(1/12 – 1/18)
Yes, of course, the big story this week was the return of American Idol. It didn’t disappoint, from a numbers perspective. Both installments easily won their nights. We all expected that though, right? The more interesting bit of the Idol story was the effect the show had, or didn’t have, on the ratings of other shows. While J.D. and the kids over at Scrubs were probably shaking their fists in the general direction of Idol, the CBI, and their pals at NCIS hardly even noticed. In addition to all the Idol shenanigans, CSI said goodbye to Grissom.
FOX - It’s the biggie, and looks to remain so for some time to come, so let’s kick things off with Idol. The show had two huge nights on Tuesday (30.42m/11.7) and Wednesday (30.32/11.8). That was down some 3 million viewers from last year, but with these numbers, nobody is going to care. Jack was also pulling double duty last week, as 24 took over Sunday (12.61m/4.3) and Monday (12.31m/4.1). Those are encouraging numbers for the show, and it should make for quite a Monday when House moves to its new home. The Presidential address postponed the big Bones premiere, so we’ll have to wait a bit to see how that all plays out.
NBC - Things started off well with the Golden Globes (14.86m/4.9) telecast. The awards show has done better in past years, but given the state of NBC’s lineup recently, it’s hard to frown on those numbers. Things got a little rocky after that. On Monday, Superstars Of Dance (7.19m/1.9) didn’t hold up against new episodes from the CBS comedies. And the always solid Biggest Loser (8.86m/3.3) took a bit of a hit from Idol.
The Office (8.49m/4.4) was on pace on Thursday, but it is once again time to start watching those 30 Rock (6.63m/3.2) numbers. Yes, the show has already been renewed, but it is concerning. It looks like the election boost has worn off. The other big premiere for the week was Friday Night Lights (4.54m/1.6). That is just a hair better than what Lipstick Jungle was doing, but still has to be a disappointment. Although, I have no idea what that means for the future of the show. The unusual production deal with DirecTV makes it hard to say just what a successful performance for Friday Night Lights would be.
ABC - Like NBC, ABC had an up and down week. Desperate Housewives (13.79m/5.2) was down a bit against the Golden Globes, but the network got some good news on Monday. The Bachelor (9.06m/3.2) actually managed to increase its audience from the premiere, even against the increased competition from CBS. True Beauty (6.46m/2.8) wasn’t so lucky. That drop was nothing compared to what happened to Scrubs (4.61m/2.2 – 4.33m/2.2) on Tuesday. Another Idol casualty. But that still wasn’t the worst of it.
A night of Lost (4.5m/1.7) repeats on Wednesday was largely ignored. I have no idea why ABC even bothers trying to repeat Lost at this point. The tribe has spoken. The news was better on Thursday, if not great. Grey’s Anatomy (13.09m/5.3) couldn’t stand up to the exit of Grissom over at CSI, but that battle will get very interesting moving forward. Private Practice (8.49m/3.3) continues to be borderline. It is right where Life On Mars was with viewers, but just edging it out in the demo. It’s not the match the network hoped it would be.
CBS – And then there was CBS. If they were going just by the numbers, they barely even noticed that Idol premiered on Tuesday. NCIS (18.62m/3.7) and The Mentalist (18.07m/3.8) were both very close to their usual numbers. Criminal Minds (13.78m/3.2) also held up reasonably well. Those successes came on the heels of another fantastic Monday. The trio of Big Bang Theory (11.81m/4.4), How I Met Your Mother (11.76m/4.8), and 2 ½ Men (17.10m/5.6) just continues to get stronger.
As expected, that good news continued on Thursday, with CSI‘s (24.25m/6.6) farewell to Grissom scoring big. In second week news, it looks like Flashpoint (10.38m/2.3) may finally be the show to slow the revolving door Friday at 9. The show increased its audience in week two, and is a perfect fit with Ghost Whisperer (10.52m/2.5) and Numb3rs (10.83m/2.5)
CW - Gossip Girl (2.85m/1.3) and One Tree Hill (3.06m/1.4) led off the week at their normal levels, continuing to see-saw the viewer title back and forth. Things didn’t go as well on Tuesday and Wednesday, as Idol seemed to take a bite out of the little network. 90210 (2.18m/1.1), Privileged (1.12m/.5), and Fear Is Real (1.44m/.7) were all down. Some ground was regained on Thursday, with the return of Smallville (4.29m/1.8) and Supernatural (2.98m/1.2). Doesn’t it seem like the network really needs to keep Smallville around?
For the coming week, there are a few matchups to keep an eye on. Monday finds the newly partnered House and 24 taking on the CBS comedy block. Advantage? House and Jack win after Worst Week drops the ball. On Tuesday, we get our first look at Fringe following Idol. It should make for a nice bump in the show’s ratings, but we won’t know the whole story until it faces a new The Mentalist.
Wednesday debuts what is looking to be a highly competitive 9PM slot. Lost, Criminal Minds, and the Idol-fueled Lie To Me square off. I’m going with Lie To Me for the premiere week, but this one should be very fun to watch moving forward. And on Thursday, Langston gets his first solo flight against Grey’s, although I would recommend you watch Supernatural instead. The episode title is “Criss Angel Is A Douche Bag.” Is that not the best episode title ever?
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Jan 19, 2009 @ 12:09 EST5EDT
