-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.
Unfortunatley the ratings may be tired for PRISON BREAK but creativly if you check message boars like TWOP its one of the most popular seasons since Season One.
And no series on prime time does cliffhangers before commercials like PRISON BREAK...no one!
Re: NBC and LENO's new deal...sound to me like they are essentially moving the TONIGHT SHOW to 10PM. Jay Leno interviewing guests sounds very familiar. I hope he does a monologue though because he is way funner than the supremely lame David Letterman.
Unfortunatley the ratings may be tired for PRISON BREAK but creativly if you check message boars like TWOP its one of the most popular seasons since Season One.
And no series on prime time does cliffhangers before commercials like PRISON BREAK...no one!
Re: NBC and LENO's new deal...sound to me like they are essentially moving the TONIGHT SHOW to 10PM. Jay Leno interviewing guests sounds very familiar. I hope he does a monologue though because he is way funner than the supremely lame David Letterman.
PB is the only show to always end on a cliffhanger. Why other shows don't do it is beyond me
What a great way for BL to go out. Love it or hate it, there will probably not be another show quite like it. It was able to tap into the zeitgeist of pop culture and news making headlines and turn it into an hour of entertainment. We'll miss ya.
the second-to-last episode of NBC dud My Own Worst Enemy (Viewers: 3.96 million; A18-49: 1.8/ 5).
Why does NBC even bother to air the last episodes of this megaflop? To make the Leno thing look like a good idea?
Maybe they aired them because 'My Own Worst Enemy' is a well written program with a small but loyal audience who want to see it through to the end.
I am grateful that NBC is not jettisoning its ratings-challenged series too quickly this season...'My Own Worst Enemy', 'Crusoe', 'Lipstick Jungle'... these quality series are all being allowed to finish their runs, and for these small mercies from NBC, I am appreciative.
