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Week 23 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Week 23 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: Fox 11.0/16.8, CBS 5.7/9.0, ABC 5.4/8.6, NBC 5.1/8.0, The CW 1.4/2.2, MyNetworkTV 0.9/1.4
Total Viewers: Fox 19.08 million, CBS 8.81 million, ABC 8.27 million, NBC 7.93 million, The CW 2.14 million, MyNetworkTV 1.4 million
Adults 18-49: Fox 7.2/18.1, ABC 2.7/7.1, NBC 2.6/6.8, CBS 2.6/6.7, The CW 1.0/2.4, MyNetworkTV 0.5/1.3

Analysis: Week 23 so far has seen Idol score big for Fox, with 90-minute episodes on Tuesday & Wednesday and the special Thursday results show...next week is the last of Thursday finally. Through the first four days of week 23, we have Fox on top obviously, with a close race for second with CBS with the edge in HH and viewers and ABC with the edge in 18-49. NBC is close behind in 3rd and a virtual tie with CBS in 18-49. Last week, week 22, Fox was number one all categories. ABC was second in all categories. With CBS a distant third and NBC in fourth in HH and viewers. CBS was fourth in 18-49 however, as NBC was third.
On Monday, ABC was on top. ABC aired the well reviewed movie A Raisin in the Sun and it drew big viewers with 12.69 million from 8-11pm. October Road returns tomorrow at 10pm for the first of 3 final episodes. NBC was next with Deal or No Deal doing 15.43 million, down well over a million from the previous week. Then NBC followed with week two of reality series, My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad at 7.8 million, down over 2 million from its premiere. Medium closed the night off with 7.61 million, down nearly a million from previous week. CBS was next with a mix of repeats and new episodes. Sitcom repeat of Two and a Half Men lead the night with 12.2 million (down a bit from previous week), besting the new episodes of The Captain and Old Christine, a CSI: Miami repeat closed the night with 8.63 million, down from previous week. Fox aired its The Moment of Truth at a special night and time and it did 8.51 million, up from what Prison Break usually does in the slot. The sinking Sarah Connor Chronicles followed with another low at 7.12 million. The CW had a repeat of Gossip Girl doing 1.28 million, up a bit from previous week, and a new Pussycat Dolls at 1.73 million, down a tad from its premiere.
On Tuesday, Fox was on top thanks to a 90-minute Idol at 28.59 million, slightly down from previous week's two-hour episode, new sitcom Back to You returned with a series high 12.15 million, but it bled a lot of its lead-in's numbers, which is a cause for concern. CBS was next with a repeat of NCIS at 11.08 million, up from previous week, followed by the Tuesday edition of the disappointing Big Brother 9 at just 6.72 million (but it was up over a million from previous week) and the show that should have never came back, Jericho at 6.9 million, also up over a million from the previous week. NBC aired a two-hour Biggest Loser at 7.47 million, down from previous week and the premiere of quarterlife drew historic lows with just 3.13 million and a 2.2 HH rating...no wonder CBS went up! ABC had two episodes (new/repeat) of Just for Laughs start the night off with 4.75 million (up from previous week), followed by a repeat with 4.55 million (down from previous week)...a new According to Jim followed with 4.61 million (down a bit from previous week) and a new Carpoolers only managed 3.46 million, down from previous week. ABC closed the night off with the new limited and interesting series Primetime: What Would You Do? at 7.67 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating. The CW aired a repeat of Reaper at just 1.81 million and all-new One Tree Hill did 3.18 million, both up from previous week.
On Wednesday, it was all Fox again. American Idol did 27.55 million for a 90-minute episode, down from previous week's two-hour show, with again Back to You following with 12.15 million...same exact number as the previous night. NBC started the night off with another Deal or No Deal at 9.3 million (up a bit from previous week), the NBC airing of USA Network's Law & Order: Criminal Intent did 8.22 million (up from previous week), followed by the original Law & Order at 11.42 million, up also from previous week. ABC's Wife Swap did 5.49 (up a bit from previous week), followed by Supernanny at 8.3 million (up nearly 3 million from previous week, as it didn't face Idol at 9:30) and MEN IN TREES returned with 5.59 million. CBS continues to struggle with Big Brother 9 at just 5.38 million, up a tad from previous week, repeats of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY followed with 8.14 and 7.95 million, both up from previous week. The CW had an all-new Top Model at a decent 3.82 million (up a tad from the premiere) a repeat of Pussycat Dolls' did 1.95 million, once again better than its Monday premiere!
On Thursday, Fox was on the map for the second straight week as American Idol aired its second results show on a special night and did 26.23 million, up 3 million from previous week, followed by a series high for Don't Forget the Lyrics! at 14.39 million, up 2 million from previous week's series high. Lost was the show again for ABC, Lost enhanced repeat started the night off at 8pm with 5.16 million, followed by an all-new episode at 12.89 million and a 5.4 18-49 rating (both down from previous week and season lows, but blame the Idol-effect), and Eli Stone closed the night with 7.15 million, down just a tad from previous week. CBS started the night off with Survivor: Micronesia at 12.53 million, down a tad from previous week thanks to Idol, followed by repeats of CSI and Without a Trace at a solid 11.55 and 10.45 million..who watches these repeats? NBC started the night with an hour-long repeat of The Office not doing much at just 3.99 million, Celebrity Apprentice followed with 7.67 million (down from previous week), followed by the bad Lipstick Jungle at just 5.61 million, down a bit from previous week.
Like usual, no Friday finals yet. NBC's Amn$sia bombed at 8pm, as the second Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular special was number one in the slot and the night. CBS' Ghost Whisperer repeat shared success with a House repeat on Fox at 9pm, with ABC's 20/20 not far behind. The 10pm hour belonged to NBC's Dateline which grew a lot from its 9pm airing. On Saturday, Fox won with its usual line-up, no one else bothers to air anything new here.
Tonight will be ABC with the win most likely, as the Oprah will rule primetime now with Oprah's Big Give following Home Edition. NBC could be next with Deal or No Deal and a repeat of SVU, while CBS will suffer with Big Brother. Fox launches new sitcom Unhitched tonight after Family Guy, and the animated comedies will get a boost from NASCAR.
As for the week, Fox will win in HH, viewers and 18-49. Battle for second is unclear, but I predict ABC will be second thanks to tonight, followed by CBS and NBC in 4th.
This coming week...sees Fox launch New Amsterdam out of Idol twice.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of February 18-24)

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) 2 episodes - Two repeats did 910,000 and 1.33 million...both up a bit from previous week
  
• Aliens in America (The CW) - Repeat went back above 1 million, at 1.13 million.
  
• Girlfriends (The CW) - A repeat did 980,000 viewers...not good, but up a tick from previous week.
  
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did 940,000 viewers...not good but up from previous week.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat aired at 9:30pm thanks to NASCAR's rain delay and did 6.39 million.
  
• King of the Hill (Fox) - preempted because of NASCAR's rain delay.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - preempted because of NASCAR's rain delay.
• American Dad (Fox) - preempted because of NASCAR's rain delay.

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 6.18 million for a repeat...up slightly from previous week.
• Welcome to The Captain (CBS) - 5.3 million for a new episode, down a tad from previous week, not good at all...
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 12.2 million tuned in for a repeat...down slightly from previous week's repeat.
• Old Christine (CBS) - A new episode did 9.15 million, down a bit from previous week.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - A new episode did 4.61 million, against Idol ..maybe it will be better this week since it won't face it head-to-head.
  
• Carpoolers (ABC) - Just 3.46 million, down from previous week...and just one more airing left thankfully for ABC.
• Back to You (Fox) - A special airing out of Idol did 12.15 million, losing a lot of Idol's just under 30 million at 9pm...but still a series high.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Back to You (Fox) - Again a special airing out of Idol...and again it did 12.15 million. Same exact 18-49 rating of 4.4 too, but the HH rating was a 7.5/12 compared to 7.4/11 the previous night. Consistent, but 'Til Death did do better last season than this.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) 1 hour - A repeat did just 3.99 million.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• None.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) is sitcom repeats on The CW from 8-10, and Fox's animated comedies are new from 8-10.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men repeat and a new Old Christine were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as both new Back to You episodes, How I Met Your Mother repeat) or just plain old terrible (Welcome to The Captain, Carpoolers).