (Fox) - 9.12 tuned in for a new episode.
• Family Guy (Fox) 2 episodes - Two repeats held steady with 9.02 and 8.83 million.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 8.37 million for a new episode...not bad, but could be better especially for CBS Monday.
  
• The Class (CBS) - 7.65 million for a new episode. Watch the table-read tomorrow (Jan. 15) LIVE at 2pm ET on the internet (See Friday's Blog)
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.78 million for a new episode...very good like usual.
• New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) - 12.08 million..pretty good retention from lead-in.
  
• CW Monday Comedies: Chris, All of Us, Girfriends, The Game. Repeat episode of Chris started it off with 2.44 million, the highest of the block. The rest ranged 1.53 to 2.11 million. Stop with the repeats!
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Big Day (ABC) 2 episodes - 4.2 million and 3.92 million for two new episodes. Not good, and down from last week. 2 more episodes to go and they will air on Jan. 30.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - Way up from last week's premiere! A great sign! 7.81 and 8.62 million!
  
• The Knights of Prosperity (ABC) - Bush aired a speech at 9pm, delaying this show in the east and central zones, therefore ABC lost momentum from 8:30pm's great numbers, and this show had to suffer doing just 5.2 million. The Knights' plan is certainly better than Bush's new plan. WATCH THIS WEEK! If you missed this episode cause of Bush, watch it on abc.com
  
• In Case of Emergency (ABC) - 5.22 million...again thanks to Bush.
  
• 'Til Death (Fox) - 3.32 million for a repeat that was scheduled because of the Bush speech.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - 10.85 million for an all-new episode and a 4.6/13 in 18-49...SEASON HIGHS!
  
• The Office (NBC) - 10.15 million, held a lot from lead-in this week, but 18-49 was REALLY great with a 5.0/13 rating. WOW!
  
• Scrubs (NBC) - Despite the big jump for the 8-9pm hour this show stayed steady at 7.77 million.
  
• 30 Rock (NBC) - Same as above. 6.1 million.
  
• 'Til Death (Fox) - 4.68 million...back down under 5 million.
  
• War at Home (Fox) - 4.36 million for a new episode...not good, but holding the lead-in's numbers well.
  

Friday Sitcoms
None.

Saturday Sitcoms
None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are a mix of new & repeat episodes of Fox comedies and Reba on The CW.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, According to Jim 8:30, My Name is Earl and The New Adventures of Old Christine were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Class and Scrubs) or just plain old terrible (such as Big Day and War at Home).