RATINGS RECAP: 10/30/10

ABC 
8:00 College Football
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

CBS
8:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 48 Hours Mystery (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 48 Hours Mystery
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 Scared Shrekless
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 The Office (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 Community (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
8:00 MLB World Series Game 3
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

RATINGS RECAP: 10/29/10

ABC8:00 It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Primetime: What Would You Do?
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

10:00 20/20 
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

CBS
8:00 Medium
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 CSI: NY
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

NBC
8:00 School Pride
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 House (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 The Good Guys
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

ABC had a better Friday than usual. They started by airing It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown for the second night in a row and it did solidly. With the two nights together, it had over 12 million people watching which is quite impressive for a special that is decades old. The season premiere of Primetime: What Would You Do? wasn't amazing but solid enough for a Friday audience. ABC may be hoping for a little bit better though. Finally, 20/20 was up slightly in viewers and the demo from last week. 

CBS had another solid Friday night. Medium, which is now cut to 13 episodes this season, was again the lowlight though it did hit a season high in viewers and was even in the demo from last week. It still seems like CBS could do better here. CSI: NY followed and was basically even with last week. Blue Bloods followed and had its best total viewers number since the premiere and was even in the demo. The low demos have to be expected, but the total viewer numbers from 9-11pm are quite solid for CBS.

NBC had another disastrous Friday. School Pride was down again in viewers and the demo to embarrassing lows. Will NBC really leave this on through all seven episodes? It has only aired three so far. It is also bringing down Dateline, which was low again. It's sad that the Dateline/Outlaw combo was significantly stronger than School Pride/Dateline. Finally FOX had a low-rated night as usual though the House repeat did beat School Pride and The Good Guys was up slightly from last week. FOX just doesn't seem to be trying on this night.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/28/10

ABC
8:00 It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9
10:00 Private Practice
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory 
Viewers: 13.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.2
8:30 $#*! My Dad Says
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:00 CSI
Viewers: 14.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 14.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2

NBC
8:00 Scared Shrekless
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
8:30 Community
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
9:30 Outsourced
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 The Apprentice
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

FOX
8:00 MLB World Series Game 2
Viewers: 14.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0

November Sweeps officially kicked off last night and it was a busy night. ABC was on the map at 8pm for the first time this season with the classic It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown which was well above what My Generation and Grey's Anatomy encores have gotten this season. It repeats tonight at 8pm. The news was not so good for Grey's Anatomy which was down slightly in viewers and the demo for season lows. This show seems to be losing steam quickly this season. Private Practice was pretty much dead even from last week despite Grey's going down, which is positive news.

CBS's lineup held up. The Big Bang Theory sans Kaley Cuoco was down a tenth in viewers but up a tenth in the demo even though it had much tougher competition on ABC and NBC than usual. $#*! My Dad Says was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. It has been consistent for several weeks now and is probably doing serviceable numbers for CBS. CSI was down .7 in total viewers but just a tenth in the demo and it hasn't fallen as bad as many thought it would. Finally, The Mentalist was up in total viewers and three tenths in the demo which is good news since it's demo retention was much better this week.

NBC had good news for its Halloween-themed lineup. The new special Scared Shrekless was way above usual numbers for the Thursday 8pm timeslot though it did not reach the heights of the Christmas special Shrek the Halls on ABC. Without the burden of having to lead off the night, Community easily hit season highs in viewers and the demo. It was up over a million viewers and half a demo point from last week's 8pm episode. The Office also bounced up with its Halloween episode as it was also up over a million viewers and more than half a demo point. Outsourced was also able to reverse course and was up nearly a million viewers and four tenths in the demo. Halloween sitcom episodes have been a huge success for ABC and NBC this year. Finally, The Apprentice was up slightly but still very low. Over on FOX, Game 2 of the World Series was slightly below Game 1 and well below last year's Yankees-Phillies series.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/27/10

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
8:30 Better With You
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 13.1 million, 18-49 demo: 5.1
9:30 Cougar Town
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
10:00 The Whole Truth
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 13.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
10:00 The Defenders
Viewers: 9.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

NBC
8:00 Undercovers
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Law & Order: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 MLB World Series Game 1
Viewers: 15.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.7

On the last night before November Sweeps, ABC got great news from its Halloween-themed comedy lineup. The Middle was perhaps the most impressive as it hit a SERIES high in both viewers and the demo. This comedy is gaining strength in its second season and was up a million viewers from last week and three tenths in the demo. Better With You followed and had the best numbers since its pilot episode. It was up nearly a million viewers from last week and almost half a point in the demo. Modern Family also hit a SERIES high in total viewers and was back over a 5 in the demo. The total viewers number was up over a million from last week. Finally, Cougar Town followed and posted its best numbers since the season premiere though it had the smallest leaps from last week of the four comedies. Overall, this was an excellent showing for ABC's sitcoms and they were even against tougher competition on FOX. The news wasn't so good for the canceled The Whole Truth which is burning off episodes. Despite the improved lead-in, it was down in both viewers and the demo, which was a series low. Will ABC really leave this on through November Sweeps?

CBS took a hit from last week, perhaps due to World Series competition and the better ABC numbers. Survivor hit a season low in viewers and tied its low in the demo. It was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week. A Halloween-themed Criminal Minds was also down, a little more than half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo. The demo number was a season low. It had World Series competition but was against an SVU repeat on NBC so that is disappointing. The Defenders was down two tenths in both viewers and the demo, hitting a series low for the demo. CBS announced that the new Paula Abdul competition series Live to Dance will air at 8pm Wednesdays in January during Survivor's hiatus. Will the Criminal Minds spinoff come to 10pm for a very different looking night?

NBC mostly took a break on Wednesday right before sweeps though new series Undercovers was new and hit a series low in viewers, down half a million from last week as well as a tenth in the demo. With so many midseason shows, it's hard to imagine NBC keeping this around all season, particularly in this slot. They followed that with repeats of the Law & Order shows, which were low as expected. However, they weren't much below the new Undercovers and it's encouraging that the Los Angeles repeat was very close in numbers to the SVU repeat. FOX aired Game 1 of the World Series to decent numbers, it was down from last year which was expected due to smaller market teams but it still did well. 

RATINGS RECAP: 10/26/10

ABC
8:00 No Ordinary Family
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Dancing with the Stars Results
Viewers: 15.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
10:00 Detroit 1-8-7
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 20.2 million, 18-49 demo: 4.1
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 16.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
10:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 12.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 

FOX
8:00 Glee
Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 4.9
9:00 Raising Hope
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:30 Raising Hope
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2 

ABC had a pretty steady Tuesday night. No Ordinary Family managed to hold its viewers from last week but dropped yet again in the demo for a series low. This show is much older skewing than anticipated and it is getting crushed in the demo by Glee and even old-skewing NCIS. Will it do better at 9pm when ABC tries it there in about a month. The results edition of Dancing with the Stars followed and was up a bit in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. Detroit 1-8-7 followed with some positive news as it was up over half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. It's still losing a lot of Dancing's audience but it seems to be on a positive trend.

CBS was up across the board in viewers but down across the board in the demo perhaps to FOX airing a new lineup again. NCIS hit a season high in viewers, topping 20 million for the first time but it was down two tenths in the demo. Still a very solid performance. NCIS: Los Angeles followed and was up a bit in viewers but down half a demo point, tying a season low. Finally, The Good Wife was up two tenths in viewers but down the same in the demo for a season low. Still, the total viewer numbers on this night for CBS are quite impressive.

NBC had another low-rated night. The Biggest Loser continued to disappoint and hit a season low in viewers and the demo. NBC should seriously consider cutting this down to an hour for the spring with so many midseason shows on deck. It is way below last year's levels. Parenthood followed and was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. It continues to post disappointing numbers but managed to stay in second place in the demo, albeit just barely.

Finally FOX was back to a night of originals. The Rocky Horror episode of Glee was up slightly in viewers and the demo from the last original episode two weeks ago. Although it remained dominant in the demo, I thought it would be higher due to the stunt episode. FOX preempted Running Wilde to air two episodes of Raising Hope. The first was even in viewers and down a tenth from the last original for a season low and retention from Glee remains relatively weak. The 9:30 episode dipped a bit in both viewers and the demo but was well above what Running Wilde got in this slot for the last several weeks. I predict FOX gives one more airing to Running Wilde in November and then pulls it.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/25/10

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 20.4 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 13.8 million, 18-49 demo: 4.4
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8

NBC
8:00 Chuck 
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 The Event
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Chase
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 House (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Lie to Me
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

ABC had its usual lineup on the last Monday of October. Dancing with the Stars was up over a million viewers and three-tenths in the demo. Expect it to show growth throughout November as the finale nears. Castle followed and hit a season high in both viewers and the demo. It was up four tenths in the demo and managed to win both in viewers and the demo for the time period for the first time this season. Castle has come a long way from being a bubble show in its first season.

CBS had mixed results but was fairly even with last week. How I Met Your Mother was up slightly in viewers but down a tenth in the demo for a season low. Rules of Engagement followed and was up slightly in both viewers and the demo from last week's low. Couple that with Mother's drop and it was the best retention so far this season. Two and a Half Men was up slightly in viewers and even in the demo, but the more pressing concern was more trouble from star Charlie Sheen last night. CBS and Men producers should start thinking about a backup plan. Mike & Molly was down a tenth in viewers but up two tenths in the demo which is good news for the freshman comedy. But news was not as good for Hawaii Five-0 which dropped yet again. It was down nearly a million viewers and a tenth in the demo, hitting series lows for both. It was significantly down year-to-year from a CSI: Miami repeat, which is bad news for CBS.

NBC's male-skewing lineup had a rough go of it and being against a very highly rated Monday Night Football certainly didn't help. Chuck was up slightly in viewers and even in the demo and has sadly become the most reliable performer of the night. The Event slipped yet again, hitting series lows and barely building from the Chuck lead-in. It has dropped every single week in total viewers and all but one week in the demo. Chase also was down, hitting a series low in the demo with a very low 1.3. This is not good news for two shows recently given full season orders. The Event and Chase will be preempted next week for a SNL special.

FOX aired a repeat of House before November sweeps and the show doesn't repeat nearly as well as it used to. The low repeat numbers likely brought down numbers for Lie to Me, which was down over a million viewers from last week and three tenths in the demo. These were easily season lows but still aren't as bad as Lone Star numbers.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/24/10

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 Desperate Housewives
Viewers: 12.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9
10:00 Brothers & Sisters
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

CBS
7:00 NFL Overrun
Viewers: 21.9 million, 18-49 demo: 7.8
7:17 60 Minutes
Viewers: 15.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
8:17 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
9:17 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 12.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
10:17 CSI: Miami
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

NBC
7:00 Football Night in America
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
7:57 Football Night in America Part 2
Viewers: 13.7 million, 18-49 demo: 4.9
8:22 NFL Pregame
Viewers: 19.3 million, 18-49 demo: 6.9
8:31 Sunday Night Football
Viewers: 25.7 million, 18-49 demo: 9.8

FOX
7:00 The Cleveland Show (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
7:30 The Cleveland Show (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Family Guy (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

ABC had a pretty normal Sunday night to wrap up Week 5. America's Funniest Home Videos was up some in viewers and even in the demo while Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was up slightly in both. Both series hit a season high in total viewers. Desperate Housewives followed and was down half a million viewers and even in the demo. Finally, Brothers & Sisters, which was just given a full season order, was down some in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a season low. Will ABC sample a new drama here in the spring? They should! 

CBS got off to a good start with NFL overrun dominating for the first 17 minutes. As usual, this aided 60 Minutes which was up sharply from last week when there was no NFL overrun. Minutes hit a season high in viewers and was up more than a full demo point from last week. The Amazing Race followed and was up half a million viewers but down a tenth in the demo which is disappointing but it had more direct competition with a big NFL game. Undercover Boss was down a bit in viewers and a tenth in the demo, hitting a demo season low. Will this start to fade a bit as the novelty wears off? Finally, CSI: Miami was down nearly a million viewers and two tenths in the demo, hitting a season low there. The demo was lower than two weeks ago when the show started at 11pm because of overrun, which has to be disappointing for CBS.

Sunday Night Football for NBC was absolutely dominating thanks to the second annual Brett Favre return to Lambeau. It was up over 6 million viewers and two full demo points from last week's Colts-Redskins game. FOX did not get a Game 7 for the NLCS Playoffs and instead aired repeats of their animated lineup which was low-rated, the high point being a Family Guy rerun notching a 2 in the demo.

CANCELLATION ALERT: The Whole Truth

We have our fourth cancellation of the season (and second by ABC) and it is legal drama The Whole Truth. Starring Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow, the show got off to a very low start in ABC's seemingly cursed Wednesday 10pm slot. It's highest rating ever was just 4.9 million viewers and a 1.5 in the demo. Through four episodes, it has averaged 4.6 million viewers and a very low 1.3 in the demo. It was not expected to be a success and received poor reviews even though Tierney was praised for doing her best with bad material.

I watched the first episode and was thoroughly unimpressed. It was a good concept that was not carried out well. It was in a wide open time slot but was easily eclipsed by two other (better) new legal dramas - The Defenders on CBS and Law & Order: Los Angeles on NBC. It is unclear at this time how many more episodes will air. Co-Executive Producer KirstieAnne Reed tweeted that ABC will only have them make 13 episodes which makes it seem like they will let it run out its original order. I could see it airing a new episode Wednesday and maybe one or two during sweeps and then burning the rest off in December/early January.

With this news, the only shows that have not been cancelled or given a full season order are ABC's Detroit 1-8-7, NBC's Undercovers and School Pride, and FOX's Running Wilde. Wilde and Pride are likely to be axed soon (although Pride may run out the full 7 episodes made) while the other two have a better shot at a full season as they've already had additional episodes (Detroit) or scripts (Undercovers) ordered.

FULL SEASON ALERT: No Ordinary Family, Better With You

ABC joins the crowd by giving out full season orders ahead of November sweeps. They have given full seasons to sitcom Better With You and drama No Ordinary Family. This leaves just Detroit 1-8-7 (which had additional episodes ordered), The Whole Truth, Undercovers, School Pride, and Running Wilde with their fate undecided.

No Ordinary Family premiered to the best numbers of any new ABC show with 10.7 million viewers and a 3.2 in the demo in a tough timeslot. However, it has dropped every week. ABC will try the show at 9pm instead of 8pm on Tuesdays for a couple weeks in late November/early December. I enjoyed the pilot but the show hasn't kept my interest. For a great concept, it's been underwhelming. Through four episodes, it has averaged 8.7 million viewers and a 2.6 in the demo.

Better With You's full season order might come as a bit of a surprise at it has had trouble holding on to the lead-in from The Middle. However, it has been fairly consistent and through five episodes has averaged 7 million viewers and a 2.2 in the demo. It is not the trainwreck that Hank was last season but it hasn't been overly impressive. I have enjoyed the show enough to be a bridge between great sitcoms The Middle and Modern Family but it's not blowing me out of the water.

ABC announced additional episodes for Detroit 1-8-7 as mentioned and veteran drama Brothers & Sisters. With this news, just like on CBS and NBC, it's hard to imagine where all the midseason shows will go, particularly new comedies Mr. Sunshine and Happy Endings. Maybe ABC will add comedies to 10pm Wednesdays or expand a new night of comedy somewhere else and take a current Wednesday occupant (Cougar Town?) with it.

WEEKEND REWIND: Top 10 Halloween/Haunted Episodes

A slight change to the usual Weekend Rewind, this week I will be counting down the Top 10 Halloween/Haunted themed episodes from TV history. As always, this is based on personal opinion. I'm sure there are some missing from this list that I just haven't seen before, but here we go.

Close Calls

Bewitched #115 "The Safe and Sane Halloween" - Tabitha brings characters from her storybook to life and Samantha must hunt them down as they are Trick-or-Treating.

The Cosby Show "Halloween"

Laverne & Shirley #36 "Haunted House"  - a great "haunted mansion" episode that features some funny performances from the main foursome (Laverne, Shirley, Lenny, Squiggy).
Boy Meets World #106 "And Then There Was Shawn" - a humorous send-up to the teen slasher films that were so popular in the late 1990s. And this episode has Jennifer Love Hewitt!
Cosby Show #30 "Halloween" - Vanessa hosts a Halloween Party for her friends and Rudy dresses up as a pumpkin in a typically sweet episode.
The Jeffersons #115/116 "Now You See It, Now You Don't" - A two-part episode that revolves around Louise seeing a man in a bunny costume kill someone on Halloween night. A funny and suspenseful episode.

Bewitched "The Witches are Out"

10. Bewitched #7 "The Witches are Out" (first aired October 29, 1964)
In the first of many Halloween episodes for this series, the stereotypes of witches is explored when Darrin's new client wants to sell Halloween candy with an "old hag" witch image. It's really an episode about prejudices in the turbulant 1960s but presented in a lighthearted and unconventional way.

9. Cheers #48 "Fairy Tales Can Come True" (first aired October 25, 1984)
A very sweet episode of Cheers. At a Halloween Party, Cliff (dressed as Ponce de Leon) meets a mysterious woman who seems to be perfect for him. But when they agree to meet again the next night as themselves, they both get almost too nervous to see it through. 

8. Roseanne #78 "Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down" (first aired October 29, 1991)
Another show with no shortage of Halloween classics, the Connors celebrate Halloween like others celebrate Christmas (example: when the kids prank them with snakes in their bed, Roseanne tells Dan "the kids remembered us on the holidays"). This episode has a classic opening when Roseanne and Dan pull a huge Halloween prank on their neighbor and the rest of it has Roseanne expecting to get tricked back.

Friends "The One with the Halloween Party"

7. Friends #176 "The One with the Halloween Party" (first aired November 1, 2001)
The only Halloween-themed Friends episode, this is a great episode for a couple reasons - the costumes (Chandler as a big pink rabbit and Ross as "spudnik") and a great guest starring turn by Sean Penn as the innocent fiance of Phoebe's awful twin sister Ursula.

6. 8 Simple Rules #7 "Trick or Treehouse" (first aired October 29, 2002)
A sweet episode from the great first season of this show. Dad Paul is looking forward to a family Halloween but his teenage kids want to do other things. His plan to sleep in the old treehouse seems disastrous at first but ends up being a great family moment.

5. Dick Van Dyke Show #97 "Ghost of A. Chantz" (first aired September 30, 1964)
Not a Halloween episode, but a great haunted one. Rob, Laura, Sally, and Buddy get to go to a mountain resort to plan a new show for Alan Brady. Little do they know that they are the subjects of the new show and it's a "Candid Camera" style scary show. There are some great moments and reactions from the horrified participants.

Roseanne "Boo!"

4. Roseanne #30 "Boo!" (first aired October 31, 1989)
The first of eight, yes eight, Halloween episodes. Roseanne and Dan are in an epic prank war with each other as they both consider themselves to be masters. This is also great because of the tour through the Connor haunted house that the Trick-or-Treaters go through including Jackie on a plate.

3. Cheers #227 "Bar Wars V: Final Judgment" (first aired October 31, 1991)
The best of the great Bar Wars episodes from Cheers, they have a final showdown with Gary's Tavern where Gary "dies." Of the many great prank episodes in many shows, this one may top them all for the sheer magnitude of it.

2. Bewitched #43 "Trick or Treat" (first aired October 28, 1965)
When Darrin won't let Endora take Samantha away for Halloween, she turns him into a werewolf just in time for a dinner party with the Tates and a client. There are funny moments throughout and a good guest turn by a young Maureen McCormick but what makes this episode a classic is the conversation between Samantha and Endora at the end. Samantha accuses her of being the stereotype witch that they hate and hurting the one mortal who was willing to look past that. It's a great scene between the two.

Happy Days "Haunted"

1. Happy Days #22 "Haunted" (first aired October 29, 1974)
The best Halloween episode ever, this has it all (and was also on my Happy Days top 10 list a few weeks ago). Richie is nervous about Ralph's Halloween Party being at a supposedly haunted old house and the whole group is trying to avoid some rivals who mess up Ralph's Halloween party every year. It's funny, charming, and quintessentially 1950s. A classic.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/23/10

ABC
8:00 College Football
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

CBS
8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 48 Hours Mystery
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 Outlaw
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 Law & Order: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 MLB NLCS Playoffs
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4

RATINGS RECAP: 10/22/10

ABC
8:00 No Ordinary Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Primetime: What Would You Do? (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 Medium
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 CSI: NY
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

NBC
8:00 School Pride
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
8:00 House (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 The Good Guys
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

ABC had a quiet Friday as usual. A No Ordinary Family encore started things off and was down slightly in viewers but even in the demo from last week's encore. A repeat of Primetime: What Would You Do? pulled decent numbers. They should be better next week when the show's new season officially starts. Finally, 20/20 was up from both the 9pm and 10pm episodes last week. It seems to be a good idea to just leave it at 10pm and not try to have two hours or two episodes.

CBS had gains across the board. Medium remained the weak link but was up over half a million viewers and up three tenths in the demo from last week. It hit a season high in total viewers. CSI: NY followed and was also up half a million viewers a tenth in the demo. If it can stay above 10 million viewers and hit a 2 in the demo, CBS should be happy. Blue Bloods, which was recently given a full season order, reversed its trend and was also up close to a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. All in all, a solid Friday night for CBS.

NBC had a low evening. School Pride did not dip by much but it's debut last week was so low, it hardly matters. It was down a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo. At best, NBC will run the current 7 episodes and be done with this show. Dateline NBC followed and was down in both viewers and the demo to hit season lows. It seemed to be doing better from 8-10pm than 9-11pm. FOX was barely on the map with a repeat of House, down from last week, and The Good Guys which hit a season low in the demo with a barely-there 0.6.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/21/10

ABC
8:00 Grey's Anatomy (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
10:00 Private Practice
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 13.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.1
8:30 $#*! My Dad Says
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:00 CSI
Viewers: 15.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 14.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
8:30 30 Rock
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
9:30 Outsourced
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 The Apprentice
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 MLB NLCS Playoffs 
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5  

ABC saw numbers sink for its originals on the fifth Thursday of the season. Grey's Anatomy's 8:00 rerun was actually slightly up from a week ago. They will air encores here for a couple more weeks. The new 9:00 episode lost over a million viewers and was down more than half a demo point from last week to hit season lows in both categories. While still a solid performer, it's not nearly the powerhouse it once was. Private Practice followed and was also down in both categories and also hit season lows in viewers and the demo. Not a great night for the alphabet network.

CBS had mostly good news. The Big Bang Theory was up half a million viewers but down slightly in the demo. Still, it did manage to post the best demo of the night. $#*! My Dad Says was up again in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. The total viewers number though was the best since the pilot and this show hasn't sunk like many thought it would. CSI is showing some signs of life as it grew for the second straight week in both viewers and the demo. The total viewers is a season high and the demo ties the season premiere for a high. This is impressive growth for a show that was down to 12.5 million and a 2.7 in the demo just two weeks ago. The Mentalist actually fell quite a bit from its lead-in for the first time in awhile. It lost over half a million viewers and hit a season low in the demo. This might quiet talk of swapping the two dramas for the time being.

NBC was down across the board. Community remained a weakling and was down in viewers and the demo from last week. 30 Rock still built on Community but was down over a million viewers and almost a full demo point from last week's live episode. It still has improved this half hour for NBC. The Office was also down, hitting season lows in viewers and the demo. It's still strong in the demo but also showing its age. Outsourced fell apart following The Office as it was down another half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo for series lows. How much longer can it stay at the 9:30 slot? The Apprentice was about where it's been all season but was very low. Finally, baseball on FOX was up nicely from previous nights of baseball and perhaps is the reason for some of the lower demos on other networks.

FULL SEASON ALERT: Mike & Molly, Hawaii Five-0, The Defenders, $#*! My Dad Says, Blue Bloods

In one swoop, CBS has picked up all 5 of its freshmen series for the season. All of them have had varying degrees of success and have outperformed all of ABC's, CBS's, and NBC's shows. With this announcement, all new shows have been picked up for the full season or cancelled except Undercovers and School Pride (NBC), Running Wilde (FOX), and all of ABC's new shows except the cancelled My Generation.

Mike & Molly has had a solid start to the season although it is not pulling the numbers after Two and a Half Men that The Big Bang Theory was pulling in this slot a year ago. Through five episodes, it has averaged 11.4 million viewers and a 3.7 in the demo. CBS will (and should) give this show some time to grow. The Big Bang Theory was not a big hit right out of the gate either. It's a funny show with charming leads.

Hawaii Five-0 has been a disappointment in terms of expectations but has been the highest rated new series this fall and has done exceptionally well in the Live +7 DVR ratings. Through five episodes, it has averaged 12.1 million viewers and a 3.4 in the demo, though the demo ratings have dropped every week so far. It's a success but not a runaway hit by any measure. I've personally found it a bit underwhelming.

The Defenders was the show that was perhaps the most in danger of not getting a full season pickup. It has done well on Wednesday nights but is way below what CSI: NY was pulling in this slot last fall and it loses a lot of lead-in Criminal Minds' audience. Through five episodes, it has averaged 10.4 million viewers and a 2.5 in the demo. Don't be surprised to see this put elsewhere for the Criminal Minds spinoff at midseason. Personally, I haven't been able to get into it.

$#*! My Dad Says didn't get great reviews and initially was dropping pretty fast but it seems to have stabilized on Thursday nights following The Big Bang Theory. Some thought it may tank out of the gate but it hasn't done that and has had solid ratings. Through four episodes, it has averaged 10.8 million viewers and a 3.4 in the demo. I haven't watched any since the first dud of a pilot so hopefully it has gotten better.




And lastly, Blue Bloods has helped CBS on Fridays. It is very old-skewing as expected but the total viewer numbers haven't been seen on Fridays in awhile by any network. It is a big improvement over last year's now-cancelled NUMB3RS and Miami Medical. Through four episodes, it has averaged 11.5 million viewers (though it has dropped every week) and a 1.9 in the demo, which is manageable for Friday nights. I enjoyed the pilot but haven't kept up with it as it's hard to keep up with Friday night shows for me, but I may try to catch up sometime.

With all these full season orders and every returning show pulling good numbers except Medium, you have to wonder where CBS will schedule midseason dramas Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Chaos and midseason comedy Mad Love. My guess is Mad Love gets a chance at 8:30 Mondays. Will some shows go on hiatus? Or will they expand to Saturdays? We will see!

RATINGS RECAP: 10/20/10

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
8:30 Better With You
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 12.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.7
9:30 Cougar Town
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
10:00 The Whole Truth
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 12.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 14.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
10:00 The Defenders
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3

NBC
8:00 Undercovers
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Law & Order: Los Angeles
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

FOX
8:00 MLB NLCS Playoffs 
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

ABC had a pretty standard Wednesday with its comedies and The Whole Truth. At 8pm, The Middle was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo to post its best numbers in both categories since the season premiere. Better With You rebounded a bit from last week's low in total viewers but the demo was the same and it's still losing more of The Middle's audience than it should. Modern Family followed and was up half a million viewers but down a tenth in the demo, easily the demo standout of the night. Cougar Town was also up a bit in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. It's still pulling above a 3, but losing a ton of Modern Family's audience. The Whole Truth returned after a week off and was up a tenth in viewers but even in the demo from its last airing two weeks ago. It has stayed pretty steady from its low launch. I wouldn't be surprised to see it get one more week, then pulled for sweeps and possibly given a final chance in December.

CBS also had its usual lineup. Survivor was even in viewers but down a bit in the demo, still easily winning the hour in both categories. Criminal Minds followed and was up in both viewers and the demo by a bit. Finally The Defenders was up a tenth in viewers but down two tenths in the demo. After last week's turnaround in the demo, it fell backwards again. This slot could be a prime contender for the Criminal Minds spinoff at midseason.

NBC had some positive news from its lineup. Undercovers appears to have finally stabilized as it was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. This is still very low - will NBC move try it in a different slot? That might be its best hope. Law & Order: SVU was also up a bit in viewers and also up in the demo after last week's low. But the best news for NBC came from Law & Order: Los Angeles which was up nearly a million viewers and half a point in the demo. That's quite a rebound for a new show and an encouraging sign for NBC. FOX had solid numbers with Game 4 of the Giants-Phillies series, it could be even better numbers tonight as the Giants try to clinch.

RATINGS RECAP: 10/19/10

ABC
8:00 No Ordinary Family
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Dancing with the Stars Results
Viewers: 15.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
10:00 Detroit 1-8-7
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 19.4 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 16.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9
10:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 12.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

FOX
8:00 Glee (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Raising Hope (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:30 Running Wilde
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

ABC aired its usual lineup to mixed results. No Ordinary Family only fell a bit after big falls the first couple weeks but still didn't capitalize on a rerun of Glee. It slipped .3 in viewers and a tenth in the demo. ABC will try this show out at 9pm for a few weeks after Thanksgiving. Dancing with the Stars Results was also down a bit in viewers and the demo. Detroit 1-8-7 managed to reverse its negative rating trend in Week 5 as it gained nearly a million viewers and was up a tenth in the demo (and only down a tenth from Parenthood). ABC is preempting this show a lot in November, hopefully that will not hurt its audience as it is a very good show that finally showed some signs of life.

CBS had a great Tuesday with gains across the board. NCIS was up slightly in viewers but up almost half a point in the demo to hit a season high. Though you wouldn't think there's much crossover in fans between Glee and NCIS, it appears that CBS's flagship drama benefited from the FOX rerun. NCIS: Los Angeles was down a tenth in viewers but also hit a season high in the demo and also beat the Dancing results show in both viewers and the demo. The Good Wife continued the trend and was up a bit in viewers and again, hit a season high in the demo for an easy win in the hour. Overall, a great night for CBS. 

NBC had another mediocre night. The Biggest Loser gained a tenth in viewers and was even in the demo. These numbers are still way down from last year as it often would be easily above 9 million viewers and a 3 in the demo. Maybe it's time to reduce this to an hour? Especially with all the recent full season orders and midseason shows still to come. Parenthood followed and was up a hair in viewers but down a tenth in the demo for a season low. For a show that many thought could win the demo in this hour, it is dangerously close to falling to third in that category.

FOX aired repeats for the first hour and a half which obviously brought their numbers way down. A Glee repeat was below 6 million viewers but still managed to almost beat No Ordinary Family in the demo, falling just a tenth behind. Raising Hope actually had quite respectable numbers for a repeat of the pilot but a new Running Wilde fell apart, easily hitting season lows and it is now well below numbers for the cancelled My Generation, Outlaw, and FOX's own Lone Star. With FOX double pumping Raising Hope next week and then November sweeps, was this the last we'll see of Running Wilde? It wouldn't surprise me one bit.
 

RATINGS RECAP: 10/18/10

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 19.3 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
9:00 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 13.5 million, 18-49 demo: 4.4
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

NBC
8:00 Chuck 
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 The Event
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Chase
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

FOX
8:00 House
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
9:00 Lie to Me
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

Week 5 kicked off with ABC's winning lineup thanks to Dancing with the Stars. Dancing was just about even with last week and remained the dominating show of the night in total viewers. Castle followed and was up two tenths in viewers but down the same in the demo. ABC should launch a new drama in the spring here after Dancing comes back and let Castle fly on its own somewhere. 

CBS had mixed news with its usual lineup. How I Met Your Mother hit season lows in viewers and the demo but remained a solid lead-off for the night. Rules of Engagement lost only a tenth of Mother's total viewers but dropped below a 3 in the demo for a season low. Maybe CBS will try Mad Love here at midseason? Two and a Half Men remained the standout for the night and was basically even with last week, just down a tenth in the demo. Mike & Molly didn't really rebound from last week's low but it didn't drop any more. Total viewers with up slightly and the demo remained the same. Hawaii Five-0 also saw a slight increase in viewers but fell below a 3 for a season low in the demo. This is nowhere near the smash people thought it would be.

NBC's recently renewed low-rated trio finally stopped the bleeding for now at least. Chuck was down a tenth in viewers but even in the demo and now will run for 24 episodes this year. The Event finally leveled off after weeks of big drops. It was down just a tenth in viewers and was the same in the demo. Is this the set, loyal audience or was it a mirage? We'll see next week. Chase followed and was up slightly in viewers and the demo from last week's series lows. It's unlikely to have turned the corner but it may settle right around these numbers.

FOX also was able to stay just about steady like the other networks. House was even in both viewers and the demo but is still way below numbers it was pulling as recently as last year. Lie to Me was up a hair in viewers and even in the demo. It remains a more solid option on Mondays at 9pm but probably not a long term answer.