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Week 16 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Well I wanted to give you a full report today like we were doing from Sept-early Dec, but we don't have final numbers for Thursday, so I can't give the averages for the first four nights. Thus, I will give a brief analysis statement followed by the full how the sitcoms did this week. We hope to be back in full form by next week!

Week 16 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: N/A
Total Viewers: N/A
Adults 18-49: N/A

Analysis: Week 16 has had a mix of returns, new, reality and even some repeats. I can't tell yet who is on top, but it seems close. CBS will likely win the week thanks to the NFL game on Saturday. Last week it was a rare win for NBC (thanks to the NFL and their reality series) as it won the top spot in all categories: HH, viewers, and 18-49. CBS was second in HH and viewers. Fox was second in 18-49, while CBS was fourth. It was a close match for third with ABC and Fox in HH and viewers.
On Monday, Fox won the night thanks to the BCS Championship Game pulling in 23.07 million as LSU won it against Ohio State. NBC saw a decent night with the second day for American Gladiators doing 10.91 million, but its strength is 18-49 as it did a 4.8 rating. Deal or No Deal (stop with this show!) followed with 10.75 million, a far cry from what it used to do on Mondays, followed by the season premiere of Medium at 9.6 million, on par with last season. ABC premiered Dance War with a two-hour premiere and did a solid 11 million, but I'm sure ABC was hoping for more. I think it will do better this week with no BCS game and the show will be LIVE. October Road followed at 10pm with just 4.95 million. CBS was in repeat mode, but it still did pretty well, especially Two and a Half Men doing 11.39 million. Will viewers figure out no more new episodes are left? The other three sitcoms were all below 8 million. See sitcom numbers below. CBS closed the night off with a repeat of CSI: Miami at 8.98 million, that seems below normal repeat numbers. The CW had repeats of their sitcoms...the best was Chris at 2.2 million and the worst was Girlfriends' 1.41 million.
On Tuesday, NBC was on top thanks to a two-hour Biggest Loser doing 10.13 million and Law & Order: SVU at 15.51 million...possibly a season high (no competition at all that's why). Can Loser survive this week with Idol? CBS had a below normal Tuesday...it started off well with a NCIS repeat at 12.41 million, very solid...but the strike infected People's Choice Awards followed with just 5.96 million, an all-time low. Will this be a sign to come tonight for The Golden Globes announcement? Fox aired repeats of Bones and House at typical repeat numbers...6.36 and 10.89 million. ABC had a weird night as each time zone saw something different because of the New Hampshire Primary special. Just for Laughs started the night off with a not so bad 6.04 million, but then it got weird...According to Jim, ABC News Special, Carpoolers, and a repeat of Cashmere Mafia did all between 3-4.5 million. It should be a bit better this week as everything will be in its place. Even with Idol premiering, I think this line-up will do better, plus Boston Legal will return. The CW returned One Tree Hill with 3.36 and 3.57 million...not bad.
On Wednesday, the big three all had something to cheer about. CBS started off slow with Power of 10 at just 5.78 million, but new episodes of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY did solid with 14.3 and 11.71 million. NBC started the night off with the Wednesday edition of Deal or No Deal at 13.47 million, the NBC debut of USA Network's Law & Order: Criminal Intent did 9.44 million, followed by the original Law & Order at 11.02 million. ABC has moved Wife Swap and Supernanny to Wednesdays because of this strike, and so far so good. Week two of the reality workhorses did 7.73 and 8.92 million, with Supernanny at a 3.6 18-49 rating. The time slot premiere of Cashmere Mafia did only 6.16 million. The second episode was much better than the pilot, and I thought the pilot was decent. Fox had two repeats each of Back to You and 'Til Death not doing much. The CW had new showings of Crowned and Gossip Girl at 1.77 and 2.27 million...Crowned is not doing good.
As I mentioned, no final numbers for Thursday yet. But the big guns returned (at least for this night)! Ugly Betty won the 8pm hour for ABC, with Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader not far behind for Fox. My Name is Earl won its half-hour in 18-49, but 30 Rock dipped at 8:30. As for 9pm, Grey's Anatomy won in households by a bit and big in 18-49, with CSI the edge in total viewers by a bit. Celebrity Apprentice and Don't Forget the Lyrics! were way behind for NBC and Fox. You hear that Donald? At 10pm Without a Trace won the hour, with ER building a bit on The Donald's numbers, and ABC's Big Shots was third, but it did get more viewers than its last original episode.
Like usual, no Friday finals yet, but CBS won each hour thanks to Ghost Whisperer and NUMB3RS. Even Moonlight won its hour as there was no Women's Murder Club. 1 vs. 100 for NBC is no Deal or No Deal in the ratings, but it is a more challenging (and better) game show than Deal. Saturday saw a big win for CBS with the NFL.
Tonight will be a mix bag. NBC will suffer with no real Golden Globe Awards, just a newscast of winner won't draw...especially since you can see the newscast on other networks, like TV Guide Channel. Fox will have a nice night as the NFL will spill over until like 8pm, making a nice debut for the premiere of Sarah Connor Chronicles. ABC has no Housewives tonight, but Home Edition is two-hours and Brothers & Sisters returns with a new episode. CBS will have so-so night, as they will do decent in viewers, but 18-49 will be low with that mini-series.
As for the week, CBS will win in HH, viewers and likely in 18-49 because of the NFL game on Saturday. Everything else is too close to call, especially since I don't have the mid-week numbers. I predict Fox will be second, because of their NFL run-over, ABC and NBC will battle for third.
This coming week...American Idol launches and Fox will for sure win that week. God help us all. Hopefully it is down this year.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of December 31-January 6)

• Aliens in America (The CW) - A repeat did just 680,000 viewers..pretty soon the show will be moving to 8:30pm on this night as the Monday sitcoms make their move to Sundays.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode did 8.04 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating...not bad at all but both down from the last new episode on Dec. 16
  
• King of the Hill (Fox) - 6.94 million for a new episode...not bad, but like the lead-in, down from the previous new episode on Dec. 16.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat did a below average 6.15 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating...competition was tough as looks like many male viewers checked out NBC's American Gladiators and the return of ABC's Desperate Housewives might have also been a factor.
  
• American Dad (Fox) - Just 5.19 million for a new episode...that won't get it done. Earlier in the evening from 7-8pm, repeats of the show did 3.59 and 4.54 million...not bad against the NFL.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 5.98 million for a repeat...I guess not bad
  
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 6.21 million for a repeat...built from lead-in's repeat.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.39 million tuned in for a repeat..very good.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 7.86 million for a repeat, good, but it did lose 3.5 million from the lead-in.
  
• CW Monday Comedies: Chris, Aliens in America, Girlfriends, The Game. All were repeats ... Chris led the block with 2.2 million, Aliens did 1.55 million, Girlfriends did the lowest with 1.41 million, and The Game only did 1.59 million.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - So far the first two weeks this show has gone through a lot. Previous week it launched two episodes but they premiered late because of the Rose Bowl...this week it was airing in different times in each time zone because of the New Hampshire Primary special, so I won't judge this show really until this coming week, but then Idol is here...4.59 million this week for a new episode.
  
• Carpoolers (ABC) - The return of this show did just 3.42 million, BUT remember, this followed a news special and not Jim in many time zones. Real sampling is next week, but again, Idol will be here by then...plus this coming week this show is a repeat.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Back to You (Fox) - 4.35 and 3.87 million for two repeats...the second repeat going down from the first is not good.
  
• Til Death (Fox) - 3.4 and 3.49 million for two repeats, down from lead-in, but it did build within the hour a bit.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - Last pre-strike episode did a prelim 7.7 million, decent.
  
• 30 Rock (NBC) - Last pre-strike episode did a prelim did just 6 million, should do better.
  

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 just in the 9pm hour tonight.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men was impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as My Name is Earl, Rules of Engagement repeat) or just plain old terrible ('Til Death repeats, Carpoolers).