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Week 11 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Week 11 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: CBS: 6.9/10.8; ABC: 5.8/9.1; NBC: 5.6/8.7; Fox: 4.7/7.2; The CW: 1.7/2.6; MNT: 0.7/1.1
Total Viewers: CBS: 11.03 million; ABC: 8.89 million; NBC: 8.69 million; Fox: 7.23 million; The CW: 2.58 million; MNT: 1.1 million.
Adults 18-49: CBS: 3.3/8.4; ABC: 3.2/8.1; NBC: 3.1/8.0; Fox: 2.4/6.1; The CW: 1.1/2.9; MNT: 0.4/1.0.

Analysis: Week 11 has been filled with more repeats than new episodes, so all numbers are down but NBC. NBC is airing more Deal or No Deal, which tells you NBC's regularly scheduled programs are doing bad. It is sad when a week in December beats ratings from sweeps. Last week ABC won the top spot in all categories: HH, viewers, and 18-49. CBS was second in HH and viewers, but 4th in 18-49. NBC and Fox battled for third in HH and viewers, with NBC winning in HH and Fox in viewers. In 18-49, NBC nipped by Fox for second, but it was a distant second as ABC took a big lead for first.
Through the first four days of this week, CBS has a lead in all categories in week 11 with ABC second, NBC in third and Fox in fourth.
On Monday with no more Dancing with the Stars, the night gets much weaker overall. CBS was actually first with repeats of its comedies and a repeat of CSI: Miami. A repeat of The Big Bang Theory did 6.41 million, down from the previous week's repeat, a repeat of How I Met Your Mother did 6.3 million, so Big Bang built on it. Two and a Half Men and Rules of Engagement repeats followed with great numbers for repeats, 11.88 million for Men and 9.78 million for Rules ... nice. CSI: Miami encore followed with 9.69 million, I think repeats usually do better than that? NBC was next, lead by Heroes at 11.06 million and a 5.0 18-49, down from previous week...and this week was the finale (until the strike is over)...so disappointing indeed. Chuck opened the night with 8.41 million, on par from previous week. Life on a special night closed the night with 6.48 million, a bit up from Journeyman the previous week. Without Dancing, ABC was not as good obviously, another airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas kicked the night off decently with 8.52 million. Samantha Who followed with 7.16 million and a 2.9/6 18-49 rating...both series lows, for the second straight week...the 9pm timeslot might not be good or we need some Dancing...hopefully Dance Wars: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann can spark it back up in January. I am guessing that show will do solid, at least 10 million or more. Notes from the Underbelly followed with 5.0 million, not good, down nearly 2 1/2 million from the premiere a week before. And the badly placed October Road at 10pm did just 4.94 million...again put it on after Grey's Anatomy like last season where it did a solid 10 million each week. Fox kicked off with a repeat of House at 8.35 million, up from previous week's repeat by a million, and ended with a new K-Ville at a horrific 4.82 million...kill this show already...a repeat of Bones a week before did nearly 2 million more! The CW aired repeats of their Monday sitcoms, with Aliens in America doing just 1.59 million and The Game did 1.9 million, the best of the block.
On Tuesday again with no Dancing, the night is much weaker. CBS aired the holiday classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at 8pm and did 14.55 million and an even more impressive 5.1 18-49 rating. The always reliable NCIS followed with a repeat at a special time of 9pm and did 11.09 million, which was more than The Unit's 10.56 million the previous week...and that was NEW! Cane was preempted, thank god says CBS, for a special Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and did an OK 7.48 million...this should be on another channel...maybe it is too young for CBS. NBC was next with another two-hour The Biggest Loser from 8-10 doing 8.32 million, up over a million from previous week now that the competition has gotten easy, followed by Law & Order: SVU at 11.73 million, down from previous week. Fox's huge hit House was a repeat and did 10.46 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, not bad for a repeat, and a Bones repeat started the night off with a solid 8.17 million. ABC started off with a holiday repeat of America's Funniest Home Videos doing 7.48 million leading into an encore of Grey's Anatomy on a special night doing just 5.72 million! Boston Legal returned with a new episode and did a decent 8.62 million. The CW had Beauty & the Geek and Reaper do 2.49 and 2.62 million for new episodes.
Wednesday saw NBC take the night thanks to that game show Deal or No Deal. The game-show aired from 8-10pm and did a solid 11.33 million, sure beats whatever airs at 8pm and Bionic Woman each week. At 10pm NBC's Life did 7.63 million, up from previous week, thanks to a much better lead-in. ABC started the night off with the holiday special Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and did a very impressive 9.34 million. Pushing Daisies will return this coming week.. Private Practice followed at 9pm and did 10.4 million and 3.8 18-49 rating and ABC closed the night off with the addictive Dirty Sexy Money doing 6.74 million. CBS saw Kid Nation do 7.1 million, and repeats of veteran dramas Criminal Minds and CSI: NY did well and were consistent doing 9.2 and 10.37 million. Fox aired repeat episodes of Back to You, 'Til Death and Kitchen Nightmares, doing 5.53, 5.01 and 5.32 million each. The CW had Top Model at 4.63 million, while Gossip Girl did 2.44 million...both down from previous week.
Thursday saw CBS win, nipping ABC. CBS opened with Survivor: China at 13.86 million. A new CSI followed with 18.8 million and a new Without a Trace did 12.68 million. ABC opened the night with a new Ugly Betty doing a 9.37 million. A new Grey's Anatomy followed with 17.78 million (and an impressive 7.1 18-49 rating, maybe good enough to win the week) and the annual special Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2007 followed with 11.31 million and a first place finish with a 4.4 18-49 rating. Fox's 5th Grader did a solid at 8.69 million and Don't Forget the Lyrics followed with 6.74 million. NBC started with comedies, My Name is Earl opened the night with 7.38 million, 30 Rock did just 5.84 million, an encore of The Office followed with 4.99 million and Scrubs has dropped every week since it returned, and this week was no different doing just 4.85 million. ER closed the night with 8.15 million, a season low once again...and this was episode #300. A repeat of Smallville on The CW did 2.81 million, followed by a repeat of Supernatural at 2.04 million.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but NBC won Friday thanks to what else, Deal or No Deal at 8pm for a first place finish. CBS preempted Ghost Whisperer for the classic Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns and were OK. 10pm's NUMB3RS was also pre-empted for a two-hour special Movies Rock, which did pretty bad. ABC was lead by Women's Murder Club at 9pm and 20/20 was first at 10.
Saturday saw ABC win the night thanks to the Jim Carrey holiday movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, doing 7 million..
As for tonight, ABC Sunday is all-new tonight but without Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters...but ABC does have the Mitch Albom movie For One More Day...these movies always do good! I saw the movie already from a pre-screening, and it is fantastic! If you read the book, you'll love this just as much. CBS will do decent with its regular lineup, with a boost from the NFL overrun, and NBC will do solid business for the NFL game. Fox's animated comedies are repeats but 8:30 & 9:30 and those are shows are the weak links. It is hard to say which network will win tonight. CBS, ABC or NBC can win it. It'll be close.
As for the week, CBS will likely win in HH, viewers and 18-49, ABC will be second, with a close finish for second place in 18-49...it could be ABC or even NBC if the game does very well. NBC will be in the third spot in HH/viewers, with Fox in fourth. More repeats (CBS comedies, Grey's Anatomy) and holiday specials (Shrek the Halls, Winnie the Pooh) this week, with a little mix of new episodes (CSI, Samantha Who, Pushing Daisies)...be on the look out!

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of November 26-December 2)

• Aliens in America (The CW) - A repeat did just 880,000 viewers, up 80k from the previous week.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat at a special time of 8:30 did an OK 6.7 million out of the BCS Selection Show which did 11.2 million
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat did 7.05 million.
  
• American Dad (Fox) - Just 5.72 million for a new episode, but the lead-ins were repeats...so that doesn't help this show which is lead-in dependent.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 6.3 million tuned in for a repeat...its repeats from here on out thanks to the strike.
  
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 6.41 million tuned in for a repeat, down from the previous week's repeat episode.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.88 million tuned in for a repeat, it also will be repeats from now on.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 9.78 million tuned in for an encore.
  
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - 7.16 million tuned in for a new episode ... not bad, but down from its numbers all season.
• Notes from the Underbelly (ABC) - Just 5 million...down from previous week's 7.45 million, which was a series high excluding the pilot.
  
• CW Monday Comedies: Chris, Aliens in America, Girlfriends, The Game. All were repeats and under 2 million.. Aliens did a terrible 1.59 million and The Game did 1.9 million and led the block.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Cavemen (ABC) - Nothing until January...According to Jim repeats air this week...at least a sitcom will air!
  
• Carpoolers (ABC) - Nothing until January...According to Jim repeats air this week...at least a sitcom will air!

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Back to You (Fox) - The word of the week: repeat. 5.53 million for an encore.
  
• Til Death (Fox) - 5.01 million for a repeat.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - 7.38 million for a new episode...up from previous week's numbers.
  
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 5.84 million for a new episode...on par with previous week.
  
• The Office (NBC) - An encore episode did 4.99 million...down from previous week's repeat by a million
  
• Scrubs (NBC) - 4.85 million for a new episode and lost viewers from the lead-in, which was a repeat.
  

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 are a mix of new and repeats.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men and Rules of Engagement were impressive for the week (and they were repeats!). Everything else was OK (such as Samantha Who?, My Name is Earl) or just plain old terrible (Scrubs, Notes from the Underbelly).