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Week 12 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Households: 1. CBS 7.4/11.9 (rating/share); 2. NBC 5.1/8.1; 3. ABC 4.5/7.3; 4. Fox 4.5/7.0; 5. The CW 1.2/1.8
Total Viewers: 1. CBS 11.84 million; 2. NBC 7.98 million; 3. ABC 7.56 million; 4. Fox 7.4 million; 5. The CW 1.74 million.
Adults 18-49: 1. CBS 3.2/8.5 (rating/share); 2. Fox 2.6/6.8; 3. NBC 2.5/6.8; 4. ABC 2.5/6.6; 5. The CW 0.9/2.2

Week 12 (Dec. 7-13) Analysis: For week 12, we are now in the holiday and repeat season. In a slow week, I don't have Thursday final network averages, but so far through the first three days of final numbers, CBS is first in all categories. NBC is in second right now in HH/viewers, while Fox is second in 18-49. ABC is third in HH/viewers, while Fox is fourth. NBC is third in 18-49, while ABC is in fourth. Last week, week 11, CBS beat second place ABC in HH/viewers for a first place finish once again, while Fox prevailed in 18-49 barely. For 18-49 it was very close as NBC, ABC, and CBS were close behind. NBC and Fox battled for third in HH/viewers, with NBC having the edge.
On Monday it was CBS in control with all-new episodes, as Fox didn't air House this week. CBS started with all-new episodes of its comedies and a new CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother started it off with doing 8.78 million, while a new Accidentally on Purpose followed doing 7.91 million, decent, but could be better with lesser competition now. Two and a Half Men followed with a new showing doing 14.84 million, good sign, but not as much as up as usual with lesser competition, and The Big Bang Theory followed with new airing of its own doing 14.38 million. A series high of 5.6 18-49 rating is excellent as it thrived with lesser competition. A new CSI: Miami did a below normal 12.72 million. Fox handed the night over to Carrie Underwood, as her special 8.55 million but only a 2.3 18-49 rating. ABC was preempted in the Green Bay/Milwaukee areas for a NFL game, but the rest of the country saw the holiday classic Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town doing a decent 7.6 million. An all-new Find My Family did 5.23 million and only a 1.5 18-49 rating, both down from previous week. A new episode of Castle followed with a decent 7.8 million and built back up from the lead-in. NBC was next with two repeats of Law & Order: SVU instead of the usual Heroes and Trauma doing 6.54 and 5.77 million better than what those dramas usually, but only a 1.4 and 1.6 A18-49 rating. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 4.68 million, but up from previous week. The CW was all-new with One Tree Hill doing 2.57 million and Gossip Girl doing 2.21 million. Should be better than that.
On Tuesday, CBS and NBC ruled. CBS started with a repeat of NCIS doing 15.09 million. I still don't get it. NCIS: Los Angeles was next with a repeat of its own doing 12.04 million. And finally CBS aired a repeat of The Good Wife doing 9.1 million, the weakest of the night for CBS. NBC was next airing the two-hour season finale of The Biggest Loser doing 13.45 million, up a lot from previous week of course, and the finale also did a nice 5.0 18-49 rating. Then The Jay Leno Show had its best ratings since its premiere week thanks to a large lead-in, as the talk show did 8.33 million. ABC was on the map at 8pm with the all-time classic A Charlie Brown Christmas doing an excellent 11.17 million, followed by the premiere of the all-new Disney Prep & Landing at 8:30pm doing a big 12.04 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating. Both specials are the highest rated Christmas specials this season thus far. Then it was an all-new episode of Scrubs [Med School] doing 5.44 million only and a 2.3 18-49 rating, both up from previous week's premiere. The season premiere of Better off Ted got off to a rocky start though with only 3.82 million. It's a funny show, but people are not watching. At 10pm, the forgotten was a repeat and did 4.26 million and just a 1.2 18-49 rating, but that 18-49 rating was the same as previous week when it was new. Fox aired So You Think You Can Dance and 6.25 million, up from previous week. The CW was next with 90210 doing only 1.91 million, followed by a new Melrose Place at an even worse 1.26 million. Both down from previous week. Lots of competition on this night it seemed for a Tuesday in December!
Wednesday it was CBS on top with ABC doing well in the demo. CBS started with all-new episodes of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried doing 7.49 and 7.01 million. Next CBS aired an all-new Criminal Minds doing a rock solid 14.43 million. CSI: NY was also all-new and did 12.97 million. ABC comedies were next, a repeat of Shrek the Halls won its time slot with 8.43 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating. The Middle was all-new and next and did a solid 7.69 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, best showings since the premiere. Modern Family was also all-new and did a very good 9.67 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating. Cougar Town was also all-new but did a below normal 7.01 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating. The comedies will be all-new again on Jan. 6, with guest stars galore! Eastwick was preempted at 10pm for the annual special Barbara Walters Presents the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009 doing a good 10.55 million. NBC aired a new Mercy doing 7.01 million and Law & Order: SVU was next with an all-new episode doing only 7.92 million, a bit lower than the repeat the previous week. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 4.5 million, down a million week-to-week. Fox started with So You Think You Can Dance doing 6.69 million, up some from previous week, and Glee was next with its fall finale doing 8.13 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, both basically on par from previous week. The CW aired repeats of Gossip Girl and Victoria's Secret Fashion Show doing 830,000 viewers and 1.7 million.
Thursday it was CBS on top with all-new episodes. ABC was all in repeats, as FLASHFORWARD did only 3.96 million for a repeat. Grey's Anatomy was also a repeat, and did 4.9 million. Private Practice followed with a repeat of its own doing only 3.89 million. Needless to say, these don't repeat well. CBS opened with Survivor: Samoa at a solid 13.25 million and a 4.2 A18-49 rating, both up week-to-week. A new CSI followed with a solid 16.43 million with lesser competition. At 10pm The Mentalist was new and did a similar 16.37 million. Fox was next with an all-new Bones doing 10.9 million, up a million week-to-week and an all-new Fringe doing 6.32 million, down from previous week despite lesser competition. NBC was all-new, with a new Community doing 5.51 million, up a bit from previous week, followed by Parks & Recreation at 4.9 million, also up bit from previous week. The Office was next and all-new and did 8.51 million and a 4.2 A18-49 rating, up some from previous week, followed by a new 30 Rock at 6.7 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, also up the same percentage as the lead-ins. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 4.96 million, but up a tad week-to-week. The CW aired repeats of Vampire Diaries and Supernatural at only 1.75 million and 1.4 million, but up from previous week's repeats.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available as usual, but NBC won Friday with a special Law & Order and Dateline, as CBS was in repeats. ABC won 10pm with 20/20, and Ugly Betty reached a season high at 9pm.
Saturday numbers were very quiet and low, as Fox won with its usual line-up on a very slow night filled with holiday movies and repeats.
Tonight the ABC has an all-new AFV and a special two-hour Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, but Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters are preempted. ABC has a special at 10pm titled Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special that will generate a big audience.NBC has an NFL game tonight so they will still win the night though with the Giants/Eagles. CBS has an NFL overrun that will keep the competitive, but the latter part of its line-up will be low rated. Fox has new episodes of its comedies from 7-10 that will make them solid in 18-49. Look for CBS to hang on for the week likely in HH/viewers over NFL fueled NBC. CBS and NBC will battle in 18-49, but CBS could hang on. Fox and ABC will battle for third, with ABC likely taking HH/viewers, but Fox in 18-49. As for this coming week, look for a lot of repeats and holiday specials!

Week 12 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 11 -- Nov. 30-Dec. 6)

• Brothers (Fox) - preempted due to NFL.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat following the BCS Selection Show at 8:30pm only did 5.48 million, but that is OK. 2.5 18-49 rating is also OK, but the Selection Show did a 3.7.
• The Cleveland Show (Fox) - preempted.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 6.13 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating is good for a repeat.
• American Dad (Fox) - Only 4.4 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating for a repeat, dropping a lot from its lead-in.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A new episode did a solid 8.78 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating. It should have been up more though since there was no competition.
• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 7.91 million for a new episode is decent, but CBS Monday comedies do better than this. A 2.8 18-49 rating could be better given the competition and lead-in.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.84 million for a new episode is great, but this show usually explodes a few million when Dancing is on hiatus. Very good still, but I was expecting 16 million+.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A series highs of 14.38 million and a 5.6 18-49 rating, building on the lead-in's 5.0. Very good! But like with the other CBS comedies, could have been higher since there was lesser competition.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Scrubs (ABC) - An all-new episode of the [Med School] edition did a decent 5.44 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up from previous week's premiere thanks to Prep & Landing airing before it.
• Better off Ted (ABC) - Only 3.82 million for the season premiere. Should have been better, especially with only a 1.5 18-49 rating. Last spring these shows did similar ratings each week.

• Old Christine (CBS) - A new episode did a decent 7.49 million and an OK 2.2 18-49 rating.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - 7.01 million for a new episode was beaten by ABC's competing comedy. 2.3 18-49 rating also was beaten, but it did build from the lead-in in that category.
• The Middle (ABC) - 7.69 million for an all-new showing was at its best since the premiere. 2.4 18-49 rating out of a 2.6 from Shrek the Halls was also a good sign.
• Modern Family (ABC) - An all-new episode for the holidays did an excellent 9.67 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating.
• Cougar Town (ABC) - An all-new episode did 7.01 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, both seem below normal, though. Usually it does around 8 million and a 3.2 18-49. Don't forget ABC Comedy Wednesday returns Jan. 6 with Lisa Kudrow on Cougar Town!
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Community (NBC) - 5.51 million and 2.2 18-49 rating for a new episode...on par really from previous week.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - 4.9 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, could be better, but it is consistent at least.
• The Office (NBC) - A new episode did 8.51 million and a more telling 4.2 18-49 rating, nearly doubling its lead-in again and up some from previous week.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 6.7 million and 3.2 18-49 rating for a new episode. Both up some from previous week.

Friday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A special repeat following an original animated special didn't draw much with only a prelim 4.55 million and just a prelim 1.4 18-49 rating.
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) on Fox are all-new episodes of Brothers and animated comedies from 7-10pm tonight.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, The Office, How I Met Your Mother, & The Middle were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as 30 Rock, Old Christine) or just plain old terrible (such as Better off Ted, Big Bang Theory Fri repeat).

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 5:45 PM

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Labels: Weekly Ratings