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Week 34 Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 34 numbers (first four nights final averages, Mon-Thurs):

Households: CBS 8.0/12.9; Fox 7.7/12.4; ABC 7.3/11.8; NBC 4.6/7.4; The CW 1.7/2.7; MNT 0.7/1.1.
Total Viewers: Fox 13.2 million; CBS 12.68 million; ABC 11.3 million; NBC 7.22 million; The CW 2.49 million; MNT 1.07 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 4.7/12.8; ABC 3.5/9.5; CBS 3.3/9.0; NBC 2.6/7.0; The CW 1.2/3.2; MNT 0.4/1.1.

Analysis: Week 33 sees CBS with the lead for the first four nights in HH but Fox is on top in viewers and 18-49. CBS will likely take over in HH/viewers when the week is done after tonight, but Fox will prevail in 18-49. ABC is 2nd in 18-49 and will likely remain that way but could make it close for 1st. ABC will likely be 2nd in HH/viewers, dropping Fox to third. Through the first four days, CBS and Fox share the lead as mentioned, with ABC in third and NBC back in fourth.
Last week, CBS won in week 33 in HH/viewers, but Fox once again took 18-49. Fox was second for the week in viewers and 18-49, with ABC third in viewers, but ABC was second in HH. CBS nipped ABC for third in 18-49 and Fox took in third in HH. NBC was fourth across the board.
Monday it was ABC with the victory as Dancing with the Stars continues to dominate. ABC aired a two-hour version of Dancing with the Stars at 18.55 million, down over a million from the previous week though. The season finale of crime-romance drama Castle followed doing 9.96 million...on par really from previous week despite the lead-in being down. See you next season! CBS was all-new with episodes of The Big Bang Theory (season finale) doing 9.76 million, up from previous week, followed by a new episode of How I Met Your Mother doing 8.78 million, down a bit from previous week. A new Two and a Half Men followed with 13.11 million, down a million from previous week. Rules of Engagement followed with a new episode and closed the sitcom block with a decent 10.14 million, but also down a million from previous week. CBS closed the night with a new CSI: Miami at 13.59 million, down some from previous week. Fox started with the season finale of House doing 12.74 million, up from previous week...then Fox had an all-new 24 doing 9.79 million, down from previous week. Season low it seems. NBC was next with the sluggish Deal or No Deal doing only 4.23 million, down from previous week even. Medium followed with two new episodes 6.4 and 7.3 million, down from the average of 7.24 million from the previous week when it aired as a two-hour episode. The CW was next with a backdoor pilot attempt on Gossip Girl doing 2.3 million, up some from previous week (bring on Brittany Snow!) and a new One Tree Hill did 2.3 million also, up a tad from previous week as well.
Tuesday it was Fox on top but CBS won in HH but Fox had more viewers and a big lead in 18-49. Fox started with a 65 minute American Idol doing 22.71 million, but down from previous week. Fox then aired the season finale of Fringe at 9.28 million, up a tad from previous week. CBS started with a new episode of NCIS doing 16.19 million which was down some from previous week, followed by a new episode of The Mentalist doing 16.21 million, down from previous week again. Without a Trace was new and did 13.4 million, up well over a million from from previous week. Why? No competing crime drama on NBC. As I said before, this prove Trace is not a priority, but is still a force to be reckon with. ABC started with two episodes of According to Jim doing 3.8 and 3.74 million only, but did improve on Scrubs/Better Off Ted the previous week. Dancing with the Stars: The Results was next at 9pm doing 14.06 million, down a half a million from previous week. ABC followed with the finale of dud Cupid at just 5.05 million, down from previous week. NBC aired a three-hour finale of The Biggest Loser doing 11.85 million for the three hours, up two million from the previous week when it was three-hours. Desperate NBC needed the 3 hours badly. Law & Order: SVU was preempted. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did just 1.97 million, but up some from previous week again and a new 90210 followed with 2.08 million, also up from previous week.
Wednesday saw Fox with the win. Fox was led by the results show of American Idol at 9pm doing 24.67 million, up a million from previous week as again the Results show outperformed the performance show this week. Why? New Fox drama Lie to Me had its season finale at 8pm and did 8.46 million, down a tad from previous week. CBS started with sitcoms, but a special night and time airing of Rules of Engagement started it off instead of Old Christine and did 6.3 million and Gary Unmarried was preempted and Old Christine followed and did 6.5 million. Both did below the numbers the previous week, but did match them in 18-49. So they did about the same, CBS would be better without any sitcoms on this night. Sunday nights would be better. A new Criminal Minds followed and did 13.37 million, down from previous week. CSI: NY was new and did 12.33 million, also down week-to-week. ABC aired a Lost clip show at 8pm and did a decent 6.33 million, its best showing in the hour in quite some time. The action-packed two-hour season finale of Lost followed from 9-11pm and did a solid 9.43 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating, both up from previous week. What a finale that was! 2010 can't come fast enough. NBC opened the night with the NBC premiere of USA's Law & Order: Criminal Intent doing 5.36 million, down some from previous week, followed by a repeat of Law & Order: SVU doing only 4.45 million, down a bit from previous week. Law & Order followed at 10pm with a new episode and did 7.9 million, down some from previous week. The CW was on the map with the season finale of America's Next Top Model doing a nice 4.31 million, though a bit off from usual, then The CW followed with an encore of what else--90210-- doing 950,000 viewers, completely losing the lead-in...and down from previous week.
Thursday saw ABC win with another great season finale. ABC started with a new episode of Ugly Betty doing 6.77 million, down from previous week. Two-hour season finale is this week! From 9-11pm, the two-hour season finale of Grey's Anatomy followed and did 16.53 million and a night best 5.9 18-49 rating, both up from previous week and #1 in the timeslot, growing from start to finish. A 11.0 HH rating, too for the two full hours. Another great finale and a shocking cliffhanger! CBS started with a new Survivor: Tocantis at 12.18 million, up some from previous week. Finale is tonight on Sunday as usual. CSI followed with its season finale and did 14.81 million, down a tad from previous week and just a 3.4 18-49 rating. The season finale of CSI: NY on a special night followed at 10pm and did 12.77 million, not bad but does better on most Wednesdays than that. Fox started with the season finale of Bones at 8.88 million, up a bit from previous week. An the finale of Hell's Kitchen followed at 9pm did 7.37 million, up from previous week. NBC started with the finale of My Name is Earl at only 4.84 million at 8pm, but up a bit from previous week. Don't think NBC will be bringing this back. Then the season finale of dud Parks and Recreation followed with another low of 4.29 million, ouch and they renewed this for next season? Why NBC why? Again these types of shows just don't generate big numbers I guess. The Office followed with its season finale doing a disappointing 6.77 million, down over a million from previous week. What happened? The season finale of 30 Rock followed with only 5.69 million, down from previous week. Terrible conclusion of the season for the latter two hitting season lows. NBC closed the night with a new episode of Southland doing only 4.65 million and only a 1.6 18-49 rating, both series lows again and down over 30% week to week. Not good. Smallville also had its season finale on The CW and did 3.13 million, down though from previous week, followed by the season finale of Supernatural at 2.89 million, up a bit from previous week.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with season finales of Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS. ABC did OK with the season finale of AFV from 8-10pm. Prison Break's series finale did terrible for Fox, and NBC did better than normal with a two-hour special on Farrah Fawcet. Get well Farrah!
Saturday saw CBS win in HH/viewers and Fox in 18-49 on a slow night.
Tonight will be ABC and CBS battling. I think ABC will prevail. CBS has a new 60 Minutes followed by the Survivor: Tocantins season finale from 8-10pm followed by a live reunion show. ABC will two-hour season finales of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition & Desperate Housewives. Should be an exciting finish for DH! Lost and Grey's were outstanding, so I expect this will be as well. NBC is giving up the night with a two-hour Dateline and a two-hour repeat of SNL. Fox has an all-new lineup of its animated comedies from 8-10 having their season finales.
As for the week, CBS should win the week in HH/viewers, with Fox in 18-49. ABC will be second in HH/viewers, while Fox will take third in those categories. ABC will be second in 18-49, with CBS in third. NBC will be fourth everywhere. As for the coming week...more season finales including Rules of Engagement, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Dancing with the Stars, 24, CSI: Miami, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, 90210, NCIS, The Mentalist, Without a Trace, American Idol, Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, Southland, Ugly Betty. And summer gets started with the premieres of The Bachelorette and So You Think You Can Dance. Lakers and Nuggets NBA's West Conference Finals Game 3 will be on Saturday on ABC in primetime.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 4-10, Week 33)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode did just 5.19 million. Not good!
• Sit Down, Shut Up (Fox) - Just 1.55 million at 7pm...now it is pulled.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - A new episode at 8:30pm did only 4.17 million.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 6.36 million for a new episode...down a bit from previous week.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - 2.3 million for a repeat at 7:30pm was lower than previous week, and its regular 9:30pm slot was new and did only 4.88 million...not a good week for Fox's animated comedies.

Week 34 (May 11-17):
Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 9.76 million for the season finale...better than last year by a lot.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 8.78 million for a new episode...slightly off from previous week. Season finale tomorrow.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.11 million for the comedy leader...but down a million.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 10.14 million for a new episode, down as well. Two episodes tomorrow (8pm and the regular 9:30pm).

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - 3.8 million and 3.74 million. The first one was pretty funny! Just four episodes left...airing out of the season on May 26 and June 2. Tune in!

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 6.3 million for a new episode on a special night and time. On par with the usual timeslot. I think this shows CBS is better off not airing a comedy hour on Wednesdays.
• Old Christine (CBS) - 6.5 million for a new episode at a special time.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - Season finale did just 4.84 million, but up some from previous week.
• Parks and Recreation (NBC) - 4.29 million...series low again. I keep saying that but it is true.
• The Office (NBC) - 6.77 million for the season finale is pretty weak. 3.5 18-49 rating is better, but this show does better usually.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 5.69 million for the season finale...not too good.

Friday Sitcoms

• The Game (The CW) - The one-hour finale did a prelim 1.85 million. Down from previous week's prelim numbers.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox animated comedies from 8-10pm!

Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement-Mon were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (The Office, Old Christine) or just plain old terrible (such as Parks & Recreation, According to Jim).

Stay tuned all this week bright and early for the fall schedules for Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and The CW! Also, join us on the message boards each night starting tonight for any leaked schedules. I won't post them here since it is not official stuff. But you will see the actual schedules bright and early here first! Get some coffee and stay up with us and wake up with this. This is the week when sleep means nothing!