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Week 28 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

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Week 28 (March 29-April 4) Analysis: For week 28, thus far through the first four nights it is a three-network race. So far through the first four days of the week I can project, Fox is first in HH/viewers and 18-49, ABC in second across the board and CBS is third for now. NBC is in fourth across the board. Last week, week 27, CBS took home first place in HH/viewers, and squeaked by Fox in 18-49, as CBS was fueled by the NCAA tournament. Fox and ABC tied for second in HH, but Fox had the slight edge in total viewers. ABC was third in 18-49, while NBC was a clear fourth in all categories.

On Monday it was ABC with a big win again with Dancing with the Stars season ten continuing to pour on big numbers. ABC aired a two-hour Dancing with the Stars doing a best ever for a non-premiere/finale at 22.97 million and an impressive 5.6 18-49 rating, down over a million from the season premiere, but still dominating. At 10pm, ABC aired the conclusion of a GREAT two-part Castle event to series highs once again, this time of 13.86 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating for first place in its timeslot and up well over a million from previous week. Dana Delany was great again and would be great on her own show. CBS took a back seats with majority of repeats of its comedies and CSI: Miami also in repeat mode. How I Met Your Mother started it off with a repeat at 5.64 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, while a new Rules of Engagement did 7.35 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, down from previous week but its lead-in was new that week. Two and a Half Men followed with a repeat doing 10.98 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, still great but below recent repeat levels and The Big Bang Theory followed with a repeat of its own doing 9.8 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, also below average for a repeat but still great. A repeat episode of CSI: Miami at 10pm took a bit of a hit with 8.01 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating for second place. Fox started off with a repeat again of House doing 5.48 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, up some from previous week. A new episode of 24 was next doing 8.48 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, down a lick from previous week. The series will end after this season. NBC was of course in fourth with a new Chuck doing 5.68 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, up a tad week-to-week, then Trauma followed and did 4.72 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, also up a tad from previous week. Whose idea was it to order more episodes after canceling it? At 10pm a new Law & Order did only 6.01 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, on par really from previous week even with Miami in a repeat. The CW started with Life UneXpected at 8pm and it did 1.97 million, up some from previous week. Then at 9pm Gossip Girl was all-new and did 1.69 million, down from previous week. The latter has to be one of the most overrated shows on TV.

On Tuesday, Fox ruled. Fox aired an all-new American Idol doing 21.84 million for two-hours, down nearly three million from previous week. Its 18-49 rating went up down from a 8.1 to 7.7 this week. CBS started with a repeat of NCIS doing 10.9 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, down a lot from previous week's repeat in viewers. 3rd place in viewers is strange for this show. Then spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles was next with a repeat of its own doing 10.2 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating, down a million from previous week's repeat. And finally CBS aired a repeat of The Good Wife doing 7.98 million and only a 1.4 18-49 rating, up some in viewers from previous week. ABC started off with the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars: The Results doing 14.28 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, both up a sharply from this timeslot the previous week with a LOST encore. Then an all-new episode of the final season of LOST was next with 10.13 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating, both up from the previous week. ABC aired the return of V doing a solid 7.03 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating for first place in timeslot...not bad but needs to continue this. NBC started with a two-hour The Biggest Loser and did 7.43 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, down some from previous week in an up and down season. A new Parenthood was next doing 6.23 million and 2.5 18-49 rating, down from previous week but not at series lows like two weeks ago. The CW aired new episodes of 90210 and Melrose Place but they were brushed off by everyone as usually, as they did only 1.48 million and 1.06 million. The latter was up from its series low the previous week. Both should be canned, but 90210 was renewed for some reason for next fall.

On Wednesday Fox prevailed again. Fox started with a new Human Target and did 8.23 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, up from previous week but still disappointing. American Idol Results were next at 9pm and did 20.49 million, down a million from previous week. 18-49 rating was up a bit too from a 7.2 to 6.7, lowest since 2002. CBS started with a repeat of Old Christine at only 4.88 million only a 1.3 18-49 rating and a repeat of Accidentally on Purpose which is now on this night at only 4.24 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating. Next CBS aired a repeat of Criminal Minds at 7.95 million, down some from previous week, and a repeat of CSI: NY at 10pm did 7.24 million, down some from previous week. ABC comedies were next with the holiday special It's the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown doing 4.9 million and 1.4 18-49 rating, not as good as a repeat of Modern Family the previous week. A new airing of The Middle was next building up to 6.23 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, but down from previous week thanks to a weaker lead-in. Modern Family was a all-new in its normal 9pm slot and did 9.51 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating, excellent and up from previous week. Next Cougar Town was new too and did 6.01 million and a decent 2.6 18-49 rating once again. Ugly Betty was next and did 4.01 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating, down from previous week. Just two more episodes left as the the series finale airs on April 14. NBC started with a repeat of A Minute to Win It doing 6.13 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating, both much better than the all-new Mercy the previous week, ouch. A repeat of Law & Order: SVU was next and did 5.5 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, down some week-to-week, but that was leading into an all-new episode at 10pm that did a solid 10.08 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating, both down from previous week but still number one in its timeslot, but when CSI: NY returns with new episodes what will happen? The CW aired aired America's Next Top Model at 8pm doing a solid 3.18 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating, on par really from previous week. The reality series Fly Girls had nothing to be proud of doing only 1.12 million, down a bit from the premiere the previous week, and at 9:30pm week four of High Society could only do 74,000 viewers, even worse than previous week. CW should just air two-hour Top Model every Wednesday.

Moving on to Thursday it was CBS with the win on a VERY slow night for all the networks. CBS started with Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains at 8pm doing 11.26 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating, down some from normal. The Mentalist aired at 9pm for an all-new episode and test doing 14.11 million but only a 2.7 18-49 rating for a season low. At 10pm CSI was new on a special time doing 13.35 million and a series low of 2.8 18-49 rating. Did the switch work? Not sure since everything was down on this night due to a holiday. ABC started with FLASHFORWARD at 8pm and did 5.04 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, series lows. Get used to those two words on this night. Grey's Anatomy was all-new and did 9.87 million and a 3.5 1-49 rating, down from previous week and series lows. A new Private Practice was next doing 7.82 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating, down a bit from previous week but a low in 18-49 for it on a Thursday. Fox returned Bones and did a disappointing 8.68 million and a 2.4 18-49 rating, for a season low in 18-49. A new Fringe was next and did only 5.84 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating. NBC preempted Community at 8, Parks & Recreation at 8:30, and 30 Rock at 9:30 for two-hour repeats of The Office from 8-10pm doing 3.96 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating for the first hour and 4.04 million and a 1.8 18-49 rating for the second hour. At 10pm NBC aired a new episode of the crazy The Marriage Ref and did series lows of 5.4 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating. The CW aired a new Vampire Diaries doing 2.8 million and a 1.3 18-49 rating for series lows and Supernatural was new and did 2.4 million and only a 1.1 18-49 rating. Slow night!

Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available as usual, but CBS won a below normal Friday thanks to Good Friday. The premiere of Miami Medical at 10pm won its hour, but with only a prelim 1.6 18-49 rating. ABC won the 9pm hour with Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution doing a prelim 1.5 18-49 rating, down a lot from previous week though. Look for a bounce back this week for Friday.
Saturday numbers saw CBS win thanks to NCAA Basketball Final Four coverage.
Tonight on Easter Sunday, ABC airs a repeat of AFV, an all-new two-hour Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with Jessica Alba but Desperate Housewives is preempted and Brothers & Sisters is a repeat at 10. CBS has a new The Amazing Race and the fake Undercover Boss at 9pm. NBC has a repeat of game show A Minute to Win It followed by a new Celebrity Apprentice starting at 8pm. Fox has repeats of their animated comedies but new episodes of live action sitcoms 'Til Death and Sons of Tucson, but both of those are burn-offs. Will CBS win this week in viewers? It will be close between CBS, ABC and Fox. In 18-49, Fox should hang on, but CBS and ABC will be a close second as they will battle. As for this coming week, CBS has the NCAA Championship game tomorrow, other than that it is a normal week.

Week 28 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 27-- March 22-28)

• 'Til Death (Fox) - Two all-new episodes were barely on the map again in the 7pm hour doing only 2.19 and 2.72 million...down from previous week. These are just burn-off episodes as the series has been canned finally.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode only managed 5.69 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating...below normal again but on par really from previous week.
• The Cleveland Show (Fox) - A new episode did 5.64 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, also below its average but up from previous week and built from the lead-in in 18-49.
• Family Guy (Fox) - A new showing did 7.32 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating. Up from previous week.
• American Dad (Fox) - on hiatus.
• Sons of Tucson (Fox) - New episode did 4.03 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, slightly up from previous week as the lead-in went up, but worse retention as a result.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A repeat did 5.64 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, decent levels for a repeat.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 7.35 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating for a new episode, down from previous week when the lead-in was new. However this was a better showing than the other time it was new and the lead-in was a repeat.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 10.98 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating for a repeat is great but below normal for a repeat for this show (especially in viewers).
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 9.8 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating for a repeat is great of course, but below normal repeat levels for this show this season. Usually the series builds in 18-49 over the lead-in, even in repeats.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

• Old Christine (CBS) - A repeat did only 4.88 million and an even worse 1.3 18-49 rating.
• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - A repeat on its new night did only 4.24 million and a 1.4 18-49 rating.
• The Middle (ABC) - A new episode did 6.23 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating out of a holiday special at 8pm rather than the usual Modern repeat.
• Modern Family (ABC) - The regular 9pm airing was new and did a solid 9.51 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating. Both up from previous week! iPad!
• Cougar Town (ABC) - A new episode did 6.01 million and a 2.6 18-49 rating, affected by Idol again, but still not terrible.

Thursday Sitcoms

• Community (NBC) - preempted.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - preempted.
• The Office (NBC) (2-hours) - Two one-hour repeats aired from 8-10pm with the 8pm hour doing 3.96 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating, while the second hour at 9pm did 4.04 million and a decent 1.8 18-49 rating for a repeat.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - preempted.

Friday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of 'Til Death at 7 on Fox followed by repeats of the Fox animated comedies starting at 8 and new episode of sitcom Sons of Tucson.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Rules of Engagement were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Middle, Cougar Town ) or just plain old terrible (such as repeat of Old Christine, Sons of Tucson from week 27).

Posted by Pavan -- SitcomsOnline.com at 5:30 PM

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Labels: Weekly Ratings