RATINGS RECAP: 11/18/10

ABC
8:00 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3
10:00 Private Practice
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 13.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3
8:30 $#*! My Dad Says
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 CSI
Viewers: 14.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 14.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
8:30 30 Rock
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
9:30 Outsourced
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
10:00 The Apprentice
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 Bones 
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:00 Fringe
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

ABC had mostly positive news on Thursday night. The special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was a solid 8pm option with much better ratings than the cancelled My Generation or Grey's Anatomy repeats have been getting. It also had slightly more viewers than It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown which aired in this slot a few weeks back, though it was even in the demo. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy was up four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. Private Practice did not follow the trend though as it was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It also fell back to second in the demo.

CBS had steady but generally positive trends with its regular lineup. The Big Bang Theory was down a tenth in viewers but up a tenth in the demo while new sitcom $#*! My Dad Says was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo (from last week's low). Will CBS put the new sitcom Mad Love here or on Monday nights at midseason? Or will it air at all in the midseason? Veteran CSI was up over a million viewers and three tenths in the demo which is a nice rebound from last week's drop. The Mentalist was also up nearly a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. It remains the 10pm standout among all networks.

NBC had mixed results with its sitcom lineup that will expand to three hours in January. Community was down a tenth in viewers and the demo and remains a weak anchor to the night. 30 Rock followed and was even in viewers but down two tenths in the demo. How will it fare when it moves to 10pm? The Office remained the standout and was up a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo while Outsourced was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. It seems like it will be hard for this show to succeed at 10:30pm when it moves there at midseason. Finally, The Apprentice was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, hitting a season low in the demo with a pathetic 1.2. NBC can not finish this quick enough.

Finally FOX saw gains in both of its shows. Bones was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo as it remains an incredibly steady performer for FOX. Fringe followed and continued to show poor retention though it was up a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo. FOX has problems with many of its dramas - Lie to Me, Human Target, and Fringe - it seems like at least one of them will survive. The question is which.