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Final 2008-09 Season Network Ratings; Summer Week 1 Sitcom Ratings; Coming Week Preview

Before we get to this week's ratings, we have some unfinished business to do. Here are the final numbers for the 2008-09 season (Sept. 22-May 20):

Households: CBS 7.3/12; Fox 5.8/9; ABC 5.7/9; NBC 4.8/8; The CW 1.3/2
Total Viewers: CBS 11.76 million; Fox 9.8 million; ABC 8.95 million; NBC 7.84 million; The CW 2.03 million
Adults 18-49: Fox 3.6/10; CBS 3.0/8; ABC 2.9/8; NBC 2.8/7; The CW 0.9/2
Adults 18-34: Fox 3.2/10; ABC 2.4/7; NBC 2.3/7; CBS 2.1/6; The CW 0.8/2
Adults 25-54: Fox 4.1/10; CBS 4.1/10; ABC 3.4/8; NBC 3.2/8; The CW 0.8/2
(NOTE: The Super Bowl counts in the ratings for NBC, yet they still were down year-to-year. CBS is the only network to go up from previous year.)

And now to summer...

Summer has now started with this past week being the first full week of the summer season. We will be back with our normal weekly report with the first four nights numbers and analysis in the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did all summer long, along with last year's summer favorite, the coming week preview! Here are our summer ratings:

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 18-24)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - Just 3.26 million for the rain-delayed NASCAR repeat.
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A 7:30pm repeat did just 2.88 million and a 8:30 repeat did worse with 2.74 million.
• Family Guy (Fox) - Only 2.55 million for a repeat.
• American Dad! (Fox) - Only 2.36 million for a repeat at 9:30, but a special repeat at 7pm did better with 2.96 million. NASCAR was supposed to air but it was rained out and the animated comedy repeats went down each half-hour.

Summer Week 1 (May 25-31)

Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 5.94 million for a repeat...not too bad.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 5.28 million for a repeat airing, could be better but I just don't see this show jump starting an hour next fall.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.27 million for a repeat is excellent for a repeat.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 7.25 million for a repeat is decent, but once the show returns next winter it won't be in this cushy slot.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - Two ALL-NEW episodes did 3.49 and 3.46 million...could be better. Series finale is this week...it better do more than this! Tune in it will be guest stars galore.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• The Goode Family (ABC) - Only 3.65 million for the premiere episode, very disappointing especially when it lost more than 5 million from the big lead-in. There was a big NBA game on ESPN, so that could have been the case. This week we have two episodes and no NBA to compete with, so it could do better.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - Just 2.76 million for the return episode...now it is pulled for this week. Look for new episodes probably not returning now until July 3, which is a Friday.
• Old Christine (CBS) - preempted.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - A repeat did only 3.37 million for this canceled series.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - Two repeats only mustered 3.06 and 3.11 million at 8:30 and 9:30pm.
• The Office (NBC) 3 repeats - The regular half-hour repeat at 9 did only 3.26 million and a one-hour repeat at 10pm did slightly better with 3.59 million.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• None.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10 tonight on a slow night with NBC airing the Stanley Cup Finals Game 2. CBS has one of two remaining burn-off episodes of Million Dollar Password at 8pm. On cable, Law & Order: Criminal Intent is new at 9.

Coming Week Preview (June 1-7):

For Monday, on ABC, it's an all-new night with new episodes of The Bachelorette from 8-10pm and Here Come the Newylweds at 10pm. NBC will have the two-hour season premiere of the new I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at 8pm followed by the NBC finale of Medium at 10pm. On cable among the highlights we have a new episode of Around the World for Free on WGN America at 9pm, Greek on ABC Family at 8pm, WWE Raw on USA Network, Jon & Kate Plus 8 on TLC, VH1's reality series Rock of Love Charm School, New York Goes to Work & Gotti's Way, and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List at 10pm on Bravo.
On Tuesday, ABC will have the final two episodes of sitcom According to Jim at 8pm followed by an interesting two-hour ABC News special Earth 2100 from 9-11pm. CBS will have an episode of 48 Hours at 10pm. NBC has a second night of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in the 8pm hour, followed by the NBC News special Inside the Obama White House Part 1, and season finale of Law & Order: SVU. Again, Fox and The CW launched have new series at 9pm with Mental on Fox and The CW airing Hitched or Ditched. On cable, among the highlights are Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Versus, Deadliest Catch and Man vs. Wild on Discovery starting at 9pm, MTV has Paris Hilton's My New BFF at 10, TLC has new series 18 Kids and Counting & The Little Couple, BET has College Hill at 10pm, Bravo has an all-new The Real Housewives of New Jersey at 10pm, and FX has an all-new Rescue Me at 10pm.
On Wednesday, the best show of the summer is Wipeout and it airs at 8pm on ABC followed by the animated comedy The Goode Family with back-to-back new episodes at 9pm, and at 10pm a new The Unusuals. NBC will have the third night of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, followed by Inside the Obama White House Part 2 leading into the season finale of Law & Order at 10pm. Fox has a two-hour So You Think You Can Dance. On cable, among the highlights are new episodes of House of Payne and Meet the Browns on TBS starting at 9pm, Discovery has an all-new primetime including MythBusters at 9pm, MTV has Real World Road Rules at 10, MonsterQuest on History at 9, The Cougar is on TV Land at 10, also at 10pm is Ultimate Fighter on Spike and Bravo has Make Me a Supermodel at 10.
On Thursday, ABC will have Game 1 of the NBA Finals between Orlando and the L.A. Lakers starting at 8:30pm ET, with Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night at 8pm. NBC will have another episode of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at 8pm followed by the two-hour premiere of new drama The Listener from 9-11pm. Fox will have a new So You Think You Can Dance at 9pm. On cable, among the highlights are Game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals on Versus, WWE Superstars on WGN America, Burn Notice on USA at 9 followed by the premiere of Royal Pains at 10, Comedy Central has a new Tosh.0 at 10pm, MTV has a new MADE at 8, TLC has a new American Chopper at 9, The Fashion Show at 10 on Bravo, and Southern Belles: Louisville at 10 on SOAPnet.
On Friday, ABC has a new 20/20, NBC has a two-hour Dateline, Fox will air a new Don't Forget the Lyrics at 8, and MNT is airing WWE Smackdown. Cable wise, among the highlights are What Not to Wear & Say Yes to the Dress on TLC and The Soup on E! at 10.
On Saturdays its slow as usual with NBC having Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, if necessary. ABC has a burn-off episode of Pushing Daisies at 10pm, while CBS has burn-offs of Worst Week and Harper's Island starting at 8:30pm. Fox is new with Cops and AMW.
And next Sunday, ABC will have Game 2 of the NBA Finals starting at 7:30pm ET with Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night at 7pm. CBS has 60 Minutes & The 63rd Annual Tony Awards. NBC will have a new Dateline from 7-9pm. Cable wise, among the highlights are Lifetime's new season of Army Wives at 10pm, Daisy of Love & Brooke Knows Best on VH1, Gene Simmons Family Jewels on A&E, Jesse James is a Dead Man on Spike at 10, and Bridezillas on WE tv.