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Week 33 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Week 34 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thu):

Households: Fox 8.1/12.7, CBS 7.5/12.0, ABC 7.0/11.2, NBC 4.7/7.5, The CW 1.9/3.0, MNT 0.7/1.2
Total Viewers: Fox 13.48 million, CBS 11.67 million, ABC 10.55 million, NBC 7.26 million, The CW 2.84 million, MNT 1.09 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 4.9/13.1, ABC 3.3/8.7, CBS 3.1/8.2, NBC 2.6/6.8, The CW 1.3/3.4, MNT 0.4/1.2

Analysis: Week 34 is once again a close three-way race so far, with CBS, Fox and ABC all neck-and-neck through Thursday. Fox has leadership this time in all categories, but it is still close. CBS is second in HH/viewers, while ABC is second in 18-49. NBC is fourth in everything in a disastrous season. Last week, week 33, CBS edged ABC for number one in HH and viewers again, as Fox was third in both categories, but not by much. Fox had the lead in 18-49. ABC was second, but not far behind and CBS was third in 18-49 just by a hair, while NBC was an uncompetitive fourth in everything. 1.9 18-49 rating for NBC in sweeps? Worse that the previous week's 2.0 even.
On Monday, ABC was on top with Dancing with the Stars doing 18.47 million for 92 minutes, up a tad from the week before. Performance finale is tomorrow, so it should spike up more. The hit sitcom Samantha Who had its season finale with a solid 10.24 million, up from the previous week. The Bachelor: London Calling also had its season finale and it did a solid 8.85 million, almost up 2 million from the previous week. CBS started with sitcoms and leading it off was The Big Bang Theory at 7.79 million, up a bit week to week, a new How I Met Your Mother followed and built on that and did 8.93 million...up from previous week (thanks to Britney Spears), #1 sitcom Two and a Half Men followed with 13.82 million ... up a tad from previous week. Closing the sitcom block was Rules of Engagement at 10.62 million, also up a tad from previous week. So the sitcoms all were up week to week. A new CSI: Miami closed the night for CBS at 13.92 million...but down a bit from previous week. Fox aired a new Bones to start off the night and it did a solid 9.68 million, up a lot from the previous week (one week it goes up a lot, one week it goes down a lot it seems) and following at 9pm was House doing 15.02 million, also up over a million week to week. NBC brought back a second season of American Gladiators and it bombed big time at just 4.99 million for two hours, not a strong show at all it seems, and Medium closed the night off with 8.73 million, down from previous week thanks to the horrific lead-in. The CW had a new episode of Gossip Girl doing 2.71 million, up from previous week and a new One Tree Hill at 2.72 million, up from previous week...these two shows seem compatible with each other.
On Tuesday, Fox was on top thanks to Idol at 24.77 million at 8pm, up 3 million week to week. after a low performance the week before. At 9pm Fox aired a new Hell's Kitchen and it did solid with 11.31 million...up a tad from previous week. CBS was next with a new episode of NCIS at 14.88 million, up from previous week, followed by the now canceled Shark with 10 million, but the 2.0 18-49 is not good...both down week to week a bit. A special Criminal Minds repeat followed at 10pm with 8.37 million. ABC was next with two new episodes of the durable sitcom According to Jim doing 4.22 and 4.45 million. Then at 9pm Dancing with the Stars: The Results did a solid 16.99 million, down from previous week (which was episode #100) as Marissa got the book...the finals are now set: Kristi, Jason and Cristian. Who will win? My bet is Kristi. ABC closed the night at 10pm with the series finale of Women's Murder Club at 7.91 million, down a tad from previous week. NBC was bad again from 8-10pm as a new Most Outrageous Moments at 8pm did just 3.95 million, down a bit from previous week and a repeat followed with 4.05 million, on par week-to-week. A repeat of Law & Order: SVU followed with 6.21 million at 9pm (that was nearly up three million though from previous week), while a new Law & Order: SVU at 10pm drew 11.5 million ... up a million from the previous week, but still below normal. The CW aired a new Beauty & The Geek at just 1.68 million, up a tad from previous week and a new Reaper did 2.08 million, down week to week.
On Wednesday, it was Fox on top again. American Idol Results did 24.86 million...up two million from previous week. From 8-9pm Fox aired the season (and series for Back) finales of sitcoms 'Til Death and Back to You doing 5.9 (down a tad from previous week) and 7.06 million (up slightly from previous week). So Back to You has aired its last show. CBS started with Price is Right Primetime at 8pm and did 7.23 million, down a bit week to week and Criminal Minds and CSI: NY were all-new and they did 12.88 (same as previous week) and 11.86 million, down week to week. NBC was next with Deal or No Deal starting the night off with just 7.22 million for a two-hour episode...down from previous week a bit and the original Law & Order followed with 8.46 million, also down a bit from previous week. ABC was next with new episodes of Wife Swap and Supernanny at 6.28 and 5.89 million...latter was up week to week. Closing the night for ABC was Boston Legal at a solid 7.8 million on its own. The CW had the season finale of Top Model at 4.75 million, up week-to-week, and new series Farmer Wants a Wife did just 1.96 million, down from the previous week. MyNetworkTV aired a new Under One Roof starring Flavor Flav and it did 990,000 viewers...below 1 million once again, but up a tad at least.
On Thursday, CBS and ABC shared leadership. For CBS a CSI repeat at 8pm started the night off with 7.6 million and the season finale of CSI followed with 18.06 million (on par week to week) while the season finale Without a Trace closed the night off with 14.54 million, down a bit week to week. ABC started the night off with a new Ugly Betty at 8.46 million (up from previous week), a new Grey's Anatomy did 15.55 million but won the 9pm hour with a 6.1 18-49 rating. Two-hour season finale this week. Lost was next as the show did 10.96 million and a solid 4.9 18-49 rating, both up from previous week. Two-hour finale on May 29, a week from this Thursday. Fox was next with Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? doing 8.42 million, up from previous week and Don't Forget the Lyrics! followed with 6.65 million, up week to week but still seems below normal. NBC was next, with the one-hour season finale of My Name is Earl doing 7.17 million, so of course up week to week from the half-hour episode and The Office also closed its season with an one-hour episode at 8.21 million, also of course up week to week since that was just a half-hour. The finale of ER did just 8.43 million, but up from previous week. CW aired a new Smallville at 3.85 million, down a bit from previous week, and Supernatural was new too at 3 million, up week to week.
Like usual, no Friday finals yet. CBS won though with new episodes of Ghost Whisperer, Moonlight, and NUMB3RS. ABC was next with the two-hour season finale of America's Funniest Home Videos helped ABC. NBC was out of the picture with the horrific numbers for the American Gladiators two-hour encore from Monday. Why repeat it NBC, why? Saturday ratings were not available to us.
Tonight will be a battle between ABC and CBS, but ABC's two-hour season finales of Desperate Housewives & Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will dominate for ABC. CBS will be a solid second with 60 Minutes & 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, probably a solid second in viewers and a distant second in 18-49. NBC has Dateline at 7pm, but then they have four repeats of The Office which will do terrible from 8-10pm. Fox will have season finales of its animated comedies from 8-10pm (except Family Guy...that ended May 4), so they will beat NBC probably.
As for the week, I believe it will be like week 33... a toss-up in HH & viewers, as CBS, ABC or Fox can win it. CBS is my bet. Fox has 18-49 locked I think, with ABC second. NBC will be 4th in everything as its struggles continue.
This coming week sees May sweeps end on Wednesday. So we have the finales of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars coming, along with others like the CBS Monday comedies. But even after sweeps we will see finales, like Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy this Thursday and Lost the following Thursday. So TV isn't over after Wednesday yet.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of April 28-May 4)

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - All-new episode did 1.27 million, up a bit from the previous week. Moving to Fridays at 8 next fall. Will it do better or worse?
  
• Aliens in America (The CW) - A new episode did 1.14 million, also up a bit week to week, but this show has been canned for next season.
  
• The Game (The CW) - A new episode did 1.58 million, up from the previous week...moving to Fridays at 8:30 next fall.
  
• Girlfriends (The CW) - A repeat did 1.25 million, slightly down from previous week...too bad The CW will not air a real finale.
  
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - A new episode did just 6.08 million...down from previous week. Earlier at 7:30 a repeat did only 3.75 million....up a bit from previous week.
  
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A repeat at 7pm did just 2.4 million, on par from previous week. A new episode at its normal time of 8:30 did 5.04 million...down from previous week, way low.
  
• Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat did 5.81 million.
  
• American Dad (Fox) - Just 5.67 million for a new episode...but its lead-in was a repeat.
• The Office (NBC) 3 episodes - 3 repeats did pathetic. 2.41, 2.5 and 2.66 million...hey it went up a bit each episode at least. Four episodes tonight will do bad too.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 7.79 million tuned in for a new episode...up a bit from previous week...season finale tomorrow night.
  
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 8.93 million...up from previous week...Britney helped, but not as much as last time.
  
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.82 million for a new episode, up a tad week to week.
  
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 10.62 million...up also a bit from previous week.
  
• Samantha Who (ABC) - Season finale did 10.24 million...up from previous week.
  

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - Two all-new episode against Idol did 4.22 and 4.45 million...not good, but not a bomb either.
  

Wednesday Sitcoms

• 'Til Death (Fox) - 5.9 million for the season finale, down a tad from previous week...and Fox has renewed it for next season, primarily because it is more younger than Back to You.
  
• Back to You (Fox) - 7.06 million for its series finale...up a bit week to week. Should have been doing higher since Idol is on before it.
  
• Under One Roof (MyNetworkTV) - Just 990,000 viewers...under 1 million again.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - 7.17 million for the one-hour season finale, not bad.
  
• The Office (NBC) - 8.21 million for the one-hour season finale...18-49 went up too to a 4.2 rating.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• None
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are a mix of new and repeats of sitcoms on The CW from 8-10, and Fox's animated comedies are new from 8-10 (repeats 7-8p and 9p). NBC has a special The Office repeats from 8-10pm.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, Samantha Who?, The Office & How I Met Your Mother were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (My Name is Earl, The Big Bang Theory) or just plain old terrible (Under One Roof, Aliens in America).