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Week 8 Numbers (First Four Nights); How the Sitcoms Did

Households: ABC: 8.3/12.9; CBS: 8.3/12.9; NBC: 4.6/7.1; Fox: 4.5/6.8; The CW: 1.9/2.8; MNT: 0.8/1.2.
Total Viewers: CBS: 13.34 million; ABC: 12.95 million; Fox: 7.37 million; NBC: 7.26 million; The CW: 2.8 million; MNT: 1.17 million.
Adults 18-49: ABC: 3.6/9.2; CBS: 3.6/9.2; Fox: 3.0/7.5; NBC: 2.8/7.2; The CW: 1.3/3.4; MNT: 0.4/1.0.

Analysis: Week 8 has seen ABC and CBS battle for 1st and through Thursday it is very close, as ABC got a big assist from the 42nd Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday. Through the first four days, ABC and CBS are tied for 1st in households and 18-49 with ABC percentage points ahead, but CBS has slightly more viewers edging ABC. NBC is third in HH but fourth in viewers & 18-49, while Fox is 4th in HH but third in viewers & 18-49...though Fox and NBC are close but so behind ABC and CBS.
Last week, CBS won week 7 in HH/viewers edging ABC, while ABC won in 18-49 but NBC tied it thanks to the NFL game. NBC was third in HH/viewers, while CBS was third in 18-49. Fox was fourth across the board in a weak week without House.
Monday ABC was on top thanks to of course Dancing with the Stars. The 92-minute episode did a night best 18.69 million...nearly up two million week-to-week, as last week the SNL Election special hurt it a bit. The sitcom Samantha Who followed and did 10.4 million, also up nearly two million. A new Boston Legal followed with 8.7 million, yes up two million from the previous week. Next up was CBS, with new episodes of its comedies and a new CSI: Miami. The Big Bang Theory did a series best for the second straight week, this time at 10.01 million, this show continues to shine maybe because Kaley Cuoco's outfits are getting hotter and hotter and How I Met Your Mother followed with 9.79 million, also up week-to-week. #1 sitcom Two and a Half Men followed with 14.5 million, but up two million week-to-week, while Worst Week did 9.46 million, up week-to-week but again losing to the 8-9pm comedies despite the high lead-in. At 10pm a new CSI: Miami did 13.81 million, up a million from previous week. NBC was next and down big from previous week as its regular line-up returned. Chuck did 6.34 million, followed by Heroes at a series low 7.85 million and 3.6 18-49 rating...what has happened? It gains in DVR, but still it has lost viewers from the first two years. Recently canceled My Worst Own Enemy was next at just 4.27 million as the final episodes come to a close. Fox was next with the should have NOT been renewed Sarah Connor at just 5.15 million, on par really from previous week, and on its last legs Prison Break at 5.38 million, though up a bit week-to-week. The CW had its teen girls line-up of Gossip Girl doing 2.88 million, below 3 million for the first time this season, followed by One Tree Hill at an also season low 2.99 million. What happened?
Tuesday it was back to normal as the previous week saw ABC and NBC do big in Election coverage. CBS suffered the most the previous week, but it was back to business this week with a series high for NCIS at 18.75 million...how does this show do it? New drama The Mentalist followed with 16.52 million, just slightly behind ABC for the hour and a series high as well, I believe. It was #1 in 18-49 at a 4.0 for the hour holding all of its NCIS lead-in, wow! Who would have though Without a Trace would be the weak link for the night at 12.23 million but just a 2.8 18-49. ABC was next with a special recap episode of Dancing with the Stars at 10.32 million, followed by Dancing with the Stars: The Results at 16.52 million, but Eli Stone only did 7.01 million, though up from its last new episode two weeks prior to this week. Fox was next with House at 13.06 million and a 5.5 18-49 rating, followed by a time period low for Fringe with 8.61 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, lowest since its premiere (when it didn't air out of House). NBC was next with an above average The Biggest Loser at 8.1million but more impressive 3.5 18-49 rating and Law & Order: SVU at a normal 9.42 million. The CW aired a new episode of 90210 doing 2.72 million, down a bit from previous week and a new episode of Privileged did 1.86 million, but up a bit week-to-week.
Wednesday saw ABC win the night thanks to the CMA Awards, beating usual winner CBS. ABC's Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, and Dirty Sexy Money will return this week, but the 42nd Annual CMA Awards won the night for ABC this week with a dominant 15.9 million and a 5.0 18-49 for its three-hour coverage. CBS started with Old Christine at a below normal 6.82 million, but up a bit from previous week. Recently picked-up for a full season Gary Unmarried followed with 6.61 million, also up a bit week-to-week. Next was Criminal Minds at 9pm and it did a solid 14.83 million, up slightly from previous week and at 10pm CSI: NY did 11.62 million, down a bit from previous week, as it seems Law & Order and CMA made this go down a lot. Earlier in the year 14-15 million was a given. Fox was next with a new Bones at a solid 10.87 million and a series best 3.5 18-49 rating. A House repeat, just what we need, did 6.22 million...which is not bad for a repeat, but down a bit from previous week. NBC opened the night with the falling Knight Rider doing just 5.34 million, but up week-to-week from previous week's series low, though this week it had a series low 1.5 18-49 rating. Next up was Life doing just 5.81 million, down a bit week-to-week and a new Law & Order did 7.93 million, on par really from its season premiere the previous week. The CW had a new Top Model doing 3.71 million, down a bit from previous week and Stylista followed with only 1.73 million, also down a bit week-to-week.
Thursday CBS won the night. CBS opened with Survivor: Gabon at 12.88 million, up from previous week. A new CSI followed with 19.05 million, up nearly a million from previous week. The new Eleventh Hour followed and did 11.63 million, also up from previous week. ABC was next but in Boston and surrounding areas the line-up was preempted for the New England-New York Jets NFL game, so the numbers are slightly down from usual. ABC opened the night with Ugly Betty doing 8.25 million, down a bit from previous week. Grey's Anatomy followed with 14.9 million, down nearly a million from previous but still #1 in 18-49 with a 5.7 rating despite not airing in the Boston area. At 10pm a new Life on Mars did 7.97 million, also down from previous week. What a hostage episode! NBC was next with a new My Name is Earl doing 7.04, up from previous week, new sitcom Kath & Kim followed with only 5.12 million, down from the previous week. The Office followed with 8.3 million, down a bit from previous week. 30 Rock did 7.6 million, down from previous week, as the show has gone down each airing this season after a fast start. Jennifer Aniston and the Night Court cast guest starred. Will Steve Martin help this coming week? ER did a season high 9.9 million, as some previous ER stars returned. Fox was off the map with two new episodes of Kitchen Nightmares at just 4.59 million, followed by its regular slot episode at just 4.91 million, but both up week-to-week. Smallville on The CW did 3.56 million, down nearly a million from previous week, but in NY The CW lineup was preempted for the New York Jets-New England NFL game, followed by Supernatural at 2.94 million...down from previous week as well, but it seems not airing in NY hurt it. This coming week it will be Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, as CW in Pitt and NBC in Cincy will show the game instead of regular line-up.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas, as Ghost Whisperer did a season high, but The Price is Right did nothing like repeat of NCIS at 9pm did as that hurt NUMB3RS a bit, as ABC saw decent numbers for 20/20 at 8pm but Supernanny/Super-manny didn't muster much. NBC's disappointing Crusoe continues to do bad, as does Lipstick Jungle at 10pm.
Saturday numbers saw Fox win in the preliminaries overall and in 18-49 thanks to its regular line-up, as the ABC Saturday College Football game was not on the map this week.
Tonight again NFL will be key. CBS will have a high NFL overrun at 7pm, followed by 60 Minutes with Obama. ABC of course has the Sunday line-up of AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters, as a big episode of Housewives airs tonight, maybe a season high? NBC will be solid with the SNF game, but how will the struggling Cowboys do in Washington? Fox will do nicely in young adults, but probably down from normal.
As for the week, I believe CBS will win the week in HH, viewers and 18-49, but it depends on how NFL overrun does for CBS tonight. ABC could beat CBS in 18-49, but not likely because the College Football game on Saturday didn't do much this week. NBC will be third, with Fox in fourth across the board, followed by CW and MNT. What to watch for this week? We will have a normal week this coming week, but next Sunday ABC has the American Music Awards and Fox will have a special 24 two-hour prequel following the NFL. Regular line-up otherwise, with the Top Model finale this Wednesday on The CW.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of Nov. 3-9)

• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - Obviously the show dropped from the Halloween episode, but the show did 8.01 million, not bad, but should be better especially after over 12 million the previous week for Halloween. A repeat at 7:30pm leading into to the new episode did 5.36 million.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - 6.79 million for a new episode, down from previous week...but that was after the high Simpsons Treehouse of Horror. A repeat at 7pm only mustered 2.87 million.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 8.47 million and a 4.2 18-49...below normal but still pretty solid.
• American Dad (Fox) - 6.54 million for worst of the night.

Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 10.01 million is a series best for the second straight week! Simply amazing!
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 9.79 million up from previous week again, didn't build on the lead-in but it did in 18-49 from a 3.9 to 4.2, making this also a winner for the week.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.5 million, up nearly two million from previous week's below normal performance.
• Worst Week (CBS) - 9.46 million up over a million from previous week...great show, but needs to be doing better.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - 10.4 million...up a lot from previous week's below normal performance.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

• Old Christine (CBS) - 6.82 million, but better than previous week a bit.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Only 6.61 million but yes better than the previous week.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - 7.04 million for a new episode, up from previous week again.
• Kath & Kim (NBC) - 5.12 million, not good, down from previous week even.
• The Office (NBC) - 8.3 million for a new episode...down again week-to-week though. Maybe Thursday NFL will hurt it until the NFL season ends?
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 7.6 million tuned in this week, down again from previous week...but as of now it is still doing better than last season. Will it go back to last season levels in the coming weeks? I think the Palin-Fey effect will wear off soon.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - Final numbers are not in yet...but the prelim numbers show 1.83 million. Bad yes, but up week to week so far.
• The Game (The CW) - Prelim numbers show just 1.71 million...same as above.

Saturday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - Saturday repeat at 9pm only did 2.41 million in prelim numbers. Will go lower in finals like it has before.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) is Fox's animated comedies from 7-10 (new from 8-10).

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Samantha Who, The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as My Name is Earl, Old Christine) or just plain old terrible (such as The Office-Sat repeat, Kath & Kim).

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

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Labels: Weekly Ratings