Week 7 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 7 TV Ratings (first four nights, Mon-Thurs finals):

Households: #1. Fox 8.8/13.7; #2. CBS 8.2/13.1; #3. ABC 7.0/11.1; #4. NBC 4.1/6.5; #5. The CW 1.6/2.5
Total Viewers: #1. Fox 14.53 million; #2. CBS 13.13 million; #3. ABC 10.78 million; #4. NBC 6.38 million; #5. The CW 2.46 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox 4.7/12.3; #2. CBS 3.4/9.1; #3. ABC 3.1/8.1; #4. NBC 2.3/6.1; #5. The CW 1.2/3.0

Week 7 (Nov. 2-8) Analysis: For week 7 we have Fox on top through the first four days in all categories thanks to the World Series again as games 5 and 6 did huge. Will Fox hang on for the win in HH/viewers though after Friday through tonight when the week is over? We shall see, but 18-49 is for sure Fox's this week. Through the first four days in week 7 Fox has the lead everywhere, with CBS in second, and ABC a close third. NBC is back in fourth everywhere as usual. Last week, week 6, Fox won the week in all categories with baseball. CBS was second in HH/viewers, nipping ABC. But ABC was second in 18-49, ahead of CBS. NBC was fourth in all categories and without the NFL, this network is even worse than it already is.
On Monday it was Fox on top with Game 5 of the World Series doing 17.09 million overall and 17.19 million in primetime. A two-hour Dancing with the Stars did 16.69 million for ABC, down from the previous week. An all-new Castle followed with a solid 9.43 million, down a tad from the previous week. Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother started it off with 8.82 million, while Accidentally on Purpose followed doing 8.09 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, decent, but could be better given the lead-in. Two and a Half Men followed doing 13.51 million and The Big Bang Theory followed did a nice 12.73 million. The show also did a 4.7 18-49 rating building on the lead-in's 4.4 rating, excellent. A new episode of CSI: Miami did 12.52 million, could be better as a repeat the previous week only did one million less. Fox didn't have House and Lie to Me this week due to the World Series. NBC was next with Heroes doing 5.85 million, up a tad from the previous week. A new episode of Trauma followed and did only 5.82 million and only a 1.9 A18-49 rating, but both on par really from the previous week though. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 3.92 million, down nearly a million from previous week and one of its lowest showing yet (1.2 18-49 rating only as well). The CW on Mondays has been a struggle so far, with One Tree Hill doing only 2.32 million and Gossip Girl at an even worse 1.98 million...both down week-to-week.
On Tuesday, CBS was in control as usual, but ABC was much improved. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opening the night off with 20.18 million...yet another 20 million+ episode this season. A new episode of NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 15.29 million, not bad at all, but could be better with that huge lead-in. And finally CBS aired a new The Good Wife and did 12.74 million, better retention than the lead-in did with its lead-in. ABC was second for the night but started strong with the series premiere of the well received revival of V doing a gigantic 14.3 million and an even more impressive 5.2 18-49 rating, the best of any new premiere this fall! And the highest 8pm scripted drama premiere in 18-49 since 2004 when Lost premiered! Then it was Dancing with the Stars: The Results doing 15.05 million, on par really week-to-week as we said goodbye to Michael Irvin and Mark Dacascos. ABC followed with a new episode of the forgotten doing 7.27 million, down nearly a million week-to-week. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser 2-hour show doing 9.11 million, down some from previous week, followed by the The Jay Leno Show at 5.96 million, which was down some from previous week. Fox aired So You Think You Can Dance for two-hours and did only 6.12 million, down some from previous week. The CW was next with a new 90210 doing only 1.92 million, followed by a new episode of dud Melrose Place at an even worse 1.48 million. Heather Locklear where are you?
Wednesday it was Fox on top by a big margin thanks to Game 6 of the World Series. Fox did 22.34 million for the entire game, and 22.66 million in primetime for it. Excellent showing and up nearly 3 million from game one the previous week. Congrats to the Yanks winning their 27th title! CBS started slow with Old Christine doing 6.68 million, followed by Gary Unmarried at 6.29 million. Veteran drama Criminal Minds was next and did 12.55 million, while CSI: NY did 12.0 million, both affected by World Series a bit. ABC started the 8pm hour with Hank doing just 5.09 million an a 1.3 18-49 rating, a series low, as Charlie Brown did way better the previous week. The Middle was next and was down week-to-week in 18-49 going from a 2.2 to 1.8 18-49 rating, and an average 6.04 million. Hank is to blame! New episodes of the hilarious sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town both did well again with 8.77 and 6.87 million, both down some from previous week though but affected by the World Series, I'm sure. The A18-49 ratings for both were more telling doing 3.5 and 2.8. At 10pm Eastwick did 4.44 million, down from previous week. People need to watch this show...but it won't be o again until Nov. 25 due to specials the next few weeks. NBC opened the night with Mercy doing 6.63 million, as it usually does a bit better overall but the 18-49 this week was a series low of 1.7. Law & Order: SVU followed and did 7.95 million, down from previous week and a season low of 2.4 in 18-49. Looks like World Series affected it again. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 4.81 million, down again week-to-week. Fox will return So You Think You Can Dance and Glee this week. The CW had its usual showing of Top Model at 3.87 million, up from previous week and a repeat of Vampire Diaries followed with 1.35 million, which was also up a tad week-to-week.
Thursday it was CBS and ABC battling. ABC opened the night with FLASHFORWARD doing 8.57 million down some from previous week. What a shocking game changing ending that was! A new Grey's Anatomy followed with 13.95 million and a great 5.1 A18-49 rating. And a new episode of Private Practice did a solid 9.11 million and a 3.4 A18-49 rating, both down some week-to-week. CBS opened with Survivor: Samoa at 12.44 million and a 3.7 A18-49 rating, up some from previous week in viewers. A new episode of CSI followed with 15.6 million, also up some from previous week while The Mentalist was also new and did a better 16.21 million, up from previous week. Fox returned Bones and did a solid 8.66 million, but Fringe was lost in the shuffle with series lows of 4.86 million and a 1.7 18-49 rating, ouch. NBC was next with Community at 8pm doing 5.45 million up some from previous week again, followed by sitcom dud Parks & Recreation at only 4.91 million, up some week-to-week. At 9pm, The Office did 8.09 million and a solid 4.1 18-49 rating, but both down a bit week-to-week. A new episode of 30 Rock did 6.15 million, up ever so slightly from the previous week. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 4.83 million, but actually up some week-to-week. The CW's only consistent player so far is Vampire Diaries and did a great 4.09 million, down a tad week-to-week, followed by a new Supernatural at 2.64 million, down from previous week.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas as usual. NBC was good with Law & Order at 8 & 9pm but it was 20/20 at 10pm for ABC that was the night's winner.
Saturday numbers had Fox's regular line-up and ABC's College Football battle for the win in a close race.
Tonight the full ABC Sunday line-up is airing (AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters), look for solid numbers as usual. NBC has a better than normal NFL game tonight, so look for it to be a bit above normal. CBS has its usual players but with a NFL overrun mixed in, and why is Three Rivers still airing during Sweeps? Fox has a special night of programs starting with a new Brothers, followed by a Seth MacFarlane themed night of American Dad at a special time of 7:30, Family Guy at a special time of 8pm, Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show, another Family Guy at its normal time, and The Cleveland Show at a special time of 9:30pm.
As for week 7, Fox will win in everything thanks to World Series I think...they could hang on overall even. Look for CBS in second in HH/viewers but ABC could take second in 18-49. ABC will be third in HH/viewers. NBC will be fourth in all categories even with the NFL game tonight. Check out V episode 2 this Tuesday at 8 on ABC! It is so cool!

Week 7 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 6-- October 26-Nov. 1)

• Brothers (Fox) - preempted for NFL/MLB World Series.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - preempted for MLB World Series.
• The Cleveland Show (Fox) - preempted for MLB World Series.
• Family Guy (Fox) - preempted for MLB World Series.
• American Dad (Fox) - preempted for MLB World Series.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A new showing did 8.82 million, decent, 18-49 rating of 3.5 is better.
• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 8.09 million for a new episode...could be better but also could be worse. 3.1 18-49 rating is decent.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.51 million for a new episode. Just another day at the job.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 12.73 million is excellent! 4.7 18-49 rating was a nice build from the 4.4 the lead-in had. Come to think of it, I still need to see this episode.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - New episode did 6.68 million...OK, but could be worse.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - New episode did 6.29 million...could be better, and seems lower than usual.
• Hank (ABC) - The Thanksgiving episode did only 5.09 million and an even worse 1.3 18-49 rating. It needs to be pulled ASAP. It was scheduled to be preempted this week anyway for the CMA's.
• The Middle (ABC) - 6.04 million and a 1.8 18-49. Below normal numbers thanks to Hank. But yet another solid episode!
• Modern Family (ABC) - Another hilarious episode did 8.77 million and a nice 3.5 18-49 rating, both down some week-to-week though due to World Series Game 6.
• Cougar Town (ABC) - A new episode did 6.87 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, both also down from previous week.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Community (NBC) - New episode did 5.45 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating. Both up week-to-week a bit again...hmm good sign but a ways to go.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - This show did terrible doing only 4.91 million and just a 2.2 A18-49 rating, but both up some from previous week.
• The Office (NBC) - 8.09 million for a new episode, down from the previous week. In 18-49 it did a 4.1 rating, down a tick.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - A new episode did 6.15 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating. Down week-to-week in 18-49 by a tick but up in viewership by a bit.

Friday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) are Fox's comedies from 7-10pm tonight, all-new.

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

Week 6 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 6 TV Ratings (first four nights, Mon-Thurs finals):

Households: #1. Fox 8.7/13.6; #2. CBS 7.1/11.2; #3. ABC 6.8/10.8; #4. NBC 4.0/6.4; #5. The CW 1.5/2.3
Total Viewers: #1. Fox 14.1 million; #2. CBS 11.21 million; #3. ABC 10.75 million; #4. NBC 6.49 million; #5. The CW 2.37 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox 4.6/12.2; #2. ABC 3.0/7.9; #3. CBS 2.8/7.2; #4. NBC 2.4/6.2; #5. The CW 1.1/2.9

Week 6 (Oct. 26-Nov. 1) Analysis: For week 6 we have Fox on top through the first four days in all categories thanks to the World Series. And it will remain that way after tonight when the week is over, too, with NFL overrun and more World Series action. Through the first four days in week 6 Fox has the lead everywhere, with CBS and ABC battling it out for second, right now CBS is second in HH/viewers, while ABC is second in 18-49. NBC is back in fourth everywhere as usual and there is no NFL coming to save the week tonight. Last week, week 5, CBS won the week in HH/viewers, while Fox took 18-49. It was the other way around with Fox second in HH/viewers, and CBS second in 18-49. ABC was third in all categories, though only .1 behind CBS for second in 18-49. NBC was fourth in all categories, but only .1 behind ABC for third in 18-49 (say thank you NFL!).
On Monday it was all ABC, as CBS was in repeats and Fox had no House. A two-hour Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race with 17.38 million for ABC, up from the previous week. An all-new Castle followed with a solid 9.99 million, and up again from the previous week in 18-49! This is the most consistent show on network TV. Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother repeat started it off with 6.94 million, OK for a repeat for a CBS Monday comedy and Accidentally on Purpose followed with its first repeat ever doing 5.89 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, not good. Two and a Half Men followed and was also a repeat doing 11.41 million which is good for a repeat, and The Big Bang Theory followed with a repeat and did a nice 10.85 million, when it was airing at 8pm...this would be GREAT for an all-new episode. Shows how much the show has grown at 9:30. The show also did a 3.8 18-49 rating for a repeat, excellent. A repeat episode of CSI: Miami did 11.52 million, not bad at all. Fox didn't have House but it had a special Top 20 special of So You Think You Can Dance which only attracted 5.85 million. A new episode of Lie to Me followed and did 6.33 million, a season low. NBC was next with Heroes doing 5.72 million, exactly the same from the previous week. A new episode of Trauma followed and did only 5.77 million and only a 1.9 A18-49 rating, but both up some from the previous week though. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 4.7 million, down a bit from previous week. The CW on Mondays has been a struggle so far, with One Tree Hill doing only 2.67 million and Gossip Girl at an even worse 2.31 million...but both up some week-to-week.
On Tuesday, CBS was in control as usual, but they were repeats so ABC was much closer. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opening the night off with 16.7 million for a repeat, don't know how. A repeat episode of NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 11.09 million, not bad at all, but could be better with that huge lead-in. And finally CBS aired a repeat of The Good Wife and did 9.34 million, better retention than the lead-in did with its lead-in. ABC was second with the annual showing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown/You're Elected, Charlie Brown doing 8.8 million. Then it was Dancing with the Stars: The Results doing 15.2 million, up some week-to-week as we said goodbye to Louie Vitto and Melissa Joan Hart. ABC followed with a new episode of the forgotten doing 8.26 million, up nearly a million week-to-week. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser 2-hour show doing 9.67 million, down a tad from previous week, followed by the The Jay Leno Show at 6.06 million, which was up some from previous week. Fox aired So You Think You Can Dance for two-hours and did only 6.47 million. The CW was next with repeats...as 90210 did 1.26 million, followed by a repeat of dud Melrose Place at an even worse 770,000 viewers. I know it was a repeat, but still...
Wednesday it was Fox on top by a big margin thanks to the World Series. Fox did 19.51 million for the entire game, and 19.66 million in primetime for it. Excellent game one numbers. CBS started slow with Old Christine repeat doing 6.24 million, which was not too far from original levels, followed by Gary Unmarried repeat at 5.89 million. Veteran drama Criminal Minds was a repeat and did 9.89 million which seems below normal, with CSI: NY repeat doing 9.46 million, repeats were affected by World Series, I guess. ABC started the 8pm hour with an edited version of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, as Hank was preempted. Brown did 6.0 million an a 2.0 18-49 rating, better than the previous week's Hank that did 5.78 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating. The Middle did was up slightly week-to-week in 18-40 going from a 2.0 to 2.2 18-49 rating, and an average 6.49 million. New episodes of the hilarious sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town both did well again with 9.33 and 7.54 million, both up some from previous week. The A18-49 ratings for both were more telling doing 3.7 and 3.2. At 10pm Eastwick did 5.02 million, up though from previous week, which was a series low. Lindsay Price again was good. NBC opened the night with a new animated special instead of Mercy as Monsters vs. Aliens did 6.96 million and a repeat followed with only 5.54 million, Mercy does better overall but this hour was slightly improved in 18-49 this week. Law & Order: SVU followed and did 8.24 million, down a million or so from previous week. Looks like World Series affected it. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 5.03 million, down some week-to-week. Fox will return So You Think You Can Dance and Glee after the World Series is over. The CW had its usual showing of Top Model at 3.51 million, up from previous week and a repeat of Vampire Diaries followed with 1.3 million, which is better than the dud Melrose Place.
Thursday it was Fox on top with World Series action, but CBS and ABC were competitive on this first night of November 2009 sweep. The World Series Game #2 did 18.9 million overall and 18.95 million in primetime. Excellent, as the Yankees evened the series at 1. ABC opened the night with FLASHFORWARD doing 8.92 million down nearly a million from previous week as the World Series might have affected it. Dominc Monaghan was great and mysterious. A new Grey's Anatomy followed with 13.74 million and a great 5.2 A18-49 rating, both down from previous week due to World Series. Give Dempsey the Emmy for that episode! And a new episode of Private Practice did a solid 9.16 million and a first place at 10pm 3.6 A18-49 rating, both down some week-to-week. CBS opened with Survivor: Samoa at 12.19 million and a 3.7 A18-49 rating, both down some from previous week. A new episode of CSI followed with 15.24 million, while The Mentalist was also new and did a better 15.53 million. Fox will return Bones and Fringe after the World Series is over with. NBC was next with Community at 8pm doing 5.32 million up some from previous week, followed by sitcom dud Parks & Recreation at only 4.8 million, down some week-to-week. At 9pm, The Office did 8.21 million and a solid 4.2 18-49 rating, both down a bit week-to-week. A new episode of 30 Rock did 6.1 million, down some from the previous week. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 4.41 million, down again week-to-week. The CW's only consistent player so far is Vampire Diaries and did a great 4.18 million, followed by a new Supernatural at 2.92 million, while that is good, it could be better considering the lead-in.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas as usual. NBC was good with Dateline at 9 and 20/20 was solid at 10pm for ABC.
Saturday numbers had Fox win with World Series game 3 coverage, despite a 80 minute rain delay. The Yankees took a 2 game to 1 lead. ABC was next with College Football, while NBC was dead last with the Notre Dame game.
Tonight the full ABC Sunday line-up is airing (AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters), look for solid numbers as usual despite the World Series. NBC doesn't have NFL tonight, so look for it to be dead last tonight by a wide margin. CBS has its usual players, but Three Rivers will be slaughtered again, as the cancelation click is ticking...why is it on for Sweeps? Fox has NFL overrun leading into Game 4 of the MLB World Series, so expect Fox to win the night in everything quite easily.
As for week 6, Fox will win in everything thanks to World Series. Look for CBS in second in HH/viewers and ABC second in 18-49. CBS will likely be third in 18-49, with ABC third in HH/viewers. NBC will be fourth in all categories and badly due to no NFL. Look for the premiere of V this Tuesday at 8 on ABC! Syfy is airing the original mini-series today, followed by V: The Final Battle, and all day Monday and Tuesday will be episodes from the '80s V series. Cool!

Week 6 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 5-- October 19-25)

• Brothers (Fox) - preempted for NFL/MLB ALCS.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - preempted for MLB ALCS.
• The Cleveland Show (Fox) - preempted for MLB ALCS.
• Family Guy (Fox) - preempted for MLB ALCS.
• American Dad (Fox) - preempted for MLB ALCS.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - A repeat did 6.94 million, not too bad for a repeat.
• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 5.89 million for a repeat, not too good...
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.41 million for a repeat, and still easily the best overall for sitcoms.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 10.85 million for a repeat. Last season everyone would have been ecstatic for it to get that in new episodes!

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Repeat did 6.24 million, that is pretty close to original levels from the previous week.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Repeat did 5.89 million...could be better.
• Hank (ABC) - preempted. Look for the Thanksgiving episode this week, possibly its last airing?
• The Middle (ABC) - 6.49 million and a 2.2 18-49. Brick and Sue are such great characters!
• Modern Family (ABC) - Another hilarious episode did 9.33 million and a nice 3.7 18-49 rating, both up week-to-week.
• Cougar Town (ABC) - A new episode did 7.54 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, both also up from previous week.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Community (NBC) - New episode did 5.32 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating. Both up week-to-week a bit.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - This show did terrible doing only 4.8 million and just a 2.0 A18-49 rating, both down some from previous week.
• The Office (NBC) - 8.21 million for a new episode, down from the previous week. In 18-49 it did a 4.2 rating, also down some.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - A new episode did 6.1 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating. Down week-to-week.

Friday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• The Cleveland Show (Fox) - Fox aired a quick repeat during the rain delay of the World Series at about 8:40pm ET. Prelim numbers show 7.44 million.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) are no sitcoms, as Fox's animated comedies are preempted for NFL/World Series action.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, The Office, & Cougar Town were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Middle, 30 Rock) or just plain old terrible (such as Accidentally on Purpose, Parks & Recreation).

Week 5 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 5 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Wed):
(Network averages for Thursday were not available once again, thus here are final network averages for Mon-Wed. Final Thursday program numbers are available in the analysis, though.)

Households: #1. CBS 8.4/13.4; #2. ABC 6.6/10.5; #3. Fox 6.0/9.6; #4. NBC 4.4/7.0; #5. The CW 1.4/2.2
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 13.34 million; #2. ABC 10.09 million; #3. Fox 9.73 million; #4. NBC 6.96 million; #5. The CW 1.98 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. CBS 3.6/9.7; #2. Fox 3.5/9.5; #3. ABC 2.6/6.9; #4. NBC 2.4/6.4; #5. The CW 1.0/2.5.

Week 5 (Oct. 19-25) Analysis: For week 5 we have CBS on top through the first four days in HH/viewers, with Fox on top in 18-49. Fox will likely win the week in 18-49 thanks to MLB's ALCS with the Yankees and Angels. Through the first four days in week 5 I can project, CBS has the lead in HH/viewers but second in 18-49, with ABC second in HH/viewers but third in 18-49, as Fox is in third in HH/viewers, but first in 18-49 and NBC is back in fourth everywhere as usual with NFL coming to save the day tonight. Last week, week 4, CBS won the week in HH/viewers and 18-49, while ABC was second in HH/total viewers, but tied for third in 18-49 with NBC. NBC was fourth in HH/viewers, with Fox up ahead in third. Fox was second in 18-49, only .1 behind CBS for first.
On Monday ABC, Fox and CBS did well again. A two-hour Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race with 16.82 million for ABC, up a tad from the previous week. An all-new Castle followed with a solid 9.69 million, and up again from the previous week in 18-49! Very consistent. Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother started it off with 8.06 million, down from the previous week and Accidentally on Purpose followed doing 8.26 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, both up from the previous week and built from the lead-in...interesting. Two and a Half Men followed with 14.07 million which was down just a tad from the previous week, and The Big Bang Theory followed and continues to impress and did a nice 13.47 million, up some from the previous week. The show also did a 5.3 18-49 rating, tying its highest ever. A new episode of CSI: Miami did 13.16 million, down a bit again from the previous week. Fox had a new episode of House and it did a below normal 11.65 million, because it didn't start until 8:43pm due to baseball... the show did a 4.5 A18-49 rating, a season low. A new episode of Lie to Me followed at 9:44pm and did 7.79 million. Could be better. NBC followed with Heroes doing 5.72 million, up a tad from the previous week. A new episode of Trauma followed and did only 5.46 million and only a 1.8 A18-49 rating, basically on par from the previous week though. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 4.74 million, down from previous week. The CW on Mondays has been a struggle so far, with One Tree Hill doing only 2.21 million and Gossip Girl at an even worse 1.98 million...both down week-to-week.
On Tuesday, CBS was in control as usual. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opening the night off with 21.25 million, up from the previous week. Another series high, no one knows how though. A new episode of NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 16.48 million, finally went up for the first time from the previous week. And finally CBS aired The Good Wife and did 13.26 million, up some from the previous week. ABC was a distant second with the season finale of Shark Tank doing 5.92 million...up week-to-week again. It went up each week, but it belongs in summer. Then it was Dancing with the Stars: The Results doing 14.92 million, up a million week-to-week as we said goodbye to Natalie Coughlin surprisingly. Vitto or Irvin deserved to go instead. ABC followed with a new episode of the forgotten doing 7.3 million, down a bit week-to-week. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser 2-hour show doing 9.82 million, up from previous week, followed by the The Jay Leno Show at just 5.7746 million, which was down from previous week again. Fox aired Game 4 of the MLB ALCS and it did 10.7 million in primetime (10.3 million overall) and a solid 3.4 18-49 rating. So You Think You Can Dance returns this Tuesday. The CW aired 90210 with just 2.25 million, followed by dud Melrose Place at an even worse 1.5 million. The latter was up some from previous week, while the former was even.
Wednesday again it was CBS with the overall win. CBS started slow with Old Christine doing 6.58 million, which was down from the previous week, followed by Gary Unmarried at 6.76 million, also down from its previous week. Veteran drama Criminal Minds did 14.27 million which was up from the previous week, with CSI: NY doing 13.01 million, down some from previous week. ABC started the 8pm hour with Hank & The Middle and did OK. Hank did an OK 5.78 million but only a 1.5 18-49 rating, both series lows. Look for Charlie Brown this week. The Middle did a better 6.52 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, nice builds from the lead-in in 18-49. New episodes of the hilarious sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town both did well again with 8.66 and 7.31 million, but down from previous week. The A18-49 ratings for both were more telling doing 3.4 and 3.1. At 10pm Eastwick did only 4.77 million, down from previous week, for a series low. People need to watch Lindsay Price, as she shines on this show. NBC opened the night with Mercy doing 7.19 million, down some from the previous week. Law & Order: SVU followed and did 9.15 million, up again some from previous week. Slowly going up, each week. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 5.14 million, down a million week-to-week. Fox was fourth, with So You Think You Can Dance at 6.91 million...down some from previous week, and then Glee followed to a decent 7.15 million and a 3.3 A18-49 rating, but both down from previous week. The CW had its usual showing of Top Model at 2.98 million, down a tad from previous week and a repeat of Melrose Place followed with just 950,000 viewers. This is a dud and I don't think Locklear can even save it!
Thursday it was ABC on top while the CBS 9-11pm hours were in repeats. ABC opened the night with FLASHFORWARD doing 9.87 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, up from previous week in viewers and even in 18-49. Dominc Monaghan joins the cast officially this week, I was mistaken last week. A new Grey's Anatomy followed with 15.06 million and a great 5.3 A18-49 rating, both up from previous week. Great whodunnit type mystery! And a new episode of Private Practice did a solid 9.92 million and a first place at 10pm 3.7 A18-49 rating, both down some week-to-week. CBS opened with Survivor: Samoa at 12.9 million and a 4.0 A18-49 rating, both up from previous week by a lot. A repeat episode of CSI followed with 10.14 million, while The Mentalist was also a repeat and did a better 11.79 million. Fox started preempted Bones and Fringe with MLB ALCS Game 5 doing 11.85 million, which is excellent. Game 6 is tonight (Sunday) on Fox. NBC was next with Community at 8pm doing 5.04 million on par really from previous week, followed by sitcom dud Parks & Recreation at only 4.93 million, but up some week-to-week. At 9pm, The Office did 8.73 million and a solid 4.4 18-49 rating, both up week-to-week. A new episode of 30 Rock did 6.84 million, up from the season premiere the previous week. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 4.97 million, down again week-to-week. The CW's only consistent player so far is Vampire Diaries but it was a repeat and it did 2.27 million, still better than mostly everything on The CW, followed by a repeat of Supernatural at 1.83 million.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas as usual. While Brothers, 'Til Death & Dollhouse on Fox were lower than ever in prelim numbers.
Saturday numbers had CBS win overall and ABC in 18-49 thanks to Saturday Night Football. Fox had to settle with repeats because of the ALCS rainout.
Tonight the full ABC Sunday line-up is airing (AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters), look for solid numbers as usual despite the sporting events tonight. NBC should have something to tout about with the NFL game, but could be down from previous week due to ALCS Game 6 on Fox, especially in NY. CBS has its usual players, but Three Rivers will be slaughtered again, as the cancelation click is ticking. Fox has NFL overrun leading into Game 6 of the MLB ALCS, so expect Fox to win the night in 18-49 and possibly viewers.
As for week three, CBS will win in HH, viewers and but Fox will win 18-49 thanks to NFL overrun/MLB ALCS games. Look for ABC in second in HH/viewers unless the game tonight on Fox does VERY big and that would have Fox overtake ABC for the week in HH/viewers. ABC will likely be third in 18-49. NBC will be fourth in all categories.

Week 5 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 4-- October 12-18)

• Brothers (Fox) - A special new episode at 7pm did only 2.27 million...not good.
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - 8.69 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating for the annual Treehouse of Horror episode. Up from previous week obviously. A repeat at 7:30pm lead in and did 4.55 million.
• The Cleveland Show (Fox) - 7.62 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating. Both down a bit from the week prior, despite the lead-in going up.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 8.13 million and a 4.2 18-49 rating for a REPEAT. Strange this was the only repeat of the block.
• American Dad (Fox) - 6.25 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating...both down from previous week, but remember the lead-in was a repeat.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - New episode did 8.06 million, down from the previous week, and a 3.4 A18-49 rating also down from the previous week.
• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 8.26 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, both up from the previous week and built from the lead-in for I think the first time. But what does that mean? Because CBS has repeats tomorrow for their comedies.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.07 million...down a tad from the previous week. Still the sitcom leader overall.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 13.47 million...up from the previous week and still built from the lead-in's 18-49 rating from a 4.8 to a 5.3, even though the lead-in was even week-to-week, this show jumped .3 ratings points. Still sitcom leader in 18-49.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - New episode did 6.58 million, down from previous week. 18-49 rating of a 2.0 was also down.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Like the lead-in, 6.76 million, down from previous week, but built from the lead-in a bit in 18-49 to a 2.2 rating.
• Hank (ABC) - Down from previous week's 6.15 million to 5.78 million...not good. 18-49 rating was down a tick from previous week at 1.5. Not on this week, so let's see how Charlie Brown helps.
• The Middle (ABC) - 6.52 million, down a bit from previous week and it built nicely from the lead-in in 18-49 from a 1.5 to a 2.0. This show is hysterical!
• Modern Family (ABC) - A hilarious episode did 8.66 million and a nice 3.4 18-49 rating, both down though week-to-week.
• Cougar Town (ABC) - A new episode did 7.31 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, both also down some from previous week.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Community (NBC) - New episode did 5.04 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating. Need to do better, but it was picked-up for a full season anyway.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - This show did terrible doing only 4.93 million and just a 2.1 A18-49 rating, but up some from previous week.
• The Office (NBC) - 8.73 million for a new episode, up from the previous week. In 18-49 it did a 4.4 rating I guess no new CSI helps this show?
• 30 Rock (NBC) - A new episode did a bit better 6.84 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating. Still dropped over a point in 18-49 from the lead-in...not good, but both up week-to-week.

Friday Sitcoms

• Brothers (Fox) - Only a prelim 2.35 million for a new episode. Moving to Sundays at 7 now.
• 'Til Death (Fox) - An even worse prelim of 1.97 million for a new episode...not on the schedule anymore.
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) are no sitcoms, as Fox's animated comedies are preempted for NFL/MLB action

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, & Accidentally on Purpose were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Middle, 30 Rock) or just plain old terrible (such as Hank, Parks & Recreation).

Week 4 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 4 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Wed):
(Network averages for Thursday were not available once again, thus here are final network averages for Mon-Wed. Final program numbers are available in the analysis, though.)

Households: #1. CBS 8.3/13.4; #2. ABC 6.6/10.5; #3. Fox 5.1/7.9; #4. NBC 4.4/7.1; #5. The CW 1.4/2.1
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 13.19 million; #2. ABC 10.06 million; #3. Fox 8.73 million; #4. NBC 6.95 million; #5. The CW 2.06 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. Fox 3.6/9.6; #2. CBS 3.6/9.5; #3. ABC 2.6/6.9; #4. NBC 2.3/6.2; #5. The CW 1.0/2.6.

Week 4 Analysis: For week three we have CBS on top through the first four days in all categories (though they were tied with Fox in 18-49 through Wednesday). Fox will likely win the week in 18-49 thanks to MLB ALCS on Friday and Saturday. Through the first four days in week four I can project, CBS has the lead in all categories, with ABC second in HH/viewers but third in 18-49, with Fox in third in HH/viewers, but a close second in 18-49 and NBC is back in fourth everywhere. Last week, week 3, CBS won the week in HH/viewers and 18-49, while ABC was second in HH/total viewers, but fourth in 18-49 (though only .1 behind Fox for second). NBC was third in HH/viewers, with Fox fourth. NBC was tied for second in 18-49 with Fox.
On Monday ABC, Fox and CBS did well again. A two-hour Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race with 16.79 million for ABC, up some from the previous week. An all-new Castle followed with a solid 9.77 million, up again from the previous week! Very consistent. Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother started it off with 8.56 million, up some from the previous week and Accidentally on Purpose followed doing 7.73 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, both up a tad from the previous week. Two and a Half Men followed with 14.17 million which was also up from the previous week, and The Big Bang Theory followed and continues to impress and did a nice 13.07 million, up from the previous week. The show also did a 5.0 18-49 rating, its second highest ever. A new episode of CSI: Miami did 13.27 million, down a bit from the previous week...the only program on CBS to go down on the night. Fox had a new episode of House and it did 13.5 million, which was down a bit from previous week... the show did a 5.2 A18-49 rating, down from the 5.4 the previous week. NBC followed with the free-falling Heroes doing 5.55 million, up a tad from the previous week. A new episode of Trauma followed and did only 5.49 million and only a 1.8 A18-49 rating, both up a tick the previous week though. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 5.1 million, but actually up some from previous week. The CW on Mondays has been a struggle so far, with One Tree Hill doing only 2.55 million and Gossip Girl at an even worse 2.36 million...but up some week-to-week.
On Tuesday, CBS was in control. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opening the night off with 21.04 million, up from the previous week. Another series high. A new episode of NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 15.38 million, down a million again from the previous week despite the lead-in going up. And finally CBS aired The Good Wife and did 12.98 million, down from the previous week. ABC was a distant second with a new episode of Shark Tank doing only 5.24 million...but up a bit week-to-week again. At least it goes up, but this is perfect for summer. Then it was Dancing with the Stars: The Results doing 13.96 million, up a lot week-to-week as we said goodbye to Chuck Liddell. ABC followed with a new episode of the forgotten doing 7.43 million, down a bit week-to-week but up a tick in 18-49. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser 2-hour show doing 9.14 million, down a bit from previous week, followed by the The Jay Leno Show at just 5.77 million, which was down from previous week again. Fox aired the two-hour finale of Hell's Kitchen doing 8.04 million and a solid 3.8 18-49 rating, both of course up week-to-week. Fox will miss this show. So You Think You Can Dance can't do this well. The CW aired 90210 with just 2.25 million, followed by dud Melrose Place at an even worse 1.38 million. The latter was down from previous week, while the former was up.
Wednesday again it was CBS with the overall win. CBS started slow with Old Christine doing 6.99 million, which was up a tad from the previous week, followed by Gary Unmarried at 6.91 million, also up a bit from its previous week. Veteran drama Criminal Minds did 13.92 million which was down a bit from the previous week, with CSI: NY doing 13.4 million, up a million from previous week. ABC started the 8pm hour with Hank & The Middle and did OK. Hank did an OK 6.15 million but only a 1.6 18-49 rating again. The Middle did a better 6.77 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating, nice builds from the lead-in in 18-49. New episodes of the hilarious sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town both did well again with 9.35 and 8.0 million, but up from previous week. The A18-49 ratings for both were more telling doing 3.6 and 3.3. Shelley Long and the entire Modern Family episode was SO funny this week! Loved the song! At 10pm Eastwick did only 5.08 million, on par really from previous week, wish it was doing better because it is a nice guilty pleasure. NBC opened the night with Mercy doing 7.37 million, down a tad from the previous week. Law & Order: SVU followed and did 8.77 million, up some from previous week. Slowly going up, while Criminal Minds is slowly going down. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 6.15 million, up week-to-week and best showing of the week. Fox was fourth, with So You Think You Can Dance at 7.21 million...up a million from previous week, and then Glee followed to a decent 7.65 million and a 3.4 A18-49 rating, both up from previous week. The CW had its usual showing of Top Model at 3.0 million, down a tad from previous week and a repeat of Melrose Place followed with just 800,000 viewers. This is a dud!
Thursday it was ABC on top in 18-49 and CBS overall again. ABC opened the night with FLASHFORWARD doing 9.07 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, both up some from previous week. Dominc Monaghan joins the cast officially this week. A new Grey's Anatomy followed with 13.79 million and a great 5.0 A18-49 rating, but both down from previous week. And a new episode of Private Practice did a solid 10.36 million and a first place at 10pm 3.8 A18-49 rating, both up week-to-week. Dr. Bailey was great, could we see Dr. Sam Bennett go to Seattle Grace as the "cardio god?" Hmm... CBS opened with Survivor: Samoa at 11.78 million and a 3. A18-49 rating, both up a tick week-to-week. A new episode of CSI followed with 15.38 million, up some week-to-week, while The Mentalist was also up week-to-week with 15.08 million. Fox started off well with Bones at a solid 9.59 million...down from previous week, and Fringe followed and only did 5.78 million and a 2.2 18-49 rating, both basically the same as previous week. NBC was next with Community at 8pm doing 5.01 million up some from previous week, followed by sitcom dud Parks & Recreation at only 4.53 million, down week-to-week. At 9pm, The Office did 8.03 million and a solid 4.1 18-49 rating, both down week-to-week when the special one-hour episode aired. Season premiere of 30 Rock did only 6.39 million, down big from Palin infected last fall. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 5.37 million, but up week-to-week. The CW's only consistent player so far is Vampire Diaries doing 3.88 million, up week-to-week, followed by Supernatural at a could-be-better 2.58 million, but up some from previous week.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas overall but Fox won the 18-49 rating crown with MLB ALCS Game 1. Much better than the regular Brothers, 'Til Death & Dollhouse while ABC did OK with Ugly Betty's premiere.
Saturday numbers were not available, but look for Fox to win big with MLB ALCS Game 2, as the Yankees won a long thriller!
Tonight the full ABC Sunday line-up is airing (AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters), look for solid numbers as usual. NBC should have something to tout about with the NFL game, but could be down from previous week due to MLB Playoffs on TBS. CBS has its usual players, but Three Rivers will be slaughtered again, as the cancelation click is ticking. Fox has its animation block from 8-10pm, including rookie The Cleveland Show. A new Brothers also airs again tonight at 7 on a special night and time.
As for week three, CBS will win in HH, viewers and but Fox will win 18-49 thanks to MLB ALCS games. Look for ABC in second in HH/viewers, but likely third in 18-49. NBC will be fourth in all categories, as Fox will over take them in HH/viewers this week.

Week 4 How the Sitcoms Did

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week 3-- October 5-11)

• Brothers (Fox) - A special new episode at 7pm did only 1.7 million, but it was preempted in 20% of the country for NFL. Everyone came on board at 7:23pm and still only did 2.47 million.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - 7.6 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating...both down a lot from the previous week as no direct NFL lead-in this week.
• The Cleveland Show (Fox) 2 episodes - 7.87 million and a 3.9 18-49 rating. Both down a lot from the week prior, but still very good to build on the lead-in. A special repeat of the pilot at 7:30pm did 3.7 million.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 8.97 million and a 4.6 18-49 rating. Both down from the previous week, again no direct NFL lead-in this week.
• American Dad (Fox) - 6.75 million and a 3.5 18-49 rating...both down just some from previous week.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - New episode did 8.56 million, higher than the previous week, and back to a 3.6 A18-49 rating after dropping a bit the previous week.
• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 7.73 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, both up from the previous week. Bleeding stopped a bit, as it went up some.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.17 million...up from the previous week. Sitcom leader overall.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 13.07 million...up from the previous week and still built from the lead-in's 18-49 rating from a 4.8 to a 5.0, though not as high of a build than the past few weeks. Still sitcom leader in 18-49.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - New episode did 6.99 million, up a bit from previous week. 18-49 rating of a 2.1 was also up.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Like the lead-in, 6.91 million, up a bit from previous week, but built from the lead-in a bit in 18-49 to a 2.3 rating.
• Hank (ABC) - Down a bit from previous week's 6.45 million to 6.15 million...not good, but not totally bad either. 18-49 rating was even from previous week at 1.6...needs to do better.
• The Middle (ABC) - 6.77 million, basically on par from previous week and it built nicely from the lead-in in 18-49 from a 1.6 to a 2.0.
• Modern Family (ABC) - A hilarious episode did 9.35 million and a nice 3.6 18-49 rating, both up week-to-week. Shelley Long deserves an Emmy here. Single camera sitcom leader overall now.
• Cougar Town (ABC) - A great episode did 8.0 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, both also up some from previous week.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Community (NBC) - New episode did 5.01 million and a 2.0 18-49 rating ... both up a tad from previous week.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - This show did terrible doing only 4.53 million and just a 2.0 A18-49 rating, down some from previous week.
• The Office (NBC) - 8.03 million for a new episode, down from the special one-hour episode the previous week, but better than the previous weeks. In 18-49 it did a 4.1 rating.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - Season premiere only mustered 6.39 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating. Dropped over a point in 18-49 from the lead-in...not good.

Friday Sitcoms

• Brothers (Fox) - preempted for baseball.
• 'Til Death (Fox) - preempted for baseball.
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox's animated comedies from 8-10PM, along with Brothers at 7.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, Cougar Town, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Middle, 30 Rock) or just plain old terrible (such as Hank, Parks & Recreation).

Week 3 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 3 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Wed):
(Network averages for Thursday were not available, thus here are final network averages for Mon-Wed. Final program numbers are available in the analysis, though.)

Households: #1. CBS 8.3/13.3; #2. ABC 6.4/10.2; #3. Fox 4.8/7.4; #4. NBC 4.4/7.0; #5. The CW 1.4/2.2
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 13.11 million; #2. ABC 9.72 million; #3. Fox 8.05 million; #4. NBC 6.84 million; #5. The CW 2.01 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. CBS 3.5/9.2; #2. Fox 3.3/8.8; #3. ABC 2.5/6.5; #4. NBC 2.4/6.3; #5. The CW 1.0/2.7.

Analysis: For week three we have CBS on top through the first four days in all categories and it will remain that way after tonight, too. I'll explain why later. Through the first four days in week two, CBS has the lead in all categories, with ABC second in HH/viewers but a close third in 18-49 (after Thursday numbers are counted in), with Fox in third in HH/viewers, but second in 18-49 and NBC is back in fourth everywhere. Last week, week 2, Fox took the crown in 18-49 nipping both ABC and CBS (tied for second), while CBS won the week in HH/total viewers. ABC was second in HH/viewers. NBC was third in HH/viewers (thanks to an NFL game), with Fox fourth. NBC was fourth in 18-49, though...even with the NFL.
On Monday ABC, Fox and CBS did well again. A two-hour Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race with 16.35 million for ABC, down from the previous week, but ABC programs were preempted in the Minneapolis, Milwaukee/Green Bay markets for the huge NFL game. An all-new Castle followed with a solid 9.23 million, up from the previous week a bit despite not airing in those markets this week due to NFL. Good job! Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother started it off with 8.08 million, down from the previous week by nearly a million and Accidentally on Purpose followed doing 7.17 million and a 2.8 18-49 rating, which could be better...both down from the previous week. Two and a Half Men followed with 13.3 million which was down a bit from the previous week, but The Big Bang Theory continues to impress and did a nice 12.52 million, but that was down nearly a million from the previous week. The show also did a 4.7 18-49 rating, down from the series high of 5.3 the previous week. A new episode of CSI: Miami did 13.43 million, down a bit from the previous week. Fox had a regular edition of House and it did 13.74 million, which was down a million from the the previous week... the show did a 5.4 A18-49 rating, down from the 5.8 the previous week. NBC followed with the free-falling Heroes doing 5.46 million, down from the previous week. A new episode of Trauma followed and did only 5.36 million and only a 1.7 A18-49 rating, both down from the premiere the previous week. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 4.45 million, down a million from previous week. The CW on Mondays has been a struggle so far, with One Tree Hill doing only 2.13 million and Gossip Girl at an even worse 2.08 million...both down week-to-week.
On Tuesday, CBS was in control despite some declines. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opening the night off with 20.7 million, down from the series high the previous week. A new episode of NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 16.31 million, down a million again from the previous week and lost the 18-49 crown for the first time. And finally CBS aired The Good Wife and did 13.69 million, exactly the same as previous week. Wasn't Without a Trace doing about the same and CBS canned it? ABC was a distant second with a new episode of Shark Tank doing only 5.15 million...but up a bit week-to-week. Again, this show is perfect for summer. Then it was Dancing with the Stars: The Results doing 12.42 million, down week-to-week as we said goodbye to Debi Mazar and also Tom Delay as he left due to injury. ABC followed with a new episode of the forgotten doing 7.55 million, up a bit week-to-week despite the lead-in going down. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser 2-hour show doing 9.25 million, up a bit from previous week, followed by the The Jay Leno Show at just 6.22 million (the best it can do), which was down from previous week. Fox aired Hell's Kitchen at 8 doing 7.43 million and a solid 3.3 18-49 rating, both up week-to-week. Quietly this show delivers. So You Think You Can Dance Tuesday was next and it bombed with only 5.47 million, but up week-to-week. The CW aired 90210 with just 2.09 million, followed by dud Melrose Place at an even worse 1.6 million. The latter was up a bit from previous week, while the former was down.
Wednesday again it was CBS with the overall win, but ABC and Fox had a lot doing well. CBS started slow with Old Christine doing 6.86 million, which was up a tad from the previous week, followed by Gary Unmarried at 6.84 million, up a bit from its previous week. Veteran drama Criminal Minds did 14.05 million which was down a bit from the previous week, with CSI: NY doing 12.43 million, down from previous week. ABC started the 8pm hour with Hank & The Middle but saw declines. Hank did an OK 6.45 million but only a 1.6 18-49 rating, both down from the premiere the previous week. The Middle did a better 6.79 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, nice builds from the lead-in in 18-49, as it shows Hank is the weak link. New episodes of the hilarious sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town both did well again with 8.82 and 7.84 million, but down some from previous week. The A18-49 ratings for both were more telling doing 3.4 and 3.2. Look for Shelley Long on Modern Family this week, and I have seen it and it is SO funny! Best episode probably yet. If you liked the pilot, you're in for some great stuff again. WATCH!! At 10pm Eastwick did only 5.14 million, down from previous week, which is a shame because that was the best episode yet. NBC opened the night with Mercy doing 7.43 million, up a tad from the previous week. Law & Order: SVU followed and only did 8.29 million, but up some from previous week. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 5.71 million, down week-to-week again. Fox was fourth, with So You Think You Can Dance at 6.22 million...down from previous week, but then Glee followed to a decent 7.28 million and a 3.3 A18-49 rating, both were on par really from previous week. The CW had its usual showing of Top Model at 3.16 million, down a tad from previous week and a repeat of Melrose Place followed with just 980,000 viewers.
Thursday it was ABC on top in 18-49 and CBS overall again. ABC opened the night with FLASHFORWARD doing 9.0 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, both very solid but down some from previous week. Look for it to do better this week. A new Grey's Anatomy followed with 14.13 million and a great 5.4 A18-49 rating. And new episode of Private Practice did a solid 9.5 million and a first place at 10pm 3.6 A18-49 rating. Dr. Bailey guest stars next week! CBS opened with Survivor: Gabon at 11.69 million and a 3.4 A18-49 rating. A new episode of CSI followed with 14.9 million, down a million week-to-week, while The Mentalist was also down a million week-to-week with 14.7 million. Fox started off well with Bones at a solid 10.29 million...up again from previous week, but Fringe followed and only did 5.83 million and a 2.1 18-49 rating, both down from previous week. Baseball on TBS could have effected all the male driven shows on this night like FLASHFORWARD and Fringe. NBC was next with Community in its new time of 8pm doing 4.87 million down from SNL's numbers the previous week and its own numbers, followed by sitcom dud Parks & Recreation at only 4.75 million, though it was up ever so slightly week-to-week. At 9pm a special one-hour episode of The Office did 9.42 million and a solid 4.8 18-49 rating, both up big week-to-week. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 4.84 million, down week-to-week again. It went down every night this week. Stupid NBC. The CW's only consistent player so far is Vampire Diaries doing 3.5w million, on par really week-to-week, followed by Supernatural at a could-be-better 2.47 million...what happened this season?
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas but only mustered a prelim 1.9 18-49 rating average. Fox continues to stumble on Friday with Brothers, 'Til Death & Dollhouse watching the cancelation clock.
Saturday numbers had CBS win with College Football as #1 Florida beat #4 LSU in a defensive battle.
Tonight the full ABC Sunday line-up is airing (AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters). NBC should have something to tout about with the NFL game, but could be down from previous week due to MLB Playoffs on TBS. CBS has its usual players, but Three Rivers will be slaughtered again. Fox has its animation block from 8-10pm, including rookie The Cleveland Show. But how will it due this week without NFL? A new Brothers also airs tonight at 7 on a special night and time.
As for week three, CBS will win in HH, viewers and even 18-49 thanks to College Football on Saturday probably tripling their usual numbers. Look for ABC in second in HH/viewers, but likely third in 18-49. NBC could be 3rd in HH/viewers, and a closer fourth in 18-49. With Fox likely taking second in 18-49 but fourth in HH/viewers.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of September 28-October 4)

• Brothers (Fox) encore - preempted.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - 9.37 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating...both up from the season premiere the previous week. A direct NFL lead-in helps.
• The Cleveland Show (Fox) - 8.86 million and a 4.4 18-49 rating. Both down from the series premiere a week prior, but still very good.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 9.86 million and a 5.1 18-49 rating. Both down just a tad from the season premiere. Fox doesn't have a direct NFL lead-in this week...so expect big declines for all of the animated comedies.
• American Dad (Fox) - 7.14 million and a 3.6 18-49 rating...both exactly the same from the season premiere a week prior. Not bad, but could be better considering the lead-in.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - New episode did 8.08 million, lower than the previous week, but the 3.4 A18-49 rating is solid.
• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 7.17 million for week three and a 2.8 18-49 rating, both down from the previous week. Concerning, but let's see the next few weeks how it does.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.3 million...down some from the previous week.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 12.52 million...down from the previous week but still built from the lead-in's 18-49 rating from a 4.4 to a 4.7...nicely done.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - New episode did 6.86 million, up a bit from previous week. 18-49 rating of a 1.9 was the same though.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Like the lead-in, 6.84 million, up a bit from previous week, but built from the lead-in a bit in 18-49 to a 2.2 rating.
• Hank (ABC) - Down two million from 8.34 million to 6.45 million in week two. 2.2 18-49 for the premiere was down to 1.6 this week. Not good.
• The Middle (ABC) -6.79 million for week two is not too good, but it built nicely from the lead-in in 18-49 from a 1.6 to a 2.1. ABC needs to remove Hank. This show is not the problem...it has been picked-up for a full season!
• Modern Family (ABC) - Episode three did 8.82 million and a nice 3.4 18-49 rating, but both down week-to-week. Look for a rise this week with Shelley Long guesting. And it is GREAT. I've seen it. Trust me!
• Cougar Town (ABC) - Episode three for this great sitcom did 7.84 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, both also down some from previous week. Promos for next week look good with Cox in a hot dress with noodles in her hair? Find out what I mean this Wednesday!
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - This show did terrible doing only 4.75 million and just a 2.1 A18-49 rating...sorry Amy Poehler, but you did go up from previous week a bit for a second straight week!
• The Office (NBC) - Building on the lead-in, the special one-hour wedding episode did 9.42 million, but its strength is 18-49 and it did a 4.8 rating.
• Community (NBC) - The series is now at 8pm and only did 4.87 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating ... both down big from previous week when it had the cushy Office lead-in.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• Brothers (Fox) - Worse than the previous two weeks! Prelim ratings show a terrible 2.35 million.
• 'Til Death (Fox) - Premlim shows 2.36 million, but better than the previous week's prelim of 2.29 million!
• Modern Family (ABC) - Special encore of Wednesday's episode did a prelim 2.95 million at 9pm. Anything for more exposure!
• The Middle (ABC) - Special encore of Wednesday's episode did a prelim 2.76 million. Hey it beat the Fox sitcoms!
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox's animated comedies from 8-10PM, along with Brothers at 7.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, Cougar Town, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as The Middle, Accidentally on Purpose) or just plain old terrible (such as Community, Brothers).

Week 2 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 2 numbers (first four nights, Mon-Thurs):

Households: #1. CBS 8.6/14.0; #2. ABC 7.1/11.5; #3. Fox 4.8/7.5; #4. NBC 4.3/7.0; #5. The CW 1.6/2.5
Total Viewers: #1. CBS 13.8 million; #2. ABC 10.96 million; #3. Fox 7.99 million; #4. NBC 6.76 million; #5. The CW 2.37 million.
Adults 18-49: #1. CBS 3.8/10.3; #2. ABC 3.2/8.8; #3. Fox 3.2/8.5; #4. NBC 2.4/6.7; #5. The CW 1.1/3.1.

Analysis: For week two we had some new series debuts along with season premieres for this 2009-10 season. Through the first four days in week two, CBS has the lead in all categories, with ABC second, Fox in third and NBC is back in fourth. ABC was up through the first four days during premiere week, but CBS is on top so far this week. Last week, week 1, ABC took the crown in 18-49 nipping CBS, while CBS just edged ABC in HH/total viewers. NBC was third in HH/viewers (thanks to an NFL game), with Fox fourth. It was the opposite among 18-49 with Fox third, and NBC in fourth. Without the NFL, NBC is in terrible shape. Jay Leno might be cheap to make, but 8pm and 9pm are even weaker now for NBC.
On Monday ABC, Fox and CBS did well. A two-hour Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race with 17.03 million for ABC, down a bit from the premiere the previous week. An all-new Castle followed with a solid 9.15 million, basically on par with its numbers the previous week. What a great and fun show this is! Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother started it off with 8.71 million, down a bit from the premiere and Accidentally on Purpose followed doing 8.03 million and a 3.1 18-49 rating, which could be better...both down from the premiere a bit. Two and a Half Men followed with 13.86 million which was up a bit from the season premiere, but The Big Bang Theory continues to impress and did a nice 13.27 million, up from the premiere. The show also did a mammoth 5.3 18-49 rating, for a series high. A new episode of CSI: Miami did 13.96 million, down a bit from the premiere. Fox had a regular edition of House and it did 14.71 million, which was down nearly three million from the two-hour premiere the previous week... the show did a 5.8 A18-49 rating, down from the 6.7 the previous week. NBC followed with the free-falling Heroes doing 5.72 million, down from the premiere previous week. The series premiere of Trauma followed and did an OK 6.68 million but just a 2.2 A18-49 rating. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 5.52 million, down from previous week. The CW on Mondays has been a struggle so far, with One Tree Hill doing only 2.51 million and Gossip Girl at an even worse 2.36 million...but both were up week-to-week.
On Tuesday, CBS was in control. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opening the night off with 21.37million, up from the season premiere even and this was another series high. Don't know how, though. A new episode of NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 17.4 million, down over a million from the series premiere. And finally CBS aired The Good Wife and did 13.69 million, also solid and on par with the premiere really. Good Tuesday for CBS overall. ABC was a distant second with the return of Shark Tank doing only 4.75 million...needs to do better. This show is perfect for summer. Then it was Dancing with the Stars: The Results on its normal night and time doing 13.02 million as we said goodbye to Kathy Ireland. ABC followed with a new episode of the forgotten doing 7.45 million, down two million from the series premiere. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser 2-hour show doing 9.18 million, up a lot from previous week, followed by the The Jay Leno Show at just 6.58 million (the best it can do), which was down from previous week. Fox aired Hell's Kitchen at 8 doing 6.64 million and a solid 3.1 18-49 rating. So You Think You Can Dance Tuesday was next and it bombed with only 5.18 million. The CW aired 90210 with just 2.21 million, followed by dud Melrose Place at an even worse 1.42 million. The latter was down a bit from previous week, while the former was up.
Wednesday again it was CBS with the overall win, but ABC and Fox had a lot doing well. CBS started slow with Old Christine doing 6.65 million, which was down from the season premiere, followed by Gary Unmarried at just 6.65 million as well, down a bit from its premiere. Veteran drama Criminal Minds did 14.24 million which was down well over a million from the season premiere, with CSI: NY doing 13.16 million, down two million from previous weeks' premiere. ABC started the 8pm hour on top with Hank & The Middle with their series premiere. Hank did a solid 8.34 million but the 2.2 18-49 rating was low. The Middle did a better 8.71 million and a better 2.6 18-49 rating. If ABC can keep those numbers or close to it, they'll take it in this weak hour. New episodes of the hilarious sitcoms Modern Family and Cougar Town both did very well in week two with 9.99 and 9.25 million, but the 3.8 A18-49 ratings for both were more telling giving ABC the win at 9pm. At 10pm Eastwick did an OK 6.57 million, down two million from the premiere. It's a surprisingly good show! NBC opened the night with Mercy doing 7.39 million, down a million from the premiere. Law & Order: SVU followed and only did 8.08 million...see you can't just move a 10pm hit and move it to 9pm where this is more competition. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 6.11 million, down week-to-week. Fox was fourth, with So You Think You Can Dance at 6.81 million...up from previous week since there was no Dancing on ABC, but then Glee followed to a decent 7.4 million and a 3.3 A18-49 rating, both were up from previous week. The CW had its usual showing of Top Model at 3.28 million, up a lot from previous week and a repeat of Melrose Place followed with just 1.02 million.
Thursday it was ABC on top in 18-49 and CBS overall. ABC opened the night with FLASHFORWARD doing 10.73 million and a 3.7 18-49 rating, both very solid and competitive. A new Grey's Anatomy followed with 15.69 million and a great 6.1 A18-49 rating. And the season premiere of Private Practice impressed with 11.58 million and a great 4.6 A18-49 rating. What a premiere that was! CBS opened with Survivor: Gabon at 11.54 million and a 3.7 A18-49 rating. A new episode of CSI followed with 15.94 million, down a tad week-to-week, while The Mentalist was up week-to-week with 15.75 million. Fox started off well with Bones at a solid 9.43 million...up some from previous week, but Fringe followed and only did 6.03 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating, on par from previous week. NBC was in the familiar fourth place with SNL Thursday Update doing only 5.02 million but it was up from previous week, followed by sitcom dud Parks & Recreation at only 4.67 million, though it was up week-to-week. At 9pm The Office only mustered 7.41 million but a solid 3.9 18-49 rating, but way down than last year. Community closed the comedy block with only 5.86 million, but up some from previous week. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 5.03 million, down a bit week-to-week. The CW's only consistent player so far is Vampire Diaries doing 3.53 million, off a bit week-to-week, followed by Supernatural at a could-be-better 2.6 million.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas but only mustered a prelim 1.7 18-49 rating average. Fox continues to stumble on Friday with Brothers, 'Til Death & Dollhouse and NBC was a disappointment.
Saturday numbers had ABC win with Saturday Night Football in all categories and Fox was solid in young adults with its crime reality.
Tonight the full ABC Sunday line-up is back (AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters). Some good stuff on Brothers and Sisters tonight...it is great. NBC should have something to tout about finally this week with the NFL game. CBS has the premiere of Three Rivers which could be slaughtered. Fox has its animation block from 8-10pm, including rookie The Cleveland Show.
As for week two, CBS will win in HH, viewers and 18-49. Though ABC could nip CBS in 18-49. Question is if NBC can move from 4th to 3rd thanks to NFL?

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of September 21-27)

• Brothers (Fox) 2 episodes - 1.79 million and 3.64 million for two repeats. Some of the country had NFL until 7:21, so the first repeat was joined in progress and it did 3.3 million after the game, which is terrible.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - The season premiere did an outstanding 8.31 million and a 4.3 18-49 rating.
• The Cleveland Show (Fox) - The highly promoted series premiere did 9.51 million and an impressive 4.9 18-49 rating. If it can hold that, Fox will be more than pleased.
• Family Guy (Fox) - Wow the season premiere did 10.11 million and a huge 5.2 18-49 rating. It won't last, but that is a good start!
• American Dad (Fox) - The season premiere did 7.14 million and a solid but could be better (since the lead-in did excellent) 3.6 18-49 rating.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - New episode did 8.71 million, lower than the season premiere, but did retain the 3.6 A18-49 rating.
• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 8.03 million for week two and a 3.1 18-49 rating, both down from the premiere. If it falls below 8 million and a 3 18-49 rating, then CBS will be concerned.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.86 million...up from the season premiere.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 13.27 million...also up from the season premiere and built from the lead-in's 18-49 rating from a 4.8 to a 5.3...nicely done. That was a great episode, too. That insect professor was a riot!

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - New episode did 6.65 million, down from the season premiere. 18-49 rating of a 1.9 needs to be better and also down from the premiere.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Like the lead-in, 6.65 million, not as much down from previous week, but built from the lead-in a bit in 18-49 to a 2.2 rating.
• Hank (ABC) - The series premiere was sampled...did a decent 8.34 million but the 2.2 18-49 rating could be better.
• The Middle (ABC) -8.71 million for the premiere was solid but thanks to the lead-in the 18-49 rating was a disappointing 2.6 rating. If it can hold that, then that is fine. Funny show!
• Modern Family (ABC) - Episode two did 9.99 million and a nice 3.8 18-49 rating. Looks like a solid hit that skews young!
• Cougar Town (ABC) - Episode two for this great sitcom did 9.25 million and also a 3.8 18-49 rating. If both of these can do a 3.6 or more every week, then ABC is in business and has a good comedy foundation.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - This show did terrible doing only 4.67 million and just a 2.0 A18-49 rating...sorry Amy Poehler, but you did go up from previous week a bit!
• The Office (NBC) - Building on the lead-in, the series did 7.41 million, but its strength is 18-49 and it did a 3.9 rating.
• Community (NBC) - A new episode did 5.86 million and a 2.9 18-49 rating ... both up some from previous week. Wonder if it can retain that when it moves to 8pm soon?
  

Friday Sitcoms

• Brothers (Fox) - Worse than the premiere! Prelim ratings show a terrible 2.42 million.
• 'Til Death (Fox) - The season premiere did only a prelim 2.29 million!
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox's animated comedies from 8-10PM.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, Cougar Town, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, & The Middle were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Hank, Gary Unmarried) or just plain old terrible (such as 'Til Death, Brothers).

Week 1 TV Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 1 numbers (first four nights of the season, Mon-Thu):
(Unfortunately we didn't get the network averages through Thursday in time for this, but it is clearly in the rankings like this thru Thursday night. See program finals thru Thursday in analysis.)

Households: #1 ABC; #2 CBS; #3 Fox; #4 NBC; #5 The CW; #6 MNT.
Total Viewers: #1 ABC; #2 CBS; #3 Fox; #4 NBC; #5 The CW; #6 MNT.
Adults 18-49: #1 ABC; #2 CBS; #3 Fox; #4 NBC; #5 The CW; #6 MNT.

Analysis: We're back with another all-new TV season! The 2009-10 season has begun and most of the shows debuted this past week, with still some shows debuting in the next few weeks. Through the first four days, ABC has the lead in all categories as they did the past few seasons, with CBS second, Fox is in third this year, while NBC is back in fourth. ABC and CBS are just a tad down or on par really from last year's premiere week, with Fox way up thanks to a big House premiere but NBC is way down from last year's premiere week. Among 18-49, it is very close thru Thursday night. ABC has a prelim 4.0/10 rating/share in the demo, followed closely by CBS with a 3.9/10, Fox also has a 3.9/10, with NBC way behind with a 2.5/6 (last year they were at a 3.4/8.8 this time).
Monday was the first night of the 2009-10 season and it was a three way battle between Fox, ABC, and CBS. Two-hour season premiere of Dancing with the Stars won the total viewer race with 17.79 million for ABC, but down from last year. The competition was much stiffer this year, but still did a solid 4.1 18-49 rating. The season premiere of Castle followed with a solid 9.26 million, on par with its numbers in the spring and an improvement over Boston Legal last fall. Fox had the two-hour season premiere of House and it did a surprising 17.16 million and a mammoth 6.7 A18-49 rating. Next up was CBS with its comedies and CSI: Miami. How I Met Your Mother started it off with 9.09 million, below last year's premiere and Accidentally on Purpose followed with its series premiere doing 8.91 million and a 3.3 18-49 rating, which could be better. Two and a Half Men followed with 13.63 million which seems below normal for the series, but The Big Bang Theory moved to its new time and did a nice 12.96 million, the only timeslot to go up for CBS from last year's premiere week. The show also did a solid 4.7 18-49 rating, for second for the night. The season premiere of CSI: Miami did 14.2 million, down a lot from last year's premiere. NBC followed with the two-hour season premiere of Heroes. The series goes down every year and this year the premiere was only at 6.1 million, down over 4 million from last fall's premiere. The Jay Leno Show followed with only 5.81 million. The CW on Mondays has been a struggle so far, with One Tree Hill doing only 2.29 million and Gossip Girl at an even worse 1.97 million. Last year both were over 3 million.
Tuesday, CBS and ABC battled. CBS had the always reliable NCIS opened the night off with 20.6 million, up over 2 million from last year's premiere and this was another series high. The premiere of NCIS: Los Angeles was next and did 18.73 million, though a concern was the drop in the second half. And finally CBS premiered The Good Wife and did 13.71 million, also solid but needs to be watched because of a drop at the halfway point. Good Tuesday for CBS. ABC was next with the ladies turn to dance on Dancing with the Stars doing 15.37 million from 8-10pm, the series premiere of the forgotten followed and did a decent 9.54 million. NBC was next with The Biggest Loser 2-hour show doing 7.55 million, down from its season premiere the previous week, followed by the The Jay Leno Show at just 6.91 million. Fox gave way to two episodes of Hell's Kitchen doing 6.78 and 6.98 million, but the show did a second place in 18-49 at a 3.3 average. The CW aired 90210 with just 2.0 million, followed by dud Melrose Place at an even worse 1.44 million.
Wednesday again it was a battle between CBS and ABC. CBS had the season premiere of Old Christine doing 7.17 million, which was up some from last year's season premieres, followed by the season premiere of Gary Unmarried at just 6.86 million, on par with its premiere last year. Veteran drama Criminal Minds did 15.84 million and a solid 4.4 A18-49 rating, with CSI: NY doing 15.06 million. ABC had a special night and time of Dancing with the Stars, this time the Results. Bye bye to Ashley Hamilton and Macy Gray, as 15.36 million tuned in for the hour results show at 8pm, on par with last year's special on this night. The series premiere of Modern Family and Cougar Town both did very well at 12.6 and 11.28 million, but the 4.2 and 4.4 A18-49 ratings for both were more telling. At 10pm Eastwick premiered to a solid 8.5 million and a nice 3.0 18-49 rating. NBC opened the night with the series premiere of Mercy doing 8.38 million, not bad, but the 2.3 18-49 rating could be better. Law & Order: SVU on its new night and time had a hard time and only did 8.36 million. At 10pm NBC aired The Jay Leno Show of course at just 6.38 million. Fox was fourth, with So You Think You Can Dance at only 5.5 million, but then Glee followed to a decent 6.64 million and a 3.1 A18-49 rating. The CW had its usual showing of Top Model at a only 2.82 million, even this is below 3 million now...a new episode of The Beautiful Life: TBL followed with just 1.05 million....ouch, CW has now pulled it!
Thursday it was ABC on top. ABC opened the night with the series premiere of FLASHFORWARD doing a 12.47 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, both first place finishes in the hour. The two-hour Grey's Anatomy season premiere followed with 17.03 million and a great 6.7 A18-49 rating. CBS opened with Survivor: Gabon at 11.66 million and a 3.7 A18-49 rating. The season premiere of CSI followed with 16.01 million, while the Thursday premiere of The Mentalist wasn't as strong as it was on Tuesday doing 15.07 million. Fox started off well with Bones at a solid 9.11 million, but Fringe followed and only did 5.73 million and a 2.3 18-49 rating. NBC was in the familiar fourth place with SNL Thursday Update doing only 4.54 million, followed by sitcom dud Parks & Recreation at only 4.09 million. At 9pm The Office only mustered 7.46 million but a solid 3.9 18-49 rating, but way down than last year. Community closed the comedy block with only 5.39 million, not good for the second episode. The Jay Leno Show closed the night with only 5.13 million. The CW's only consistent player so far is Vampire Diaries doing 3.8 million, followed by Supernatural at a could-be-better 2.66 million.
Now, final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with their dramas but only mustered a prelim 2.0 18-49 rating average. ABC was second despite repeats, with 20/20 the best of the night in 18-49. Fox had a dismal Friday with its premieres inclding Brothers and NBC was a disappointment.
Saturday numbers had ABC win with Saturday Night Football in all categories and Fox was solid in young adults with its crime reality.
Tonight are the season premieres for ABC Sunday (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters). I saw the premiere of Desperate Housewives already, and it is great...look for the bride reveal right away! NBC should have something to tout about finally this week with the NFL game, as their highest rated show so far has been Mercy at 8.38 million...very sad. CBS has the two-hour season premiere of Amazing Race following 60 Minutes and Cold Case moves to 10pm. Fox launches its animation block with season premieres from 8-10pm, including the premiere of The Cleveland Show.
As for the week, ABC will win in HH, viewers and 18-49 most likely. CBS could come close in HH and viewers, but ABC likely has sealed 18-49. Will it be a clean sweep for ABC? They've got a good shot.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of September 14-20)

• The Simpsons (Fox) 3 episodes - three repeat episodes starting at 7:30 to 9pm did 3.72, 5.08, and 5.52 million ...season premiere is tonight
• The Cleveland Show (Fox) - series premiere tonight.
• Family Guy (Fox) - A repeat did 5.34 million...season premiere is tonight.
• American Dad (Fox) - A repeat did 4.53 million...yes, season premiere is tonight.
  

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - The season premiere did 9.09 million, lower than the timeslot premiere of Big Bang Theory last year and lower than last season's season premiere, which was at 8:30pm, of 9.79 million. Still decent.
• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) - 8.91 million for the series premiere is lower than last year's 9.79 million of How I Met Your Mother, and only a 3.3 18-49 rating compared to Mother's 4.0 from last year. This show needs to sustain these numbers at least to be a hit.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 13.63 million...down from last season's season premiere. Lots of competition.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 12.96 million for the season premiere on its new time, and built from the lead-in's 18-49 rating from a 4.5 to a 4.7...nicely done. The only timeslot to go up for CBS on this night from last year.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Season premiere did OK, doing 7.17 million. 18-49 rating of a 2.2 needs to be better.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Season premiere only mustered 6.86 million, but built from the lead-in a bit in 18-49 to a 2.3 rating.
• Modern Family (ABC) - The series premiere did a massive 12.6 million and a nice 4.2 18-49 rating. Best comedy premiere in at least 2 seasons.
• Cougar Town (ABC) - The series premiere of this sitcom did a solid 11.28 million and an even better 4.4 18-49 rating.
  

Thursday Sitcoms

• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - This show did terrible doing only 4.09 million and just a 1.8 A18-49 rating...sorry Amy Poehler.
• The Office (NBC) - Building on the lead-in, the series did 7.46 million, but its strength is 18-49 and it did a 3.9 rating.
• Community (NBC) - Second week had a big dip to only 5.39 million and a 2.7 18-49 rating is concerning, especially following a 3.9.
  

Friday Sitcoms

• Brothers (Fox) 2 episodes - The series premiere did terrible with a prelim of 2.82 million for two episodes and only a prelim 1.0 A18-49 rating.
• Modern Family (ABC) - A special repeat of the pilot did actually solid for a repeat with a prelim 4.28 million and a 1.5 18-49 rating...beat new stuff on Fox and NBC. More sampling!
• Cougar Town (ABC) - A special repeat of the pilot also did decent with a prelim 4.18 million and a prelim 1.5 A18-49 rating. More sampling!
  

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.
  

Airing tonight (Sunday) are season premieres of Fox's animated comedies from 8-10PM.

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Modern Family, Cougar Town, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Accidentally on Purpose, were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as Community, Old Christine) or just plain old terrible (such as Parks & Recreation, Brothers).

Stay tuned this week for the premieres of Hank and The Middle joining Modern Family and Cougar Town on ABC Comedy Wednesday!

Summer Week 17 Sitcom Ratings (Last Week of Summer!)

Summer is winding down with just 1 day left until the start of the 2009-2010 season on Sept. 21. We will be back with our normal weekly report next week with the first four nights numbers and analysis...but today we still have our regular how the sitcoms did, Here are our summer sitcom ratings for this last week of summer:

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of Sept 7-13)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - preempted.
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - The final two episodes on Fox did 6.26 and 6.04 million after NFL. Not bad, could be better. 18-49 rating was decent of a 3.0 and 2.9.
• Family Guy (Fox) - Repeat only did 4.98 million and a below normal 2.4 18-49 rating.
• American Dad! (Fox) - Repeat only did 4.02 million and a 1.9 18-49 rating.

Summer Week 17 (September 14-20)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 2 episodes - 4.09 million for a repeat airing in its normal 8pm slot, but it was delayed to 8:41pm in the east/central due to Tennis US Open. A repeat at 8:30pm airing at a delayed 9:11pm did 4.78 million...both were down from previous week. Season premiere tomorrow!
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - Only 6.62 million for a repeat on at a delayed time of 9:41pm in the east/central. Season premiere is tomorrow for this show as well!
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 6.64 million for a repeat at a delayed time of 10:12pm in the east/central. 2.2 18-49 rating is below normal, but the weird time in the east/central is the reason for that. Season premiere is tomorrow. Can it do a series high of a 5.0 or more in 18-49? We shall see.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Only 4.2 million for a repeat. The season premiere is this Wednesday but it will have a tough time vs. a special Dancing with the Stars: The Results Show on a special night and time.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - 4.01 million for a repeat of this sitcom. I am not sure why this show was brought back.

Thursday Sitcoms

• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - The season premiere did only 4.89 million, that is down 29% from its series premiere in April. It was also down 30% in 18-49 from its series premiere. This show is going to have a tough time.
• The Office (NBC) - A solid season premiere doing 8.21 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating, but that also was down from last year's season premiere of 9.39 million and a much better 4.9 18-49 rating. I think the show has peaked.
• Community (NBC) - The series premiere got off to a promising start with 7.91 million and a 3.8 18-49 rating, holding a good portion of its lead-in. If it can maintain these numbers for the next few weeks, NBC will take it...but the competition gets much much harder this week. This premiere however was down from 30 Rock's season premiere of 8.73 million last year, but that was Sarah Palin affected.

Friday Sitcoms

• None.

Saturday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - Encore of Thursday's season premiere only did a prelim 1.9 million, not good.
• Community (NBC) - Encore of Thursday's premiere only did 1.64 million...also not good.

Tonight you can catch the 61st Annual Emmy Awards on CBS at 8pm. Elsewhere ABC has the network television premiere of King Kong from 7-11pm. Fox has animated repeats, while NBC will have NFL Football. The CW has repeat airings of The Beautiful Life: TBL and Melrose Place.
See you next week for the new season!

Summer Week 16 Sitcom Ratings; Blog DVD Review: Private Practice - The Complete Second Season (9/15)

Summer is winding down with just 8 days left until the start of the 2009-2010 season on Sept. 21. We will be back with our normal weekly report two weeks from today with the first four nights numbers and analysis...but today we still have our regular how the sitcoms did for the remainder of the summer! Here are our summer sitcom ratings for this past week:

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of August 30-Sept. 6)

• Til Death (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm did only 1.17 million...but it was Labor Day weekend.
• The Simpsons (Fox) - preempted for a movie.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - preempted for a movie...one-hour series finale airs tonight.
• Family Guy (Fox) - preempted for a movie.
• American Dad! (Fox) - preempted for a movie.

Summer Week 16 (September 7-13)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 2 episodes - 4.46 million for a repeat airing in its normal 8pm slot. A repeat at 8:30pm did 4.95 million...both were down from recent weeks, Labor Day I guess.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.02 million for a repeat on Labor Day, yet up from previous week I believe.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.09 million for a repeat. 2.8 18-49 rating is excellent for repeats, and the best of the CBS sitcom block for this night.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - preempted for Obama Address to Congress.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - preempted for Obama Address to Congress.

Thursday Sitcoms

• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - preempted for NFL Opening Night game.
• The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - preempted for NFL Opening Night game.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - preempted for NFL Opening Night game.

Friday Sitcoms

• None.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch the series finale of Fox's King of the Hill immediately following the NFL game followed by repeat of animated comedies from 9-10pm. Elsewhere ABC has a new Shark Tank at 9pm and the season finale of drama Defying Gravity at 10pm. CBS has 60 Minutes & Big Brother followed by the two-hour finale of There Goes the Neighborhood at 9pm, while NBC will have NFL Football. The CW has third airings of Vampire Diaries and Melrose Place pilots.



It is time for a special Sunday edition of the "Blog DVD Review." This week we take a look at ABC Studios' Private Practice: The Complete Second Season. Private Practice is the hit spin-off series of Grey's Anatomy that has Addison (Kate Walsh) in Los Angeles to work at her best friend's 'private practice' instead of the big hospital surgeries. See my Blog DVD review of Private Practice: The Complete Second Season:

Private Practice: The Complete Second Season (ABC Studios, $39.99) brings the second season of the Grey's Anatomy spin-off starring Kate Walsh on DVD with all 22 episodes! This season we experience all the challenges, changes, and second chanced found in this sizzling hit. This year Oceanside Wellness will have a competitor, as neo-netal surgeon Dr. Addison Montgomery will face the challenge of bringing the practice back on its feet after a rough patch.
The series will return to its Thursdays at 10PM timeslot on ABC this coming season following Grey's Anatomy. The series stars Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery (Obstetrics & Gynecology, Genetic Counseling), Tim Daly as Dr. Pete Wilder (Complementary Medicine), Audra McDonald as Dr. Naomi Bennett (Endocrinology & Fertility), Paul Adelstein as Dr. Cooper Freedman (Pediatrics), KaDee Strickland as Dr. Charolotte King (Chief of Staff at the nearby hospital), Chris Lowell as Dell Parker (Receptionist/Nurse), with Taye Diggs as Dr. Sam Bennett (Internal Medicine), and Amy Brenneman as Dr. Violet Turner (Psychiatry). Among the recurring stars are David Sutcliffe, Brian Benben, Grant Show, Jayne Brook, Josh Hopkins, and Jay Harrington. Among the special guests this year are Amy Acker, Ernie Hudson, Bill Dee Williams, Liz Torres, Patty McCormack, Amanda Detmer, Idina Menzel and the cast of Grey's Anatomy in a cross-over.

This second season was I believe a lot better than the first season when it was shortened by the strike and was trying to find itself. The series moved to Thursdays at 10pm in January after airing Wednesdays at 9pm prior to that. The third season premieres on October and I have seen the season premiere already and it leaves off where the second season leaves off. It is a great premiere you won't want to miss, for sure! Anyway, as for season two, some memorable episodes include the season premiere, "A Family Thing," where friendships are tested and secrets are revealed when Addison discovers that Naomi is concealing the practice's financial problems. In "Nothing to Talk About," Charlotte tries to woo Addison to St. Ambrose Hospital with promises of surgeries, as Addison and Kevin's relationship heats up. In "Tempting Faith," Addison receives a surprise visit from her brother and fellow surgeon, Archer (Grant Show), and his presence not only causes trouble for her, but for Naomi and Sam as well. In "Know When to Fold," Charlotte's rival practice, Pacific Wellcare, opens its doors and the competition with Oceanside Wellness begins, as Sam and Pete steal one of their clients, a favorite patient of Addison's goes to a Pacific Wellcare doctor for a second opinion. In "Homeward Bound," as Addison and Kevin struggle in their relationship, she finds herself attracted to Wyatt, the cocky doctor from rival Pacific Wellcare, while Violet seeks a way to carry on relationships with both Pete and Sheldon (Brian Benben), and Cooper grows closer to Charlotte when she experiences a family emergency. In "Acceptance," when Archer suffers a seizure, Addison and Naomi search for a cause and a cure and later call Derek for help. In "Ex-Life," Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Naomi try to discover why Sam has a sudden asthma attack while Addison helps Derek (Patrick Dempsey) save the life of his pregnant patient, in a cross-over episode with Grey's Anatomy. In "Finishing," Addison is attracted to a colleague at St. Ambrose Hospital who turns out to be more than she bargained for, while Pete and Sheldon team up to persuade Violet to take a paternity test, but she firmly resists their effort. In the outstanding season finale "Yours, Mine, and Ours," as Violet chooses between Pete and Sheldon, Addison faces her feelings for Noah as Morgan goes into labor, while Dell has concerns for his daughter when a drugged-out Heather returns to town and Naomi must decide if it's in her best interest to stay with Oceanside Wellness or start anew at Pacific Wellcare. And in the cliff-hanger, a grief-stricken patient poses a danger to Violet.

The episodes run usually close to 43 minutes (unless it is an extended episode, which I will discuss a bit later)...unedited of course with all the great music intact. There are about 7 chapter stops per episode. The video is digitally mastered and is in widescreen and looks very good! The audio is great and sounds very good, as it is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This is from the 2008-09 season, so it had better be good. Now as I discussed in the Grey's Anatomy Season 5 DVD Review, only the crossover episodes that aired as its own episode are here. So on the Grey's DVD, if it was under a Grey's episode, it is on that DVD only and not on the Private Practice DVD. So we don't get the Grey's Anatomy episodes "Beat Your Heart Out" (in which we see Derek at the end of the episode receiving the phone call from Addison), "Before and After" (the first actual cross-over with the gang going to Seattle) and "An Honest Mistake" (as Addison hangs around in Seattle to help on a case). It would have been nice if we had those episodes as extras at least! "Before and After" at least should be here as that episode is really needed, as the Private episode "Ex-Life" needs that episode to make sense. Buy the Grey's Season 5 DVD, I guess.

Packaging has an outer box that you can remove from the right then you'll see the digipak case inside, as last time. The outer box's cover has a nice big photo of Addison's face (with long hair) in the middle, with the seven remaining stars below that. The show logo is on the top in white wording and blue background. The back of the box has that blue background with information on the set and has some episodic screen shots from episodes that feature all eight of our stars. There is also a section detailing the bonus features box with technical specifications also. On the case itself, we have a nice cast photo at the beach on the front with the show logo and a nice blue background. The back of the case has the same style, with a episodic photos of Charlotte & Violet and one of Cooper. Opening the case, on the left side we see a pocket that holds inserts and on the pocket itself we have a disc-by-disc breakdown with episode titles and bonus features. There are two inserts in the left side pocket. We don't get an episode booklet this time, which is strange...but seems to be the case for all ABC DVDs this fall. Then there is an insert for other ABC Studios products and an insert for Blu-ray. On the right side of the case, we see an episodic photo of Sam and Naomi. Then we open the case again, in the middle we see discs one & two (overlapping, ugh) and the right side we see an episodic photo of Addison and Pete with Dell & Violet in the background. Opening the case on final time, we have a panel for discs three & four and on the far right we have a panel for discs five & six. Each disc matches the set's color scheme, that blue background and has nice character artwork. Disc one has episodes 1-4 with artwork of Addison & Pete. Disc two has episodes 5-8 and has artwork of Sam & Naomi. Disc three has episodes 9-12 and has artwork of Cooper & Violet. Disc four has episodes 13-16 and has artwork of Dell & Charlotte. Disc five has episodes 17-20 and has artwork of the entire cast. And finally disc six has episodes 21-22 and the bonus features with artwork of palm trees. When you remove the discs, the panels have nice artwork of different characters.

The menu screen has clips in the background with background music from the series playing in the background audio wise. The options on the main menu are Play All, Episode Selection, Set Up, Bonus Features (disc six), and Sneak Peeks (disc six). But before the main menu screen comes on disc one, we get some auto sneak peeks of other DVDs: ABC on DVD, Grey's Anatomy Season 5, Desperate Housewives, The Proposal, and Blu-ray DVD. Sneak Peeks option is only found on disc six on the main menu and has previews of many titles like Ugly Betty, Life on Mars, Castle DVDs, and an ABC promo for Grey's Anatomy. Set Up section has the option of subtitles in English, French or Spanish and how you can register your DVD. The Episodes option gives us the episode number, title and a screenshot. Bonus Features option is only on disc six and it has all the extras listed. All of the sub-menus have different background music.

Moving on the bonus features. We get two extended episodes with never before scenes! The extended episodes are "Crime and Punishment" (53:17) and "Nothing to Fear" (60:04). Wow, those are song long episodes! We also have an ABC Starter Kit (4:41) that recaps what has happened so far. A nice little fresher! This is listed in the episodes section on disc one.
All of the other extras are on disc six! We have an interview featurette titled "Patient Confidentiality: Examining Season 2" (12:50). This is a very good detailed extra that gives us the inside scoop on season two. Interviewed are Shonda Rhimes & Betsy Beers, Amy Brenneman, Paul Adelstein, and Tim Daly. We have one more featurette titled "Life Through the Lens: The Pictures of Chris Lowell" (8:08). This shows us Chris' talent of photography and we also see some cool shots from his collection. He travels a lot as well. Interviewed are Chris Lowell, Tim Daly, KaDee Strickland, Paul Adelstein, Kate Walsh, and Taye Diggs.
Then we have "Deleted Scenes" that are better organized and handled on this set. They are listed with episode titles so you know where they are from! We also have optional audio commentary on these deleted scenes from Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers! So you'll know why they were removed from the actual airing. If my counting skills are correct, we have about 23 deleted scenes! They are from episodes "A Family Thing," "Equal & Opposite," "Nothing to Talk About," "Past Tense," "Let It Go," "Know When to Fold," World's Apart," "Contamination", "Homeward Bound," "Second Chances," "Wait and See," "Finishing," "What Women Want," and "What You Do for Love." Finally, we have some "Bloopers" (4:16)...yes, bloopers! See all the goofs and play on the set!

I recommend this series and set...it is an ABC Studios DVD, so it is good and filled with special features. I think this series broke out after the crossover episodes and now it will have a full season behind Grey's Anatomy on Thursday nights. This season is miles better than the shortened first season and the characters have personalities and great stories and you won't want to miss this. As I mentioned, I saw the third season premiere in advance already and it is a very well written episode and leaves off where we last left off. It focuses on the hospital, but it is intense. You'll want to tune in for sure on Oct. 1, but you need to refresh yourself, catch up with these 22 season two episodes first! You won't need to have an illness or injury to watch this season on DVD, so no excuses to click on the link below to order today!

-- Reviewed by Pavan
(4.5/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
Amazon.com

Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Official Website
Private Practice TV.com Page

Summer Week 14 Sitcom Ratings; Blog DVD Review: Brothers & Sisters - The Complete Third Season (9/1)

Summer is winding down and everything is still pretty light. We will be back with our normal weekly report in less than a month with the first four nights numbers and analysis for the fall, but we still will have our regular how the sitcoms did for the remainder of the summer! Here are our summer ratings:

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of August 17-23)

• Til Death (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm did 2.44 million...up a lot week-to-week.
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - We got double dose of repeats this week with the regular 8pm airing getting 4.18 million, down from previous week. A repeat at 8:30pm did better with 4.71 million.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - preempted.
• Family Guy (Fox) - A regular repeat at 9pm did 5.17 million.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - Only 3.97 million for a repeat at 9:30pm. Special repeat at 7:30pm did 2.46 million.

Summer Week 14 (August 24-30)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 2 episodes - 5.36 million for a repeat airing in its normal 8pm slot, up over a million from previous week. 1.9 A18-49 rating was up half a rating point from the previous week...nice. A repeat at 8:30pm did 5.65 million and a 2.2 A18-49 rating, both way up from previous week.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.55 million for a repeat, up a million from previous week. 2.9 A18-49 rating was up nearly a half a point from previous week.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.56 million for a repeat is up a half a million from previous week. 2.9 18-49 rating is excellent for repeats, up a bit previous week.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - preempted for Ted Kennedy special.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - preempted for Ted Kennedy special.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - 3.97 million for a repeat at 9pm...up a lot from previous week, maybe a summer repeat high for this summer.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - 3.49 and 3.1 million for repeats at 8 and 9:30pm...8pm did better than previous week again, while 9:30pm was basically on par again.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - A repeat did just 2.84 million at 8:30pm...the lowest of the sitcom repeats again, but up some from previous week's repeat.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 1.45 million. That was up from previous week's prelim numbers. Keep in mind it can change drastically in the final ratings.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did a prelim 1.48 million, also up from previous week's prelim numbers. As with the lead-in, final ratings can change drastically. Stay with us on our message board for final ratings.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's 'Til Death and animated comedies from 7-10pm. Elsewhere ABC has a new Shark Tank at 9pm and an all-new episode of drama Defying Gravity at 10pm. CBS has 60 Minutes & Big Brother followed by a new episode of There Goes the Neighborhood at 9pm, while NBC will have Dateline at 7pm, followed by NFL preseason football at 8pm. The CW has the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards with red carpet at 7pm and the actual awards starting at 8pm.



It is time for a special Sunday edition of the "Blog DVD Review." Today we we take a look at ABC Studios' Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Third Season. Brothers and Sisters is of course the current ABC Sunday family drama starring Calista Flockhart and Sally Field. The show follows the Walker family, with the ups and downs of running a family business. This show is so great and even funny. See my Blog DVD Review of Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Third Season:

Brothers and Sisters: The Complete Third Season (ABC Studios, $59.99) brings all 24 heartwarming episodes of the third season of the hit family drama on DVD! Take a fascinating look at a complex American family much like your own as you witness the loves, the losses and the personal triumphs of the Walker clan. Their differences make them human and their bond makes them family. The series airs Sundays at 10PM on ABC and stars Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker, Sally Field as Nora Walker, Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Walker Whedon, Ron Rifkin as Uncle Saul Holden, Balthazar Getty as Tommy Walker, Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker, Dave Annabale as Justin Walker, Sarah Jane Morris as Julia, Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper, Luke Macfarlane as Scotty, with Rob Lowe as Senator Robert McCallister, and Patrica Wettig as Holly Harper. Recurring are Kerris Dorsey as Paige Whedon, Maxwell Perry Cotton as Cooper Whedon, Ken Olin as David, Eric Christian Olsen as Kyle DeWitt, Will McCormack as Ethan Travis, and Luke Grimes as Ryan Lafferty. With special guest star Tom Skeritt as William Walker. Other guest stars include Mitch Pileggi, David Andrews, Dave Foley, Steven Weber, Nigel Havers, Regis & Kelly, Sonja Sohn, Matt Letscher, Jason Lewis, and Cristian de la Fuente.

This third season is very good. When the Walkers get together for a family dinner or any event all together it makes for great television. Some classic episodes include the season premiere "Glass Houses," Kevin gets access to his boss's beach house, he wants to spend a romantic weekend for two with Scotty, but the entire family accidentally butts in and havoc breaks, as always. In "Bakersfield," Nora and Kitty go to Bakersfield, where they meet with George Lafferty, but it doesn't go as planned. In "Just a Sliver," baby Elizabeth needs a liver transplant and with moral support of Scotty and Rebecca respectively, Kevin and Justin both get tested for paternity in order to save her. In "It's Not Easy Being Green," Sarah throws a party for the launch of Greenatopia, while Justin becomes a sponsor to an attractive girl to the dismay of Rebecca, and at the Greenatopia party, Ethan has a shocking revelation for Sarah, as she, Nora and Rebecca each face temptations. In "Lost & Found," Nora invites Ryan to her house, while Holly discovers what Tommy's been up to and the ownership he has in Ojai Foods. In the two-hour movie event titled "Troubled Waters," the Walker family experiences the thrill of a new life born and the desperation and terror of loss when one of their own has a life-threatening crisis. In the very fun episode "Spring Broken," Kevin and Justin take Tommy on a getaway to help him make a decision about his legal future. In "S3X", the Walkers keep up hope that Tommy will return home when Holly considers dropping the charges, meanwhile Sarah makes yet another major career change, Kitty questions whether or not her marriage will survive, and Kevin and Scotty consider a surprising proposal from Chad (guest starring Jason Lewis). And finally in the season finale, "Mexico," the Walker family reaches out to Tommy, they're devastated to find that he may be unwilling to accept their help. Those episodes really stand out, but they are all very good I think and make for a great TV drama.

The episodes run usually in the 42-43 minute range (with a few at 42 or under 42 a bit)...unedited of course. There are about 8 chapter stops per episode. The video is digitally mastered and is in widescreen and looks very good! The audio is great and sounds very good, as it is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This is from the 2008-09 season, so it has to be good. The two-hour movie is presented as two separate episodes as part one and two, which is fine.

Packaging has a nice red/orange outer box with headshots of the main cast on a tree on the front cover...the back cover has information on the series & set and has three screen shots. There is also a section detailing the special features in an orange box with technical specifications also. Inside the box is a digipak case. The front of the digipak has a cast photo with nearly everyone holding a wine glass. The back of the digipak has the start of a nice cast photo of Saul, Justin, Nora and Rebecca. Opening the case once, we get a pocket on the left that holds inserts and also a disc-by-disc breakdown on the left panel itself. On the right panel we have a continuation of that cast photo, this time of Kevin, Sarah & Holly. The pocket holds inserts for other ABC Studios products and Blu-ray. We don't get an episode booklet this time. Last set had that nice family recipe cards. Opening the case once more, we get discs one and two in the middle, with the cast photo continuing, this time of Tommy, Julia, Kitty, Robert & Scotty. Opening it one final time, now we see discs three and four, and discs five and six on the far right. The discs overlap, like most ABC Studio DVDs. Each disc is in red/orange color like the color scheme of the set and has artwork of two characters per disc. Disc one has episodes 1-4 with artwork of Robert & Kitty. Disc two has episodes 5-8 and has artwork of Nora & Saul. Disc three has episodes 9-12 and has artwork of rivals Sarah & Holly. Disc four has episodes 13-16 and has artwork of Kevin & Scotty. Disc five holds episodes 17-20 with artwork of Rebecca & Justin. And finally disc six holds episodes 21-24 and has artwork of Tommy & Julia. After you remove the discs, you see nice promotional photos on the panels itself...very cool.

The menu screen starts by showing us little video clips inside of wine glasses before we get to the main menu with the wine glass in the middle. The closing theme is playing in the background. It is really neat once again. On disc one only, before the main menu we have auto trailers for DVDs of ABC TV on DVD, Desperate Housewives, The Proposal and Blu-ray DVD. The options on the main menu are Play All, Episode Selection, Bonus Features, Set Up, and Sneak Peeks. Sneak Peeks is just on disc six. Set Up section has the option of subtitles in English, French, Spanish or Chinese and how to register your DVD. Before everything on each disc, you'll get this option as well for languages. Bonus Features are on each disc and evenly spread. The Episodes option gives us the episode number and title to choose along with a screenshot from the episode.

Moving on to the bonus features. Each disc has deleted scenes for episodes from that disc. I like that instead of having them all on one disc. Disc one has three deleted scenes running 0:54, 1:46 and 0:28. Disc two has four deleted scenes running 0:19, 0:35, 1:16, 0:33. Disc three has two deleted scenes running 2:13 and 0:13. Disc four has three deleted scenes running 0:29, 2:05, and 0:43. Disc five has three more deleted scenes running 0:58, 0:22 and 2:04. And finally disc six has four more deleted scenes running 1:18, 0:40, 0:28, and 0:55. Wow, so that is a total of 19 deleted scenes!

As far as featurettes, disc one has "The Ojai Experience." This runs 12:42 and has cast members going to an acual family winery in Ojai, CA. The cast and crew that were were Sparky Hawes (co-producer), Ron Rifkin, Ken Olin, Matthew Rhys, Dave Annable, and Patricia Wettig. Disc two has a featurette called "In-Between Scenes." This runs 6:33 and we get to see what they do in between scenes as there are a lot of jokes and practical jokes being done. Interviewed are David Marshall Grant (writer/producer), Dave Annable, Scott Scherick (Assistant to Annable), Michael Foley (writer/producer), Matthew Rhys, and Dave Foley. On disc three we have a featurette called "The Mothers of Brothers & Sisters." This runs 10:16 and is about all the mothers on the show and off the show as well with cast and crew. This is a tribute to all moms out there! Interviewed are Rob Lowe, Sarah Jane Morris, Luke MacFarlane, Sarah Caplan (exec producer), Matthew Rhys, Emily VanCamp, Sally Field, Dave Annable, Michael Morris (supervising producer), Balthazar Getty, Ken Olin, Patricia Wettig, Rachel Griffiths, Sparky Hawes, Elysse Applebaum (assistant), Judy Daly Torres (craft services), Denny Dugally (production designer), Ellis Janes (best boy grip), Adria Badagnani (set decorator coordinator), Cole Fowler (assistant), Darlene Brumfield (hair dept. head), Nathan Bishop (production assistant), Alison Schapker (executive producer/showrunner), Kerry Blackman (assistant editor), Eric LaBonte (set dresser).

Disc four has audio commentary on part one of "Troubled Waters" by executive producer Monica Owusu-Breen and actors Matthew Rhys (Kevin) and Rob Lowe (Robert). The trio return for part two on disc five for "Troubled Waters" as well! This is very informative to listen to and see all the tidbits on how Rob Lowe did the heart attack scene and more. Very cool! The final audio commentary is on disc six for the episode "Mexico," which was the season finale, of course. Executive producer Monica Owusu-Breen this time is joined by Ken Olin (David/executive producer) and Alison Schapker (writer/exec producer). They also give great details on this episode. Listen and see! We finally have 5:03 worth of Bloopers & Outtakes. Very fun to watch always and a bit longer than last year.

I highly recommend this series and set. It is such a well written and acted show. Sally Field and Rachel Griffiths have been nominated already, but Rob Lowe and Calista Flockhart deserved nominations this year also. I look forward to it every Sunday on ABC and can't wait until the fourth season starts on Sept. 27. Last time I suggest they release the DVD on the same day as Desperate Housewives, and they did this time! So you ca catch up in time for the Sept. 27 season premiere if you missed any episodes. Don't go all the way to Baja or Bakersfield to buy this DVD because you can just click below to order and you can gather your family and watch the Walker family on your TVs! Your family can't be as wild I hope?

-- Reviewed by Pavan
(4.5/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
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Official Website
Brothers and Sisters TV.com Page

Summer Week 13 Sitcom Ratings; Blog DVD Review: NCIS - The Sixth Season (Aug. 25)

Summer continues and everything is still pretty light. 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 August 10-16)

• Til Death (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm only mustered 1.72 million...but up slightly week-to-week...after going going down slightly the previous week.
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - We got double dose of repeats this week with the regular 8pm airing getting 4.74 million, a big boost from normal! Why? because a special 7:30pm repeat was the lead-in and did 2.71 million, much better than the usual American Dad 7:30pm repeat.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - preempted.
• Family Guy (Fox) 3 episodes - A mini marathon from 8:30pm-10pm did decent for repeats. 8:30pm repeat did 4.91 million, while the regular 9pm airing did 5.3 million for a repeat. A 9:30pm repeat did 5.03 million. 2.4, 2.5 and 2.3 A18-49 ratings as well. Very solid for repeats these days.
• American Dad! (Fox) - preempted.

Summer Week 13 (August 17-23)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 2 episodes - 4.28 million for a repeat airing in its normal 8pm slot, down from previous week. 1.4 A18-49 rating was also down as the previous week. A repeat at 8:30pm did worse with 4.22 million and a 1.5 A19-49 rating, both lower than the usual Rules of Engagement repeats from this summer in this slot.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 8.55 million for a repeat, down a bit from previous week. 2.5 A18-49 rating was up though by a bit from previous week.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.04 million for a repeat is down from previous week. when it has the closest retention yet in total viewers from the lead-in. 2.7 18-49 rating is excellent, though down a tenth from previous week...but still up .2 from the lead-in! This is the sitcom to watch in the fall.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Only 3.82 million for a repeat, up some from previous week and up a tenth also in A18-49 rating with a 1.1 rating...up from previous few weeks.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Only 3.73 million...on par really from previous week again, and the same A18-49 with a 1.2 rating from previous week.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - 3.28 million for a repeat at 9pm...up a tad from previous week.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - 3.07 and 3.04 million for repeats at 8 and 9:30pm...8pm did better than previous week weeks, while 9:30pm was basically on par.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - A repeat did just 2.37 million at 8:30pm...the lowest of the sitcom repeats again.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 964,000 viewers. That was down from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did a prelim 1.2 million, also down from previous week's prelim numbers.

Saturday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - A one-time-only repeat at 8pm did a prelim 3.14 million (could change due to NFL preemptions). This was the last network airing of the show on ABC.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's 'Til Death and animated comedies from 7-10pm. Elsewhere ABC has the finale of the 10th anniversary of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? with Regis at 8pm leading into a new Shark Tank and an all-new episode of drama Defying Gravity at 10pm. CBS has 60 Minutes & Big Brother followed by a new episode of There Goes the Neighborhood at 9pm, while NBC will have two episodes of Merlin at starting at 7pm, followed by Miss Universe at 9.


Coming Week Preview (Aug. 24-30):

I'm going to have to preempt this section for a blog DVD review again.



It is time for a special Sunday edition of the "Blog DVD Review." Today we we take a look at CBS DVD's Sixth Season of Navy NCIS. See Seth Thrasher's blog DDVD review of NCIS - The Sixth Season and:

NCIS - The Sixth Season (CBS, $55.98) is now on DVD. This season finds the highly skilled NCIS team still under the able command of Special Agent Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), an uncompromising leader who will see justice done -- even if it means bending the rules. This season, Gibbs starts out welcomes two new members to the unit, wile directing the veteran agents in their dangerous investigations outside the chain of Naval and Marine command. Co-starring Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, and Rocky Carroll, this six-disc set includes all 25 action-packed Season Six episodes.

After last season's awesome cliffhanger, fans were left wondering why the team had been split up. The answers are provided in the first episode of the season, Last Man Standing -- when it's revealed that there was in fact a traitor in their midst -- the agents assigned to Gibbs are in fact the suspects. The storyline, while appearing to be resolved to the main characters, ultimately comes back later in the season. One of the nice things about NCIS in particular is the way that storylines branch out from one episode to the next. It's one of the things (quality of characters is another) that sets this apart from other similar series in the genre. This plot arc style would surface in a larger way in the series final few episodes, as more and more questions arise over the loyalty of Ziva. At the season's end, Gibbs' boat is no more, the team presumes Ziva to be back working in Israel, and in the final shots...Ziva has been taken captive and is being asked what she knows about NCIS.

In terms of the technical side of the set, the packaging is as always an outer box containing slimcases -- three cases holding six discs this season. The discs feature the standard silver look of Paramount/CBS releases. Box art features Gibbs (Harmon) in the foreground, with the remainder of the cast members each occupying a narrow vertical bar behind him. The rear cover's photo has the entire cast posed in a white room, all wearing various elegant clothing.

Menus are well-designed but static, with no music in the background. Each main menu features the white room featured on the rear cover, with a photo of one of the cast members. Each disc's main menu features a different member of the team.
In regards to audio and video, a great thing about working with newer series is that the video quality and audio quality are great almost by default. This set is no exception -- the video looks flawless in its presentation. Color balance is nice and even, there are no compression artifacts, there are no problems in the transfer -- nothing. Audio is a crisp and clear 5.1 audio track. The only way this show's presentation could be nicer would be for the show to appear on one of the high-definition video formats. You get the usual disclaimer about how some episodes might be edited, but the only thing I noticed was that, as always, the "Next time on NCIS" bumpers are gone. More than likely, in an era of pre-negotiated DVD rights, that disclaimer is just for legal purposes. I highly doubt anything substantive is cut.

And since NCIS is a popular series currently airing on TV, that means more effort goes into the bonuses on a release. It's always nice to review a set whose DVD presentation isn't half-baked. There are SEVEN special features, including cast and crew commentaries, a tour of the company that creates the bodies used on the show, a feature on the season's opening arc, a feature revolving around the season episode "South By Southwest," two pieces with the cast and crew reflecting on the season, as well as a special feature in which Pauley Perrette *sings*. All great stuff to sit through and watch/listen to. The commentaries in particular are interesting to listen to -- I just wish there were more than the three included on the set. The three episodes with commentary are "Broken Bird" (commentary by David McCallum and James Whitmore Jr.), "Bounce”" (commentary by Michael Weatherly), and "Toxic" (commentary by Pauley Perrette and Sean Murray.)

I was fortunate to have a former roommate of mine get me hooked on the show early on. There are as mentioned still viewers, six years on, who haven't come to understand what a quality series this is. Perhaps, they're scared off by the basic framework of the typical crime procedural. The show does feature those elements, but they're secondary to the story elements themselves -- the plot (yes, NCIS does typically feature an actual plot) and characters (the show has some of the best on broadcast TV right now). Others might be a little weary over the military aspect. The series was a spin-off of JAG, a series that I'll be the first to admit was neck-deep in the military aspect. On NCIS, it provides the setting and back-story, but unlike JAG it's typically only a minor to intermediate part of any plot -- in most episodes, anyway.

If you're reading this and you aren't really a fan, I'd like to ask you to give the show a chance. USA Network runs the show approximately a billion times per week, so if you're dedicated you can pretty much catch the entire run in about a week. Exaggeration aside you *can*, in one week's time on USA you can catch a large quantity of episodes to sample, and I urge you to do so. I think that if you give the show a fair chance, you'll come to really enjoy it.
Those of you who already enjoy it? This set streets on Tuesday, and if you don't have it pre-ordered you know what you should be doing as soon as it's financially sound to do so. This set wants a place in your DVD collection, and it most certainly deserves it. Strong recommendation.

-- Reviewed by Seth Thrasher
(5/5 stars)

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Summer Week 12 Sitcom Ratings; Blog DVD Review: Eli Stone - The Complete Second and Final Season

Summer continues and everything is still pretty light. 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 August 3-9)

• Til Death (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm only mustered 1.58 million...down slightly week-to-week...after going up ever so slightly every week.
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - We got double dose of repeats this week with the regular 8pm airing getting 3.69 million, but a special 8:30pm repeat did better at 4.15 million. 8pm repeat was up a bit from previous week, while the 8:30pm repeat was down some.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - preempted.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 4.52 million for a repeat...the best of the bunch. Again a 2.2 18-49 rating...that is excellent for a summer repeat these days.
• American Dad! (Fox) - Only 1.72 million for a repeat at 7:30...but up a bit than the previous week.

Summer Week 12 (August 10-16)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 4.69 million for a repeat airing, down just a bit from previous week. 1.6 A18-49 rating was the same as the previous week.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 5.25million for a repeat airing, a bit higher again than previous week and built on the lead-in in A18-49 with a 1.8 A18-49 rating, but that was a tenth down from previous week. Look for Accidentally on Purpose in this slot in the fall...will CBS come knocking on Rules' door early like I'm predicting?
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 8.83 million for a repeat, down a lot from previous week. 2.4 A18-49 rating was also down quite a bit from previous week. Odd.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.64 million for a repeat is up some from previous week...closest retention yet in total viewers from the lead-in for this show! 2.8 18-49 rating is excellent, up a tick from previous week...and a more impressive up .4 from the lead-in!

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Better Off Ted (ABC) 2 episodes - The season finale did 2.49 and 2.09 million in the 9pm hour. Not good, but better than recent weeks. It needs another sitcom or two airing with it.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Only 3.59 million for a repeat, down some from previous week again but again it did match the 1.0 A18-49 rating from previous few weeks.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Only 3.75 million...on par really from previous week, but did build a bit in A18-49 from the lead-in doing a 1.2 rating.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - 3.17 million for a repeat at 9pm...on par from recent weeks.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - 2.86 and 3.07 million for repeats at 8 and 9:30pm...9:30pm seems better than recent weeks, while 8pm seems lower.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - A repeat did just 2.25 million at 8:30pm...the lowest of the sitcom repeats.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 1.41 million. That was up from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did a prelim 1.54 million, up down from previous week's prelim numbers.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's 'Til Death and animated comedies from 7-10pm. Elsewhere ABC has the 10th anniversary of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? with Regis as night six airs at 8pm leading into a new Shark Tank and an all-new episode of drama Defying Gravity at 10pm. CBS has 60 Minutes & Big Brother followed by a new episode of There Goes the Neighborhood at 9pm, while NBC will have a new Dateline in the 7pm hour, leading into Merlin at 8pm.


Coming Week Preview (Aug. 17-23):

I'm going to have to preempt this section for a blog DVD review, but this week is essentially the same as last week, with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire continuing all-week on ABC at 8pm. New series Shaq Vs. premieres Tuesday at 9 on ABC.



It is time for a special Sunday edition of the "Blog DVD Review." Today we take a look at ABC Studios/Buena Vista Home Entertainment's Eli Stone: The Complete Second Season. Eli Stone is about a lawyer (Jonny Lee Miller) with a special gift of seeing visions of the future, but he has a brain aneurysm that medically says that is the reason why he is zoning out with visions. Is science correct or do you have faith? This show is so great and anything with Natasha Henstridge in it is worth watching! See my mini-DVD review of Eli Stone: The Complete Second Season:

Eli Stone: The Complete Second and Final Season (ABC Studios, $39.99) brings the second and unfortunately final season of the legal drama with lots of comedy, music, science, law and lots of faith on DVD once again! Eli Stone is a man you can believe in. The question is, can he believe himself? He is a lawyer and starts having strange visions, then his job and relationship (and sanity) are in jeopardy. What will he do? Is he getting messages from the divine?
The series was unfortunately canceled after this past season, but that doesn't mean the show wasn't good. It was one of the most unique shows of all-time and it is too bad more people didn't watch. The series starred Jonny Lee Miller as Eli Stone, Natasha Henstridge as Taylor Wethersby, Loretta Devine as Patti Dellacroix, Matt Letscher as Nathan Stone, Sam Jaeger as Matt Dowd, James Saito as Dr. Chen, Julie Gonzalo as Maggie Dekker, Jason Winston George as Keith Bennett, and Victor Garber as Jordan Wethersby. Among the guest stars are Katie Holmes, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Cavanagh, Seal, Taraji P. Henson, Bridget Moynahan, Tom Amandes, Laura Benanti, Debrah Farentino, Gina Torres, Steven Culp, Rachelle Lefevre, Jamie Murray, Gregory Smith, Kurt Fuller and Katey Sagal.

This second season is very good, maybe on par with the first season's greatness. 13 more episodes aired this past season, just like season one. However, the show has been canceled and will not return for a third season, which is not good news. The great Greg Berlanti has done great shows in Brothers & Sisters and Dirty Sexy Money. Some classic episodes this season include the season premiere, "The Path," where Eli is free from his visions for the past six months after having an operation to remove his brain aneurysm--or so he thinks. In the very next episode "Grace," Eli has his vision back with a beautiful brunette singing to him...the lady is Grace who turns out to be very much real and not just a vision after meeting her, Eli and Grace fall for each other. In "Happy Birthday Nate," Eli envisions himself within his father's body. In "The Two Ministers," Eli finds out more about Nate and Beth's engagement being called off. In the finale "Flight Path," Eli's latest visions lead him to believe someone close to him will die in a plane crash.
The episodes run usually 43 minutes, unedited of course with all the great music intact. The season premiere runs 39:57, though. There are 8 chapter stops per episode. The video is digitally mastered and is in widescreen and looks very good once again, as it did on season one! The audio is great and sounds very good, as it is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This is from the 2008-09 season, so it had better be good.

Packaging has a thin outer box that you can remove from the top or bottom, like last time. The outer box has the same cover and back as the case inside...I hate when they give us an outer thin box that is pointless with the same art as the case inside. On the front cover we have a nice blue sky with Eli sitting on top of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the show logo is in the sky (it's partly cloud with a chance of visions)...the back cover has information on the series & set and has a shot of Eli on the top and a cast photo on the bottom. Henstridge and Gonzalo are stunning women. There is also a section detailing the bonus features and technical specifications in a box that looks like a diploma. Opening the case, we get an inserts for Blu-ray DVDs. There are only two panels, the left side holds disc one and the right side holds discs two & three...and they are overlapping. Each disc is in a blue color with clouds and has artwork that fits the show and Eli's illusions. Disc one has episodes 1-4 with artwork of a baseball (reps the baseball game where he saw Grace). Disc two has episodes 5-9 and has artwork of a journal (his father kept a journal of all his visions). Disc three has episodes 10-13 & the bonus features and has artwork of wedding figurines that looks to represent Eli, Nate and Beth. The left panel has disc-by-disc breakdown and three screenshots. The right panel has the list of bonus features and three more screenshots. Both panels are in the setting of a sunset at the Golden Gate Bridge.

The menu screen starts by showing us a law office and then we are behind the desk where see a flat screen monitor and on that monitor we see the menu options! How clever! It is exactly the same as the first season DVD though. But before I get to the options, there is nice background music playing in the background. The options on the main menu are Play All, Episode Selection, Set Up, Bonus Features (disc three only), and Sneak Peeks (disc three only). But before the main menu screen comes on disc one, we get some auto sneak peeks of other DVDs: ABC on DVD, Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, The Proposal, and Blu-ray DVD. Sneak Peeks option is only found on disc three on the main menu and has previews of many titles like Scrubs, Samantha Who? and Castle. Set Up section takes us to the phone in that law office and the options on that menu are on the phone screen (like last time)! We have the option of subtitles in English, French or Spanish. The Episodes option gives us the episode number, title and a screenshot all on a nice yellow folder type document, again like last time. Bonus Features option is only on disc three all the extras listed on a white filler paper style, same as the first season DVD. All of the sub-menus have nice video transitions and different background music.

Moving on the bonus features. We don't get audio commentary this time, which I miss. We do get good featurettes still, though! First up is "Dancin' in the Streets," running 11:37. This is a behind the scenes look at the great song and dance number they did in the season premiere. Interviewed and seen are Blake Neely (composer), Marc Guggenheim (executive producer), Jason George, Andrew Kreisberg (co-executive producer), Zach Woodlee (choreographer), Victor Garber, Perry Lang (director), Loretta Devine, and Sam Jaeger. Seen in the behind the scenes are actors like Jonny Lee Miller and Natasha Henstridge. Then we have the featurette "Good Morning Eli with Sam and Julie." This runs 5:59 and we see what Sam Jaeger and Julie Gonzalo do on the set in mornings. Gonzalo looks good in curls even! Jaeger is a joker. We also see Vincent Misiano (director), Andrew Kreisberg, Marc Guggenheim, Victor Garber and Natasha Henstridge along the way!
Then we have three deleted scenes that are always interesting to see. They run 1:04, 0:46, and 2:21. So they are relatively short. Finally, we have some bloopers titled "Circular Files: Bloopers from Season 2." This only runs 2:05 and needs to be longer, that is my only gripe on the extras we have here.

I highly recommend this series and set. It is such a well-written and acted show that is greatly presented. If you have season one on DVD...then get this FOR SURE. And if you don't, get both seasons. It is worth watching. The show only had 13 episodes this season again, but they are great. ABC Studios did a marvelous job and I only have minor complaints that are not worth mentioning again. The biggest complaint is that this show isn't coming back for another season...boo! You're going to start Dancin' in the Street like Loretta Devine after seeing this on DVD! Have faith in me!
-- Reviewed by Pavan
(4/5 stars)

To purchase the DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
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Official Website
Eli Stone TV.com Page

Summer Week 11 Sitcom Ratings; Coming Week Preview

Summer continues and everything is still pretty light. 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 July 27-August 2)

• Til Death (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm only mustered 1.61 million...but slightly up week-to-week once again. Slow climbs.
• The Simpsons (Fox) 3 episodes - We got triple dose of repeats this week with the regular 8pm airing getting 3.23 million, but a special 8:30pm repeat did way better at 4.24 million. 9:30 repeat did the most with 4.48 million.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - preempted.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 4.63 million for a repeat...the best of the bunch. 2.2 18-49 rating is excellent for a summer repeat these days.
• American Dad! (Fox) - Only 1.61 million for a repeat at 7:30...a bit lower than the previous week though and only held from the lead-in this time instead of building from it.

Summer Week 11 (August 3-9)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 4.72 million for a repeat airing, down a bit from previous week. 1.6 A18-49 rating was a tick down as well from previous week.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 5.13 million for a repeat airing, a bit higher than previous week and built on the lead-in in A18-49 with a 1.9 A18-49 rating.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.46 million for a repeat, up 400,000 or so from previous week. 2.8 A18-49 rating was also up a bit from previous week.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.39 million for a repeat is down some from previous week, despite the lead-in going up. 2.7 18-49 rating is excellent, but down a tick from previous week.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Better Off Ted (ABC) - preempted...two episode season finale will air this week.
• Scrubs (ABC) - Just 1.56 million for a rare (and last) summer repeat.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Only 3.69 million for a repeat, down some from previous week but it did match the 1.0 A18-49 rating from previous week.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Only 3.74 million but did build a bit in A18-49 from the lead-in doing a 1.1 rating again despite going down week-to-week a bit in viewers.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - We don't have finals for Thursday yet, so these Thursday sitcom ratings are prelim. Prelim 2.92 million for a repeat at 9pm...down some from previous week's final number.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - Prelim 3.27 and 2.65 million for repeats at 8 and 9:30pm, both down in both time periods from previous week's final numbers.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - A repeat did just a prelim 2.76 million at 8:30pm...down a tad from previous week's final number.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 944,000 viewers. That was down from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did a premim 998,000 viewers, also down from previous week's prelim numbers.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - Prelim numbers show only 2.73 million for the last episode at 8pm, but up some from previous week's prelim numbers. This show is now done.
• The Goode Family (ABC) 2 episodes - Prelim numbers were even worse for the two episode finale of this show with 1.63 million for 8:30pm, that was down a bit from previous week's prelim numbers. Special 9:30pm finale did even worse with 1.48 million.
• According to Jim (ABC) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 2.09 million, up a lick from previous week's prelim rating at 9pm. As always, check out final numbers for Friday for these shows and all the Friday shows on our message board tomorrow.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's 'Til Death and animated comedies from 7-10pm. Elsewhere ABC has the 10th anniversary 11-night event return of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? with Regis at 8pm leading into the premiere of Shark Tank and an all-new episode of drama Defying Gravity at 10pm. CBS has 60 Minutes & Big Brother followed by the premiere of There Goes the Neighborhood at 9pm, while NBC will have a new Dateline in the 7pm hour, leading into a NFL pre-season game that no one would watch.


Coming Week Preview (Aug. 10-16):

I'm only highlighting the broadcast notables this week. On Monday, ABC has night two of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at 8pm leading into an all-new episode of Dating in the Dark at 9pm. NBC has an all-new Great American Road Trip at 8pm, followed by the NBC premiere of USA's Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and a new Dateline at 10pm. Fox has the 2009 Teen Choice Awards from 8-10pm.
On Tuesday ABC continues Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at 8pm with night three leading into the two episode season finale of comedy Better off Ted and the season premiere of Primetime: The Outsiders at 10pm. CBS is all-new with Big Brother 11 at 9pm, while NBC is new with a two-hour America's Got Talent from 9-11pm. Fox has Hell's Kitchen and More to Love on this night.
On Wednesday once again the pick is with ABC with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at 8pm with night four leading into an all-new Wipeout at a special time of 9pm, followed by an all-new Primetime: Crime at 10pm. NBC has another America's Got Talent at 9pm leading into summer drama The Philanthropist at 10pm.
On Thursday we have night five (I went to this taping!) of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire at 8pm! It was so fun! And CBS has Big Brother 11 at 8pm on a repeat filled night.
For Friday, ABC has 20/20 at 10pm, while NBC has Dateline from 9-11pm. Fox has a two-hour all-new Mental from 8-10pm. And MyNetwork TV of course has WWE Friday Night Smackdown from 8-10!
Go read a book or go out on Saturday because it is so quiet. NBC has VISA U.S. Gymnastics Championships from 8-10 and Fox has what else--Cops and AMW.
Finally, next Sunday it is night six of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on ABC at 8pm leading into Shark Tank and Defying Gravity from 9-11pm. CBS has Big Brother and There Goes the Neighborhood from 9-11pm, while NBC has Dateline and Merlin from 7-9pm.

Summer Week 10 Sitcom Ratings; Blog DVD Review Special: Peyton Place - Part One

Summer continues and everything is still pretty light. 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 July 20-26)

• Til Death (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm only mustered 1.53 million...but slightly up week-to-week again.
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - preempted...2 repeats return tonight.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - preempted.
• Family Guy (Fox) - preempted.
• American Dad! (Fox) - Only 1.73 million for a repeat at 7:30...a bit higher than the previous week though and built from the lead-in.

Summer Week 10 (July 27-August 2)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 4.98 million for a repeat airing, down from previous week. 1.7 A18-49 rating was identical from previous week though.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 4.91 million for a repeat airing, lower than previous week again. Matched the 1.7 A18-49 rating from the lead-in for the second straight week.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.06 million for a repeat, down some from previous week. 2.7 A18-49 rating was also down a bit.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.48 million for a repeat is down some from previous week. 2.8 18-49 rating is excellent, BUILDING from the lead-in this time...impressive.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Better Off Ted (ABC) - preempted...two episode season finale will air Aug. 11.
• Scrubs (ABC) - preempted...last scheduled repeat airs this Tuesday at 9:30pm.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Only 4.05 million and a 1.0 A18-49 rating.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Only 3.9 million but did build a bit in A18-49 from the lead-in doing a 1.1 rating.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - 3.1 million for a repeat at 9pm...up some from previous week.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - 3.65 and 2.99 million for repeats at 8 and 9:30pm, up some in both time periods from previous week.
• Parks & Recreation (NBC) - First repeat of the summer did just 2.83 million at 8:30pm...worst of the sitcom block.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 1.24 million. That was up from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did a premim 1.43 million, also up a lot from previous week's prelim numbers.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - Prelim numbers show only 2.6 million for an all-new episode at 8pm, but up some from previous week's prelim numbers. Finale is this coming Friday.
• The Goode Family (ABC) - Prelim numbers were even worse for an all-new episode of this show with 1.78 million, also up some from previous week's prelim numbers. Two episode finale is this coming Friday.
• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - 2 repeats did a prelim 2.06 and 2.25 million, also up from previous week's prelim average. As always, check out final numbers for Friday for these shows and all the Friday shows on our message board tomorrow.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's 'Til Death and animated comedies from 7-10pm. Elsewhere ABC has the special Ty's Great British Adventure at 8pm leading into the two-hour premiere of drama Defying Gravity from 9-11pm. CBS has 60 Minutes & Big Brother, while NBC will have a new Dateline in the 7pm hour, leading into Merlin at 8, and part two of the mini-series The Storm at 9.


Coming Week Preview (Aug. 3-9):

We are preempting this week's preview again so we can you bring you another special blog DVD review on a special day! So enjoy that below.

Welcome to a special edition of the Blog DVD Review. Today we take a look at Shout! Factory's Peyton Place - Part One. Peyton Place ran from 1964-1969 on ABC and had over 500 episodes! See skees53's Blog DVD Review of Peyton Place - Part One:

Peyton Place - Part One (Shout!, $39.99) is the beginning of the continuing story of the series Peyton Place. Peyton Place was the series that brought scandalous family drama to primetime in the 1960s. The series was a serial drama that aired for a half hour multiple times every week on ABC from 1964 to 1969. The series ran continuously and never took a summer break, resulting in over 500 episodes by the end of the series. Now, Shout! Factory has released the first 31 of these episodes in a five-disc set.

Peyton Place is a small New England town where they say that nothing exciting ever really happens. The story of Peyton Place may seem rather typical on the outside, but as one gets to know the people of Peyton Place, it is discovered that even a town where supposedly "nothing exciting ever happens" can be full of drama. Constance MacKenzie (Dorothy Malone) owns a small bookstore in Peyton Place and has an intelligent and intellectual teenage daughter, Allison (Mia Farrow). There is no "man of the house" in the MacKenzie house, as it is said that Constance is a widow. Without a man in the house, Matthew Swain (Warner Anderson), the newspaper editor, fills this role in a sense.

Allison has a love interest in town, and it is the popular Rodney Harrington (Ryan O'Neal). Actually, Rodney's younger brother, Norman (Christopher Connelly) is a friend of Allison's from school, and he too is interested in Allison. Rodney is actually on the rebound from a previous relationship with a girl from the "wrong side of the tracks," Betty Anderson (Barbara Parkins), and her constant tactics to woo him once again. As if that isn't bad enough, Rodney's father, Leslie (Paul Langton) is having an affair with Betty's mother, Julie (Kasey Rogers). As if that wasn't enough drama, Julie was having some serious problems at home with her husband, George (Henry Beckman). And that is only how the continuing story of Peyton Place begins.

Before I go any further, if you have never seen the series, you may want to skip the next two paragraphs. Like many serial dramatic series, it is difficult to talk about episodes of the series without spoiling something, and this one is no exception. The series begins with a new doctor in town, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson). Dr. Rossi has just moved to Peyton Place for mysterious reasons after practicing in New York City. Everybody in town wonders why he would come to Peyton Place, as it is explained that Peyton Place is the type of place that people usually try to get away from, but at this point in time, nobody really knows for sure. Rodney and Allison meet up and share their first kiss, but he hasn't exactly broken things off with Betty, at least not yet. Rodney is actually content with his girlfriend Betty, but everything takes a sudden turn for the worse when he finds his father in the arms of Julie, Betty's mother. This leads to Rodney going back to Allison, which may or may not work out in the long run.
Julie's affair with Leslie may actually be a positive thing for her, as it is revealed that her marriage at home is not only in terrible shape, but her husband, George, has some serious mental health issues, and engages in domestic abuse against his own wife. When it comes to Rodney, Betty is not going to go down without a fight, and is going to do whatever it takes to split up Rodney and Allison. So in a storyline which goes on for several episodes, she tries to break the news to Rodney: she is going to have a baby, in what is most likely the very first unwed and unplanned teenage pregnancy plot to ever make it to primetime on the American airwaves. Naturally, this causes a rift in the relationship between Rodney and Allison. And just when it seems that nothing else can happen, Elliot Carson arrives in town after spending 18 years in prison. Who is he and why is he in Peyton Place?

The DVD set, unlike most other Shout! Factory releases, comes in a standard DVD snapcase with an outer sleeve. The cover has a color snapshot of the cast in front of the bookstore, and the back of the case has three black and white series snapshots, along with a description of the season. Inside the case, we have the four discs, which again have black and white cast photos on each of them. There is a sheet of paper inside the case that describes the episodes on the set in general, but it does not go in to any specifics. There are absolutely no episode descriptions or listings anywhere to be found on this set, although in a way, that isn't fully necessary. There were no episode titles, and most of the stories carried over several episodes. Still, episode listings would have been nice. The set contains five discs, with each disc containing six episodes, except for Disc 5, which contains seven episodes.

The menus on the set are very nice, with the theme song playing on the main menu of each disc, and various random quotes from the series being read from the cast members. The main menu on each disc has options of Play All and Episodes. Selecting Episodes takes you to a menu where each episode number is listed (there weren't any episode titles). Next to each episode, there is a Preview option, which actually appears to just be the "teaser" for the next episode from the previous episode. These are all about 30 seconds long.

When I first started watching the set, I was impressed with the video (which is in black and white, by the way) and audio quality. And then I got to Disc 2. It seems that beyond the first few episodes, the series wasn't exactly the most well preserved series out there. That isn't to say that the series is unwatchable, but there is grain and debris everywhere and the contrast levels are very problematic. To be honest, don't expect to be able to see anything that happens in a dark room our outside at night on some of the episodes, as all you can really see is mostly a black screen. It isn't this way on every episode, though. It seems to come and go. Just to be fair, however, it is worth noting that many serial dramas such as this were not even intended to be preserved, at all. Who would have thought that this series would have any interest beyond the original airing? The very fact that it was preserved at all is a positive thing. The mono audio has a little bit of crackling in it, but that shouldn't deter anybody, as it is generally loud and clear and everything can be heard in the episodes. The episodes are neither closed-captioned nor subtitled. Each episode appears to be unedited, running around 25:30.

The set really doesn't have any special features, although honestly, I don't know that I would even expect to see them on a series such as this. The problem with putting special features on something like this is that it would take up more space on the disc (leaving fewer episodes) and it would increase the price of the set (making the cost of owning multiple sets too expensive). I normally wouldn't say that it is OK to skip on the special features, but in this case, I think that it is.

So, will Allison MacKenzie ever know the truth about her father? Is there happiness in store for the Harringtons? Can Betty Anderson rise above her past? Can Elliot Carson clear his name? And will Allison MacKenzie find true love? Actually, you won't find the answer to any of those questions on this set, but those are the questions that you'll be asking once you see these episodes. All of those are questions raised here, which will be answered on the next release (which has actually already been released, and we will be reviewing in the future on here). The question for Shout! Factory, though, is will they continue to release the series on DVD? With 514 episodes, that'll mean quite a few releases, but fans are sure to appreciate it if they all do indeed make it onto DVD. But for now, I think fans of this series and serial family dramas will enjoy this DVD set, the beginning of the continuing story of... Peyton Place.

Reviewed by skees53
(3.5/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Peyton Place TV.com Page

Summer Week 9 Sitcom Ratings; Blog DVD Review Special: Route 66 - Season Three, Volume One

Summer continues and everything is still pretty light. 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 July 13-19)

• Til Death (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm only mustered 1.46 million...slightly up week-to-week.
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - 3.39 million for a repeat in its regular 8pm slot and 4.07 million for a special 9:30pm repeat. Latter one was up slightly, while the regular one was down week-to-week.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - The 8:30 repeat did only 3.07 million, but down the same as the lead-in really.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 3.86 million for a repeat, down from previous week.
• American Dad! (Fox) - Only 1.7 million for a repeat at 7:30...lower than the previous week by a bit.

Summer Week 9 (July 20-26)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 5.14 million for a repeat airing, up some from previous week. 1.7 A18-49 rating was lower than the last few weeks by a bit though.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 5.04 million for a repeat airing, lower than previous week again. Matched the 1.7 A18-49 rating from the lead-in.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.31 million for a repeat, up some from previous week. 2.8 A18-49 rating was also up a tick.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.79 million for a repeat is up from previous week, and the closest retention it has come yet. 2.8 18-49 rating is excellent, holding 100% from the lead-in again.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Better Off Ted (ABC) - 1.86 million for an all-new episode. Down though from previous week's summer high of 2.5 million. Not good.
• Scrubs (ABC) -A repeat at 9:30pm did 1.75 million. Also down from previous week.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Preempted for Obama.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Preempted for Obama.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - Only 2.67 and 2.98 million for repeats at 8:30 and 9...both down from previous week.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - Only 3.21 and 2.78 million for repeats at 8 and 9:30pm, and only a 1.2 A18-49 rating for each.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - Final 2 episodes did 3.43 and 3.19 million...on par with the airings this summer.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 900,000 viewers. That was down from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did 814,000 prelim viewers, also down from previous week's prelim numbers.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - Prelim numbers show only 2.42 million for an all-new episode at 8pm, down some from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Goode Family (ABC) - Prelim numbers were even worse for an all-new episode of this show with 1.52 million, also down some from previous week's prelim numbers.
• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - 2 repeats did a prelim 2.16 million average, but up from previous week's prelim average. As always, check out final numbers for Friday for these shows and all the Friday shows on our message board tomorrow.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's 'Til Death and only one animated comedy in the 7pm hour, as Fox airs a movie from 8-10. Elsewhere CBS has 60 Minutes & Big Brother, while NBC will have a new Dateline in the 7pm hour, leading into Merlin at 8, and part one of the mini-series The Storm at 9.


Coming Week Preview (July 27-Aug. 2):

We are preempting this week's preview again so we can you bring you another special blog DVD review on a special day! So enjoy that below.

Welcome to a special edition of the Blog DVD Review. Today we take a look at Infinity Entertainment's Route 66 - Season Three, Volume One. Route 66 ran from 1960-1964 and starred Martin Milner, George Maharis (1960-1963) and Glenn Corbett (1963-1964). See skees53's Blog DVD Review of Route 66 - Season Three, Volume One:

Route 66 - Season Three, Volume One (Infinity, $29.98) presents the first sixteen episodes of the third season of the great anthology series of the '60s about two guys living their lives as one big road trip across America. The series stars Martin Milner and George Maharis, playing Tod Stiles and Buz Murdock. Tod and Buz come from different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common: their interest in cruising America in a powder-blue 1960 Corvette, a Corvette that was essentially the only thing that Tod was left with after his wealthy father died.
A change began to occur in the third season, though, as Maharis began to disappear in this season as a personal illness began to make the series difficult for him to work on. As he became ill, his character began to disappear from the series, and Tod began to take upon the open road alone. Eventually, by the end of the season (which is not included in this set), Buz was written off of the series and replaced with a new character, Linc.

John Astin and Buster Keaton guest star in "Journey to Nineveh." Tod and Buz encounter an over-aged gangster in Chicago in "Man Out of Time." In "Ever Ride the Waves in Oklahoma," Tod and Buz are in Southern California, where Buz challenges a native to a surfing competition. Before online dating, there were telephone relationships, as we see in "Voice at the End of the Line." Lon Chaney, Jr., Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff all play themselves in a light-hearted Halloween episode, "Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing." In “Across Walnuts and Wine,” Buz and Tod are boarders at a home owned by a young man who is threatening to throw his family (who tends to just show up and stay) out of the house the moment he turns 21, but will he realize the importance of having his family around?
Ed Asner guest stars in "Welcome to the Wedding," where Tod is held hostage by a prisoner in transit. Buz is given a lucrative offer for dating a girl in "Every Father's Daughter Must Weave Her Own." Leslie Nielsen and Ron Howard guest star in "Poor Little Kangaroo Rat." Will Tod kill Buzz? That is what a fortune-teller is predicting in "Only By Cunning Glimpses." Vera Miles plays a woman who claims to be kidnapped by a mental patient in "Where is Chick Lorimer, Where Has She Gone?" Natalie Schaefer guest stars in "Give the Old Cat a Tender Mouse." Volume One ends with "You Can't Pick Cotton in Tahiti," where Tod meets up with a musical composer in Tennessee.

The set comes packaged in a double-thick keepcase with a cardboard sleeve on the outside. Both the keepcase and the sleeve have the same artwork, which is basically just the picture of the open road going into the sunset, and a Route 66 logo in the middle of it all. The back of the packaging just has a lengthy description of the episodes on the set. Inside the keepcase, we have four discs (two on each side of the case, overlapping each other), which have artwork almost identical to the cover art. Unfortunately, there are no episode descriptions, or even a list indicating which episodes are on which disc, anywhere to be found on this set. Each disc contains four episodes, for a total of sixteen episodes. Overall, the packaging for this set is a definite downgrade from the previous sets, but it isn't a total disaster either.

The menus are different from the previous sets, but in this case, different doesn't mean worse. The menus are very clean and professional looking, with options of Play All, Episodes, and (on Disc 4) Special Features. The menu contains plenty of music, sound effects, and transitional effects throughout. While there are no scene selection menus, there are chapters placed throughout each episode, although they are placed in somewhat strange positions in some (not all) of the episodes.

The video and audio quality generally tends to be pretty good. The picture is generally clear and crisp, although there are still a few issues regarding some grain and debris. The audio is very loud and clear, being presented in standard mono. It appears, for the most part, that Infinity invested in remastering and improving the quality of these episodes. However, there is one episode on the set that is very clearly not remastered. The episode "Only By Cunning Glimpses" looks and sounds terrible, with significant grain and debris, overall poor image quality, and very low and muffled sound. I had a feeling when watching this episode that it had not been restored, and this was basically confirmed at the end of the episode when I saw the closing credits cut off before the Screen Gems logo and plastered with a 1980s Columbia Pictures Television logo. The quality is barely better than a VHS copy. At least the content of the episode is intact, though.
Another problem that I noticed on a few episodes (even though it did not last for the entire episode) is that certain portions of the episodes contained audio that was out of sync with the video. It is obnoxious, for sure, but it usually only lasts for a minute or two when it happens. Each episode, including the 1980s television print, is unedited and runs around 50 minutes. Each episode is closed-captioned.

The set does have special features, but like the previous sets, there really aren't any behind-the-scenes special features. As always, we just have 12 minutes worth of classic commercials, but they are by no means random classic commercials. They are a mix of miscellaneous sponsor spots and bumpers from the series. These are not only fun to watch for their nostalgic value, but one of the series sponsors happened to be Phillips Milk of Magnesia, which makes for some humorous laxative commercials that probably didn't seem as humorous to the viewers at the time. There are also a few episode preview bumpers in here, which would have been nice to have for every episode. This set does NOT include the guest star biographies that were included on previous sets.

All things considered, Infinity has been doing a great job on these Route 66 DVD sets, but this one is definitely less than perfect. First, I'm not a big fan of the half-season release model. This seems to be a step backwards when other companies are releasing complete SERIES sets. It is even more frustrating that they are doing this while planning a full season release next year, a full season release that is oddly enough already available at some Best Buy stores. The set feels much cheaper this time, with cheaper packaging and no episode lists to be found ANYWHERE on the packaging. Would it have been too much to just include some basic liner notes inside the cheapened packaging? There are also the minor audio/video sync issues on some episodes. Still, despite all of this, this is a very enjoyable series to watch and the video and audio quality is, for the most part, pretty good. It is probably a better idea, though, to wait for the full season to be released as one complete set, especially if you've already purchased the first two seasons as complete season sets. But if you just can't wait until the January release date (that is, if you can't find it at Best Buy, which I couldn't), then you can get your kicks with the first half of season three here.

Reviewed by skees53
(4/5 stars)

To purchase this DVD, click below and help support SitcomsOnline.com:
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Related links:
SitcomsOnline.com Full DVD Reviews Page
Route 66 TV.com Page

Summer Week 8 Sitcom Ratings; Blog DVD Review Special: American Gladiators - The Battle Begins

Summer continues and everything is still pretty light. 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 July 6-12)

• Til Death (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm only mustered 1.41 million...even lower than the previous week's 1.53 million
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - 3.72 million for a repeat in its regular 8pm slot and 4.01 million for a special 9:30pm repeat. Both episodes were a bit off from previous week's repeats.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - The 8:30 repeat did only 3.15 million, but down the same as the lead-in really.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 4.22 million for a repeat is OK for summer, again the pattern of being down a bit.
• American Dad! (Fox) - Only 1.8 million for a repeat at 7:30...lower than the previous week by yes...a bit.

Summer Week 8 (July 13-19)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 5.0 million for a repeat airing, down from previous week. 1.8 A18-49 rating again though, is decent for summer.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 5.22 million for a repeat airing, lower than previous week when again but built from the lead-in. It did do a 1.9 A18-49 rating again.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.12 million for a repeat, down a bit from previous week. 2.7 A18-49 rating is good for summer.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.23 million for a repeat is also down a bit from previous week, following the pattern from its lead-ins. 2.7 18-49 rating is excellent, holding 100% from the lead-in again.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Better Off Ted (ABC) - 2.5 million for an all-new hilarious episode. That is the best it has done this summer, maybe it needs to air in a sitcom block or hour for it to do well? 1.0 18-49 rating is also way better than what it was doing in recent weeks.
• Scrubs (ABC) -A repeat at 9:30pm did 2.12 million. Not much can be expected against Got Talent, Big Brother and the MLB All-Star Game.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Just 4.0 million for a repeat...but ever so slightly from the previous weeks... only a 1.1 A18-49 rating.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Just 4.07million for a repeat and only a 1.2 A18-49 rating...but up from previous week in both measures slightly.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - Only 2.99 and 3.04 million for repeats at 8:30 and 9...both up slightly from previous week.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - Only 3.33 and 2.8 million for repeats at 8 and 9:30pm, and only a 1.1 and 1.2 A18-49 rating for each. But both up slightly from previous week in viewers.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - preempted....season finale this week.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 1.09 million. That was up from previous week, but let's see if it holds up in the final ratings.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did 1.06 million prelim viewers for this canceled sitcom as well...also up from previous week...again let's see it holds up.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - Prelim numbers show only 2.62 million for an all-new episode at 8pm, but up from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Goode Family (ABC) - Prelim numbers were even worse for an all-new episode of this show with 1.63 million, but still up some from previous week's prelim numbers. This is a decent show you guys.
• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - 2 repeats did a prelim 1.92 million average, lower than previous week's prelim average. As always, check out final numbers for Friday for these shows and all the Friday shows on our message board tomorrow.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's 'Til Death and animated comedies from 7-10 tonight. Elsewhere CBS has special 60 Minutes at 7pm honoring Walter Conkrite. NBC will have a new Dateline in the 7pm hour, leading into Merlin at 8, and part two of the mini-series Meteor at 9.


Coming Week Preview (July 20-26):

We are preempting this week's preview so we can you bring you another special blog DVD review on a special day! So enjoy that below.

Welcome to a special edition of the Blog DVD Review. Today we take a look at Shout! Factory's American Gladiators: The Battle Begins. American Gladiators is the classic '90s syndicated series that was shown on weekends across the country. Let the battle begin! See Seth's Blog DVD Review of American Gladiators: The Battle Begins:

American Gladiators: The Battle Begins (Shout!, $29.99) brings us classic episodes of the absolutely wonderful original version of American Gladiators onto DVD for the first time!
The first release for the set is slightly odd, as Shout! has made the decision to *not* release, at least for now, the first half of the first season. Before anyone gets out their pitchforks and torches, there's a very good reason for this. Those 13 shows bare only moderate resemblance to the show that would remain on the air for years to come. That first half-season the show took the whole "gladiator" concept a little more seriously, with a roman-themed set and gladiators who were characters just as much as they were athletes. Nevermind the off-beat announcing style of Joe "visibly interesting" Theismann. Joe's style, while well-suited for a sport such as football, was very out of place those initial episodes and if you catch the episodes on their next airplays on ESPN Classic you'll quickly come to realize that omitting all but one of these episodes is probably for the best.

They did, however, leave in one: The 1st half recap show, which serves as a highlight/clip compilation for the first half-season. In the length of a normal full episode, you're given the rundown on what occurred in the first half of the first season, with clips and analysis from Theismann and the host all Gladiators fans have come to know and love, Mike Adamle. (This clip show IS from the normal package of episodes, and does feature Joe Theismann's strange episode intro -- to understand the whole "visually interesting" comment, you should sit through the first minute of this show. It's also important to catch this episode so you know who the 1st half champions are, as despite its fractured nature the season does still feature the two sets of half-season winners facing off in the Grand Championship at the end of the set.

The remaining 13 shows (the 5 preliminaries, the four quarterfinals, the two semi-finals, the finals, and the Grand Championship) feel a *lot* more like what you'd expect American Gladiators to feel like, though there is still *one* difference. While these shows feature all the original classic games, and the first of the normal graphics packages, and that classic theme music -- Mike Adamle's best-remembered co-host (sorry, Nitro, but you're more well remembered as a gladiator and not as a co-presenter) Larry Csonka isn't present. He didn't join the show until the 2nd year. In these 13 "normal" shows Mike Adamle is joined by Todd Christensen as co-presenters, with Adamle now considered the main host after Theismann's departure. For those of you who don't follow football, Todd Christensen spent just over a decade in the league with two Super Bowl rings to his credit as well as *five* trips to the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, the show would need to take one more trip through the ranks of retired football players to find the right co-host for Adamle as Mike and Todd just don't have terribly great chemistry on-air, in my opinion.

As the show is two parts athletic competition, one part game show, I really can't point out any particular "memorable episodes," as one of the fun things about athletic competitions, in my opinion, is watching them unfold. In terms of guests, the only real one of note is contestant Billy Wirth, who shows up in the first episode on set, the first half recap show. Billy appeared in the movie "The Lost Boys" a couple of years prior. Considering the episodes included and excluded, I found it a bit interesting that a whole special feature -- and the only contestant interview -- was devoted to someone who appeared in the episodes not included.

It's been months since I've gotten to write a review, either for the main site or blog, where I *didn't* have to complain about packaging. I'm strangely thrilled to report that Shout! used a quality packaging type for this set -- slimcases. I love slimcases. They're small, but they're tough as nails. And with slimcases you have the ability to have more, and more differentiated, artwork. As someone who tends to focus in on the graphical quality of these DVD sets, that's an important feature. The front cover, baffling again, features five of the six original *first half-season* gladiators. The missing gladiator is Zap, while Malibu and Sunny, who only appeared in those initial shows, appear in the cover art alongside Gemini, Nitro, and Lace. A giant version of the logo takes up the top half of the artwork, with the aforementioned five appearing in front of a dark smoke-filled background. Rear artwork features the usual sales pitch text, a photo of Nitro on the top-right corner, and some photos below. One photo is interesting as it shows a contestant and Zap playing the game Hang Tough, the aerial rings game that didn't debut until later in the show's run. Yes, I know this show *so* well I can pinpoint a photograph error from 50 paces. Perhaps I should invest in this "life" thing that I keep hearing people promoting so much. One other little note from the resident graphics guy: The set takes the red, white and blue motif and runs with it. Everything from the package art to the colors of the three discs to the color schemes used on the menu follow this format. That, my friends, is visual consistency!

The menus are fantastic, by the way. Each menu features the show logo and episode options in solid-color metal panels in the top-left and bottom-right corners, respectively. The rest of the space is occupied by clips from the show, while the amazing Bill Conti theme plays on a loop in the background. From the main menu you can select any of the stages of the competition from the tournament available on the disc. In an interesting deviation from most episodic DVD releases, each tournament tier is initially clustered together in the menus. The recap show (disc 1) as well as the 2nd half finals and Grand Championship (disc 3) are individually. The rest are grouped under the main menu by the tournament level. The semi-finals (disc 3) are grouped together. The quarter-finals (disc 2) are grouped together. Most of the preliminaries are grouped together too on disc 1. Only the 5th and final prelim, which couldn't fit on the first disc, is held separate. From each "tier," you can then access each individual episode.

Chapter stops occur with the placement of each commercial break, resulting in approximately 5 per show. Running times play for approximately 44 minutes per episode. This seems short at first, but you need to keep in mind that this was a first-run syndication series, meaning more commercial time. Lower run-times are common on shows whose first runs were in syndication, and is not indicative of edits. Video quality isn't A+, and the video does have some minor issues with noise, interlacing issues around edges, and other minor glitches. But if you're actually a fan of the show, you're not going to care.

But wait, there's more! There are special features -- well, two of them anyway. As mentioned earlier, there is an interview with first-half contestant Billy Wirth. Featuring clips and a new interview, the bit lasts 10 minutes and *is* an interesting thing to watch. The other, far more interesting feature is *commentary* by Nitro (Dan Clark), Zap (Raye Hollitt), and Laser (Jim Starr) -- who are the three longest-tenured, and probably most famous, gladiators. You could make an argument for one or two others, but these three are easily at the top of the heap, particularly Nitro and Zap. The commentaries flow from one to another, and to get the entire picture you have to listen to them *all*.
A bit of a warning -- special features are unrated, and for example, Nitro upon seeing one contestant goes "THERE'S that b*****d!," before explaining how said person was probably the dirtiest (in terms of game play) of any contender in the show's history. It's multiple enjoyable episodes worth of commentary. A final note in the commentary track is an explanation of what happened to Sunny and Malibu. As the three explained: In Sunny's case, she legitimately got hurt -- blew out her knee -- and as a result that was it. Malibu...he had difficulty taking the bumps, and overall just didn't fit into the show. Most of the male gladiators had football backgrounds, and as a result at least had *some* experiences taking the hard hits. He wasn't a square peg in a round hole...really, he was a square peg in a rectangular hole.

I've loved this show since I first caught reruns on USA in the early 1990s, and to not only be able to see it again on ESPN Classic but now be able to enjoy it any time thanks to the magic of DVD is a genuine treat. This was, unquestionably, one of my favorite series growing up, and I really would like to see future seasons on DVD. I wasn't particularly a fan of the 2008 revival, but for hours of quality entertainment you genuinely can't go wrong with this show. It's in stores now -- as is a book by Nitro (Dan Clark) -- for that matter, and I highly recommend both.

-- Reviewed by Seth Thrasher
(4.5/5 stars)

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American Gladiators TV.com Page

Summer Week 7 Sitcom Ratings; Blog DVD Review Special: Hotel - The First Season (July 21)

Summer continues and everything is still pretty light. 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 June 28-July 5)

• Til Death (Fox) - A repeat at 7pm only mustered 1.53 million.
• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - 3.67 million for a repeat in its regular 8pm slot and 4.31 million for a special 9:30pm repeat. Both episodes did a solid summer 1.7 and 2.0 18-49 rating.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - The 8:30 repeat did only 3.24 million, but an acceptable 1.5 18-49 rating for summer.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 4.33 million for a repeat is OK for summer, but a 2.1 18-49 rating was good enough to win its timeslot.
• American Dad! (Fox) - Only 1.96 million for a repeat at 7:30.

Summer Week 7 (July 6-12)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 5.48 million for a repeat airing, doing better the last few weeks. 1.8 A18-49 rating is solid for summer. How times have a changed...
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 5.48 million for a repeat airing, lower than previous week when it did 5.76 and built from the lead-in. It did do a 1.9 A18-49 rating.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.41 million for a repeat, going up the last few weeks. 2.8 A18-49 rating is better than solid for summer.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.34 million for a repeat is also going up the past few weeks. 2.8 18-49 rating is excellent, holding 100% from the lead-in. That is what CBS would like to see!

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Better Off Ted (ABC) - preempted for Michael Jackson Memorial coverage. Only 1.76 million the previous week (June 30).

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Just 3.9 million for a repeat...after going up slowly the previous weeks, it goes back down below 4 million and only a 1.0 A18-49 rating.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Just 3.78 million for a repeat and only a 1.0 A18-49 rating.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - Only 2.9 and 2.89 million for repeats at 8:30 and 9...it was a it better news in A18-49 rating with a 1.3 each.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - Only 3.17 and 2.48 million for repeats at 8 and 9:30pm, and only a 1.1 A18-49 rating for each. So the 9:30pm skewed younger since it did lower in viewership bit did the same 1.1 18-49 rating.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) 2 episodes - Two new episodes did 3.43 and 3.11 million, very similar to previous week's 3.4 and 3.18 million. This show should have returned...and I hope ABC does change its mind very soon.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 797,000 viewers. That was up a bit from previous week's FINAL ratings of 610,000 viewers. Let's see if the 797,000 holds up.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did 766,000 prelim viewers for this canceled sitcom as well...also up from previous week's FINAL ratings of 630,000 viewers. Again let's see if the 766,000 holds up.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - Prelim numbers show only 2.23 million for an all-new episode at 8pm, but up from previous week's FINAL ratings for a repeat which did 2.11 million.
• The Goode Family (ABC) - Prelim numbers were even worse for an all-new episode of this show with 1.49 million, but still up some from previous week's FINAL numbers of 1.37 million. This week's episode was my favorite one.
• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - 2 repeats did a prelim 2.02 and 2.22 million, a bit better than previous week's FINAL ratings of 1.73 and 2.08 million. As always, check out final numbers for Friday for these shows and all the Friday shows on our message board tomorrow.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's 'Til Death and animated comedies from 7-10 tonight. Elsewhere CBS has 60 Minutes at 7pm. NBC will have a new Dateline in the 7pm hour, leading into Merlin at 8, and part one of the mini-series Meteor at 9.


Coming Week Preview (July 13-19):

We are preempting this week's preview so we can you bring you a special blog DVD review on a special day! So enjoy that below.

Welcome to a special edition of the Blog DVD Review. Today we take a look at CBS DVD's Hotel - The First Season. Hotel is set at San Francisco's St. Gregory Hotel and aired on ABC from 1983-88. It was one of many Aaron Spelling shows in the '80s. See skees53's Blog DVD Review of Hotel - The First Season:

Hotel: The First Season (CBS, $49.99) brings the glitz and glamour of San Francisco's St. Gregory Hotel to DVD in a six-disc collection. Hotel is the story of the people that run the St. Gregory as well as the guests that come and go through the hotel each and every week. Sometimes the stories are bizarre, some have potentially deadly possibilities, some are stories of love and romance, some are loaded with controversy, and some are just light-hearted. And sometimes, you'll find several of the above stories contained within the same episode. It hit the airwaves in fall of 1983 on ABC.
The series stars Anne Baxter as Victoria Cabot, the sister-in-law of the hotel owner (the actual owner of the hotel was played by Bette Davis in the pilot episode, who was supposed to be a regular, but became ill and was unable to fill the role) and James Brolin as Peter McDermott, the general manager of the hotel. Hotel employees include promotions manager Christine Francis (Connie Sellecca), security director (and ex-con) Billy Griffin (Nathan Cook), and receptionist Julie Gillette (Shari Belafonte). And then of course, there are the guest stars, which were a regular feature on every episode every week! The series was created by Aaron Spelling, and in many ways resembles his previous series such as The Love Boat or Fantasy Island, except this series has more drama and isn't afraid to touch upon more serious issues.

The series begins with a two-hour pilot film, which actually has not been part of the syndication package, but is included on this set, where Christine Francis wants the job as Peter McDermott's Executive Assistant, and will do anything to get that job. Bette Davis appears is the star of the series in this pilot, even though she would be replaced by the first episode of the series, "Blackout," where her sister-in-law Victoria Cabot takes over the reigns of the hotel. The whole hotel is on edge when a delegation from the Israeli ministry comes to the hotel, along with FBI warnings of an assassination, in "Charades." A man and woman discover that their child has been a victim of child molestation in "Secrets," and Peter has to intervene to determine the truth about her molester. Peter's ex-wife is back and wants to rekindle the relationship in "Flashback," but is this what he wants too?
A group of white supremacists are having a convention at the hotel in "Confrontations," and it is up to the African-American employees to protect them from the protesters. Peter has to ponder his future at the St. Gregory when given a nice offer in "The Offer." It's Christmastime at the hotel in "Christmas," but is it also the beginning of a new relationship for Peter and Christine? Peter goes to a society event in "Designs," and finds a girl that he likes--and she kind of forgets to tell him she is married. Peter is the object of infatuation of two personalities that happen to be one person in "Reflections," and she is crazy enough to commit murder.
A Holocaust survivor sees somebody that he'd rather not see in the hotel lobby in "Passages." A young couple is set to have their wedding at the hotel in "The Wedding," but will family money issues and the bride having an affair spoil that wedding plan? A man can't remember his own identity in "Memories," but he is sure that he committed murder and robbery at a jewelry store. Peter receives a visit from a former lover in "Encores," but the big surprise is that the four-year old son that she brings with her is allegedly Peter's son! Mrs. Cabot and Peter are held hostage and put on trial in "Trials."

The season offers plenty of guest stars, including Erin Moran, Mel Torme, Shirley Jones, Morgan Fairchild, Heather Locklear, Peter Marshall, Nanette Fabray, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Vaughn, Robert Reed, Charlene Tilton, Vic Tayback, Donna Pescow, Diana Canova, Martin Landau, Scott Baio, Barbara Parkins, Tori Spelling, Jane Wyatt, McLean Stevenson, Barnard Hughes, Robert Stack, Vera Miles, Jan Smither, Eva Gabor, Markie Post, Shelley Winters, Lew Ayres, Ted Shackelford, and Melissa Sue Anderson. And that isn't even close to a complete list!

Like many other CBS DVD sets, we really don't have fancy packaging on this set. All we have is the traditional DVD case, which holds all six discs and has episode descriptions, airdates, and guest stars inside the case. There really isn't any artwork at all on the discs, just the standard gray CBS DVD artwork. Each disc contains four episodes, except for Disc 1, which contains the pilot movie and two additional episodes. Similarly, the menus are not that impressive, with a main menu that simply has a cast snapshot and has a list of the episodes on the disc, along with a Play All option. There are chapters placed within each episode at all of the appropriate places.

Still, not all is lost on the set. The video and audio quality of the set is, while not necessarily over-the-top impressive, more than just adequate, and with the exception of some grain and debris, the episodes look decent. The audio levels on the DVD are fine, and the audio, being presented in mono (right near the "end of the road" for series being presented in mono, as stereo audio was soon to become the standard) sounds fine. There are no subtitles or alternate languages, but each episode is closed-captioned. The set does have the standard CBS DVD disclaimer about edited episodes, but I don't see any real cause for concern on any of the episodes, as each one runs around 48 minutes. Some episodes contained music (usually instrumental versions of hit songs from the era), and it seems that these songs have been left intact.

Sadly, the set is lacking on special features. There isn't a single special feature anywhere on the set. A retrospective to look back on the series would have been nice, although it seems as if most of the people involved with the series have since moved on or passed away--even though it was only about 25 years ago.

This is my first experience of ever watching the series, and I found it to be a surprisingly pleasant series to watch. It kind of brings in the best parts of a series like The Love Boat with series like Dynasty... although you won't find any catfights here. It is kind of nice to see the guest stars that come to stay just for the week turn out to be the "bad guy" every now and then. Admittedly, there are some episodes in this batch that are just plain rotten, but that is what you get when you have a series like this, and besides that, there are too many interesting ones to balance those episodes out. My advice? Check in for this set if you are a fan of dramas which prominently feature guest stars.

-- Reviewed by skees53
(4/5 stars)

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Summer Week 5 Sitcom Ratings; Coming Week Preview

Summer has now started and everything is pretty light. 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 June 15-21)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - 3.84 million for a repeat is again lower than the previous week's repeat...though a 1.8 18-49 rating is not bad for summer.
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A 7pm repeat did just 1.64 million and a 8:30 repeat did better with 3.3 million, but still both timeslots were down from previous week's repeats.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 4.19 million for a repeat...lower than the previous week again, but a 2.2 18-49 rating was good enough to win its timeslot.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - Only 1.89 million for a repeat at 7:30, but the normal airing at 9:30pm did 3.61 million for a repeat, and up some from previous week. 1.8 18-49 rating is decent retention from lead-in.

Summer Week 5 (June 22-28)

Monday Sitcoms

• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 4.72 million for a repeat airing, much lower than what Big Bang Theory repeats do here in the 8pm slot. An OK 1.5 18-49 rating.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 4.66 million for a repeat airing, lower than previous week when it was Mother airing in the 8:30pm slot.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 8.69 million for a repeat down close to two million from previous week's repeat. I guess they were watching Jon & Kate Plus Eight on TLC as that did 10.6 million.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 7.23 million for a repeat is decent but down from previous week. 2.3 18-49 rating out of the 2.5 from the lead-in is great retention...everything else is similar to what Rules did in this slot so far.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Better Off Ted (ABC) - A new episode following The Superstars didn't do well, with only 1.83 million and a 0.8 18-49 rating. Not good. Maybe it only works with Scrubs? Even with the low ratings, this is an excellent comedy.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Just 4.41 million for a repeat...but up a tad again from previous week.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Just 4.23 million for a repeat, but also up some from previous week.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - Only 3.14 and 3.04 million for repeats in the 8pm hour...down some from previous week's repeat at 8:30 and 9.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - Preempted for Jackson/Fawcett specials.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - A new episode did OK for summer doing 3.44 million, but 18-49 rating of 1.0 should be better. Still a mistake not bringing this show back...it would work in a good comedy block.
• In the Motherhood (ABC) - Only 2.46 million for a burn-off episode...all things considered, could have been worse. Well 0.7 18-49 is not good.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 983,000 viewers. That was down a bit from previous week's prelim... but who cares, this show is canceled anyway.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did 971,000 prelim viewers for this canceled sitcom as well...but down from previous week's prelim.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - Prelim numbers show only 2.76 million for an all-new episode at 8pm, but up from previous week's prelim.
• The Goode Family (ABC) - Prelim numbers were even worse for an all-new episode of this show with 1.81 million, but still up some from previous week's prelim numbers. Check out final numbers for Friday for these shows and all the Friday shows on our message board tomorrow.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10 tonight. Elsewhere ABC will have the conclusion of the mini-series Impact from 9-11pm. CBS has 60 Minutes at 7pm. NBC will have a new Dateline in the 7pm hour, leading into a two-hour Merlin from 8-10. Cable wise, among the highlights are TBS's Comedy Festival at 10pm, Lifetime's new season of Army Wives at 10pm, Law & Order Criminal Intent and In Plain Sight on USA at 9 & 10, BET Awards on BET, Kendra and Denise Richards at 10 on E!, Daisy of Love & Brooke Knows Best on VH1, Gene Simmons Family Jewels & Hammertime on A&E, Jesse James is a Dead Man on Spike at 10, JONAS on Disney at 8:30, and Bridezillas on WE tv.


Coming Week Preview (June 29-July 5):

For Monday, on ABC, it's an all-new night with new episodes of The Bachelorette from 8-10pm and Here Come the Newlyweds at 10pm. NBC has yet another Dateline at 10pm. On cable among the highlights we have a new episode of Secret Life of the American Teenager and Make It or Break It on ABC Family starting at 8pm, new episodes of The Closer and Raising the Bar on TNT starting at 9, 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, and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List at 10pm on Bravo.
On Tuesday, ABC has a 90-minute episode of The Superstars at 8pm followed by a new episode of the hilarious comedy Better off Ted at 9:30pm and an all-new episode of Primetime: Family Secrets at 10pm. NBC has a one-hour America's Got Talent at 9, while The CW is airing Hitched or Ditched. On cable, among the highlights are Deadliest Catch and After the Catch on Discovery starting at 9pm, TNT has dramas Hawthorne, and Saving Grace 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 Tina & Toya at 10pm, Bravo has an all-new NYC Prep at 9pm, Oxygen has Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood at 10, The Cleaner at 10 on A&E, 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, followed by I Survived a Japanese Game Show at 9pm, and at 10pm the third season premiere of the interesting Primetime: Crime. NBC will have America's Got Talent at 9 and a new episode of The Philanthropist at 10. Fox has a two-hour So You Think You Can Dance. On cable, among the highlights are new episodes of Meet the Browns on TBS starting at 10pm, Food has Bobby Flay at 9, Discovery has an all-new primetime including Pitchmen at 10pm, MTV has Real World Cancun at 10, The Fashion Show is on Bravo at 10, and also at 10pm is Tattoo Highway on A&E.
On Thursday, ABC will have new episodes of sitcoms Samantha Who & In the Motherhood at 8pm. NBC will have a new episode of drama The Listener at 10pm. Fox will have a new So You Think You Can Dance at 9pm. On cable, among the highlights are WWE Superstars on WGN America, new night for Wedding Day on TNT at 8pm, MTV has a new 16 and Pregnant at 10, TLC has a new American Chopper at 9, TV Land has She's Got the Look at 9pm and Southern Belles: Louisville at 10 on SOAPnet.
On Friday, ABC has new episodes of Surviving Suburbia and The Goode Family in the 8pm hour and later a new 20/20 at 10pm. NBC has a burn-off of Chopping Block followed by two-hours of Dateline. Fox will air a new Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader at 8 followed by the new night for Mental at 9. MNT is airing WWE Smackdown. Cable wise, among the highlights are The Soup at 10pm on E! and Degrassi on The N at 8.
On Saturday, it's slower than even usual with the 4th of July. NBC is airing a burn-off of Kings at 8 followed by Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular at 9. ABC has the a burn-off episode of Eli Stone at 10pm, while CBS has burn-off of Harper's Island 9pm and the Boson Pops Fireworks Spectacular at 10. Fox is new with Cops and AMW. Cable wise, CMT has Can You Duet & The Singing Bee at 8 and Nick has iCarly and True Jackson at 8.
And next Sunday, NBC will have a new Dateline at 7pm, leading into a an episode of Merlin at 8. Cable wise, among the highlights are TBS's Comedy Festival at 10pm, Lifetime's new season of Army Wives at 10pm, Kendra and Denise Richards at 10 on E!, Brooke Knows Best on VH1, Jesse James is a Dead Man on Spike at 10, Hannah Montana, Sonny With a Chance and JONAS on Disney starting at 8pm, and Bridezillas on WE tv.

Summer Week 4 Sitcom Ratings; Coming Week Preview

Summer has now started and everything is pretty light. 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 June 8-14)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - 3.91 million for a repeat is again lower than the previous week's repeat.
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A 7pm repeat did just 2.07 million and a 8:30 repeat did better with 3.77 million, but both timeslots were up from previous week's repeats.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 4.22 million for a repeat...lower than the previous week again.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - Only 2.45 million for a repeat at 7:30, but the normal airing at 9:30pm did 3.45 million for a repeat.

Summer Week 4 (June 15-21)

Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory 8PM (CBS) - 6.05 million for a repeat...down some from previous week, as this was its last airing in this slot and will now move to 9:30pm for good.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 5.67 million for a repeat airing, lower than previous week...let's see how it does as self-starter tomorrow.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 10.19 million for a repeat is great and it went up from previous week's repeat.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 8.42 million for a repeat is decent but so far it is doing similar to Rules of Engagement repeats but is holding more in 18-49, which CBS should like.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - No NBA Finals so ABC was forced to air repeats of this and it did just 3.02 and 2.82 million. Look for repeats to air Fridays at 9 starting this week.
• Scrubs (ABC) - Again ABC was forced to air a repeat of this due to no NBA Finals, and it only managed 1.97 million.
• Better Off Ted (ABC) - A repeat only did 1.41 million. Good news is new episodes return this Tuesday and will follow the anticipated competition series The Superstars.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Just 4.1 million for a repeat...but up a tad from previous week.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Just 4.17 million for a repeat, but also up some from previous week. No match for the Big Balls!

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - Only 3.29 million for a repeat in its normal 9pm slot...down some from previous week's repeat.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - Only 2.68 million for a repeat..worse than previous week.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 1.17 million. Up a bit from previous week's prelim again, but this show is canceled anyway.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did 1.43 million prelim viewers for this canceled sitcom as well...up from previous week's prelim. This should have been brought back for another year I think.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - Prelim numbers show only 2.59 million for an all-new episode at 8pm, down from previous week's prelim. Finals for previous week were lower though due to DTV switch and Chicago and Philly ratings were not counted in the finals.
• The Goode Family (ABC) - Prelim numbers were even worse for an all-new episode of this show with a series low of 1.59 million. As with the lead-in, the finals for previous week were lower due to the DTV switch.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) 2 episodes - Two repeats did just a prelim 1.68 million average for the hour, down from previous week. Look for final Friday ratings for all of these sitcoms on our message board when available.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10 tonight. Elsewhere ABC will have the first part of the mini-series Impact from 9-11pm. CBS has 60 Minutes at 7pm. NBC will have an overrun of the PGA U.S. Open Championship and a new Dateline in the 7pm hour, leading into the two-hour premiere of Merlin from 8-10. Cable wise, among the highlights are Lifetime's new season of Army Wives at 10pm, Law & Order Criminal Intent and In Plain Sight on USA at 9 & 10, Kendra and Denise Richards at 10 on E!, Daisy of Love & Brooke Knows Best on VH1, Gene Simmons Family Jewels & Hammertime on A&E, Ultimate Knockouts & Spike Guys Choice on Spike starting at 9, JONAS on Disney at 8:30, and Bridezillas on WE tv.


Coming Week Preview (June 22-28):

For Monday, on ABC, it's an all-new night with new episodes of The Bachelorette from 8-10pm and Here Come the Newlyweds at 10pm. NBC will have a two-hour of the crazy I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at 8pm followed by yet another Dateline at 10pm. On cable among the highlights we have a new episode of Around the World for Free on WGN America at 9pm, season premiere of Secret Life of the American Teenager and the series premiere of Make It or Break It on ABC Family starting at 8pm, new episodes of The Closer and Raising the Bar on TNT starting at 9, 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 has the series premiere of The Superstars at 8pm followed by the return of Better off Ted at 9:30pm and the season premiere of Primetime: Family Secrets at 10pm. CBS will have an episode of 48 Hours at 10pm. NBC has another I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at 8 followed by the two-hour season premiere of America's Got Talent. Fox and The CW at 9pm will have Mental on Fox and The CW airing Hitched or Ditched. On cable, among the highlights are Deadliest Catch and After the Catch on Discovery starting at 9pm, TNT has dramas Hawthorne, and Saving Grace 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 9pm, Oxygen has Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood at 10, The Cleaner at 10 on A&E, 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, followed by I Survived a Japanese Game Show at 9pm, and at 10pm the special Primetime: Questions for the President. NBC will have the finale (finally!) of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, followed by America's Got Talent at 9 and the premiere of The Philanthropist at 10. Fox has a two-hour So You Think You Can Dance. On cable, among the highlights are new episodes of Meet the Browns on TBS starting at 10pm, Food has Bobby Flay at 9, Discovery has an all-new primetime including Pitchmen at 10pm, Comedy Central has a new RENO 911 at 10:30pm, MTV has Real World Cancun at 10, MonsterQuest on History at 9, Top Chef Masters is on Bravo at 10, and also at 10pm is Tattoo Highway on A&E.
On Thursday, ABC will have the returns of sitcoms Samantha Who & In the Motherhood at 8pm, with all new episodes. NBC will have a new episode of drama The Listener at 10pm. Fox will have a new So You Think You Can Dance at 9pm. On cable, among the highlights are NBA Draft on ESPN starting at 7pm, WWE Superstars on WGN America, new night for Wedding Day on TNT at 8pm, Burn Notice on USA at 9 followed by Royal Pains at 10, Comedy Central has a new Tosh.0 at 10pm, MTV has a new 16 and Pregnant at 10, TLC has a new American Chopper at 9, TV Land has She's Got the Look at 9pm, The Real Housewives of Orange County at 9 & The Fashion Show at 10 on Bravo, and Southern Belles: Louisville at 10 on SOAPnet.
On Friday, ABC has new episodes of Surviving Suburbia and The Goode Family in the 8pm hour and later a new 20/20 at 10pm. NBC has a burn-off of Chopping Block followed by two-hours of Dateline. Fox will air an unsold pilot from 8-10pm called Virtuality, and MNT is airing WWE Smackdown. Cable wise, among the highlights are World's Funniest Commercials at 9pm on TBS, Whale Wars on Animal Planet at 9, What Not to Wear & Say Yes to the Dress on TLC and The Soup on E! at 10.
On Saturday, it's slow as usual with NBC airing a burn-off of Kings at 8. ABC has the a burn-off episode of Eli Stone at 10pm, while CBS has burn-off of Harper's Island 9pm. Fox is new with Cops and AMW. Cable wise, TBS has the Comedy Festival at 9, Nick has a new iCarly and True Jackson at 8, and GSN has a new 20Q at 8.
And next Sunday, ABC will have the final part of the mini-series Impact from 9-11pm. CBS has 60 Minutes at 7pm. NBC will have a new Dateline at 7pm, leading into a two-hour episode of Merlin from 8-10. Cable wise, among the highlights are TBS's Comedy Festival at 10pm, Lifetime's new season of Army Wives at 10pm, Law & Order Criminal Intent and In Plain Sight on USA at 9 & 10, BET Awards on BET, Kendra and Denise Richards at 10 on E!, Daisy of Love & Brooke Knows Best on VH1, Gene Simmons Family Jewels & Hammertime on A&E, Jesse James is a Dead Man on Spike at 10, JONAS on Disney at 8:30, and Bridezillas on WE tv.

Summer Week 3 Sitcom Ratings; Coming Week Preview

Summer has now started and everything is pretty light. 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 June 1-7)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - 4.1 million for a repeat is lower than the previous week's repeat.
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A 7pm repeat did just 1.76 million and a 8:30 repeat did better with 3.76 million, but both timeslots were down from previous week's repeats.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 4.84 million for a repeat...lower than the previous week, just like the other Sunday animation.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - Only 2.27 million for a repeat at 7:30, but the normal airing at 9:30pm did 4.23 million for a repeat.

Summer Week 3 (June 8-14)

Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory 8PM (CBS) - 6.5 million for a repeat...down some from previous week.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 5.8 million for a repeat airing, lower than previous week.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 9.52 million for a repeat is great, but down over a half million from previous week's repeat.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 7.81 million for its first regular scheduled 9:30pm airing but it was down from previous week's Rules of Engagement repeat, though it was the same really since the lead-in was down as well.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - Just 3.91 million for a repeat...down from previous week.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Just 3.87 million for a repeat. I still don't think CBS needs this sitcom hour on Wednesdays...it would be better of use on Sundays.

Thursday Sitcoms

• The Office (NBC) - Only 3.49 million for a repeat in its normal 9pm slot...but expected.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - Only 3.1 million for a repeat, at least retention wasn't that bad from the lead-in.
• Old Christine (CBS) - Two special repeats in the 8pm hour did better than the regular Wednesday even! 4.59 and 4.84 million...go figure.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 930,000 viewers. Up a bit from previous week's prelim, but this show is canceled anyway.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did 989,000 prelim viewers for this canceled sitcom as well...down a tad from previous week's prelim. This should have been brought back for another year I think.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - Prelim numbers show only 2.87 million for an all-new episode at 8pm.
• The Goode Family (ABC) - Prelim numbers were even worse for an all-new episode of this show with a series low of 1.82 million. Look for this to be pulled this week.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) 2 episodes - Two repeats did just a prelim 2.38 million average for the hour, up a tad from previous week. Look for final Friday ratings for all of these sitcoms on our message board when available.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10 tonight. Elsewhere ABC will win big with the NBA Finals Game #5. CBS has 60 Minutes and the final Million Dollar Password at 7 & 8pm. NBC has a new Dateline from 7-8pm. Cable wise, among the highlights are Lifetime's new season of Army Wives at 10pm, Law & Order: Criminal Intent & In Plain Sight on USA at 9 & 10, Daisy of Love & Brooke Knows Best on VH1, Gene Simmons Family Jewels & Hammertime on A&E, UFC Unleashed & Jesse James is a Dead Man on Spike starting at 9, and Bridezillas on WE tv.


Coming Week Preview (June 15-21):

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 a two-hour of the crazy I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at 8pm followed by yet another Dateline 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, new episodes of The Closer and Raising the Bar on TNT starting at 9, 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 could have Jimmy Kimmel Live! Game Night at 8pm followed by game 6 of the NBA Finals, ONLY IF Orlando wins game 5 tonight. If they don't, look for comedy repeats and the final episode of Cupid. CBS will have an episode of 48 Hours at 10pm. NBC has another I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at 8. Fox and The CW at 9pm will have Mental on Fox and The CW airing Hitched or Ditched. On cable, among the highlights are Deadliest Catch and After the Catch on Discovery starting at 9pm, TNT has a full night of premieres of Wedding Day, Hawthorne, and Saving Grace starting at 8pm, 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, Oxygen has Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood at 10, 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, followed by the season premiere of I Survived a Japanese Game Show at 9pm, and at 10pm the final episode of The Unusuals. NBC will have yet another I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Fox has a two-hour So You Think You Can Dance. On cable, among the highlights are new episodes of Meet the Browns on TBS starting at 10pm, Food has Bobby Flay at 9, Discovery has an all-new primetime including MythBusters at 9pm, Comedy Central has a new RENO 911 at 10:30pm, MTV has Real World Road Rules at 10, MonsterQuest on History at 9, Top Chef Masters is on Bravo at 10, and also at 10pm is Ultimate Fighter on Spike.
On Thursday, ABC will have Game 7 of the NBA Finals between Orlando and the L.A. Lakers starting at 8:30pm ET, with Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night at 8pm, all if necessary. NBC will have another episode of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at 8pm, and later in the night a new episode of drama The Listener at 10pm. Fox will have a new So You Think You Can Dance at 9pm. On cable, among the highlights are WWE Superstars on WGN America, Burn Notice on USA at 9 followed by Royal Pains at 10, Comedy Central has a new Tosh.0 at 10pm, MTV has a new 16 and Pregnant at 10, TLC has a new American Chopper at 9, TV Land has She's Got the Look at 9pm, The Real Housewives of Orange County at 9 & The Fashion Show at 10 on Bravo, and Southern Belles: Louisville at 10 on SOAPnet.
On Friday, ABC has new episodes of Surviving Suburbia and The Goode Family in the 8pm hour and later a new 20/20 at 10pm. NBC has a burn-off of Chopping Block followed by two-hours of 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 Whale Wars on Animal Planet at 9, What Not to Wear & Say Yes to the Dress on TLC and The Soup on E! at 10.
On Saturday, it's slow as usual with NBC airing a burn-off of Kings at 8. ABC has the a burn-off episode of Eli Stone at 10pm, while CBS has burn-off of Harper's Island 9pm. Fox is new with Cops and AMW. Cable wise, Spike has a new The Ultimate Fighter at 9.
And next Sunday, ABC will have the first part of the mini-series Impact from 9-11pm. CBS has 60 Minutes at 7pm. NBC will have a new Dateline at 7pm, leading into the two-hour premiere of Merlin from 8-10. Cable wise, among the highlights are Lifetime's new season of Army Wives at 10pm, Law & Order Criminal Intent and In Plain Sight on USA at 9 & 10, Kendra and Denise Richards at 10 on E!, Daisy of Love & Brooke Knows Best on VH1, Gene Simmons Family Jewels & Hammertime on A&E, Ultimate Knockouts & Spike Guys Choice on Spike starting at 9, JONAS on Disney at 8:30, and Bridezillas on WE tv.

Summer Week 2 Sitcom Ratings; Coming Week Preview

Summer has now started and everything is pretty light. 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 25-31)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - 4.94 million for a repeat beats the previous week's not scheduled rain-out NASCAR repeat.
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A 7pm repeat did just 2.29 million and a 8:30 repeat did better with 4.44 million.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 5.35 million for a repeat, is 3 million more than the previous week when it aired but wasn't scheduled to due to the NASCAR rain-out.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - Only 2.65 million for a repeat at 7:30, but the normal airing at 9:30pm did 4.66 million for a repeat.

Summer Week 2 (June 1-7)

Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 6.77 million for a repeat...up from previous week when it was Memorial Day.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 6.18 million for a repeat airing, not bad.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 10.1 million for a repeat is excellent for a repeat...actually unbelievable these days.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 8.31 million for a repeat is decent.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - It finally happened. The final two episodes of the series aired and did 3.98 and 3.96 million. Not too good, but better than what it did in recent weeks. I think ABC should have promoted it a little bit at least. The show did last 8 seasons.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• The Goode Family (ABC) 2 episodes - Only 2.44 million for the hour. Not good, now ABC is moving it to Fridays at 8:30pm starting this week. Two new Wipeout episodes this Wednesday! Good night and big balls!
• Old Christine (CBS) - Just 4.49 million for a repeat...could be better.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - Just 4.41 million for a repeat. CBS needs to promote this sitcom hour more since it is coming back in tact in the fall and ABC is already promoting their all-new Wednesday comedy block.

Thursday Sitcoms

• 30 Rock (NBC) - preempted.
• The Office (NBC) - preempted.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat at 9pm did a prelim 880,000 viewers. This show is canceled anyway.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat did 1.1 million prelim viewers for this canceled sitcom as well. This should have been brought back for another year I think.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) 2 episodes - Two repeats did just a prelim 2.32 million average for the hour.

Saturday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - A special Saturday repeat only mustered a prelim 2.21 million.
• Worst Week (CBS) - An all-new burn-off episode of this canceled comedy only did a prelim 1.91 million ... ouch!

Tonight you can catch encores of Fox's animated comedies from 7-10 tonight. Elsewhere ABC will win big with the NBA Finals Game #2. CBS has the low rated Tony Awards at 8pm. NBC has 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.


Coming Week Preview (June 8-14):

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 a two-hour of the crazy I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at 8pm followed by yet another Dateline 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, season premieres of The Closer and Raising the Bar on TNT starting at 9, 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 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Game Night at 8pm followed by game 3 of the NBA Finals. CBS will have an episode of 48 Hours at 10pm. NBC has Game 6 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. Fox and The CW at 9pm will have Mental on Fox and The CW airing Hitched or Ditched. On cable, among the highlights are Deadliest Catch and Out of the 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 and 9pm this week with two all-new episodes and at 10pm a new The Unusuals. NBC will have yet another two-hour I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. 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, Comedy Central has a new RENO 911 at 10:30pm, MTV has Real World Road Rules at 10, MonsterQuest on History at 9, Top Chef Masters is on Bravo at 10, and also at 10pm is Ultimate Fighter on Spike.
On Thursday, ABC will have Game 4 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, and later in the night a new episode of drama The Listener at 10pm. Fox will have a new So You Think You Can Dance at 9pm. On cable, among the highlights are WWE Superstars on WGN America, Burn Notice on USA at 9 followed by Royal Pains at 10, Comedy Central has a new Tosh.0 at 10pm, MTV has a new 16 and Pregnant at 10, TLC has a new American Chopper at 9, TV Land has the premiere of a new season of She's Got the Look at 9pm, The Real Housewives of Orange County at 9 & The Fashion Show at 10 on Bravo, and Southern Belles: Louisville at 10 on SOAPnet.
On Friday, ABC has new episodes of Surviving Suburbia and The Goode Family in the 8pm hour and later a new 20/20 at 10pm. NBC has Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals if it is necessary. Fox will air a new Don't Forget the Lyrics at 8, and MNT is airing WWE Smackdown. Cable wise, among the highlights are MADE on MTV at 10, What Not to Wear & Masters of Reception on TLC and The Soup on E! at 10.
On Saturday, it's slow as usual with NBC airing a burn-off of Kings at 8. ABC has the final burn-off episode of Pushing Daisies at 10pm, while CBS has burn-off of Harper's Island 9pm. Fox is new with Cops and AMW. Cable wise, Nick has a new The Naked Brothers Band at 9.
And next Sunday, ABC will have Game 5 of the NBA Finals starting at 7:30pm ET with Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night at 7pm. CBS has 60 Minutes & Million Dollar Password starting at 7pm. NBC will have a new Dateline at 7pm. Cable wise, among the highlights are Lifetime's new season of Army Wives at 10pm, In Plain Sight on USA at 10, Daisy of Love & Brooke Knows Best on VH1, Gene Simmons Family Jewels & Hammertime on A&E, UFC Unleashed & Jesse James is a Dead Man on Spike starting at 9, and Bridezillas on WE tv.

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.

Week 35 Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 35 numbers (final three nights of the season final averages, Mon-Wed):

NOTE: Thursday was the first night of the summer season, but we don't have final network averages, thus it is not counted below. However, we do have final program ratings in the analysis below.

Households: Fox 10.6/17.0; CBS 8.0/13.0; ABC 6.8/11.0; NBC 3.4/5.6; The CW 1.3/2.0; MNT 0.7/1.1.
Total Viewers: Fox 18.67 million; CBS 12.77 million; ABC 10.6 million; NBC 5.08 million; The CW 1.85 million; MNT 1.06 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 6.5/18.1; CBS 3.3/9.2; ABC 2.9/8.0; NBC 1.5/4.1; The CW 0.8/2.4; MNT 0.4/1.1.

Analysis: Week 35 - the final week of the TV season - sees Fox with the lead for the first four nights in all categories. It will be a close finish from Thurs-Sun, but that is the start of the summer season. Fox should be able to prevail. CBS will hang on to second in HH/viewers likely, with ABC likely to take over in 18-49. Through the first three days of this week, Fox is first, CBS is second, ABC in third and NBC back in fourth. We will have final May 2009 Sweep (April 23-May 20) network averages for you next week, along with final 2008-2009 TV season (Sept. 22-May 20) network averages for you next week as well.
Last week, CBS won in week 34 in HH/viewers, but Fox once again took 18-49. However, Fox was third for the week in HH/viewers, with ABC second in those. ABC and CBS were tied for second in 18-49. NBC was fourth across the board.
Monday it was ABC with the victory as Dancing with the Stars had its performance finale. ABC aired an abbreviated one hour version of Dancing with the Stars at 19.17 million, up some from the previous week when it was two-hours. The two-hour season premiere of The Bachelorette followed doing a solid 8.69 million and a better 3.0 18-49 rating. That was on par with the premiere last season and look for it grow in coming weeks. CBS was all-new with comedies starting it off...a special Rules of Engagement at 8pm did only 7.5 million, down over 2 million from previous week when Big Bang Theory aired its finale. What will Rules do next season when it won't air after Men anymore? The season finale of How I Met Your Mother followed doing a decent 8.73 million, down just a tad from previous week. The season finale of Two and a Half Men followed with 16.18 million, up three million from previous week--wow, but it didn't face Dancing. Rules of Engagement followed with another new episode, this time its season finale and closed the sitcom block with a decent 12.87 million, up over two million from previous week. This sitcom will be back in midseason next season, but not in this slot. CBS closed the night with the season finale of CSI: Miami at 14.2 million, up from previous week. Fox aired the two-hour season finale of 24 doing 9.64 million, down from previous week. Season low it seems and a series low of 3.1 18-49. Looks like House did save this show. NBC was next with the sluggish Deal or No Deal doing only 4.36 million, though up a tad from previous week and a second episode at 9pm did a bit better with 5.39 million, but down from what aired in the slot the previous week. Medium followed with 6.56 million, down from previous week. Look for this show on CBS next fall! The CW was next with the season finale of Gossip Girl doing 2.23 million, down some from previous week and the season finale of One Tree Hill did 2.68 million, up from previous week.
Tuesday it was Fox on top but ABC won in HH but Fox had a bit more viewers and a big lead in 18-49. Fox started with a 63 minute performance finale of American Idol doing 23.82 million, up a million from previous week but it seems low for a performance finale. Fox then aired a special preview of Glee at 9.62 million, up a tad from previous week when Fringe aired its finale. Look for Glee to air Wednesdays at 9 in the fall, but not a promising start so far. ABC started with a repeat of the previous night's Dancing with the Stars doing 7.65 million improving a lot on According to Jim the previous week. Dancing with the Stars: The Results the grand finale was next from 9-11pm doing 20.31 million, up six million from previous week when it was one-hour. Congrats to Shawn Johnson for winning! CBS started with the season finale of NCIS doing 16.5 million which was up some from previous week, followed by the season finale of The Mentalist doing 16.82 million, up some from previous week..look for this Thursdays at 10 next season. Without a Trace had its series finale and did 11.21 million, down over two million from from previous week. NBC aired two repeats of Most Outrageous Moments doing just 3.0 and 2.99 million...NBC didn't compete. A repeat of Law & Order: SVU followed with 3.48 million, and a new episode followed at 10pm with only 6.93 million -- a series low. Terrible scheduling by NBC. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did just 1.71 million, down some from previous week again and the season finale of 90210 followed with 2.0 million, also down a tad from previous week.
Wednesday saw Fox with the win on the final night of the 2008-09 season. Fox was led by the two-hour finale of American Idol doing 28.84 million, up four million from previous week but these finales usually do 30 million+, so it was down some. CBS started with season finales of sitcoms Old Christine and Gary Unmarried doing only 5.55 and 5.52 million, as Idol must have affected them. The two-hour Criminal Minds season finale followed and did 13.99 million, up some from previous week when it was one-hour. CSI: NY was preempted as it had its season finale on a special night of Thursday the previous week. ABC took a backseat on the night with the network premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest from 8-11pm doing only 3.41 million. NBC did better with the NBC premiere of USA's Law & Order: Criminal Intent doing 5.04 million, down some from previous week, followed by a repeat of Law & Order: SVU doing only 4.32 million, also down a bit from previous week. Law & Order followed at 10pm with a new episode and did 6.67 million, down over a million from previous week. The CW was off the map with the movie Take the Lead doing only 1.24 million.
Thursday saw the start of the summer season. But we had some unfinished business with ABC as they had the two-hour season finale of Ugly Betty doing 6.27 million, down some from previous week when it was one-hour. That isn't that bad since it was on its own, if it does similar numbers to this on Fridays, ABC will be happy. A repeat of Grey's Anatomy followed at 10pm doing only 3.46 million. CBS won the night with summer repeats, starting it off with a special night repeat of NCIS doing 7.35 million. A repeat of CSI followed doing a solid 9.88 million and finale at 10pm a repeat of Flashpoint on a special night followed at 10pm and did 7.37 million. Fox's summer season started with the two-hour season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance at 8.85 million and a decent 3.4 18-49 rating. NBC was in repeat mode from 8-10pm with comedies, a repeat of canceled My Name is Earl did only 3.22 million at 8pm, a repeat of 30 Rock followed with another low of 2.77 million. The Office followed with a repeat doing 3.35 million and another repeat of 30 Rock followed with only 3.29 million. NBC closed the night with a new episode -- the season finale -- of Southland doing 6.45 million, up up two million week to week. Smallville was a repeat on The CW and did 1.37 million and a repeat of Supernatural followed with 1.28 million. Summer has begun.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with repeats of Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS. Everyone else was under 4 million.
Saturday numbers are not available yet, but expect ABC to win big with the NBA Western Conference Finals, as the Lakers came back and beat the Nuggets in game 3.
Tonight will be likely Fox with the win with NASCAR. CBS has a new 60 Minutes followed repeats of Million Dollar Password, Cold Case, The Unit from 8-11pm. ABC will start with repeats of AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Then from 9-11pm they will air part one of the mini-series event Diamonds, so I expect this will do decent. NBC has a two-hour Dateline and a two-hour repeat of mini-series The Last Templar.
As for the week, Fox should win the week in HH, viewers, and 18-49. CBS will be second in HH/viewers, while ABC 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...summer has begun. Look for summer premieres of such series as Wipeout, Here Come the Newlyweds, The Goode Family, Mental, and more.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of May 11-17, Week 34)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - Season finale did just 5.85 million but up from previous week's season low.
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - Season finale at 8:30pm did only 5.21 million but up from previous week by a million. A repeat at 7pm mustered only 2.44 million.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 7.35 million for the season finale...up a million from previous week.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - 2.77 million for a repeat at 7:30pm was a bit higher than previous week, and its regular 9:30pm slot had the season finale and did only 5.64 million...but up nearly a million from previous week.

Week 35 (May 18-24):
Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - preempted
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 8.73 million for the season finale...slightly off from previous week.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 16.18 million for the comedy leader's finale up 3 million from the previous week!
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 12.87 million for the season finale was great but a special 8pm all-new episode only did 7.5 million.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) - preempted...final two weeks coming (May 26 and June 2).

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - 5.55 million for the season finale is not good...season low.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - 5.52 million for the season finale is also not good.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - 3.22 million for a repeat at 8pm.
• The Office (NBC) - 3.35 million for a repeat at 9pm.
• 30 Rock (NBC) 2 episodes - Only 2.77 million for a repeat at 8:30, but the regular slot repeat did 3.29 million at 9:30pm.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) 2 episodes - Two repeats did a prelim 1.24 and 1.09 million at 8 and 9pm.
• The Game (The CW) 2 episodes - Two repeats did a prelim 1.24 and 1.10 million at 8:30 and 9:30pm.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are no comedies!

Summing it up. How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement-9:30 were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (Rules of Engagement-8:00, Old Christine) or just plain old terrible (such as repeats of 30 Rock, My Name is Earl).

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!

Week 33 Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did; SitcomsOnline.com 2009-10 Upfront Preview: NBC

Week 33 numbers (first four nights final averages, Mon-Thurs):

Households: CBS 7.9/12.9; Fox 7.6/12.1; ABC 6.8/11.0; NBC 4.5/7.3; The CW 1.6/2.5; MNT 0.8/1.2.
Total Viewers: Fox 12.92 million; CBS 12.63 million; ABC 10.51 million; NBC 6.96 million; The CW 2.41 million; MNT 1.21 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 4.6/12.4; CBS 3.3/9.2; ABC 3.1/8.5; NBC 2.4/6.5; The CW 1.1/3.0; MNT 0.4/1.1.

Analysis: Week 32 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 when the week is done after tonight, but Fox will prevail in 18-49. 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 32 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, leaving CBS in third in 18-49 and Fox 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 20.28 million, up a million from the previous week though that was 92-minutes. A new episode of crime-romance drama Castle followed doing 9.97 million...up well over a million from previous week. Season finale is tomorrow of this drama that is poised to return next season. CBS was all-new with episodes of The Big Bang Theory doing 9.25 million, on par really from previous week, followed by a new episode of How I Met Your Mother doing 8.89 million, also on par really from previous week. A new Two and a Half Men followed with 14.17 million, yes on par really from previous week. Rules of Engagement followed with a new episode and closed the sitcom block with a decent 11.33 million, continuing the pattern of its lead-ins being on par really from previous week. CBS closed the night with a new CSI: Miami at 13.72 million, up over a million from previous week's low. Fox started with a new episode of House doing 12.05 million, up from previous week...then Fox had an all-new 24 doing 10.11 million, down from previous week. NBC was next with a sluggish return of Deal or No Deal doing only 4.36 million, Chuck doesn't look so bad now, does it? Medium followed with a two-hour installment doing 7.24 million, up from previous week when it was an hour at 10pm. The CW was next with a new Gossip Girl doing only 2.22 million, but up some from previous week and a new One Tree Hill did 2.23 million, down a tad from previous week.
Tuesday it was Fox on top but CBS was close by in HH/viewers. Fox started with a 63 minute American Idol doing 23.41 million, up some from previous week. Fox then aired a new Fringe at 9.24 million, down from previous week. CBS started with a new episode of NCIS doing 16.72 million which was on par really from previous week, followed by a new episode of The Mentalist doing 16.68 million, down from previous week. Without a Trace was new and did 11.83 million, down from previous week. ABC started with special episodes of Scrubs/Better Off Ted on a special night doing 3.7 and 3.07 million only. Dancing with the Stars: The Results was next at 9pm doing 14.56 million, down some from previous week. ABC followed with a new Cupid at just 5.14 million, down from previous week. NBC started with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 9.13 million, down some from the previous week. NBC finished the night with a new episode of Law & Order: SVU at 10pm doing 9.82 million, down from previous week. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did just 1.89 million, but up some from previous week and a new 90210 followed with 1.84 million, also up some from previous week.
Wednesday saw Fox with the win. Fox was led by the results show of American Idol at 9pm doing 23.57 million, up over a million from previous week. New Fox drama Lie to Me at 8pm did 8.68 million, up nearly a million from previous week. CBS started with sitcoms Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, doing 6.45 and 6.66 million...OK. A new Criminal Minds followed and did 14.13 million, up from previous week. CSI: NY was new and did 13.4 million, up nearly a million week-to-week. ABC aired the perfect Scrubs finale as J.D. said goodbye and did 5.07 million, could have been better, but decent enough. An all-new episode of Lost followed at 9pm doing a solid 8.7 million and a 4.0 18-49 rating, both slightly off from previous week. Three-hour finale event this week, with a clip show followed by two episodes! A new episode of The Unusuals at 10pm did 4.63 million, down a bit from previous week, as the show will now return May 27. NBC opened the night with the NBC premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent doing 5.71 million, followed by a repeat of Law & Order: SVU doing only 4.51 million, down a bit from previous week. Law & Order followed at 10pm with a new episode and did 8.14 million, up some from previous week. The CW was on the map with America's Next Top Model doing a nice 3.82 million, though down a bit from previous week, then The CW followed with an encore of what else--90210-- doing 1.09 million viewers, completely losing the lead-in...and down a tad from previous week.
Thursday saw CBS and ABC battle. CBS started with a new Survivor: Tocantis at 11.99 million, up some from previous week. CSI was next with 14.91 million, down some from previous week and just a 3.6 18-49 rating. And a special repeat of CSI at 10pm did 9.58 million, down from previous week's encore of Criminal Minds. ABC started with a new episode of Ugly Betty doing 7.38 million, up nicely from previous week. An all-new Grey's Anatomy was next and did 15.55 million and a night best 5.4 18-49 rating, both up from previous week and #1 in the timeslot. A 10.3 HH rating, too. The special Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist followed and did a solid 10.23 million at 10pm. Fox started with Bones at 8.76 million, down some from previous week. An all-new Hell's Kitchen followed at 9pm did 6.5 million, down from previous week. NBC started with a new episode of My Name is Earl at only 4.47 million at 8pm, down again from previous week. Cancel this already. Then the new Parks and Recreation followed with another low of 4.72 million, ouch and they renewed this for next season. Again these types of shows just don't generate big numbers I guess. The Office followed with a new episode doing 7.84 million, up some from previous week and 30 Rock followed with only 6.13 million, but up some from previous week. NBC closed the night with a new episode of Southland doing 6.61 million and only a 2.0 18-49 rating, both series lows again and lower than what ER did. Smallville was new on The CW and did 3.39 million, up some from previous week, followed by a new Supernatural at 2.79 million, down some from previous week.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with new episodes of Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS. ABC did decent with the movie Happy Feet from 8-10pm. Prison Break/Dollhouse did terrible for Fox, and NBC did better than normal with a two-hour Dateline.
Saturday saw Fox win with NASCAR, edging the Cavs/Hawks NBA Playoffs game on ABC.
Tonight will be ABC and CBS battling. ABC will easily win in 18-49, but it will again be close for HH/viewers. CBS has a new 60 Minutes followed by the Amazing Race 14, Cold Case & The Unit. ABC will have new episodes of AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters. Season finale of B&S tonight! NBC has an one-hour Dateline at 7pm and a three-hour season finale of Celebrity Apprentice, which doesn't usually do well with expanded finales. Fox has an all-new lineup of its animated comedies from 7-10, which includes dud Sit Down, Shut Up.
As for the week, CBS should win the week in HH/viewers, with Fox in 18-49. Fox will be second in HH/viewers, while ABC will take third in all categories but could sneak in for 2nd in 18-49 and HH. NBC will be fourth everywhere. As for the coming week...lots of season finales including Big Bang Theory, Castle, The Biggest Loser, Fringe, Cupid, Lie to Me, America's Next Top Model, Lost, NBC comedies, Smallville, Supernatural, Grey's Anatomy, CSI, CSI NY, Prison Break, America's Funniest Home Videos and next Sunday: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, Survivor, and the Fox animated comedies.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of April 27-May 3, Week 32)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode did 6.66 million. Up some from previous week.
• Sit Down, Shut Up (Fox) - Just 2.06 million in its move to 7pm, ouch.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - A new episode at 8:30pm did 5.14 million, much better than previous week when it aired at 7:30.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 6.57 million for a new episode...down a bit from previous week.American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - 2.52 million for a repeat at 7:30pm was higher than previous week when it was 7pm, and its regular 9:30pm slot was new and did 5.35 million, up some from previous week.

Week 33 (May 4-10):
Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 9.25 million for a new episode, on par from previous week's 9.24 million. Season finale tomorrow.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 8.89 million for a new episode...pattern for the CBS comedies this week is up so slightly from previous week.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.17 million for the comedy leader...same pattern as above
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 11.33 million for a new episode, decent stuff....same pattern as above again.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Scrubs (ABC) - 3.7 million on a special night...was better than According to Jim.
• Better Off Ted (ABC) - 3.07 million for the season finale on a special night was NOT better than the usual Jim. That should tell you if ABC has plans for this show for next season.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - 6.45 million for a new episode is below normal.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - 6.66 million for a new episode...could be better.
• Scrubs (ABC) - J.D.'s finale was awesome and did 5.07 million.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - New episode and did just 4.47 million, could be a series low...ouch.
• Parks and Recreation (NBC) - 4.72 million...series low again.
• The Office (NBC) - 7.84 million, up some from previous week.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 6.13 million...seems very low again but better than previous week.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.83 million...up some from previous week's prelim numbers. That was the finale.
• The Game (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 2.05 million. Up from previous week's prelim numbers.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox animated comedies from 7-10pm!

Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement & The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (Gary Unmarried, 30 Rock) or just plain old terrible (such as Better Off Ted, My Name is Earl).

NBC was the first network to release something about 2009-2010 with their infront last week, but they have not announced their actual 2009-10 schedule yet.
NBC's schedule seems easy to predict (at least we think so) since they have announced most of the shows that they have picked-up. With the addition of The Jay Leno Show on weeknights in the 10pm hour, NBC will have limited space, losing 5 hours a week.
Here is the SitcomsOnline.com NBC 2009-10 preview:

New Series Already Picked-Up: Parenthood, Trauma, Mercy, Day One (dramas) and Community & 100 Questions (comedies)
New Series We Think That Are Almost Good To Go: None (everything new seems locked for fall)
New Series Perhaps Picked-Up for Mid-Season: Off Duty (comedy)

OUR FALL 2009 PREDICTION:

Sundays
7:00PM Football Night in America
8:00PM Sunday Night Football
(March: 7PM Dateline, 8-10PM Celebrity Apprentice, 10PM The Marriage Ref (NEW!))

Mondays
8:00PM Heroes
9:00PM Trauma (NEW!)

Tuesdays
8:00PM The Biggest Loser
9:00PM Parenthood (NEW!)

Wednesdays
8:00PM Law & Order: SVU
9:00PM Southland

Thursdays
8:00PM SNL: Weekend Update Thursday / 100 Questions (NEW!)
8:30PM Parks & Recreation
9:00PM The Office
9:30PM 30 Rock

Fridays
8:00PM Dateline
9:00PM Law & Order

Saturdays
8:00-11:00PM Repeats

Comments: NBC has already announced it has picked-up six new series and I have included three of them here. NBC already has confirmed that Day One will launch in the winter following the 2010 Winter Olympics. I don't see how medical drama Mercy could air in the fall, since medical drama Trauma has also been picked-up. One or the other will be in the fall, with the other held for midseason. I have included Law & Order on the schedule, even though it has not been picked-up yet. NBC will likely bring some series in midseason just in case Jay Leno Show tanks. Medium and Chuck could be among them. Even My Name is Earl has a shot. As far as more new series for midseason, I'm having Mercy, Day One, and Community for midseason. NBC could pick up another series, perhaps the new legal drama Legally Mad, even though it tested poorly...but there is a fee if they don't pick-it up. It is said NBC will likely pick this or Chuck, as both are from Warner Bros. NBC also had three alternative series officially picked-up if needed (The Marriage Ref, Breakthrough with Tony Robbins and The Sing Off). They could put those on in the winter/spring.
For Mondays, NBC has said Heroes will stay on Mondays, but I think it will be on the move to 8pm. Trauma is a good candidate to follow Heroes, as Trauma just doesn't seem like an 8pm show. On Tuesdays, The Biggest Loser could be reduced to 60 or 90 minutes...it is certainly not good for NBC, but I think they have to do it since they are losing the 10pm hour. Parenthood seems like their best pilot and it could work after Loser. Another option they have is to have a comedy at 9:30pm, maybe 100 Questions...but I think they will use that on Thursdays at 8, al la Friends. Wednesdays could have Law & Order: SVU moving to this night and airing at 8pm leading into Southland, which has to be 9pm as 8pm seems way too early for a show like that. On Thursdays, it will be comedies of course...it's just the placement that needs to be determined. I think they will start off with SNL specials for the first 6 Thursdays leading into Parks & Recreation to try and build that up. Then NBC should try multicamera sitcom 100 Questions leading into the single camera comedies...because I just don't think another single camera sitcom is what NBC needs here. They could save single camera sitcom Community for midseason. Fridays will be a wild card for NBC. Will they pick-up Law & Order and put it on Fridays or save it for midseason again? The same goes for Medium. NBC could easily slot an episode of Dateline here....and dare I say it, Deal or No Deal? Saturdays will be repeats of course, while Sundays in the fall is NFL giving NBC some life. Then in January into mid-Feb. they could slot specials or miniseries until the Winter Olympics begin, which will be Feb. 12-28, 2010. After that NBC will likely launch their Sunday lineup of Celebrity Apprentice and perhaps another reality series to go with it, such as Seinfeld's The Marriage Ref? Another scenario could be the scripted Legally Mad, if NBC picks it up. Day One would likely replace Heroes after the Olympics.
Series that will be canceled or are ending include: Kath & Kim, Kings, Chopping Block, Lipstick Jungle, Knight Rider, Life, Crusoe, My Worst Own Enemy, Howdie Do It, ER.
Chuck & My Name is Earl are still question marks, while Medium & Law & Order are likely to get an additional season.
Anyway, this season NBC had another terrible season with declines from the previous year despite having the highest rated Super Bowl ever this year. Looking at next season, it'll be another tough year for NBC...especially if Jay Leno bombs big time. We still don't know how some of NBC's current 10pm shows will do in earlier timeslots, with some moving to even possibly 8pm. I think NBC is a mess and in a dire need of a hit as Southland and Parks & Recreation didn't do that this midseason and were lucky to be picked-up. On any other network, they could have not been brought back.
Discuss your thoughts on our prediction and feel free to make suggestions of your own!

Remember, next Tuesday (May 19) is the actual date when we will find out NBC's "schedule" plans for the 2009-10 season. So, come on back next Tuesday and we will let you know the details and you can see how much we were right (or wrong). Stay tuned tomorrow for a preview on Fox's upfront, which will be May 18.

Week 32 Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 32 numbers (first four nights final averages, Mon-Thurs):

Households: CBS 8.2/13.1; Fox 7.5/11.8; ABC 6.6/10.6; NBC 4.6/7.4; The CW 1.6/2.4; MNT 0.9/1.3.
Total Viewers: CBS 13.07 million; Fox 12.66 million; ABC 10.06 million; NBC 7.21 million; The CW 2.39 million; MNT 1.3 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 4.4/11.9; CBS 3.4/9.0; ABC 2.9/7.8; NBC 2.7/7.2; The CW 1.1/2.9; MNT 0.4/1.1.

Analysis: Week 32 sees CBS with the lead for the first four nights in HH/viewers and Fox on top in 18-49. When it is all said and done after tonight it will likely remain that way. 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 31 in HH/viewers, but Fox once again took 18-49. Fox was second for the week in viewers, with ABC third in viewers, but second in HH and 18-49, leaving CBS in third in 18-49 and Fox 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 90-minute version of Dancing with the Stars at 19.28 million, down over a million from the previous week though. After that, ABC aired episode four of Bob Saget's new sitcom Surviving Suburbia at 8.98 million, down nearly a million from the previous week. Too bad. A new episode of crime-romance drama Castle followed doing 8.23 million...up a tad from previous week. CBS was all-new with episodes of The Big Bang Theory doing 9.24 million, followed by a new episode of How I Met Your Mother doing 8.87 million. A new Two and a Half Men followed with 14.16 million, seems lower than usual. Rules of Engagement followed with a new episode and closed the sitcom block with a decent 11.3 million, up nearly a million from previous week when the lead-in was a repeat. CBS closed the night with a new CSI: Miami at a below normal 12.12 million. Fox started with a new episode of House doing a below normal 11.69 million, then Fox had an all-new 24 doing 10.43 million, up a tad from previous week. NBC was next with its sluggish Monday with two finales. The finale of Chuck did 6.2 million, up a tad from previous week. The free-falling Heroes was next with its finale at just 6.47 million, on par really from previous week. Medium followed with 6.71 million for a new episode, down from previous week. The CW was next with a new Gossip Girl doing only 1.97 million, down from previous week and a new One Tree Hill did 2.28 million, also down from previous week.
Tuesday it was Fox on top but CBS was close by in HH/viewers. Fox started with a 62 minute American Idol doing 23.26 million, down some from previous week. Fox then aired a new Fringe at 9.62 million, also down some from previous week. CBS started with special repeats of sitcoms The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men doing an OK 5.86 and 6.6 million. Wonder why CBS did this? Are they thinking of comedies on Tuesdays next season? A new episode of NCIS did 16.7 million which was below normal, followed by a new episode of The Mentalist doing 17.11 million. Without a Trace was new and did a solid 12.21 million. ABC started with According to Jim doing a brutal 3.11 and 3.56 million for two all-new episodes...first one was down and the second one was up a bit from previous week. Preempted this week for Scrubs/Better Off Ted on a special night. Dancing with the Stars: The Results was next at 9pm doing 14.72 million, on par really from previous week. ABC followed with a new Cupid at just 5.59 million. NBC started with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 9.26 million, exactly the same as the previous week. NBC finished the night with a new episode of Law & Order: SVU at 10pm doing 10.55 million, above normal for this season. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did just 1.76 million, down from previous week and a new 90210 followed with 1.79 million, down some from previous week.
Wednesday saw Fox with the win as President Obama had a news conference in the 8pm hour preempting programming for ABC, CBS and NBC, as Fox stuck to regular programming. Fox was led by the results show of American Idol at 9pm doing 22.37 million, down over a million from previous week. New Fox drama Lie to Me at 8pm did just 7.75 million, down some from previous week. CBS had to preempt Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, for Obama. A new Criminal Minds followed and did 13.61 million, down a tad from previous week when it was at 10pm. CSI: NY was new and did 12.5 million. ABC had to preempted Scrubs and the season finale of Better Off Ted because of Obama, as these episodes will now air Tuesdays at 8pm. The 100th episode of Lost followed at 9pm doing a solid 9.04 million and a 4.1 18-49 rating. What an episode! A new episode of The Unusuals at 10pm did 4.86 million, up a bit from previous week's series low. NBC opened the night with Obama instead of a repeat of Law & Order, a repeat of Law & Order: SVU followed and did 4.59 million, down a million from previous week. Law & Order followed at 10pm with a new episode and did 7.82 million, is this worth bringing back? The CW was on the map with America's Next Top Model doing a nice 4.01 million, exactly the same as previous week, then The CW followed with an encore of what else--90210-- doing 1.12 million viewers, completely losing the lead-in...and down a tad from previous week.
Thursday saw CBS and ABC battle. CBS started with a new Survivor: Tocantis at 11.73 million, up some from previous week. CSI was next with 15.54 million, up nearly a million from previous week but still the same 3.7 18-49 rating. And a special repeat of Criminal Minds did 10.23 million, up over three million from previous week's all-new Harper's Island, ouch. ABC started with the return of Ugly Betty doing 6.72 million. An all-new Grey's Anatomy was next and did 14.12 million and a night best 5.1 18-49 rating, both up from previous week. The season finale of Private Practice followed and did 9.7 million at 10pm, up from previous week and a first place 3.5 18-49 rating. Fox started with Bones at 8.94 million, up some from previous week. An all-new Hell's Kitchen followed at 9pm did 6.84 million, up a bit from previous week. NBC started with a new episode of My Name is Earl at 5.16 million at 8pm, down some from previous week. Then the new Parks and Recreation followed with another low of 5.07 million, ouch and they renewed this for next season. These types of shows just don't generate big numbers I guess. The Office followed with a new episode doing 7.41 million, up some from previous week and 30 Rock followed with only 5.95 million, what happened? NBC closed the night with a new episode of Southland doing 6.66 million and only a 2.0 18-49 rating, both series lows and lower than what ER did. Smallville was new on The CW and did 3.23 million, up some from previous week, followed by a new Supernatural at 2.95 million, also up some from previous week.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with new episodes of Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS. ABC did decent with 20/20 at 10pm. Prison Break/Dollhouse did terrible for Fox, and NBC did OK with a two-hour Dateline.
Saturday numbers were not available but Fox should win with NASCAR.
Tonight will be ABC and CBS battling. ABC will easily win in 18-49, but it will be close for HH/viewers. CBS has a new 60 Minutes followed by the Amazing Race 14, Cold Case & The Unit. ABC will have new episodes of AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters. I've seen tonight's B&S already...oh my and a great ending. NBC has a two-hour Dateline at 7pm and a two-hour Celebrity Apprentice, which is nothing it used to be. Fox has an all-new lineup of its animated comedies from 7-10, which includes dud Sit Down, Shut Up.
As for the week, CBS should win the week in HH/viewers, with Fox in 18-49. Fox will be second in HH/viewers, while ABC will take third in all categories but could sneak in for 2nd in 18-49 and HH like the previous week. NBC will be fourth everywhere. As for the coming week...CBS has part two of NCIS back-door spin-off pilot called "Legend" this Tuesday again. Also on Tuesday, special night of Scrubs and Better Off Ted will air on ABC in the 8pm hour, while the 1-hour season finale of Scrubs is Wednesday in the 8pm hour. The special Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist airs Thursday at 10 on ABC and the network premiere of movie Happy Feet is on Friday at 8pm on ABC. Sports takes over on Saturday with NASCAR on Fox and Game 3 of the NBA East Semifinals between Cleveland and Atlanta.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of April 20-26, Week 31)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode did an OK 6.0 million. Down from previous week.
• Sit Down, Shut Up (Fox) - Just 4.21 million for the second episode...now Fox will move to from 8:30 to 7pm, ouch.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - A new episode at 7:30pm did only 2.89 million, lower than previous week.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 6.67 million for a new episode...not too good.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - 2.19 million for a repeat at 7pm was lower than previous week, and its regular 9:30pm slot was new and did 5.13 million, down like everything tonight.

Week 32 (April 27-May 3):
Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 9.24 million for a new episode is good, but could be better as shown.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 8.87 million for a new episode.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.16 million for the comedy leader.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 11.3 million for a new episode, decent stuff.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - 8.98 million for a new episode...preempted tomorrow for a two-hour DWTS as the remaining couples dance twice each.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - 3.11 and 3.56 million for two new episodes...not good at all again. The second episode was very funny with Garry Marshall and the hot physical therapist.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - preempted for Obama address.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - preempted for Obama address.
• Scrubs (ABC) - preempted for Obama address.
• Better Off Ted (ABC) - preempted for Obama address.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - New episode and did just 5.16 million, ouch.
• Parks and Recreation (NBC) - 5.07 million...series low again.
• The Office (NBC) - 7.41 million, up some from previous week's season low.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 5.95 million...seems very low.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.73 million...down some from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.86 million. Down some from previous week's prelim numbers.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox animated comedies from 7-10pm!

Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement & The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (Surviving Suburbia, 30 Rock) or just plain old terrible (such as Parks & Recreation, My Name is Earl, According to Jim).

Week 31 Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

As we mentioned on our Twitter page yesterday, we are sad to report Bea Arthur (Maude, Golden Girls) has passed away at the age of 86 from cancer. Stay tuned tomorrow for our tribute to her. Rest in Peace, Bea.

Week 31 numbers (first four nights final averages, Mon-Thurs):

Households: Fox 7.5/12.0; CBS 6.4/10.4; ABC 6.1/9.9; NBC 4.5/7.3; The CW 1.6/2.6; MNT 0.9/1.4.
Total Viewers: Fox 12.52 million; CBS 10.07 million; ABC 9.35 million; NBC 6.93 million; The CW 2.48 million; MNT 1.33 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 4.2/11.3; CBS 2.7/7.4; ABC 2.7/7.3; NBC 2.6/6.9; The CW 1.1/3.1; MNT 0.4/1.1.

Analysis: Week 31 sees Fox with the lead for the first four nights. But as usual, they won't hang on in HH/viewers when it is all said and done. Through the first four days, Fox has the lead in all categories, with CBS in second in all categories, ABC is third with NBC of course in fourth.
Last week, CBS won in week 30 in HH/viewers, but Fox once again took 18-49 over CBS. Fox was second for the week in HH/viewers, with ABC third in all categories leaving NBC in fourth in all categories, though NBC did tie ABC in 18-49.
Monday it was ABC with the victory as Dancing with the Stars continues to dominate. ABC aired a 90-minute version of Dancing with the Stars at an impressive 20.53 million, up over a million from the previous week as the group dance did good. Team dances this week! After that, ABC aired episode three of Bob Saget's new sitcom Surviving Suburbia at 9.87 million, up some from the previous week. Sex themed episode tomorrow! A new episode of crime-romance drama Castle followed doing 8.21 million...up some from previous week. CBS was in repeats primarily, repeat of The Big Bang Theory did 7.59 million, followed by a repeat of How I Met Your Mother did only 6.6 million. A repeat of Two and a Half Men followed with 11.48 million, yet still the number one sitcom for the week. Rules of Engagement followed with a new episode (the only one for CBS this night) and closed the sitcom block with a decent 10.59 million, down a million from previous week when the lead-in was new. CBS closed the night with a special repeat of The Mentalist at 9.42 million, CSI: Miami repeats do better than that. Fox started with a new episode of Bones on a special night doing 8.57 million, which is nothing like the usual timeslot holder House, which will return tomorrow, then Fox had an all-new 24 doing 10.34 million, down some from previous week. NBC was next with its sluggish Monday. A new Chuck did 6.11 million, down a tad from previous week. The free-falling Heroes was next at just 6.45 million, down from previous week. Medium followed with 7.34 million for a new episode, also down from previous week. The CW was next with a new Gossip Girl doing 2.37 million and a new One Tree Hill did 2.45 million...both should be over 3 million easily. Repeats of George Lopez on Nick at Nite do more than this!
Tuesday it was Fox on top. Fox started with a 61 minute American Idol doing 23.96 million, down some from previous week. Fox then aired a new Fringe at 9.9 million, down some from previous week. CBS started with special repeats of sitcoms The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men doing an OK 5.86 and 6.6 million. Wonder why CBS did this? Are they thinking of comedies on Tuesdays next season? A repeat of NCIS at a special time of 9pm did 12.65 million, followed by a repeat of The Mentalist doing 12.46 million at a special time of 10pm. Without a Trace was preempted. ABC was next and started with According to Jim doing a brutal 3.37 and 3.35 million for two all-new episodes...down oer a million from previous week, as maybe the CBS comedies hurt it. Dancing with the Stars: The Results was next at 9pm doing 14.73 million, down some from previous week. ABC followed with a special airing of The Unusuals doing 5.81 million, Cupid returns this week. NBC was next with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 9.26 million, up some from previous week. NBC finished the night with a repeat of Law & Order: SVU at 10pm doing just 7.04 million, but better than previous by some. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did 2.15 million, up a tad from previous week and a new 90210 followed with 1.88 million, down from previous week. That show is no 90210 from Fox.
Wednesday saw Fox dominate big. Fox was led by the results show of American Idol at 9pm doing 23.95 million, down a bit from previous week. New Fox drama Lie to Me was next doing just 7.97 million, as the previous week Bones did a much better 11.01 million. CBS started with repeat episodes of sitcoms Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, doing 5.07 and 5.41 million...both down from previous week. A repeat of Criminal Minds followed and did 9.84 million, down from previous week. CSI: NY was preempted for an all-new Criminal Minds at a special time doing 13.72 million, which is a major improvement in this timeslot. Is CBS thinking of moving this show to this slot next fall? ABC was next with a new Scrubs and a new episode of the new Better Off Ted doing 4.6 and 4.19 million...both down from previous week. That was the funniest half-hour I've seen this season, thanks to Better Off Ted! Shame on you for not watching! Season finale this week. A Lost Special followed at 9pm doing 6.75 million, look for the milestone episode number 100 this week! We get tons of answers. A new episode of The Unusuals at 10pm did 4.74 million, a series low. Hopefully it bounces back this week with Lost all-new. NBC opened the night with a repeat of Law & Order doing 5.7 million, up from previous week, a repeat of Law & Order: SVU followed and did 5.57 million, up from previous week. Law & Order followed at 10pm with another repeat and did 6.09 million, up some week-to-week. The CW was on the map with America's Next Top Model doing a nice 4.01 million, up some from previous week then The CW followed with an encore of what else--90210-- doing 1.14 million viewers, completely losing the lead-in...yet it was up from previous week.
Thursday saw CBS and ABC battle. CBS started with a new Survivor: Tocantis at once again a below normal 11.3 million, down from previous week. CSI was next with 14.64 million, down a million from previous week but only a 3.7 18-49 rating. And episode three of Harper's Island closed the night at 7.02 million, down from previous week even. ABC started with a repeat of Grey's Anatomy doing 4.97 million, which is a bit better than new episodes of In the Motherhood and Samantha Who? from previous week. An all-new Grey's Anatomy was next and did 13.51 million and a night best 5.0 18-49 rating. I told you it was great...I've see the next one too, and it is also AMAZING. A new Private Practice followed and did a first place 9.08 million at 10pm. Should be even higher this week with the season finale. Fox started with Bones at 8.42 million, off a bit from previous week again. An all-new Hell's Kitchen followed at 9pm did 6.8 million, down over a million from previous week. NBC started a new episode of My Name is Earl at 5.54 million at 8pm, up some from previous week. Then the new Parks and Recreation followed with a series low 5.26 million, ouch. These types of shows just don't generate big numbers I guess. The Office followed with a new episode doing 7.28 million, down over a million from previous week and 30 Rock followed with 6.3 million, down a million from previous week. NBC closed the night with a new episode of Southland doing 8.11 million and only a 2.4 18-49 rating, both series lows and on par with ER in viewers but not in 18-49. Smallville was new on The CW and did 3.1 million, which seems a bit below average followed by a new Supernatural at 2.7 million.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with repeat of Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS. ABC did good with a special two-hour 20/20 from 9-11pm. Prison Break did terrible for Fox, and NBC did nothing with a two-hour Dateline.
Saturday numbers were quiet, with CBS winning in viewers and Fox in 18-49. Saturdays get lower than ever from March-May when the weather gets better.
Tonight will be ABC and CBS battling. ABC will easily win in 18-49, but it will be close for HH/viewers. CBS has a new 60 Minutes followed by the Amazing Race 14, Cold Case & The Unit. ABC will have new episodes of AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters. Tonight's DH is said to be classic, tune in. NBC has a two-hour Dateline at 7pm and a two-hour Celebrity Apprentice, which is nothing it used to be. Fox has an all-new lineup of its animated comedies from 7:30-10, which includes dud Sit Down, Shut Up.
As for the week, CBS should win the week in HH/viewers, with Fox in 18-49. Fox will be second in HH/viewers, while ABC will take third in all categories. NBC will be fourth everywhere. As for the coming week...CBS has part one of NCIS back-door spin-off pilot called "Legend" this week. On Wednesday, a Presidential Address is slated for the 8pm hour, but we are not sure what that means yet. I hope Better Off Ted doesn't get affected. On that night at 9pm, Lost celebrates episode 100 with four spots for Flash Forward airing inside of it! The show launches THIS FALL! It's official! Ugly Betty returns this Thursday at 8 and Private Practice has its season finale at 10pm on that night on ABC!

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of April 13-19, Week 30)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - A new episode did an OK 6.58 million. Not doing that good this season.
• Sit Down, Shut Up (Fox) - The series premiere only mustered 5.19 million...not good and a worse 2.3 18-40 rating, dropping from the 3.1 its lead-in put up.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - Fox has moved the show to 7:30pm for all new episodes now, and the 250th episode only put up 3.39 million.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 7.34 million for a new episode...decent, but this show hasn't done that good this year as well.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - 2.5 million for a repeat at 7pm was higher than previous week, and its regular 9:30pm slot was new and did 5.72 million.

Week 31 (April 20-26):
Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 7.59 million for a repeat...decent.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 6.6 million for a repeat is OK.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.48 million for a REPEAT.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 10.59 million for a new episode, down over a million from previous week. I just wanted to see some building from a repeat, but didn't happen.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - 9.87 million for a new episode...up some from previous week.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - 3.37 and 3.35 million for two new episodes...not good at all.
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - A special repeat on a special night did 5.86 million. Nice to have Kaley back on Tuesdays at 8. Only for that week though.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - A special repeat on a special night and time did even 6.6 million.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - 5.07 million for a repeat...down from previous week.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - 5.41 million for a repeat, built from the lead-in at least but down from previous week.
• Scrubs (ABC) - New showing did 4.6 million, down from previous week. Looks to be preempted this week by Obama.
• Better Off Ted (ABC) - 4.19 million for a new episode, down from previous week. Season finale is scheduled for this week, but looks like Obama will preempt it.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - New episode and did just 5.54 million, but up some from previous week.
• Parks and Recreation (NBC) - 5.26 million...series low.
• The Office (NBC) - 7.28 million, down over a million from previous week.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 6.3 million...also down a million week-to-week.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.79 million...up from previous week's repeat prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.89 million. Up from previous week's prelim repeat numbers.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox animated comedies from 7:30-10pm!

Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory Monday, Two and a Half Men Monday, Rules of Engagement & The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (Surviving Suburbia, 30 Rock) or just plain old terrible (such as Parks & Recreation, According to Jim).

Week 30 Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 30 numbers (first four nights final averages, Mon-Thurs):

Households: Fox 8.2/12.9; CBS 7.2/11.7; ABC 5.5/8.9; NBC 4.5/7.3; The CW 1.2/1.9; MNT 0.8/1.2.
Total Viewers: Fox 13.8 million; CBS 11.61 million; ABC 8.5 million; NBC 7.07 million; The CW 1.79 million; MNT 1.17 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 4.8/12.9; CBS 3.1/8.4; NBC 2.6/7.2; ABC 2.4/6.5; The CW 0.8/2.2; MNT 0.3/0.9.

Analysis: Week 30 sees Fox with its biggest lead in a few weeks for the first four nights. Through the first four days, Fox has the lead in all categories, with CBS in second in all categories, ABC is third in HH/viewers, with NBC in fourth. NBC has a slim lead for third though in 18-49 for now.
Last week, CBS won in week 29 in HH/viewers, but Fox once again took 18-49 over CBS. Fox was second for the week in HH/viewers, with ABC third in all categories leaving NBC in fourth in all categories.
Monday it was ABC with the victory as Dancing with the Stars continues to dominate. ABC aired the a 90-minute version of Dancing with the Stars at an impressive 19.46 million, down some from the previous week. After that, ABC aired episode two of Bob Saget's new sitcom Surviving Suburbia at 9.71 million, down from the premiere. It needs to do a bit better. A new episode of crime-romance drama Castle followed doing 7.28 million...down a lot from previous week. CBS was all-new and started with comedies, The Big Bang Theory did 10.06 million, the first time it has gone over 10 million in weeks, followed by a new How I Met Your Mother doing 9.6 million, decent. Two and a Half Men followed with 15.03 million, just another day at the job. Rules of Engagement followed and closed the sitcom block with a decent 11.6 million. CBS closed the night with CSI: Miami at 13.39 million, which is a bit below normal. Fox started with a new episode of House and did 12.19 million, down over a million from previous week, then Fox had an all-new 24 doing 10.86 million, down just some from previous week. NBC was next with its sluggish Monday. A new Chuck did 6.21 million, but up a tad from previous week. The free-falling Heroes was next at just 6.83 million, but up some from its series low the previous week. Medium followed with 7.65 million for a new episode, up from previous week and quietly does decent on some nights. The CW was next with repeats (again) of Gossip Girl doing 900,00 viewers and One Tree Hill did 910,000 viewers.
Tuesday it was Fox on top. Fox started with a 64 minute American Idol doing 24.38 million, up two million from previous week. Yet again it goes overtime without notice. Fans DVRing/TiVoing are not happy. Then from 9:04pm to 10:03pm Fox aired a new Fringe at 10.15 million, up some from previous week. Viewers DVRing this also might be upset if they missed the final minutes thanks to the unscheduled Idol overrun. CBS started with a repeat of NCIS doing 13.56 million, followed by a repeat of The Mentalist doing 12.18 million. Without a Trace closed the night out with a new episode doing 13.23 million, up from previous week. As I said, when SVU is a repeat, this show goes up. This show is not a priority for fans of both shows. ABC was next and started with the return of According to Jim doing 4.52 and 4.13 million for two all-new episodes...could be better, but against Idol. Dancing with the Stars: The Results was next at 9pm doing 15.24 million, up from previous week as it only faced Idol for the first 4 minutes this time, which was still not planned. ABC followed with a new Cupid doing 6.1 million...up some from previous week, but ABC will not air it this week as they are airing two episodes of the comedic cop show The Unusuals on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. NBC was next with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 9.11 million, up a million from previous week. NBC finished the night with a repeat of Law & Order: SVU at 10pm doing just 6.49 million, as it usually repeats better than this. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did 2.05 million, down a tad from previous week and a new 90210 followed with 2.13 million, up some from previous week and finally built on the lead-in since its return.
Wednesday saw Fox dominate big. Fox was lead by the results show of American Idol at 9pm doing 24.11 million, up a lot from previous week. New Fox drama Lie to Me was preempted by a special all-new Bones doing 11.01 million, which is a big improvement. CBS started with repeat episodes of sitcoms Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, doing 5.57 and 5.76 million...not too bad for repeats. A repeat of Criminal Minds followed and did 10.58 million. CSI: NY followed with a new episode though doing 12.14 million, down some from previous week...but it did it on its own since the lead-in was a repeat. ABC was next with a new Scrubs and a new episode of the new Better Off Ted doing 5.06 and 4.62 million...both up from previous week. A good sign. Hopefully more people realize how funny Ted is. A new episode of Lost followed at 9pm doing 9.23 million, up from previous week. A new episode of The Unusuals at 10pm did 6.01 million, not bad and down some from previous week. Again this week it will air TWICE. Tuesday 10 and of course Wednesday at 10. NBC opened the night with a repeat of Law & Order doing 5.17 million, down some from previous week, a repeat of Law & Order: SVU followed and did 5.22 million, which is actually up from previous week when NBC aired the finale of Life. Law & Order followed at 10pm with another repeat and did 5.97 million, up week-to-week. The CW was on the map with America's Next Top Model doing a nice 3.78 million, up some from previous week then The CW followed with an encore of what else--90210-- doing 870,000 viewers.
Thursday saw CBS with the win. CBS started with a new Survivor: Tocantis at once again a below normal 11.64 million, but up from previous week. CSI was next with 15.72 million, down nearly a million from previous week but only a 3.8 18-49 rating again, the same as previous two weeks. And episode two of Harper's Island closed the night at 7.82 million, which was down nearly three million from the premiere...not good news at all for CBS. Fox started with Bones at 8.85 million, off a bit from previous week. An all-new Hell's Kitchen followed at 9pm did 8.11 million, up again from previous week. NBC started a new episode of My Name is Earl at 5.35 million at 8pm, what has happened? Then the new Parks and Recreation followed with 6.02 million, down some from the premiere. If it stays at 6 million or better, it'll be safe...anything lower is sayonara. The Office followed with a new episode doing 8.37 million, up some from previous week and 30 Rock followed with 7.32 million, up from previous week. NBC closed the night with a new episode of Southland doing 9.61 million and a 3.0 18-49 rating, both down just a bit from the premiere...but can it do that this week when ABC is back all-new? ABC started with a new In the Motherhood doing 4.62 million, up some from previous week. An all-new Samantha Who? was next and did 4.84 million, on par really from previous week. A repeat of Grey's Anatomy was next and did 5.06 million, on par really from previous week. It returns this Thursday for new episodes the rest of the season. I've see the first two episodes back, and they are AMAZING. Good mix of drama and comedy even. Tune in. A repeat of Private Practice followed and did 4.23 million at 10pm, on par really from previous week. Smallville was a repeat on The CW and did 1.79 million followed by a repeat of Supernatural at 1.85 million, both down a bit week-to-week.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with repeat of Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS. ABC did below normal with 20/20. The Prison Break return for Fox was very low rated, and NBC did much better with a two-hour Dateline.
Saturday numbers were quiet, with CBS winning in viewers and Fox in 18-49, as NBC did terrible with a new Kings and repeats, including an encore of Southland.
Tonight ABC Sunday returns! Though ABC will have to battle with CBS for the viewer title, but ABC will easily win in 18-49. CBS has a new 60 Minutes followed by the Amazing Race 14, & Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie. ABC will have a new AFV, a repeat of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and the returns of new episodes of Desperate Housewives. and Brothers & Sisters. Once again, as I said last week, I've seen the Brothers & Sisters return and it is very well done! Cristian de la Fuente guest stars. NBC has the two-hour Miss USA Pageant at 7pm and a two-hour Celebrity Apprentice, which is nothing it used to be. Fox has an all-new lineup of its animated comedies from 7:30-10, which includes the premiere of Sit Down Shut Up.
As for the week, CBS should win the week in HH/viewers, with Fox in 18-49. Fox will be second in HH/viewers, while ABC will take third in all categories. NBC will be fourth everywhere. As for the coming week...ABC has two episodes of The Unusuals this week (Tuesday and Wednesday at 10). While as we mentioned before, special repeats for CBS on special nights will happen Mon-Wed this week. No House tomorrow on Fox, as a special Bones is airing, while no Lost this Wednesday but a special will air. And Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice return for ABC!

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of April 6-12, Week 29)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - A repeat did 4.75 million.
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A repeat at 7:30 only did 3.01 million, though up some from the previous week. A repeat at 8:30 did 4.21 million. New episodes will now air at 7:30pm starting tonight.
• Family Guy (Fox) - 5.32 million for a repeat, lower than the previous week's repeat.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - 1.96 million for a repeat at 7pm was lower than previous week, as its regular 9:30pm slot was also a repeat and did 4.5 million.

Week 30 (April 13-19):
Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 10.06 million for a new episode. Very good.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 9.6 million for a new episode..good.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 15.03 million for a new episode is #1 for all sitcoms.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 11.6 million for a new episode, again could be better still but decent.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - 9.71 million for a new episode...down a million and a half from the premiere. Hopefully it goes back up tomorrow.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• According to Jim (ABC) 2 episodes - 4.52 and 4.13 million for two new episodes...the first one did acceptable at least.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - 5.57 million for a repeat.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - 5.76 million for a repeat, built from the lead-in at least.
• Scrubs (ABC) - New showing did 5.06 million, up from previous week, as part two of the Bahama story aired.
• Better Off Ted (ABC) - 4.62 million for a new episode, up from previous week. Hopefully this is a sign of growth.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - Returned with a new episode and did just 5.35 million.
• In the Motherhood (ABC) - Just 4.62 million, but up some from previous week.
• Parks and Recreation (NBC) - 6.02 million, down from the premiere, but still built from the lead-in.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - 4.84 million, on par from previous week. This show could see a huge jump this week as Grey's is back with new episodes.
• The Office (NBC) - 8.37 million, up from previous week.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 7.32 million...also up week-to-week.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A repeat episode did a prelim 1.47 million...down a bit from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A repeat episode did a prelim 1.31 million. Down from previous week's prelim numbers by a bit.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are new episodes of Fox animated comedies from 7:30-10pm!

Summing it up. The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement & The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (Surviving Suburbia, Parks and Recreation) or just plain old terrible (such as In the Motherhood, According to Jim 8:30).

Week 29 Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 29 numbers (first four nights final averages, Mon-Thurs):

Households: CBS 8.2/13.3; Fox 7.9/12.4; ABC 5.6/9.0; NBC 4.5/7.2; The CW 1.4/2.1; MNT 0.7/1.1.
Total Viewers: Fox 13.32 million; CBS 13.31 million; ABC 8.63 million; NBC 6.99 million; The CW 1.98 million; MNT 1.05 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 4.7/12.7; CBS 3.6/9.8; NBC 2.5/6.8; ABC 2.4/6.5; The CW 0.9/2.4; MNT 0.3/0.9.

Analysis: Week 29 sees CBS and Fox again neck and neck. Through the first four days, Fox and CBS share a slim lead each in viewers and HH, but Fox has a big lead in 18-49 with CBS in second, ABC is third in HH/viewers, with NBC in fourth. NBC has a slim lead for third though in 18-49.
Last week, CBS won in week 28 in HH/viewers, but Fox once again took 18-49 but just barely over CBS. Fox was second for the week in HH/viewers, with ABC third and NBC in fourth even with the ER finale. NBC was third though in 18-49, nipping by ABC.
Monday it was ABC with the victory as Dancing with the Stars continues to dominate. ABC aired the first 90-minute version of Dancing with the Stars at an impressive 19.88 million, down some from the previous week, but that was two-hours. After that, ABC aired the series premiere of Bob Saget's new sitcom Surviving Suburbia at a decent 11.25 million. Hopefully it can sustain or build tomorrow. A new episode of crime-romance drama Castle followed doing 9.03 million...on par really from previous week despite not having the Dancing lead-in. This show's plots get better each week. CBS started with repeats of its 8pm comedies, The Big Bang Theory did a below normal for a repeat at 6.94 million, followed by a repeat of How I Met Your Mother doing 6.1 million, not too good. The rest of CBS Monday was preempted for the NCAA Basketball Championship game between UNC and Michigan State at 17.65 million, which lasted until 11:47pm. Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement and CSI: Miami return tomorrow. Fox started with a new episode of House and did 13.29 million, up from previous week, then Fox had an all-new 24 doing 10.96 million, down from previous week, as it probably was affected by NCAA. NBC was next with its sluggish Monday. A new Chuck did 6.1 million, but up from previous week. The downfall of Heroes continues as this show did just 6.11 million, a series low, and a series low of 2.6 18-49 rating. What to do NBC? Medium followed with 7.17 million for a new episode, down a bit from previous week. The CW was next with repeats (already?) of Gossip Girl doing 1.08 million and One Tree Hill did 1.09 million.
Tuesday it was Fox on top, but CBS was very close behind. Fox started with a 69 minute American Idol doing 22.81 million, down near two million from previous week, then at 9:09pm to 10:07pm Fox returned Fringe at just 9.88 million, as it went down each 15 minutes except from 10-10:07pm, as viewers tuning in for 10pm programming probably came in. CBS started with a new NCIS doing 17.81 million, up some from previous week. A new episode of The Mentalist was next and did 16.92 million, on par really from previous week. Without a Trace was next at 12.15 million, down some from previous week. ABC was next and started with the holiday special Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown & Charlie Brown All-Stars doing 4.36 million, as this is not as high rated as the classics like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Dancing with the Stars: The Results was next at 9pm doing 14.56 million, up from previous week as it only faced Idol for the first 9 minutes, which was not planned but Fox was slick. ABC followed with a new Cupid doing 5.71 million...down over a million from previous week, it should do better. It's a simple plot...Cupid tries to hook up a new couple each week, so this isn't serialized folks, you can join in anytime! NBC was next with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 8.1 million, down from previous week again. NBC finished the night with a new Law & Order: SVU at 10pm doing 9.26 million...down some week-to-week. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did 2.11 million, down from previous week and a new 90210 followed with only 1.96 million, down from previous week's return.
Wednesday saw Fox dominate. Fox was lead by the results show of American Idol at 9pm doing 22.98 million, but that was nearly down two million from previous week. New Fox drama Lie to Me started the night off at 8pm doing 8.56 million, down from previous week. CBS started with new episodes of sitcoms Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, doing 7.17 and 7.24 million...not too bad. A new Criminal Minds followed and did 13.61 million. CSI: NY followed with a new episode as well doing 12.5 million, seems lower that normal. ABC was next with a new Scrubs and a new episode of the new Better Off Ted doing 4.56 and 4.04 million...both down from previous week. A new episode of Lost followed at 9pm doing a below normal 8.56 million, down from previous week, as it seems everything was down from normal on this night (except some of CBS). And the series premiere of The Unusuals at 10pm did 6.83 million, it improved on the numbers in the slot, but needs to do this or better every week. It's a good show, too! NBC opened the night with a repeat of Law & Order doing 5.44 million, the finale of Life followed and did an improved 4.6 million, down nearly from previous week. Law & Order followed at 10pm with another repeat and did a way below normal 4.64 million, down nearly two million week-to-week, as looks like Unusuals affected it a bit. The CW was on the map with America's Next Top Model doing a nice 3.69 million, down some from previous week then The CW followed with a special episode doing 1.86 million...was that a clip show?
Thursday saw CBS with the win. CBS started with a new Survivor: Tocantis at once again a below normal 11.24 million, down a tad from previous week. CSI was next with 16.62 million, up two million from previous week but only a 3.8 18-49 rating, the same as previous week. And the premiere of new mystery Harper's Island closed the night at 10.21 million, which was lower than Eleventh Hour's finale the previous week...not a good sign. Fox started with Bones at 9.01 million, off a bit from previous week. An all-new Hell's Kitchen followed at 9pm did 7.54 million, up from previous week. NBC started with a special all-new episode of The Office at a special time doing a decent 7.32 million at 8pm, as My Name is Earl was preempted. Then the series premiere of Parks and Recreation followed with 6.88 million, which is OK, but will it continue that? The Office followed with a second new episode on its normal time doing a better 8.02 million and 30 Rock followed with 6.81 million, needs to do better. NBC closed the night wit the series premiere of Southland doing 9.86 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating, not bad and on par with this season of ER. Will it continue? ABC started with a new In the Motherhood doing 4.51 million, down from previous week. An all-new Samantha Who? was next and did 4.83 million, up some from previous week. A repeat of Grey's Anatomy was next and did 5.12 million, up some from previous week. One more week before the return on April 23 for the final batch of episodes of the season. A repeat of Private Practice followed and did 4.22 million at 10pm, up from previous week. Smallville was a repeat on The CW and did 1.97 million followed by a repeat of Supernatural at 2.05 million.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS. ABC finished second for the night helped by 20/20. The Sarah Connor Chronicles finale and a new Dollhouse did terrible for Fox, and NBC was not much better with the season finale of Friday Night Lights. A typical Friday.
Saturday numbers were quiet, with ABC winning the night with the classic film The Ten Commandments.
Tonight Easter will affect programming a bit. CBS should win. CBS has a new 60 Minutes followed by the Amazing Race 14, Cold Case & The Unit. ABC will have a new AFV, a new two-hour Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and a repeat of Desperate Housewives. The regular line-up including Brothers & Sisters, returns next week until the ends of the season. I've seen the Brothers & Sisters return already...good stuff! NBC has a two-hour Dateline at 7pm and a two-hour Celebrity Apprentice, which is nothing it used to be. Fox has a repeat lineup of its animated comedies.
As for the week, CBS should win the week in HH/viewers, with Fox in 18-49. Fox will be second in HH/viewers, while ABC will take third in HH/viewers, but it will be close race for third in 18-49 but ABC should edge NBC. As for the coming week...ABC returns According to Jim on Tuesday with back-to-back episodes starting at 8:00pm, as Constance Marie (Angie from George Lopez) guest stars! Look for a stunning black dress! And on Friday Fox returns Prison Break with its final episodes.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of March 30-April 5, Week 28)

• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - 6.5 million for an all-new episode...down a bit from previous week. A special repeat at 9:30 did an OK 5.54 million.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30 only did 2.89 million, down a tad from the previous week.
• Family Guy (Fox) 2 episodes - We got two repeats...the first at a special time of 8:30pm did 5.87 million, and the second in its regular time at 9pm did a better 6.18 million.
• American Dad! (Fox) - 2.58 million for a repeat at 7pm was a bit better than previous week, as its regular 9:30pm slot was preempted.

Week 29:
Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 6.94 million for a repeat...below normal.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Only 6.1 million for a repeat is below normal, but in defense, it aired in the late night in the mountain time zone.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - preempted.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - preempted.
• Surviving Suburbia (ABC) - 11.25 million for the premiere. Sounds good, but could have been better. If it does similar number or more, then it is doing its job.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - 7.17 million for a new episode is not too bad.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - 7.24 million for a new episode, and built from the lead-in.
• Scrubs (ABC) - New showing did 4.56 million, down from previous week, as JD and the gang went to the Bahamas. Part two this week.
• Better Off Ted (ABC) - 4.04 million for a new episode, series low. Too bad it was a good episode with a funny look at racism.

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - preempted
• In the Motherhood (ABC) - Just 4.51 million, lowest yet. That bully at the school was great. Gary Coleman like character, but mean.
• Parks and Recreation (NBC) - 6.88 million for the premiere is not bad, but remember Kath & Kim started this way too and this show had Office as its lead-in and lead-out.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - 4.83 million, up some from previous week.
• The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - 7.32 million for a special all-new 8pm airing could have been better, but the 9pm airing did a decent 8.02 million. I think this show has reached its peak, as the ratings have seen a downward trend.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 6.81 million...not good, but not bad.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.47 million...down from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.38 million. Down from previous week's prelim numbers by quite a bit.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are repeats of Fox animated comedies from 7-10pm!

Summing it up. Surviving Suburbia & The Office 9pm were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (The Office 8pm, Parks and Recreation, Gary Unmarried) or just plain old terrible (such as In the Motherhood, Better Off Ted).

Week 28 Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 28 numbers (first four nights final averages, Mon-Thurs):

Households: Fox 8.3/12.9; CBS 7.7/12.3; ABC 5.8/9.3; NBC 5.7/9.1; The CW 1.8/2.8; MNT 0.9/1.3.
Total Viewers: Fox 14.13 million; CBS 12.44 million; ABC 9.02 million; NBC 8.9 million; The CW 2.67 million; MNT 1.34 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 5.0/13.3; CBS 3.4/8.9; NBC 3.2/8.5; ABC 2.6/6.9; The CW 1.2/3.3; MNT 0.5/1.2.

Analysis: Week 28 sees CBS and Fox battle it out so far this week, as ABC's big Thursday guns were not on. Through the first four days, Fox is on top in all categories, with CBS in second everywhere, ABC is third in HH/viewers, with NBC just behind them in fourth. NBC is third though in 18-49 thanks to the ER series finale.
Last week, CBS won in week 27 in HH/viewers, but Fox once again took 18-49 but by a closer margin, over NCAA-fueled second place CBS. ABC was second for the week in HH, with Fox a close third, but it was the other way around in viewers. ABC was third in 18-49, while NBC was back in a distant fourth of course in everything.
Monday it was all ABC as Dancing with the Stars continues to dominate. ABC aired a two-hour episode of Dancing with the Stars at an impressive 20.48 million, up some from the previous week. After that, ABC aired a new episode of crime-romance drama Castle doing 9.09 million...on par really from previous week. That was a good plot and another good one for tomorrow involving a frozen body. CBS did decent starting with all-new episodes of its comedies, The Big Bang Theory did a solid 9.74 million, followed by How I Met Your Mother doing 9.2 million, up nearly two million from previous week when it aired at 8pm and on its own. #1 sitcom Two and a Half Men did 14.56 million, clearly the best of the sitcoms. A new Rules of Engagement followed and did 11.02 million, up nearly two million week-to-week when its lead-in was a repeat. At 10pm a new CSI: Miami did 13.46 million, which was down a tad from previous week. Fox started with a new episode of House and did 12.51 million, then Fox had an all-new 24 doing 11.26 million, up a million from previous week when its lead-in was a repeat. NBC was next with its sluggish Monday. A new Chuck did 5.72 million, down from previous week. The downfall of Heroes continues as this show did just 6.42 million, down just a bit from previous week in HH/viewers, but it was up a bit in 18-49 at least. Medium followed with 7.27 million for a new episode, up from previous week. The CW was next with a new episode of Gossip Girl doing 2.45 million, up some from previous week as ABC Family's Secret Life is no longer against it. A new episode of One Tree Hill did 2.36 million, down a tad from previous week.
Tuesday it was Fox on top. Fox started with an 86 minute American Idol doing just 24.41 million, then at 9:26pm to 10:02pm Fox aired the special Osbournes: Reloaded at just 8.4 million. Fringe returns this week and needs to do better or it cold be in trouble. CBS started with a new NCIS doing 17.23 million, down a bit from previous week when it aired at a special 9pm time. A new episode of The Mentalist was next and did a great 16.96 million, but that was down from previous week when it aired in a special 10pm slot. Without a Trace was next at 12.53 million. ABC was next and started with encores of the first two episodes of Better Off Ted doing only 3.18 million. Dancing with the Stars: The Results was next at 9pm doing 13.51 million, down from previous week as it faced Idol. No more Idol now until the finale vs. Dancing's Results. ABC followed by airing the series premiere of Cupid doing 7.22 million...needs to do better than that, but with a better Dancing lead-in in the coming weeks, it should do better. It's a simple lot...Cupid tries to hook up a new couple each week, so this isn't serialized folks! NBC was next with a two-hour The Biggest Loser doing 8.78 million, down over a million from previous week when it aired from 9-11pm and no Idol. NBC finished the night with a new Law & Order: SVU at 10pm doing 9.37 million...which is nothing what it used to do. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did 2.37 million, down some from previous week's season high, and the return of 90210 on a new time did 2.04 million, that is not good news! It needs to do better than that.
Wednesday saw you Fox dominate. Fox was lead by the results show of American Idol at 9pm doing 24.34 million. New Fox drama Lie to Me started the night off at 8pm doing 9.18 million, not bad but seems lower than usual. CBS started with the April Fool's special I Get That A Lot at a surprising 10.35 million, much more than the usual Old Christine and Gary Unmarried, so those shows need to pick it up. A repeat of Criminal Minds followed and did 10.03 million. CSI: NY followed with repeat as well doing 10.06 million. Both seemed to be at below repeat levels. ABC was next with a new Scrubs and a new episode of the new Better Off Ted doing 4.97 and 4.67 million...both seemed to be affected by the April Fool's special as that skewed the audience these do. A new episode of Lost followed at 9pm doing 9.57 million, up from previous week And the series finale of Life on Mars at 10pm did 5.64 million, it improved from previous week once again. That was a good sign going up each week the last few weeks. NBC opened the night with a repeat of Law & Order: Criminal Intent doing 5.03 million, a new showing of Life followed and did an improved 5.7 million, up from previous week. Law & Order followed at 10pm with a repeat and did 6.34 million. The CW was on the map with America's Next Top Model doing a nice 3.97 million, up over a million from previous week as there was no Idol meddling...The CW followed with an encore of...what else...90210 at 1.09 million, up from previous week. That was an encore from the previous night.
Thursday saw NBC with the win as the series finale of ER took home the night. When was the last time NBC finished first besides the Super Bowl? NBC started with a retrospective special of ER doing a solid 10.63 million at 8pm. My Name is Earl was preempted. Then the ER two-hour send-off aired and did 16.38 million, which is up six million from previous week. Great numbers. Though this doesn't compare at all with other big series finales at all, which has to be disappointing. The Office and 30 Rock were preempted. CBS was next with the return of Survivor: Tocantis at a below normal 11.27 million. CSI celebrated its 200th episode with series lows of 14.63 million and only a 3.8 18-49 rating. And the finale (series maybe?) of Eleventh Hour closed the night at 10.37 million. Fox started with Bones at 9.25 million, which off a bit from usual but expected. An all-new Hell's Kitchen followed at 9pm did 6.95 million, off from previous week obviously. ABC started with a new In the Motherhood doing 5.01 million, down a lot from the premiere. Not a good sign. An all-new Samantha Who? was next and did 4.7 million, down two million from previous week. A repeat of Grey's Anatomy was next and did 4.9 million! Too bad we have to wait until April 23 for the final batch of episodes of the season. A repeat of Private Practice followed and did 3.74 million at 10pm. Smallville was all-new on The CW and did a solid 3.85 million, up a bit from previous week, followed by a new Supernatural at 3.27 million, up some from previous week.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS, though two of those were repeats. ABC finished second for the night helped by 20/20. Sarah Connor Chronicles and the new Dollhouse did terrible for Fox, and NBC was not much better with Friday Night Lights. Why is that on the air?
Saturday numbers were above normal again as CBS won with some NCAA Final Four, as we now have the final two of North Carolina and Michigan State battling for the title on Monday!
Tonight CBS also should win. CBS has a new 60 Minutes followed by the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. ABC will have all repeats of AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, so they will be out of the battle. NBC has Dateline at 7pm, followed by big-time dud Kings, and a two-hour Celebrity Apprentice, which could do a season high tonight with limited competition. Fox has a mainly repeat lineup of its animated comedies again...except The Simpsons is new at 8pm.
As for the week, CBS should win the week in HH/viewers. Fox in 18-49 likely but CBS could take it thanks to NCAA. Fox will be second in HH/viewers, while ABC or NBC could take third in HH/viewers, but I think NBC will take third in 18-49 for the week much thanks to the ER finale, leaving ABC in fourth thanks to no Thursday and Sunday new showings. As for the coming week...ABC premieres new comedy Surviving Suburbia tomorrow at 9:30pm, hope you saw our review on Friday. And on Wednesday ABC premieres new cop show The Unusuals, which is very good. Fox returns Fringe tomorrow at 8pm. Thursday NBC premieres new comedy Parks and Recreation at 8:30pm, which we hope to have a review up by Wednesday. Tomorrow also is the championship game of the NCAA Tournament!

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of March 23-29, Week 27)

• The Simpsons (Fox) 2 episodes - 6.62 million for an all-new episode...up from previous week. A repeat did better at 8:30 doing 6.63 million.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - A repeat at 7:30 only did 2.96 million, but better than the previous week.
• Family Guy (Fox) - A new episode did 8.12 million, up week-to-week.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - 6.02 million...up some from previous week. Earlier in the night a repeat at 7 did just 2.4 million, but it was better than previous week.

Week 28:
Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - 9.74 million for a new episode, this show is clearly a self-starter.
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - 9.2 million for a new showing is two million better when CBS tried to self-start this show the previous week...and didn't work.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 14.56 million for new episode is of course #1 for sitcoms.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 11.02 million for a new episode...up from previous week when its lead-in was a repeat.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• Better Off Ted (ABC) 2 encores - First two episodes encored at 8pm doing just 3.18 million.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - preempted.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - preempted.
• Scrubs (ABC) - New showing did 4.97 million, down some from previous week.
• Better Off Ted (ABC) - 4.67 million for a new episode...up a bit week-to-week!

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - preempted
• In the Motherhood (ABC) - Second episode did just 5.01 million, it was way down from the premiere and needs to do better.
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - 4.7 million, down two million from previous week.
• The Office (NBC) - preempted.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - preempted.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.79 million...down a bit from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.86 million. Down some from previous week's prelim numbers.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

Airing tonight (Sunday) are a mix of new and repeats of Fox animated comedies from 7-10pm!

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, were impressive for the week. Nothing else was OK as we had a lot of just plain old terrible (such as Samantha Who?, Better Off Ted).

Week 27 Ratings and Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 27 numbers (first four nights final averages, Mon-Thurs):

Households: Fox 8.9/13.6; CBS 7.6/12.1; ABC 7.4/11.7; NBC 4.5/7.0; TheCW 1.6/2.4; MNT 0.9/1.4.
Total Viewers: Fox 15.4 million; CBS 12.04 million; ABC 11.56 million; NBC 6.99 million; The CW 2.36 million; MNT 1.37 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 5.5/14.1; ABC 3.5/9.1; CBS 3.4/9.1; NBC 2.7/7.0; The CW 1.0/2.7; MNT 0.5/1.2.

Analysis: Week 27 again sees a three-way race and could be anyone's game in HH/viewers for the week, with CBS or Fox the likely winner. Through the first four days, Fox is on top in all categories, with CBS in second everywhere, but ABC is 2nd in 18-49, while ABC is a close third in everything else. And NBC is a distant fourth everywhere else.
Last week, CBS won in week 26 in HH/viewers, but Fox once again took 18-49 but by a closer margin, over NCAA-fueled second place CBS. ABC was third in all categories, while NBC was back in a distant fourth of course.
Monday it was all ABC as Dancing with the Stars continues to dominate. ABC aired a two-hour episode of Dancing with the Stars at an impressive 20.34 million, down from the previous week, but dominant. After that, ABC aired a new episode of crime-romance drama Castle doing 9.14 million...down nearly two million from previous week. Not to worry since it all depends o the plot. Tomorrow it should be better with a great story. CBS did decent but the comedies suffered again thanks to Dance. What was even worse was that The Big Bang Theory was preempted for a full-hour of How I Met Your Mother ... an all-new episode at 8pm did only 7.35 million, not good. A repeat followed with 7.01 million. I think this proves, it is not strong enough to anchor an hour. #1 sitcom Two and a Half Men was a repeat this week and did 11.15 million, seems below repeat levels though. A new Rules of Engagement followed and did 9.37 million, down two million week-to-week...not bad since its lead-in was a repeat. At 10pm a new CSI: Miami did 13.67 million, which was up a tad from previous week. Fox started with a repeat of House and did 7.78 million...not bad, next Fox had an all-new 24 doing 10.37 million, down a million from previous week. NBC was next with its sluggish Monday. A new Chuck did 6.16 million. The downfall of Heroes continues as this show did just 6.47 million, it is actually on the bubble for next season now. Medium followed with 6.64 million for a new episode, which is not that great either. The CW was next with a new episode of Gossip Girl doing 2.25 million, down a tad from previous week as ABC Family's season finale of Secret Life nearly doubled it. A new episode of One Tree Hill did 2.40 million... on par really from previous week.
Tuesday all the networks scrambled their line-ups as President Obama had a news conference at 8pm ET. We don't have numbers for the Obama news conference, as they didn't count in the ratings. Fox had to preempt American Idol and went with a House repeat at 9pm instead doing just 4.02 million. CBS moved NCIS to 9pm and did 17.83 million, up two million from previous week at its regular 8pm slot. A new episode of The Mentalist was also moved and aired at 10pm and did a solid 17.62 million, also up over two million from previous week when it aired at its regular 9pm slot. Without a Trace was preempted thanks to Obama. ABC was next and started with Dancing with the Stars: The Results at 9pm doing 16.12 million, as it went up nearly four million from previous week! ABC ended with the season finale of the addicting Primetime: What Would You Do? doing a season high of 7.96 million. NBC was next and had to move the two-hour The Biggest Loser to 9-11pm and it did 9.83 million, up nearly two million from previous week. NBC had to preempt Law & Order: SVU at 10pm. You see, no Idol, and everyone goes up. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did a solid 2.7 million, that was a solid improvement from its first airings of the season as there was no Idol... and an encore of 90210 only did 1.0 million, but believe it or not, that was up from previous week. Stop encoring 90210 so much CW!
Wednesday saw you know who dominate. Fox had to air the performance show of American Idol on a special night doing 26.03 million for two-hours. New Fox drama Lie to Me was preempted. CBS started with a special recap episode of Survivor: Tocantins at just 8.07 million, as that was very low...sitcoms Old Christine and Gary Unmarried were preempted. A new episode of Criminal Minds followed and did 14.35 million, up week-to-week. CSI: NY followed with a new showing doing 12.64 million, down a bit from previous week. ABC was next with a new Scrubs and the second episode of Better Off Ted doing 5.27 and 4.6 million...both down from previous week, as they faced Idol this week. A new episode of Lost followed at 9pm doing a below normal 9.04 million as it went up with Idol. A new Life on Mars at 10pm did 5.52 million, which was good enough to improve from previous week once again. The action-packed series finale is this week! Tune in to see a real ending to a series! NBC opened the night with the about to be chopped Chopping Block doing a terrible 2.58 million...down nearly a million from previous week, a new showing of dud Life followed and did just 4.41 million, up actually up a bit from previous week. Law & Order followed at 10pm with a new episode and did 7.33 million, up some week-to-week. The CW was on the map with America's Next Top Model doing a nice 2.87 million, but down a million from previous week as Idol meddled...The CW followed with an encore of...what else...90210 at 750,000 viewers, down a bit from previous week. I wonder if some episodes have been seen 5 times already? This better make this week's episode well over 3 million, as the show finally returns Tuesday with new episodes.
Thursday saw Fox with the win as the results of American Idol aired on a special night. But first...ABC started with the series premiere of In the Motherhood doing 6.7 million, while that sounds not that great, not bad vs. Idol. No Idol this week, so hopefully it can go up. An all-new Samantha Who? on a new night and time did a decent 6.57 million. A new episode of Grey's Anatomy was next and did 16.1 million and a night best 5.6 18-49 rating...what an excellent episode that was! Too bad we have to wait until April 23 for the final batch of episodes of the season. A new episode of Private Practice followed and did 10.12 million at 10pm, up from previous week. CBS preempted the regular Survivor: Tocantis, CSI and Eleventh Hour again with coverage of the NCAA Basketball tournament doing 10.26 million in primetime (8-11pm only), up some from previous week. NBC started with a new episode of My Name is Earl doing just 5.89 million, down from previous week, a repeat of The Office did 4.75 million up a tad from the previous week. A new episode of The Office did 8.65 million, up from previous week and its best in a while. A new showing of 30 Rock followed with 7.17 million, on par really from previous week. A new ER was next and did 10.35 million, up a million week-to-week. Series finale is this week. How will it do? As I said earlier, Fox won this atypical Thursday with Idol results doing a solid 23.1 million, as Fox's Bones had to be preempted yet again. Is this the ugly step-sister for Fox? An all-new Hell's Kitchen followed at 9pm did 10.13 million, obviously up week-to-week with that huge lead-in. Smallville was all-new on The CW and did a solid 3.8 million, up some from previous week, followed by a new Supernatural at 3.13 million, down some from previous week.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with NCAA Basketball Tournament instead of new episodes of Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS. ABC finished second for the night helped by Superanny and 20/20. Sarah Connor Chronicles and the new Dollhouse did terrible for Fox, and NBC was not much better with Friday Night Light. Why is that on the air?
Saturday numbers were above normal again as CBS won with some NCAA March Madness until about 9pm then NCIS repeat and 48 Hours did solid.
Tonight CBS also should win. CBS has a new 60 Minutes and The Amazing Race, followed by Cold Case and The Unit. ABC will have new showings of AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, but not of Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, but they could still win in 18-49 as EM: HE is two-hours. NBC has Dateline at 7pm, followed by big-time dud Kings, and a two-hour Celebrity Apprentice. Fox has an all-new lineup finally of its animated comedies again...except King of the Hill is preempted. Is that show now done?
As for the week, CBS should win the week in HH/viewers. Fox for sure in 18-49 but CBS will be improved thanks to NCAA. ABC could be second in HH/viewers if Fox falters, but 3rd likely in 18-49 and NBC fourth everywhere. As for the coming week...ABC premieres new comedy-drama Cupid on Tuesday at 10:00pm and the first of the final 12 According to Jim episodes airs in the 8pm hour. Fox airs the variety special Osbournes: Reloaded from 9:20-10pm on Tuesday also. And that's not all for Tuesday, 90210 returns at 9pm with new episodes...and yes it will encore the next night at 9pm...that's the CW for ya! Wednesday will see CBS play April Fool's jokes on I Get That A Lot at 8pm and the series finale of Life on Mars on ABC at 10pm...no foolin'! Probably the pick of the week is the ER series finale on Thursday from 9-11pm, but CBS is not playing around and airing the 200th episode of CSI against it at 9pm & the season (or series?) finale of Eleventh Hour. On Saturday we will find out who the final two teams will be for the NCAA Tournament. And next Sunday its the 44th Annual CMA Awards on CBS.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of March 16-22, Week 26)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - 6.19 million for an all-new episode...seems way below normal again, but as with the previous, up a tad from the previous week.
• King of the Hill (Fox) 2 episodes - A new episode did 5.5 million...up a smidge from previous week...ad earlier in the night a repeat at 7:30 only did 2.39 million.
• Family Guy (Fox) - A new episode did 7.34 million, but should be better though...even though it followed the previous two shows by going up a bit week-to-week.
• American Dad! (Fox) 2 episodes - 5.84 million...down a tad from previous week...so the only one to go down. Earlier in the night a repeat at 7 did just 1.92 million.

Week 27:
Monday Sitcoms

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS) - preempted...
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 2 episodes - 7.35 million for a new showing at a special time of 8pm was down two million from previous week. This sitcom is no self-starter. A repeat followed in its normal time with 7.01 million.
• Two and a Half Men (CBS) - 11.15 million for a repeat...below normal.
• Rules of Engagement (CBS) - 9.37 million for a new episode...down from previous week obviously since its lead-in was a repeat.

Tuesday Sitcoms

• None.

Wednesday Sitcoms

• Old Christine (CBS) - preempted.
• Gary Unmarried (CBS) - preempted.
• Scrubs (ABC) - New showing did 5.27 million, down some from previous week...thanks to Idol. But blame Obama I guess.
• Better Off Ted (ABC) - 4.6 million for a new episode...down nearly a million from the premiere. Not good, but hopefully it can rebound this Wednesday with no Idol. Also, the first two repeat this Tuesday from 8-9PM if anyone missed it or if you want to start watching! It's not too late!

Thursday Sitcoms

• My Name is Earl (NBC) - 5.89 million for a new episode is certainly not good as the wrath of Idol hit.
• In the Motherhood (ABC) - Series premiere did 6.7 million, which is decent but could have been better if there was no special Idol. Obama, mothers are upset at you!
• Samantha Who? (ABC) - 6.57 million for the return is decent. Loyal audience.
• The Office (NBC) 2 episodes - A repeat did 8:30 did an OK 4.75 million and a new episode did 8.65 million ...both up week-to-week.
• 30 Rock (NBC) - 7.17 million for a new episode...up a bit from previous week.

Friday Sitcoms

• Everybody Hates Chris (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 1.81 million...up from previous week's prelim numbers.
• The Game (The CW) - A new episode did a prelim 2.01 million. Not too bad, up from previous week's prelim numbers.

Saturday Sitcoms

• None.

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

Summing it up. Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, The Office were impressive for the week. Everything else was OK (such as In the Motherhood, How I Met Your Mother) or just plain old terrible (such as The Office repeat, Better Off Ted).

Week 26 Analysis; How the Sitcoms Did

Week 26 numbers (first four nights final averages, Mon-Thurs):

Households: Fox 8.7/13.7; CBS 7.4/12.0; ABC 7.2/11.7; NBC 4.1/6.6; TheCW 1.6/2.5; MNT 1.0/1.5.
Total Viewers: Fox 15.07 million; CBS 11.82 million; ABC 11.17 million; NBC 6.29 million; The CW 2.36 million; MNT 1.61 million.
Adults 18-49: Fox 5.4/14.5; CBS 3.4/9.3; ABC 3.3/8.9; NBC 2.3/6.2; The CW 1.1/2.9; MNT 0.5/1.4.

Analysis: Week 26 sees a three-way race and could be anyone's game in HH/viewers for the week. Through the first four days, Fox is on top in all categories, with CBS is second everywhere, while ABC is third in everything but very closely behind. And NBC is a distant fourth everywhere else.
Last week, CBS won in week 25 in HH/viewers, but Fox once again took 18-49 by a wide margin, over second place CBS. ABC was third in all categories, while NBC was back in fourth of course.
Monday it was all ABC as Dancing with the Stars continues to dominate. ABC aired a two-hour season Dancing with the Stars at an impressive 21.22 million, down from the previous week's season premiere, but expected. After that, ABC aired a new episode of crime-romance drama Castle doing a solid 10.97 million...up from previous week, as I said last week...it has a chance to grow since it is not serialized. CBS did decent but the comedies suffered again thanks to Dance. A new episode of The Big Bang Theory did 9.69 million, up some week-to-week, while a new How I Met Your Mother did 9.29 million, up from previous week. #1 sitcom Two and a Half Men did 14.12 million, that also was up from previous week. A new Rules of Engagement followed and did 11.42 million, up week-to-week...decent showing. At 10pm a new CSI: Miami did 13.61 million, which was down from previous week, yet all the comedies went up...go figure. Fox started with House and did 13.13 million, up from previous week, next Fox had 24 at 11.36 million, on par really from previous week. NBC was next with a repeat line-up. A repeat of Chuck did just 3.95 million. And if that wasn't bad, a repeat of Heroes did only 3.01 million, ouch. Medium followed with 4.38 million also a repeat. The CW was next with a finally new episode of Gossip Girl doing 2.33 million and a new episode of One Tree Hill did 2.41 million... both did decent but could have been better.
Tuesday Fox had a two-hour American Idol and of course it dominated. Fox had that two-hour Idol doing 21.89 million, but down nearly four million from previous week...you'll see why in a moment. CBS started with a new episode of NCIS at a below normal 15.84 million. A new episode of The Mentalist did 15.49 million, also below normal. Without a Trace was also new and did 11.87 million. ABC was next and started with a recap of the first two weeks of Dancing with the Stars at 7.99 million, bettering the time period average even though it was a recap. ABC then aired the first Dancing with the Stars: The Results at 12.74 million, which is below normal but it seems Idol, Dancing, Loser, Mentalist all were hurt big by each other. Finally, ABC ended with the addicting Primetime: What Would You Do? doing an improved 7.26 million. NBC was next with a two-hour The Biggest Loser at 7.99 million, down a lot from previous week. NBC followed with a new episode of Law & Order: SVU doing 10.74 million, down some from previous week. The CW aired a new episode of Reaper and did just 1.96 million, going down again and an encore of 90210 only did 640,000 viewers. Stop encoring it CW!
Wednesday saw you know who dominate. Fox's American Idol results to 9pm did 23.7 million, down two million from the previous week. New Fox drama Lie to Me started the night off with 10.26 million, which was down a million from previous week. CBS started with a new episode of sitcom Old Christine at 7.21 million and a new Gary Unmarried did 7.37 million, both down from previous week. A new episode of Criminal Minds followed and did 13.74 million, down week-to-week. CSI: NY followed with a new showing doing 12.79 million, also down from previous week. ABC was next with the time slot premiere of Scrubs and the series premiere of Better Off Ted doing 5.62 and 5.5 million...the news was better in 18-49 though. A new episode of Lost followed at 9pm doing a below normal 9.4 million as it went up with Idol. A new Life on Mars at 10pm did 4.97 million, which was good enough to improve from previous week. NBC opened the night with the about to be chopped Chopping Block doing a terrible 3.4 million...down from the premiere, a new showing of dud Life followed and did just 4.31 million, also down from previous week. Law & Order followed at 10pm with a new episode and did 7.14 million, down some week-to-week. The CW was on the map with America's Next Top Model doing a nice 3.79 million, but down from previous week...The CW followed with an encore of...what else...90210 at 880,000 viewers, down a bit from previous week.
Thursday saw ABC with the win, as CBS aired night one of March Madness. ABC started with a new Ugly Betty doing 7.42 million, up from previous week, a new episode of Grey's Anatomy was next and did 14.61 million and a night best 5.0 18-49 rating. A new episode of Private Practice followed and did 9.74 million at 10pm beating one of the last episodes of ER in HH, viewers and 18-49. CBS preempted the regular Survivor: Tocantis, CSI and Eleventh Hour with coverage of the NCAA Basketball tournament doing 9.64 million in primetime (8-11pm only). NBC started with a new episode of My Name is Earl doing just 6.43 million, a repeat of The Office did 4.58 million better than the Kath & Kim finale of 3.89 million the previous week. A new episode of The Office did 8.07 million, up a bit from previous week. A new showing of 30 Rock followed with 7.13 million, up from previous week. A new ER was next and did 9.47 million, down nearly 1.5 million week-to-week. Fox aired a new Bones and did a solid 10.52 million, up from previous week (maybe regular CBS audience migrated there?) and an all-new Hell's Kitchen at 9pm did 7.54 million, but down week-to-week. Smallville was all-new on The CW and did a solid 3.49 million, down a bit from previous week, followed by a new Supernatural at 3.37 million, up a good deal from previous week.
Now, as usual final numbers for Friday and Saturday are not available, but CBS won Friday with NCAA Basketball Tournament night two instead of new episodes of Ghost Whisperer, Flashpoint, NUMBERS. ABC finished second for the night helped by Superanny and 20/20. Sarah Connor Chronicles and the new Dollhouse did a bit better but still not good for Fox.
Saturday numbers were above normal as CBS won with more NCAA March Madness.
Tonight will be a battle between CBS and ABC again. CBS has a new 60 Minutes and The Amazing Race, followed by Cold Case and The Unit. ABC will have new showings of AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters should be more than enough to win the night in 18-49. NBC has a Dateline special at 7pm, followed by dud Kings, and a two-hour Celebrity Apprentice. Fox has an all-new lineup finally of its animated comedies again...even Family Guy.
As for the week, CBS should win the week in HH/viewers. Fox for sure in 18-49 but CBS will be improved thanks to NCAA. ABC could be second in HH/viewers, but 3rd likely in 18-49 and NBC fourth everywhere. As for the coming week...ABC premieres new sitcom In the Motherhood on Thursday at 8:00pm, and March Madness continues on CBS this Thursday, Friday and Saturday in primetime. But before all that, Obama speaks in primetime on Tuesday messing up the schedules for the networks.

Last Sunday Sitcoms (counts for week of March 9-15, Week 25)

• The Simpsons (Fox) - 6.03 million for an all-new episode...seems way below normal, but up a tad from previous week.
• King of the Hill (Fox) - A new episode did 5.48 million...up some from previous week.
• Family Guy (Fox) - A new episode did 7.29 million, but should be better though...
• American Dad! (Fox) - 5.88 million...at least it went up from previous week.

Week 26: