Sunday, January 03, 2010

Week 15: How the Sitcoms Did In The TV Ratings

Week 15 TV Ratings:
We are preempting our normal TV ratings and analysis again this week, due to the holidays...but we will cover how the sitcoms did. Our full reports return next week.


Week 15 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 14 -- Dec. 21-27)

  • Brothers (Fox) 2 episodes - Probably the two final episodes ever aired. Only 1.6 million tuned in for the 7pm episode, but not all of the country saw it due to NFL action. By 7:11pm the entire country got the episode and it only went up to 1.8 million. A second episode at 7:30pm only did 1.9 million.
  • The Simpsons (Fox) - 4.1 million for a repeat, but no direct NFL lead-in, so down like four million from previous week's repeat.
  • The Cleveland Show (Fox) - 4.2 million for a repeat, big drop from previous week, but built on the lead-in in viewers and 18-49 (1.8 to 2.0).
  • Family Guy (Fox) - 5.1 million for a repeat, down from previous week's NFL boosted line-up.
  • American Dad (Fox) - Only 4.1 million for a repeat, obviously down from previous week as the other animated comedies.

Monday Sitcoms

  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A repeat did 5.96 million, up some from previous week's repeat.
  • Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 5.71 million for a repeat, up some from previous week's repeat and again decent retention at least from the lead-in. 1.6 18-49 rating was up some also from previous week, but it didn't hold 100% of its lead-in's 1.8 like previous week.
  • Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.09 million for a repeat. Excellent and up some from previous week's rerun.
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A repeat did a nice 9.94 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, but both down a bit from previous week...while all the other CBS comedies went up a bit. Still good though for a repeat.
  • Community (NBC) 4 episodes - A special four episode marathon of repeats didn't do much. I don't have final numbers yet for each episode, but NBC averaged 2.62 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating for the night in the finals, which includes Leno at 10 (that did 3.18 million and a 0.9 18-49).


Tuesday Sitcoms

  • Scrubs (ABC) - A repeat only did a prelim 2.89 million. Don't have finals for this yet, sorry.
  • Better off Ted (ABC) - Only 2.67 million tuned in for an all-new episode, a bit lower than previous week, however Scrubs was a repeat.
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC) 4 episodes - A special four episode marathon did bad. I don't have final numbers yet for each episode, but NBC averaged 2.89 million and a 0.9 18-49 rating for the night in the finals, which includes Leno at 10 (that did 2.98 million and a 0.9 18-49).

Wednesday Sitcoms

  • Old Christine (CBS) - 5.75 million tuned in for a repeat on one of the slowest weeks of the year.
  • Gary Unmarried (CBS) - 5.33 million for a repeat and held 100% of the lead-in's 1.5 18-49 rating.
  • The Middle (ABC) - For ABC, I only have prelim numbers for their comedies due to the holiday. A repeat did a prelim 4.33 million, down from previous week.
  • Modern Family (ABC) - A repeat did a prelim 4.46 million, down a million or so from previous week's repeat.
  • Cougar Town (ABC) - A repeat did a prelim 3.82 million, up from previous week's repeats in the 10pm hour. Don't forget ABC Comedy Wednesday returns with all-new episodes on Wednesday with Lisa Kudrow on Cougar Town!
  • The Office (NBC) 4 episodes - It was sitcoms galore on this night on the networks. 4 repeats aired on a special night. I don't have final numbers yet for each episode, but NBC averaged 3.75 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating for the night in the finals, which includes Leno at 10.

Thursday Sitcoms

  • Community (NBC) - preempted.
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC) - preempted.
  • The Office (NBC) - preempted.
  • 30 Rock (NBC) 4 episodes - Only prelim numbers are available for this night due to the holiday, but four repeats on New Year's Eve did only prelim 3.36 million, 2.93 million, 2.55 million, and 2.45 million...going down each half-hour.

Friday Sitcoms

  • Better off Ted (ABC) 2 episodes - The show was all-new after the Rose Bowl in the east/central, but it followed local programming in mountain/pacific. The episode did a prelim 5.62 million and a 1.7 18-49, but this is not final. ABC was off by 10 minutes in the east/central due to the Rose Bowl, so Ted started at 8:40pm. A repeat at 9:40pm only did a prelim 2.74 million.
  • Scrubs (ABC) - An all-new episode at 9:10pm did only a prelim 3.53 million and a 1.2 18-49 rating...but some of that is a Ted repeat, since the episode ended at 9:40pm in the east/central. Wait until the finals for a better report on these. Stay tuned for finals for this past week on our message board as usual.

Saturday Sitcoms

  • None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) on Fox are new episodes of animated comedies from 8-10pm tonight following NFL action.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory repeats were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as How I Met Your Mother, Old Christine) or just plain old terrible (such as Better off Ted, Community, Parks & Recreation, Brothers).


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Friday, November 21

Happy's Place - "Straw Man" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Gabby asks Bobbie to help vet men to be her potential donor, Bobbie is happy to participate until she discovers Gabby is considering Emmett for the donation; Isabella is asked to be the guest speaker for Takoda's daughter's class.

Stumble - "In Sync" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
It's back to school for Heådltston State JC, which means in addition to her coaching, Courteney must get her kids settled into the dorms and begin classes; when the girls' periods sync up, Courteney's doesn't and she worries she may be pregnant.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 17)

Friday, November 21

  • Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show) - Watch Ms. Pat on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Ben appears on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Sydney Sweeney (Everything Sucks!) - Sydney is a guest on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Matthew Broderick (Better Things) - Matthew appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb) - Dave appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Jason talks about Zootopia 2 on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
  • Sebastian Maniscalco (Bookie) - Sebastian talks about his comedy special It Ain't Right on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

11/20 - The CW Midseason 2026 Schedule; Sarah Sherman HBO Max Special
11/19 - Tubi's Comedy Mo' Waffles Premieres December 19; 78th Emmy Awards Set for September 14, 2026
11/18 - CBS Midseason 2026 Schedule; SNL Closes Out 2025 with 3 Episodes in December
11/17 - NBC's Christmas in Rockefeller Center Lineup; Prime Video Gets Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson for Sports Talk Show
11/16 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 17, 2025)
11/15 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Orders Pilot From Brooklyn Nine-Nine Team; FX Cancels English Teacher
11/14 - Disney's Hulu's Family Guy's Hallmark Channel's Lifetime's Familiar Holiday Movie; Mad Men Coming to HBO Max in 4K
11/13 - Antenna TV Re-Acquires One Day at a Time and Sanford and Son; Season 2 of the Wild Series It's Florida, Man
11/12 - Fox Midseason 2026 Schedule; Hulu's Tell Me Lies Season 3 Premiere Date
11/11 - Cast Announced for Netflix's A Different World Sequel; Hulu's Sebastian Maniscalco Special Trailer
11/10 - ABC's New Game Show The Greatest Average American; Prime Video Christmas Movie
11/09 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 10, 2025)
11/08 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Fox and Sony Developing Reimagined Bewitched; Samsung TV Plus Launching AFV Channel
11/07 - TBS and TNT Holiday Schedule; Hulu's Back 'Four' More Reasonable Doubt; Remembering Diane Ladd of Alice
11/06 - Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas 2025 Schedule; Single Drunk Female Star Gets Hulu Film
11/05 - ABC 2025 Holiday Specials; Netflix Renews Nobody Wants This for Season 3
11/04 - Fox's Best Medicine Premieres January 2026; Final Season of Bel-Air Trailer
11/03 - Apple TV Holiday Schedule; Another Week and Dancing with the Stars Rises Again
11/02 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 3, 2025)
11/01 - SitcomsOnline Digest: King of the Hill Renewed for Two More Seasons on Hulu; MTV Cancels Ridiculousness
10/31 - Hulu Renews King of the Hill for Seasons 16 and 17; FX Renews Adults for Season 2; Remembering June Lockhart
10/30 - ABC's The Golden Girls 40th Anniversary Special on November 11; NBC 2025 Holiday Specials
10/29 - ABC Midseason 2026 Schedule; Hulu Renews Only Murders in the Building for Season 6, Now in London
10/28 - Hulu Debuts Trailer for Original Holiday Film; Sidelined Returns for Sequel on Tubi
10/27 - Netflix Grabs Victorious Spinoff Hollywood Arts; Dancing with the Stars Up for 5th Straight Week
10/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 27, 2025)
10/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Frankie Muniz Shares Photo Outside Studio for Malcolm in the Middle Reboot; Warner Bros. Discovery Still Looking for New Owner
10/24 - USA Network Renews The Rainmaker; Reba Hosting Christmas in Rockefeller Center
10/23 - The CW Holiday Specials Schedule; Apple TV Fraggle Rock Special
10/22 - Apple TV's Shrinking Returns in January 2026; Season 2 of Idris Elba Series Also Returns in January 2026
10/21 - FETV Acquires Here Come the Brides; Netflix's Mo Amer Special Trailer
10/20 - SNL November Guests Lineup; It's a Wonderful Lifetime 2025 Schedule