Prime-Time Ratings:
Monday 12/08/08
-Total Viewers:
CBS: 12.46 million, ABC: 10.60, NBC: 6.22, Fox: 5.30, CW: 2.45
-Adults 18-49:
CBS: 4.1 rating/10 share, ABC: 2.9/ 7, NBC: 2.6/ 7, Fox: 2.0/ 5, CW: 1.2/ 3
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-Yesterday’s Winners:
A Charlie Brown Christmas R (ABC), The Big Bang Theory (CBS), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), Boston Legal (ABC), Two and a Half Men (CBS), CSI: Miami (CBS)
-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox), Prison Break (Fox), Worst Week (CBS), Privileged (CW)
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-Ratings Breakdown:
Without ABC’s formidable Dancing With the Stars in the competitive mix, CBS led this second Monday in December with a first-place finish in both total viewers and adults 18-49. Second in both categories was ABC, followed by NBC, Fox and the CW.
ABC and CBS opened the evening on a winning note, with annual holiday repeat A Charlie Brown Christmas first in total viewers and CBS No. 1 overall in the hour care of sitcoms The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. Take a look:
A Charlie Brown Christmas R (ABC)
Viewers: 11.37 million (#1), A18-49: 3.8 rating/10 share (#2)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – 8 p.m.
Viewers: 10.80 million (#2), A18-49: 3.7/10 (#2)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Viewers: 10.48 million (#2), A18-49: 4.2/11 (#1)
Next was NBC’s lackluster Chuck (Viewers: 6.93 million; A18-49: 2.4/ 6), Fox’s soon-to-relocate Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Viewers: 5.21 million; A18-49: 1.8/ 5), which is destined for failure on Friday, and the CW”s Gossip Girl (Viewers: 3.01 million; A18-49: 1.5/ 4). Gossip Girl tied with the CBS sitcoms for first in the hour among women 18-34 (3.6/10).
CBS dominated in the 9 p.m. half-hour care of Two and a Half Men at a healthy 15.65 million viewers and a 5.2/13 among adults 18-49. But lead-out Worst Week continues to squander the support, with 10.60 million viewers (#1) and a second-place 3.5/ 8 in the demo at 9:30 p.m. Comparably, that put retention for Worst Week out of Two and a Half Men of 68 percent in total viewers and 67 percent among adults 18-49. Could – and should -- be better.
Also in the 9 p.m. hour was the first half of the two-hour Boston Legal series-finale (Viewers: #2, 9.91 million; A18-49: #3, 2.3/ 6), NBC’s fading Heroes (Viewers: #3, 7.78 million; A18-49: #2, 3.6/ 9), which is one of the fastest deteriorating established series in prime-time, Fox’s tired Prison Break (Viewers: #4, 5.39 million; A18-49: #4, 2.1/ 5), and a Monday edition of Privileged, which dipped to 1.90 million viewers and a 1.0/ 2 in the demo. Comparably, this is significantly below regularly scheduled occupant One Tree Hill.
CBS moved back into the 10 p.m. winner’s circle, but 13.62 million viewers and a 4.0/10 among adults 18-49 for CSI: Miami is a noticeable decline from last fall. Second was the concluding half of the Boston Legal series-ender on ABC (Viewers: 10.51 million; A18-49: 2.6/ 7), followed by the second-to-last episode of NBC dud My Own Worst Enemy (Viewers: 3.96 million; A18-49: 1.8/ 5). Overall, the two-hour Boston Legal finale averaged a respectable 10.21 million viewers and a 2.4/ 6 among adults 18-49 from 9-11 p.m., building by half-hour as follows:
Boston Legal (ABC)
9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 9.65 million (#3), A18-49: 2.3/5 (#3)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 10.18 million (#2). A18-49: 2.3/ 6 (#3)
10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 10.24 million (#2), A18-49: 2.5/ 6 (#2)
10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 10.79 million (#2), A18-49: 2.6/ 7 (#2)
Considering Boston Legal was never a true ratings success, you have to give ABC credit for keeping it on the air of four and one-half seasons.
Source: Nielsen Media Research data
