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Week 27 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

After having Easter Sunday off (we did a mini-DVD review weekend) last week, we are back with our regular Sunday weekly ratings report!

Week 27 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: Fox 8.1/12.8, ABC 6.7/10.7, CBS 5.8/9.4, NBC 5.6/9.0, The CW 1.5/2.4, MyNetworkTV 0.8/1.3
Total Viewers: Fox 13.72 million, ABC 10.19 million, CBS 9.11 million, NBC 8.68 million, The CW 2.21 million, MyNetworkTV 1.23 million
Adults 18-49: Fox 5.1/13.5, CBS 3.0/8.2, ABC 2.8/7.4, NBC 2.8/7.4, The CW 1.0/2.5, MyNetworkTV 0.5/1.2

Analysis: Week 27 so far has Fox and ABC dominating...ABC dominated Monday, while Fox and ABC had a big audience on Tuesday, and Fox dominated Wednesday. Through the first four days of week 27, we have Fox on top obviously, with ABC in second in HH/viewers, CBS surprisingly is second in 18-49 (thanks to NCAA most likely), CBS is third in HH/viewers (ABC is battling with NBC for third in 18-49 and has a very slight edge). NBC is 4th in all categories. Last week, week 26 Fox was number one in all categories (with Idol they should be), but it was a close finish, as ABC almost won the week. ABC was 2nd in HH/viewers, but third in 18-49. CBS was third in HH and viewers, but 2nd in 18-49 thanks to the NCAA Tournament. NBC was fourth in everything.
On Monday, it was all ABC as Dancing with the Stars did 20.52 million for two-hours, slightly off from the 90-minute premiere the week before. The Bachelor: London Calling followed with 7.27 million, down from the premiere. CBS was next with its sitcoms which were all-new! The Big Bang Theory's second post-strike episode did 8.53 million, off from the previous week, but How I Met Your Mother had a season high in viewers 10.67 million, thanks to Britney Spears guest starring. The show hit a series high in 18-49 as well at a 4.5/12 rating...wow. Two and a Half Men followed with 14.23 million and a new episode of Old Christine did 9.77 million, off from previous week. CSI: Miami is now back with new episodes and the show did 16.06 million for its return, seems normal. NBC was next with Deal or No Deal at 9pm doing 10.14 million but NBC started the night off at 8pm slow with My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad at 4.18 million, a series low and just a 1.2 18-49 rating. Medium closed the night off with 8.91 million, as the show went down because CBS was all-new. Fox aired a repeat of House to start off the night and it did 7.7 million, following at 9pm was New Amsterdam doing 6.19 million, a series low. The CW had a repeat of Gossip Girl doing 1.07 million and a new Pussycat Dolls at just 1.55 million.
On Tuesday, Fox was on top thanks to Idol at 24.76 million for 90-minutes, but it was lower than normal thanks to Dancing with the Stars also airing (they overlapped from 9-9:30). at 9:30 fox aired a new episode of 'Til Death and it didn't hold much and dropped to 10.0 million, but clearly a season high. ABC was next with a recap of the first three performance shows of Dancing with the Stars at 8pm doing a solid 10.5 million...not bad at all for a recap...then the real thing aired at 9pm, Dancing with the Stars: The Results did a solid 17.49 million and it built heavily in its second half. ABC was on top at 10pm with the finale of Primetime: What Would You Do? at 9.92 million. NBC aired a two-hour Biggest Loser at 7.84 million and a repeat of Law & Order: SVU drew a decent 8.55 million. CBS was next with a repeat of NCIS at 9.34 million, followed by the Tuesday edition of the disappointing Big Brother 9 at just 5.86 million, and the series finale (let it be done with already) of Jericho at 6.02 million. The CW aired a new Beauty & The Geek at just 1.61 million and a repeat of Reaper did 1.66 million, ouch it beat a new episode of Geek.
On Wednesday, it was all Fox again. American Idol Results at 9pm did 25.74 million, seems below normal, though. The Moment of Truth at 8pm did 10.05 million, solid...but down from previous weeks. NBC was next with its all-repeat line-up. Two Law & Order: Criminal Intent did 6.8 and 6.13 million, but the original Law & Order did better at 8.05 million, not bad for a repeat. CBS continues to struggle with Big Brother 9 at just 5.87 million and repeats of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY followed with 6.99 and 7.46 million...maybe CBS's crime repeats are getting tiring now even. ABC's Wife Swap did 6.27 million for a new episode, followed by a repeat of Supernanny at 5.81 million and a new MEN IN TREES did 5.62 million, very steady even with a repeat as its lead-in. The CW had an all-new Top Model at a decent 3.53 million, for some reason this is not as good this season in the ratings, a repeat of Pussycat Dolls did just 1.59 million, but better than its original Monday airing, sad, isn't it?
On Thursday, NBC was in a rare top spot thanks to the two-hour finale of Celebrity Apprentice from 9-11pm at 12.13 million. But would it have done that if it were facing originals of CSI/Grey's Anatomy or even Lost? Doubt it. Wonder what The Donald will say now? Deal or No Deal-Thursday started the night off with 11.4 million. CBS preempted its regular programming for the NCAA Tournament, as an average of 10.02 million tuned in during the primetime portion. Fox was next with Are You Smarter That a 5th Grader? and Don't Forget the Lyrics! doing 8.54 and 8.95 million, with the latter doing very well again. Lost is now in repeats for ABC, thanks to the strike, but it will return April 24 at a new time slot (10pm), but we still had a repeat at 9pm doing 5.39 million, but ABC started the night off better with two new episodes of the hilarious Miss Guided at 5.9 and 5.58 million, down from the two episodes the previous week, but still not too bad. Eli Stone closed the night with 6.53 million, that is just a bit off from what it was doing with a new Lost as its lead-in..so maybe this show does have an audience of its own.
Like usual, no Friday finals yet. CBS lead the first two hours with NCAA basketball coverage, but at 10pm NBC's Dateline did unusually high. Saturday ratings were not available to us.
Tonight will be ABC with the win most likely again, lead by Oprah's Big Give and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. NBC is in repeat mode from 9-11pm but Dateline is new at 8pm but its lead-in at 7pm is a Keith Olbermann special which did terrible once before. CBS will suffer with Big Brother but Cold Case returns tonight with new episodes, so CBS will get a bit of a bump. Fox will have a mix of new and old tonight, with new episodes of The Simpsons, Unhitched and King of the Hill. How low will Unhitched go tonight?
As for the week, Fox will win in HH, viewers and 18-49. I predict ABC will hang on for second, followed by CBS and NBC in 4th. In 18-49 it could be Fox, CBS, ABC and NBC, though.
This coming week sees more shows return from strike hiatus such as Criminal Minds and CSI.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of March 17-23)

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - All-new episode did just 990,000 viewers...OK this is just pathetic now.
  
• Aliens in America (The CW) - All-new as well and it did just 910,000...CW needs to move these back to Mondays.
  
• The Game (The CW) - A new episode did just 1.26 million, but compared to the other two shows, this is like American Idol.
  
• Girlfriends (The CW) - A repeat did 1.17 million.
  
• The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat did 4.81 million...seems way below a normal repeat's numbers.
  
• King of the Hill (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm did just 2.5 million.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - Just 4.49 million for a repeat...way below normal for an encore.
  
• Unhitched (Fox) 2 episodes - Only 3.21 and 3.11 million for 2 new episodes at 8:30 and 9:30...it seems fox wanted to just burn this off and fail.
  
• American Dad (Fox) - Only 2.7 million for a repeat at 7:30pm.

Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.53 million tuned in for the second episode back, down from the return, but still solid. What a funny show this is.
  
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 10.67 million for its second new episode back...thank Britney Spears for it, a season high in viewers and a series high in 18-49 with a 4.5/12 rating/share!
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.23 million for a new episode...#1 sitcom airing of course.
• Old Christine (CBS) - 9.77 million for a new episode is good but it seems below normal... losing 4 1/2 million from the lead-in? Not good.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• 'Til Death (Fox) - A new episode on a special night and time following Idol did just 10.0 million...not good following a 24.76 million from 8-9:30.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• None
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Miss Guided (ABC) 2 episodes - Two new episodes did 5.9 and 5.58 million..down a bit from the timeslot debut the previous week, but still decent enough. Funny show, isn't it? Edie McClurg as Mrs. Pool (though not the same character from Hogan Family...but you never know) all over again is so great...even if it was just for one episode.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• None
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) is a mix of new and repeats of sitcoms on The CW from 8-10, and Fox's animated comedies (and Unhitched at 9:30) are also a mix of new and repeats from 7-10.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (Old Christine, 'Til Death) or just plain old terrible (CW Sunday 3/23, Unhitched 3/23).