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Week 8 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Week 8 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: CBS: 8.5/13.3; ABC: 8.3/13.0; Fox: 5.3/8.0; NBC: 5.1/7.9; The CW: 2.1/3.1; MNT: 0.8/1.2.
Total Viewers: CBS: 13.31 million; ABC: 12.52 million; Fox: 8.49 million; NBC: 8.1 million; The CW: 3.14 million; MNT: 1.23 million.
Adults 18-49: ABC: 3.9/10.0; CBS: 3.9/10.0; NBC: 3.3/8.5; Fox: 3.2/8.1; The CW: 1.4/3.6; MNT: 0.5/1.3.

Analysis: Week 8 is nearly done...and we might not know who will win the week once again until after tonight! Last week ABC won the top spot in every category, with CBS a close second in HH and viewers. In 18-49, Fox was second, nipping CBS, which was in 3rd. NBC was fourth in all categories and Fox was in 3rd in HH and viewers. Through the first four days of this week, CBS a slight lead in all categories in week 8 with ABC a close second, Fox and NBC are way back, with Fox with the slight edge.
Monday it was all ABC thanks to Dancing with the Stars. A 92 minute performance show did an impressive 21.81 million and a 5.2/13 in 18-49, up a bit from the previous week, that lead into new sitcom Samantha Who doing 13.7 million (up from previous week) and a 4.3/10 18-49 rating. The Bachelor followed with 8.96 million, down a bit from the previous week, but this was a Women Tell All special...finale is this coming week. Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. The Big Bang Theory did 9.32 million, on par with the previous week and yet again it built on How I Met Your Mother's ratings of 8.42 million, almost a million increase...impressive for Big Bang, but due to the strike that was its last episode that they made, so repeats now. Two and a Half Men and Rules of Engagement followed with decent numbers (14.12 and 11.46 million). Men was over 14 million for the first time in awhile, and over 11 million for Rules. CSI: Miami followed with 15.46 million, up well over a million from previous. NBC was in third, lead by Heroes at 11.16 million and a 5.2 18-49, below its usual average once again...but it was up from previous week by a lot. Chuck opened the night with 7.56 million, down just a bit from previous week. Journeyman closed the night with 6.09 million, actually was up a million from previous week. Fox kicked off with the fall finale of Prison Break at 7.18 million, down from previous week and K-Ville returned for some reason and did bad once again with 4.72 million...how about sticking with Hang Time, Anthony Anderson? The CW aired their Monday sitcoms, with Aliens in America doing just 1.99 million, up a bit from the previous week's series low, and The Game finally went up and did 2.55 million, the best of the block.
Tuesday, it was a three network race, with Fox on top. CBS and ABC were also right behind. Fox's huge hit House did 16.95 million and a 7.0 18-49 rating (both down from previous week) and Bones started the night off with a solid 9.12 million, down a bit from previous week. The always reliable NCIS opened the night off for CBS with 17.39 million, down from previous week which was aa series high. The Unit followed with 11.04 million, on par from previous week, and Cane did 7.29 million, down from previous week. ABC's sitcom hour of Cavemen/Carpoolers did poor numbers for the second week in a row, doing just 4.58 and 5.05 million, Dancing with the Stars: The Results followed with 17.59 million saying goodbye to Cameron Mathison...why not Marie Osmond? Boston Legal followed and did a solid 11.36 million, a season high? NBC was fourth with another two-hour The Biggest Loser from 8-10 doing 8.16 million, followed by Law & Order: SVU at 12.48 million, both up from previous week a bit. The CW had Beauty & the Geek and Reaper do 2.48 and 2.46 million.
Wednesday it was CBS on top. CBS saw Kid Nation go up a bit to 7.42 million, and veteran dramas Criminal Minds and CSI: NY did well and were consistent doing 15.73 (up from previous week...season high maybe) and 13.13 million (up from previous week). ABC's trio of dramas returned after a week off for the CMA Awards, with Pushing Daisies doing 8.83 million, followed by Private Practice doing 11.48 million, and Dirty Sexy Money doing 7.9 million...the week off might have hurt these, but still solid. NBC and Fox again were battling for third, as Fox saw Back to You, 'Til Death and Kitchen Nightmares, all go up from previous week and did 7.31, 7.34, and 6.95 million each. NBC opened the night with Phenomenon doing 6.1 million (same as previous week), Bionic Woman fell to 6.29 million, as the fall in every episode continues. At 10pm NBC's Life did 6.9 million, up a bit from previous week for the second straight week. The CW had Top Model at a dominant 5.34 million (and second in the 8pm hour in 18-49 with a 2.6 rating!), while Gossip Girl did 2.95 million.
Thursday saw CBS and ABC duke it out again. CBS opened with Survivor: China at 14.68 million, down a tad from the previous week. CSI followed with 21.37 million, down from previous week, and Without a Trace did 14.41 million, down from previous week obviously (cross-over episode was last week). ABC opened the night with Ugly Betty doing a solid 10.67 million, on par from previous week. Grey's Anatomy followed with 19.6 million, up a bit from previous week and was number one in 18-49 with a 8.2/19 18-49 rating...should be good for #1 for the week. A special Thursday Women's Murder Club followed with a last place finish of 8.38 million...better than Big Shots, but it should have done better. Again Fox and NBC battled for third with NBC's comedies, My Name is Earl opened the night with 8.01 million, up from previous week, 30 Rock did 6.45 million, down from previous week. The Office followed with 8.8 million, up from previous week and this was the last episode they have made, so no more new episodes because of the strike. Scrubs has dropped every week since it returned, and this week was no different doing just 5.93 million. ER closed the night with 9.6 million, up from previous week. Fox's 5th Grader did a solid at 9.63 million (up from previous week)and Don't Forget the Lyrics followed with 6.03 million, down from previous week. Smallville on The CW did 4.51 million, followed by Supernatural at 2.88 million.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but NBC, CBS and ABC battled on Friday. NBC had a solid outing for Deal or No Deal at 8pm for a first place finish. CBS was also solid at 8pm for Ghost Whisperer. 10pm's NUMB3RS on CBS was #1 for the hour and the night and ABC was #1 at 9pm with Women's Murder Club.
Saturday saw CBS's crime repeats win the night again and Fox's crime reality won again in 18-49. ABC Sunday is preempted tonight for the American Music Awards, so it should lower than the usual Sunday line-up. CBS will do decent while NBC will do solid business for the NFL game, possibly #1 for the night. Fox's animated comedies will do well in young adults.
As for the week, CBS will likely win in HH and viewers, ABC will be second, with a close finish for 18-49...it could be ABC, CBS, or even NBC if the game does very well. Fox and NBC will battle for the distant third spot in HH/viewers, with NBC probably winning thanks to the NFL. More sweeps action this week! Enjoy your favorite shows as long as you can, you never know how long the strike will last.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of November 5-11)

• Aliens in America (The CW) - A repeat did just 850,00 viewers, down from previous week's 910k.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - 10.53 million and a 5.1 18-49 rating...not bad at all, down from previous week's Halloween show, but that was expected.
  
• King of the Hill (Fox) - Lost 3 million from the lead-in and did 7.6 million...this show should be done soon.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - 10.39 million tuned in for the second part of a two-part episode, on par with previous week's first part which did 10.46 million. 5.4 18-49 rating!
  
• American Dad (Fox) - 7.77 million...up from previous week's 7.08 million.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 8.42 million tuned in, down from the previous week. This coming week will be the last episode because of the strike.
  
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 9.32 million tuned in, on par from previous week and it still is building on the lead-in every single week...however this was the last episode because of the strike...repeats now.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.12 million this week, up from previous week.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 11.46 million, up from the previous week's 10.77 million.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - 13.7 million and a 4.3/10 18-49 for week five, up from previous week's 12.86 million.
  
• CW Monday Comedies: Chris, Aliens in America, Girlfriends, The Game. Not doing that well at all. Aliens did a terrible 1.99 million, but up from previous week's series low, The Game did 2.55 million this week, up from previous week and led the block.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Cavemen (ABC) - Just 4.58 million...now the show won't air for awhile because of Holiday specials. January here we come, probably!
  
• Carpoolers (ABC) - Just 5.05 million ... and also it won't be seen until January like the lead-in, see above.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Back to You (Fox) - 7.31 million tuned in for a new episode, up from previous week, now Fox will air a repeat next week...2 more episodes left, but Fox hasn't scheduled them yet (probably not until January). Blame it on the strike.
  
• 'Til Death (Fox) - Built on the lead-in in every category again, 7.35 million tuned in. Repeat next week, then the following two all-new episodes!
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - 8.01 million tuned in, up from the previous week's 7.66 million.
  
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 6.45 million...down from previous week's 6.6 million.
  
• The Office (NBC) - 8.8 million tuned in, up from the previous week...and this one is the last episode because of the strike.
• Scrubs (NBC) - 5.93 million tuned in ... has dropped every week so far.
  

Friday Sitcoms
None.

Saturday Sitcoms
None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) is a repeat of Aliens in America on The CW at 7:30, and Fox's animated comedies starting at 8:00!

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Samantha Who?, The Office, My Name is Earl, Big Bang Theory, and Rules of Engagement were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock) or just plain old terrible (Cavemen, Carpoolers).