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Week 5 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Households: CBS: 8.2/12.9; ABC: 6.9/10.9; Fox: 6.6/10.2; NBC: 4.5/7.1; The CW: 1.8/2.8; MNT: 0.8/1.2.
Total Viewers: CBS: 12.93 million; Fox: 10.6 million; ABC: 10.47 million; NBC: 7.17 million; The CW: 2.73 million; MNT: 1.18 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox: 3.9/10.1; CBS: 3.5/9.1; ABC: 2.7/7.0; NBC: 2.7/6.9; The CW: 1.3/3.4; MNT: 0.4/1.2.

Analysis: Week 5 saw everything airing back to normal as the debates have ended. I apologize for the third week in a row we only have final averages for the first three days (thru Wednesday). If this happens again, I don't know what I'll do now. But I do have Thursday final program numbers and network averages, just not four day averages. I don't have time to go through and recalculate so, I'll give you the final Thursday averages in HH: CBS 9.1/14, Fox 7.5/12, ABC 6.8/11, NBC 4.7/7, The CW 2.3/4, MNT 0.9/1, so you can determine yourself how things look after the first four days. So looking at those numbers and the first three days averages on the top, for the first four days, CBS has the lead in all categories, with Fox in second in all categories thanks to the World Series (but first in 18-49), ABC a close third in all categories, and NBC in fourth in all categories thanks to yet another bad week.
Last week, CBS won week 4 in all categories for the third straight week (ABC won the first week), ABC was second in all categories, NBC nipped by Fox this time for third across the board, so Fox was fourth.
Monday ABC was on top thanks to of course Dancing with the Stars. The 92-minute episode did 18.5 million and a 4.1/10 in 18-49...up from previous week, it will likely go up each week now until the finale. The sitcom Samantha Who followed and did 9.64 million, down nearly two million from its premiere the previous week...but it was on par with its episodes from last spring. A new Boston Legal followed with 8.14 million, up a bit from the previous week. Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. The Big Bang Theory did 9.33 million, on par from previous week as this show is the most consistent ratings I've seen this year and How I Met Your Mother followed with 9.45 million, up from the previous week but build on the lead-in in viewers finally after not doing it the previous few weeks. Two and a Half Men and new single-camera sitcom Worst Week followed with 14.63 and 9.88 million. Men was down a bit from previous week, while Worst Week was up a bit but still lost a lot from the lead-in in both viewers and 18-49. So wait they jumped 30 days later since the previous episode? I didn't like that. At 10pm a new CSI: Miami did 13.51 million, finally up a bit from previous week. NBC followed with its drama line-up. Chuck started it off with 6.87 million, up from previous week, Heroes followed with 8.51 million...down some from previous week. New series My Worst Own Enemy at 10pm did only 5.69 million...not a good sign as it dropped 1 1/2 million from the premiere. Fox was fourth with Sarah Connor only mustering 5.02 million and Prison Break doing 5.45 million. DVR ratings will benefit, but still these shows are not doing what they were before. The CW had its usual decent numbers with Gossip Girl doing a solid 3.03 million, but down from previous week and the resurgent One Tree Hill did 3.69 million, up week-to-week.
Tuesday it was CBS in viewers and Fox in 18-49. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opening the night off with 17.23 million, down though from previous week, new drama The Mentalist followed with a solid 15.28 million, up from previous week and Without a Trace did a decent 11.63 million, but seems low for this show but up a bit from previous week. ABC was next in viewers with a special one-hour recap of Monday's Dancing with the Stars doing a solid 9.04 million. Dancing with the Stars: The Results followed with 16.35 million...up a lot from previous week. Eli Stone with guest star Katie Holmes (Emmy nom coming?) followed and did 8.01 million, down a bit from the premiere the previous week. Have faith! Fox was next this week with House doing 13.08 million, down a bit week to week in viewers, followed by new drama Fringe at 8.91 million, also down a bit week to week. NBC was fourth with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 7.41 million, down a tad from previous week, followed by an all-new Law & Order: SVU at 9.50 million, on par from previous week. The CW aired a repeat of 90210 again doing 1.33 million, down week to week and a new episode of Privileged did 1.45 million. Why air it out of a repeat?
Wednesday saw CBS's crime dramas and the World Series battle. CBS started with sitcoms, Old Christine did 7.76 million, up a bit AGAIN from previous week and a season high AGAIN, followed by new sitcom Gary Unmarried at 7.56 million, also up a bit AGAIN from previous week and a series high AGAIN. These are slowly going up...do to lack of competition primarily. CBS aired Criminal Minds at9pm and it did a solid 15.01 million and CSI: NY did 14.39 million...they sure were missed the previous week with the debate on. Fox aired Game #1 of the World Series with the pregame at 8pm ET doing 9.73 million and the game following through 12:02am doing 14.63 million, but in primetime Fox averaged 13.89 million. ABC aired Pushing Daisies at 8pm and did 5.69 million, down week to week. Private Practice followed with a solid gain doing 7.98 million (3.0 18-49 rating) and Dirty Sexy Money did only 5.74 million...too bad, it is addictive and people should watch. NBC opened the night with the recently renewed due to the weak timeslot Knight Rider doing 7.23 million...down week to week, followed by Deal or No Deal Wednesday doing 7.61 million and the Friday bound Lipstick Jungle at just 4.31 million. Jungle moves to Fridays next week (where it will do worse), while Life moves to Wednesdays starting Nov. 5 with veteran Law & Order also coming back to its 10pm stomping ground. The CW had a new Top Model doing 4.44 million, up a lot from previous week's clip show...the premiere of Stylista followed with only 2.35 million, CW needs something over 3 million to make this night a solid night.
Thursday CBS won again. CBS opened with Survivor: Gabon at 13.31 million, up from previous week. A new CSI followed with 19.49 million, up a bit from previous week. The new Eleventh Hour followed and did 11.85 million, down a bit week to week. How?? I just don't get it. Fox had a way better Thursday than normal with Game 2 of the World Series doing 12.77 million, down from game one, with the pregame at 8pm doing 6.54 million. ABC opened the night with Ugly Betty with Lindsay Lohan doing 8.7 million, up from previous week. Grey's Anatomy followed with 14.45 million, down a bit week to week. At 10pm a new Life on Mars did 7.86 million, down from previous week. I don't understand it at all...such a good show, a cop show with a twist. NBC was fourth with a new My Name is Earl doing 6.39, down again from previous week, new sitcom Kath & Kim followed with only 4.99 million, ouch...down over a million from the second episode the previous week. The Office followed with a below normal 7.98 million, down from previous week. The third and final SNL Thursday Update special did 8.8 million, on par from previous week, can 30 Rock do anything close to that this week? My guess is no...look for 6 million or so only. ER benefited again from that higher lead-in and did 8.82 million, but down a bit from previous week. Smallville on The CW did 4.16 million, on par really from previous week, followed by Supernatural at a decent 3.25 million...up from previous week.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas, as Ghost Whisperer did very solid as usual but The Ex-List dropped more yet still lead at 9pm by a hair over NBC's disappointing Crusoe. NUMB3RS won 10pm but 20/20 tied it in 18-49.
Saturday numbers saw ABC win in the preliminaries overall and in 18-49 thanks to a great College Football game between #3 Penn State and #9 Ohio State. Fox's Game 3 of the World Series didn't start until late in night thanks to a rain delay, so Fox saw *gulp* 'Til Death repeats. NBC had terrible numbers again for America's Toughest Jobs on Saturday with a prelim 3.07 million, though up a bit week-to-week.
Tonight should be a victory for either Fox thanks to Game 4 of the World Series or ABC's regular Sunday (AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters). CBS will be solid, but no NFL lead-in tonight to help them, and NBC will be in the dumpster since there is no SNF game tonight as a movie will air instead.
As for the week, CBS should hang on for the win in HH and viewers but Fox will take 18-49 likely thanks to the World Series. ABC will be at an uncharacteristic third across the board. Followed by NBC, CW and MNT. One thing that might hurt Fox is that the Saturday World Series game didn't start until late, so their line-up before that might have tanked badly and could cost them. What to watch for this week? Sweeps starts Thursday! Yes, we will start November sweeps already. The season is flying by and can't believe we will be in week 6 tomorrow.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of October 13-19)

• The Simpsons (Fox) 3 episodes - Two repeats in the 7pm hour opposite the CBS NFL game did just 3.06 and 5.14 million, but a nice jump. A new episode a 8pm did a decent 8.16 million.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - A solid 7.4 million...seems above for this show of late.
• Family Guy (Fox) - A solid 9.01 million...so this show has more ratings than The Office? 4.7 18-49 rating, too.
• American Dad (Fox) - Just 6.63 million...this show better watch out because Cleveland Show could take this slot for good in the winter.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 9.33 million for a new episode, down just a bit from previous week's 9.34. How consistent is this show this season? Every episode but one has been in the 9.3-9.4 million range with very little difference. Good!!! But repeat tomorrow might kill the momentum. I am not a fan of repeats this early.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 9.45 million for a new episode, up week-to-week again, and this time it did build on the lead-in in viewers after not doing it the past few weeks.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.63 million...down a tad from previous week, but still besting any sitcom by a landslide.
• Worst Week (CBS) - 9.88 million...still not good retention at all but for the second week in a row it went up a little from previous week. This is a good show! Is CBS trying to kill it though? They have scheduled a repeat of Gary Unmarried for tomorrow following repeats of the other sitcoms from 8-9:30.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - 9.64 million for a new episode, down from its season premiere the previous week. Should have done better.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

• Old Christine (CBS) - 7.76 million for a new episode...up a bit yet again from previous week and a season high yet again. Still can't climb much, but good enough in this very weak slot.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - 7.56 million, a series high again. Has gone up on all five airings.
• 'Til Death (Fox) - Preempted again but Fox certainly is happy it was.
• Under One Roof (MNT) - Repeat airing did 780,000 viewers...down a bit week to week, it aired after an all-new Tony Rock Project which did 1.04 million again.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - 6.72 million for a new episode, down from previous week.
• Kath & Kim (NBC) - 4.99 million for its third airing...down a lot from the premiere and more importantly the previous week too...cancelation eye is on.
• The Office (NBC) - Weak lead-in might be hurting it as this show did a below normal 7.98 million.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - Final numbers are not in yet...but the prelim numbers show 1.83 million. On par with every episode this year.
• The Game (The CW) - Prelim numbers show just 1.74 million...not building this week from the lead-in.
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• 'Til Death (Fox) Few episodes - Fox aired a few repeats of this sitcom (at least in E/C zones) because of rain delay for Game 3 of the World Series...no final numbers yet obviously.
• The Office (NBC) - For some reason NBC aired a repeat at 10:30pm and it only did a prelim 2.13 million.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) is another 10:30pm repeat of The Office on NBC.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, The Office, were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Worst Week, Samantha Who?) or just plain old terrible (such as Kath & Kim, The Game).

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 6:00 PM

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Labels: Weekly Ratings