Sunday, May 25, 2008
Week 35 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did
May 2008 Sweep Ratings (April 24-May 21, 2008):
Households: CBS 6.8/11, ABC 6.3/11, Fox 6.1/10, NBC 3.9/7, The CW 1.7/3, MNT 0.8/1
Total Viewers: CBS 10.66 million, Fox 10.01 million, ABC 9.68 million, NBC 5.95 million, The CW 2.66 million, MNT 1.19 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 3.8/11, ABC 3.1/9, CBS 2.8/8, NBC 1.9/5, The CW 1.1/3, MNT 0.5/1
Week 35 Analysis: Week 35 goes through tonight, but the season ended Wednesday, with Fox on top the final three days of May sweep/07-08 season. ABC still had Betty/Grey's finales on Thursday, so through the first four days, they are second. Last week, week 34, 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, while CBS was third in 18-49 and NBC was an uncompetitive fourth in everything.
On Monday, ABC was on top with Dancing with the Stars doing 19.22 million for 65 minutes for the final Monday airing, up from the week before. The Bachelorette two-hour premiere did a solid 8.08 million...so if it is close to that this summer, ABC will be happy. CBS started with season finale of its sitcoms and leading it off was The Big Bang Theory at 7.34 million, down week to week, the season finale of How I Met Your Mother followed and built on that and did 7.99 million...down from previous week, #1 sitcom Two and a Half Men followed and closed its season with 14.7 million ... up from previous week. Closing the sitcom block was the season finale of Rules of Engagement at 12.29 million, also up a lot from previous week. Season finale of CSI: Miami closed the night for CBS at 16.26 million...up a ton from previous week. Fox aired the season closer of Bones to start off the night and it did a solid 10.3 million, up from the previous week and following at 9pm was the season finale of House doing 16.36 million, also up over a million week to week. NBC was in the bottom with American Gladiators at just 4.03 million for 90 minutes, down even from previous week, and Dateline NBC closed the night off with 5.85 million, for the second half of the night. The CW had the finale of Gossip Girl doing 3.0 million, up from previous week and the finale of One Tree Hill perked up to 3.23 million, up from previous week...these two shows will air again together in the fall.
On Tuesday, Fox was on top thanks to Idol at 27.06 million at 8pm, up nearly 3 million week to week. At 9pm Fox aired a new Hell's Kitchen and it did solid with 11.44 million...up a tad from previous week. ABC was next with a repeat of Monday's Dancing with the Stars doing 8.74. Then at 9pm, it was the two-hour live season finale of Dancing with the Stars: The Results and it did 20.12 million, down from the fall's finale by a bit, as Kristi Yamaguchi wins it all! CBS was next with the two-hour season finale of NCIS at 16.52 million, this show is a very quiet big hit, followed by the now canceled Shark with 10.27 million, as it aired its series finale. NBC was in the gutter again as a new Most Outrageous Moments at 8pm did just 3.95 million, just like previous week and a repeat followed with 3.99 million, down a tad week-to-week. A repeat of Law & Order: SVU followed with just 3.88 million at 9pm (that was nearly down three million from previous week), and another Law & Order: SVU followed at 10pm with just 5.76 million. NBC seriously needs help. The CW aired a repeat of Reaper at 1.56 million, followed by the season finale of Reaper at a solid 2.53 million, as it went up from previous week.
On Wednesday, it was Fox on top again. American Idol Results closed the season as David Cook won it all with 31.66 million for the two-hour finale. CBS was next with Price is Right Primetime at 8pm and did 7.59 million, up actually week to week and Criminal Minds and CSI: NY closed its season with the finals and they did 13.15 and 11.83 million, but the latter was down a tad week to week. NBC was next with two repeats of Law & Order starting the night off with just 5.4 and 5.05 million and the season finale of Law & Order followed with 8.57 million, up a bit from previous week. ABC was next with two repeats of Lost at just 3.03 million...too bad the season finale couldn't air on this night, as Thursday, May 29 seems to far out, but production issues couldn't make it possible. Damn strike. Closing the night for ABC was the season finale of Boston Legal at 6.47 million on its own...so not its fault it was not good. The CW had a repeat of Farmer Wants a Wife at 1.61 million, followed by an original episode of Farmer Wants a Wife at 1.86 million, down slightly from the previous week. MyNetworkTV aired a new Under One Roof starring Flavor Flav and it did 1.04...up over a million for the first time in 3 weeks. Season officially ends after this night!
On Thursday, the TV summer season started. But ABC still had two season finales to air. We don't have final numbers yet though. Ugly Betty finale and the two-hour Grey's Anatomy finale obviously won the night for ABC, as Grey's built on each half-hour and had its best outing since returning from the strike. Lost will have its two-hour season finale this Thursday. Fox did solid for the season premiere of the summer series So You Think You Can Dance?. NBC did better from 8-9:30 than usual with Deal Or No Deal airing instead of the sitcoms and the season premiere of summer's Last Comic Standing didn't do much. CBS aired repeats all night, as CSI did very below number for a repeat at 9pm.
Like usual, no Friday finals yet. CBS won though with reoeats of Ghost Whisperer and NUMB3RS. It was a worse Friday than usual. Saturday ratings had the NBA Playoffs on ABC so decent, while CBS's original movie couldn't get above 1.0 18-49 rating (prelim).
Tonight will be repeat filled, as the season is over and tomorrow is Memorial Day. So no one will be watching TV probably. NBA Playoffs on TNT will probably be the best draw of the night at 9pm along with NASCAR on Fox.
As for the week, since Thurs-Sun is primarily repeats, I think Fox will have enough to win the week. ABC will be 2nd likely after a strong Thursday.
This coming week sees more summer programming and repeats, but you'll find the season finales of According to Jim and Lost, too. But after this week, it is all over for regular season series.
Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 12-18)
- Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - The season finale did 1.48 million, up from the previous week. Not bad...but was doing better on Mondays...will be Fridays at 8 next fall.
- Aliens in America (The CW) - The last episode did 1.28 million, also up week to week.
- The Game (The CW) - The season finale did 1.66 million, up from the previous week...moving to Fridays at 8:30 next fall.
- Girlfriends (The CW) - A repeat did 1.2 million, on par really, but down a tad from previous week.
- The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - Season finale did just 6.19 million...up a bit from previous week..but this is way too low. Earlier at 7:30 a repeat did only 3.79 million....up just a bit from previous week.
- King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A repeat at 7pm did just 2.68 million, up a bit from previous week. Season finale at its normal time of 8:30 did 5.4 million...up from previous week, but still way low.
- Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat did 6.18 million...while that is not good, it was a repeat and nearly beat the others on Fox.
- American Dad (Fox) - Just 5.64 million for the season finale...but its lead-in was a repeat once again, but the episode was down a bit from previous week.
- The Office (NBC) 4 episodes - 4 repeats did pathetic. 2.72, 2.65, 2.79 and 3.14 million...don't understand why they repeated them the last few weeks.
Monday Sitcoms
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 7.34 million tuned in for the season finale, down from previous week sadly.
- How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 7.99 million for the season finale, down a million from previous week which had Britney.
- Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.7 million for the finale, up a good margin over the previous week.
- Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 12.29 million for the season finale, up even a better margin over the previous week. Factor? No Deal on NBC and no Samantha on ABC.
Tuesday Sitcoms
- None
- Under One Roof (MyNetworkTV) - 1.04 million, over a million yes, but should be doing a bit better. This is no House of Payne.
- None
- None
Saturday Sitcoms
- None.
Airing tonight (Sunday) are a mix repeats of sitcoms on The CW from 8-10.
Summing it up. Two and a Half Men & Rules of Engagement, were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory) or just plain old terrible (Under One Roof, Aliens in America).
We will have a full 2007-08 season (Sept. 24-May 21) wrap-up with complete final numbers soon.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Thursday, September 28
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 25)
Thursday, September 28
- George Clooney (Roseanne/The Facts of Life/ E/R (1984-1985) - Catch George on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. He joins Drew for the entire show opening up about meeting the love of his life Amal, revealing the sweet thing they still do for each other to this day, their engagement story and more on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Eva Longoria (Telenovela) - Eva appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Hank Azaria (The Simpsons/Brockmire/Free Agents/Herman's Head) - Hank is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Diane Morgan (After Life) - Diane appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Sebastian Maniscalco (How to Be a Bookie) and Baron Vaughn (Grace and Frankie/Corporate) - Sebastian and Baron are guests on repeats of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
- Garcelle Beauvais (Survival of the Thickest/The Jamie Foxx Show) - E! News has an interview with Garcelle at 11pm on E!.
- Kerry Washington (Unprisoned) - Kerry is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 10pm on Bravo.
- Ed Begley Jr. (Young Sheldon/Your Family or Mine/Gary Unmarried/Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)) - Ed talks about his new book To the Temple of Tranquility...And Step On It! A Memoir on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
- Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell/Alexa & Katie/Good Morning, Miami/Saved by the Bell: The College Years) - Tiffani discusses her latest cookbook, Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers, on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Sam Jay (Bust Down) - Sam talks about her just-released HBO comedy special, Salute Me or Shoot Me, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (June-October)
06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
07/18 - South Park - Seasons 21-25 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/25 - The Neighborhood - Season Five
07/25 - Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin - Season One
07/25 - Superstore - The Complete Series
08/22 - Back to Life - Season 1 / Season 2
08/29 - Smiling Friends - Season 1 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
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