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Week 29 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Week 29 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: Fox 8.7/13.5, CBS 7.7/12.3, ABC 6.1/9.6, NBC 5.1/8.0, The CW 1.2/1.9, MyNetworkTV 0.8/1.3
Total Viewers: Fox 14.72 million, CBS 12.11 million, ABC 9.06 million, NBC 7.91 million, The CW 1.73 million, MyNetworkTV 1.2 million
Adults 18-49: Fox 5.5/14.3, CBS 3.7/9.8, NBC 2.8/7.4, ABC 2.5/6.7, The CW 0.7/1.9, MyNetworkTV 0.4/1.2

Analysis: Week 29 so far has Fox and CBS dominating...but Fox had American Idol on three nights this week, but it was way down from usual. Through the first four days of week 29, we have Fox on top by a wider margin than this time last week, with CBS in second in HH/viewers, and 18-49. ABC is third in HH/viewers but fourth as of now in 18-49...NBC is the opposite, 4th in HH/viewers and a slim lead in 18-49 for 3rd. Last week, week 28, CBS beat Fox for number one in HH and viewers, but Fox had a slight edge in 18-49, with CBS in a very close second..as CBS was boosted by the return of scripted TV. ABC was 3rd in all categories, with NBC fourth in everything.
On Monday, both ABC and CBS were on top with Dancing with the Stars doing 19.68 million for 92 minutes, down a bit from the 96-minute episode the week before. The return of sitcom Samantha Who did 10.42 million, but it seems down from what it did in the slot in the fall...I think it will rise this week because the NCAA Basketball Championship game must have affected it. The Bachelor: London Calling followed with 6.83 million, down from the previous week. CBS was higher than usual thanks to the NCAA Basketball Championship Game doing 19.5 million, slightly off from last year but slightly up in 18-49 this year at a 7.3 rating. The Big Bang Theory repeat started the night off with 7.13 million...not too bad, and a repeat of Two and a Half Men at a special time of 8:30pm followed with 8.79 million. It did much higher in that slot a year ago before the game. NBC was led by Deal or No Deal at 9pm doing 10.22 million, slightly up week-to-week, but NBC started the night off at 8pm slow with My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad at 4.38 million, on par really from previous week actually. Medium closed the night off with 10.86 million, it also was up week-to-week. Fox aired a repeat of House to start off the night and it did 7.26 million, down a bit from previous week, following at 9pm was a new New Amsterdam doing 7.44 million, up from previous week and built on the lead-in...interesting. The CW had a repeat of Gossip Girl doing 1.18 million and a repeat of One Tree Hill at 1.22 million...the show will move to this slot with new episodes very soon.
On Tuesday, Fox was on top thanks to Idol at 24.67 million at 8pm, but down over a million from previous week. At 9pm Fox aired a new Hell's Kitchen and it did solid with 11.21 million...down a bit from the season premiere the previous week. ABC was next with two new episodes of Just for Laughs at 8pm doing 5.16 and 5.41 million...down a bit from previous week, as these were the final episodes of the season. Then at 9pm, Dancing with the Stars: The Results did a solid 17.02 million, down slightly from previous week as funnyman Adam Carolla got the boot. ABC closed the night at 10pm with the return of Boston Legal at 9.59 million. NBC aired a two-hour Biggest Loser at 9.0 million, up from previous week and it did very well, and a repeat of Law & Order: SVU drew 8.65 million, back up three million viewers, after being down three million last week. CBS was next with the return of NCIS at 14.07 million, very solid as usual, followed by the Tuesday edition of the disappointing Big Brother 9 at just 6.18 million, on par with the previous week. The first episode of Secret Talents of the Stars did just 4.58 million...and the next day they canceled it...talk about fast. The CW aired a new Beauty & The Geek at just 1.91 million, but up from previous week and a repeat of Reaper did 1.71 million, down a bit from previous week.
On Wednesday, it was all Fox again. American Idol was sort of not on, but the special telethon Idol Gives Back 2 aired and it was way down from last year at just 17.75 million...great but not for this show. CBS continues to struggle with Big Brother 9 at just 5.84 million, down a bit from previous week, but Criminal Minds and CSI: NY were new and did solid at 13.33 and 12.38 million...very good, as Minds went up from previous week, but not NY. NBC was next with Deal or No Deal starting the night off with 9.76 million...up a bit from previous week, followed by a repeat of Law & Order: Criminal Intent at 4.94 million, down from previous week, and the original Law & Order was a repeat as well and it did 6.13 million, down from previous week's repeat. ABC's Wife Swap was a repeat and did 4.43 million, down from previous week, a new Supernanny followed with 5.77 million, slightly off from previous week and finally the special Primetime: The Last Lecture did a solid 8.12 million. The CW had an all-new Top Model at a just 2.38 million, way below normal, a new Pussycat Dolls on a new night did just 1.92 million.
On Thursday, CBS was number one for the night. Survivor: Micronesia started the night off with 11.59 million, down from previous week...but CSI followed with a nice 20.09 million, slightly off from previous week and Without a Trace closed the night off with 14.49 million, also off from a bit from previous week. Fox was next with the results of American Idol on a special night and time doing 20.13 million, but that was way below normal...a new Don't Forget the Lyrics! followed at 10.9 million. NBC was next, with an all-new My Name is Earl doing 7.09 million, down from previous week...30 Rock returned with its low numbers at just 5.77 million. The Office returned with solid numbers at 9.33 million and a 4.9 18-49 rating. A new Scrubs did 6.58 million, so-so, and ER returned with just 7.52 million. ABC was well behind as its top guns won't return until April 24. ABC started the night off with two repeat episodes of Desperate Housewives averaging 5.22 million and Eli Stone closed the night with 5.88 million, up from previous week. It will also air this Sunday (TONIGHT!) at 10 following the return of Desperate Housewives with new episodes!
Like usual, no Friday finals yet. CBS was on top on Friday with Ghost Whisperer, a special primetime Price is Right, and NUMB3RS all led its hours. NBC's Miss USA bombed and Amne$ia did even lower at 8pm and ABC's Duel didn't do so well again. Saturday ratings were not available to us.
Tonight will be all ABC thanks to the return of Desperate Housewives! Oprah's Big Give second to last episode of the season will move to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's for the next two weeks..and a new Eli Stone could get series highs tonight. CBS will be a distant second with Big Brother & Dexter the weak spots, but 60 Minutes & a new Cold Case will make it interesting. NBC has a new Dateline, which will do OK or average but repeats of USA Network's Monk and Psych will do terrible from 8-10pm...especially the latter. Fox will have a mix of new and repeats with The Simpsons and King of the Hill all-new.
As for the week, I believe CBS will win in HH & viewers with Fox in 18-49...though HH/viewers will be very close. Fox will be 2nd in HH/viewers and ABC be third in all spots, leaving NBC in 4th. Unless ABC does even better than expected tonight, then it could be 2nd in 18-49.
This coming week sees more shows return from strike hiatus such as Desperate Housewives and Back to You.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of March 31-April 6)

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - All-new episode did just 960,000 viewers a series low once again. Under 1 million is just pathetic for a new episode....well even for The CW under 2 million is bad.
  
• Aliens in America (The CW) - A repeat did just 830,000 viewers...totally terrible.
  
• The Game (The CW) - A new episode did 1.26 million, down from previous week...but it built on at least from its lead-ins. This show is being wasted here.
  
• Girlfriends (The CW) - A repeat did 1.2 million, down from previous week.
  
• The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat did 5.58 million...this show is on a slump since 2008 started it seems.
  
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A repeat at 7pm did just 3.09 million, down from previous week. A new episode at 8:30 did just 5.28 million...losing a bit from the lead-in and that was a repeat. I don't understand why this keeps getting renewed honestly.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - A one-hour repeat did just 6.19 million, down over a million from previous week's repeat and that was only a half-hour.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 7.13 million tuned in for a repeat.
  
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Off-air...returns tomorrow.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 8.79 million for a repeat...not bad.
• Samantha Who (ABC) - A new episode did 10.42 million...good but it is below normal.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• None
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - 7.09 million for its second episode back...down from the previous episode.
  
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 5.77 million for its return...same old and same old.
  
• The Office (NBC) - Its return did a solid 9.33 million, but its strength was the 4.9 18-49 rating.
  
• Scrubs (NBC) - 6.58 million for the first of its final NBC episodes.
  

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 are also a mix of new and repeats from 7-10.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men repeat, Samantha Who? & The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (My Name is Earl, The Big Bang Theory repeat) or just plain old terrible (The CW Sunday (4/6), 30 Rock).