RATINGS RECAP: 12/25/11

ABC 
7:00 NBA Overrun
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
8:00 How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Movie: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2


CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 The Good Wife (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 CSI: Miami (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9


NBC
7:00 Football Night in America
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:00 NFL Pregame
Viewers: 14.7 million, 18-49 demo: 4.5
8:30 Sunday Night Football
Viewers: 24.0 million, 18-49 demo: 7.7


FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3
7:30 The Cleveland Show (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
8:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:30 The Cleveland Show (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Family Guy (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

RATINGS RECAP: 12/24/11

ABC 
8:00 Movie: The Sound of Music
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 48 Hours Mystery
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Movie: It's a Wonderful Life
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

FOX 
8:00 Terra Nova (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Terra Nova (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

RATINGS RECAP: 12/23/11

ABC 
8:00 Shrek the Halls
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:30 Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CBS
8:00 A Gifted Man (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 CSI: NY (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 Chuck
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Grimm (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
8:00 Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Fringe (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

RATINGS RECAP: 12/22/11

ABC
8:00 Disney's Prep & Landing
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Grey's Anatomy (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
8:30 Rules of Engagement (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 Person of Interest (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 The Mentalist (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 Who's Still Standing?
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 The Office (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:30 Whitney (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Prime Suspect
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
8:00 The X-Factor
Viewers: 12.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8

On Thursday night, FOX aired a two hour season finale of The X-Factor. It was up a nice 2.7 million viewers and nine tenths in the demo. This was a strong finale showing given that it was on December 22. FOX will bring The X-Factor back for a second season next fall. Over on NBC, the final night of the week-long airings of Who's Still Standing posted similar numbers to the first night. All in all, the ratings weren't terrible given the week and the network and it wouldn't be surprising to see it come back next December. At 10pm, the last scheduled airing of Prime Suspect was up seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/21/11

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Suburgatory (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:30 Happy Endings (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Revenge (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 A Home for the Holidays
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Who's Still Standing
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 A Michael Buble Christmas
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
8:00 The X-Factor
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:30 I Hate My Teenage Daughter
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

FOX was easily on top on Wednesday night thanks to the final performance night of The X-Factor which was up four tenths in viewers but actually down a tenth in the demo from last week which is disappointing. Though the overall numbers aren't bad by any means, this show is nowhere near what FOX or Simon Cowell were hoping. It was followed by the final fall episode of I Hate My Teenage Daughter which was actually up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. This is a minor positive sign as it heads to hiatus for now. We'll see how it does after American Idol later on this spring. Elsewhere, night three of NBC's Who' Still Standing was slightly above Monday's numbers and slightly below Tuesday's numbers. The annual Home for the Holidays special on CBS got very little attention.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/20/11

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Last Man Standing (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:30 Suburgatory (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Body of Proof (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers; 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Unforgettable (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

NBC
8:00 Who's Still Standing?
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 SNL Presents A Very Gilly Christmas
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

FOX
8:00 Glee (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 New Girl (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:30 Raising Hope (Repeat)
Viewers; 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

Late December is upon us and everything was a repeat on the big four broadcast networks except for NBC's week-long game show Who's Still Standing? The game show took advantage of the very limited competition and it was up four tenths in the demo from its series premiere on Monday night. This is a good performance even considering the weak competition as NBC may have an ok filler on their hands. 

PILOT REVIEW: Who's Still Standing?

WHO'S STILL STANDING?

Hosted by Ben Bailey

Who's Still Standing is a new NBC game show airing for a week as a "four day holiday special." It is basically another twist on a standard trivia show. There is a contestant in the middle trying to win a million dollars but he first must battle 10 strangers who are trying to outlast them in a back and forth trivia contest.

THE GOOD: Um, it's harmless enough? Seriously there's nothing jaw droppingly bad about this show but it's just another standard game show with nothing new to offer. The whole family can watch and the questions are easy enough for older kids. It's fine... nothing special.

THE BAD: As is often the case, current game shows just try to be too fancy and too gimmicky and don't focus on making a quality game. This show was filled with easy and boring trivia while focusing on such a stupid gimmick as falling through the floor. The show tried to be humorous with the other contestants but it came off fakey ("street smart, book smart, etc"). Also, the first contestant of the 10 was incredibly annoying. I understand it's a family show but the questions were too easy for too long and the results were anticlimactic. Ben Bailey seemed ill at ease and perhaps seemed to know that this is a dumb show. All in all, it's completely skippable.

BOTTOM LINE: This is filler in every sense of the word. Who's Still Standing? brings nothing new to a genre that seems to be getting worse. Back when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was huge, there were several ripoffs but even those seemed to be much better than the crap we see now. Some network could do well if they developed a real quality game show. This is not it.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/19/11

ABC
8:00 Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 A Chipmunk Christmas
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 You Deserve It
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
8:30 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:30 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

NBC
8:00 Who's Still Standing?
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Fear Factor
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 Terra Nova
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

On Monday night, NBC was all new starting with the series premiere of Who's Still Standing? which is airing all week as a holiday special. It debuted to pretty low numbers but not disastrous considering the type of show and time of year. If it holds at these numbers on Tuesday night, NBC will probably be ok with it but we probably won't see it beyond this week unless NBC really needs a filler. At 9pm, week two of the revived Fear Factor was down a big 2.1 million viewers and a full demo point from last week at 9pm. Though the drop is steep, the overall number is good. If it can stay close to these levels, it will be a real solid filler for NBC until The Voice arrives.

FOX aired the season finale of Terra Nova which was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. The show was underwhelming but not terrible in the ratings which makes for an interesting decision for FOX and I could honestly see things go either way. Because of the production schedule, it looks like FOX will be making its decision in January. Elsewhere on ABC, holiday specials, repeats, and You Deserve It were all low. Deserve was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. CBS was all in repeats but posted decent numbers. It's worth noting that 2 Broke Girls was easily the best demo among the repeats.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/18/11

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:00 Once Upon a Time (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Movie: The Santa Clause 3
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
7:00 NFL Overrun
Viewers: 29.7 million, 18-49 demo: 9.8
7:30 60 Minutes
Viewers: 18.5 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
8:30 Survivor
Viewers: 13.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
10:30 Survivor Reunion Show
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1

NBC
7:00 Football Night in America
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:00 NFL Pregame
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
8:30 Sunday Night Football
Viewers: 16.6 million, 18-49 demo: 6.1

FOX
7:00 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
7:30 The Cleveland Show (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:30 Allen Gregory
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Family Guy (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

On Sunday night, CBS was all new but delayed by a mammoth NFL overrun (due to the Tim Tebow vs Tom Brady matchup no doubt). 60 Minutes followed and got its second best results of the season. It was followed by the fall finale of Survivor which was solid but tied a low for a fall finale. Still, this long running reality franchise continues to be a player with its finales. A 4.0 demo is nothing to scoff at against Sunday Night Football. The reunion show followed at approximately 10:30 and did pretty well considering the late start. Elsewhere, NBC's Chargers-Ravens game posted the worst total since the Saints' massacre of the Colts on October 23. ABC had repeats and movies while FOX mostly had repeats except for the season finale of Allen Gregory which tied a series low in the demo. It was most likely the series finale though nothing has been decided officially.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/17/11

ABC 
8:00 Wipeout (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 CMA Country Christmas
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 Frosty the Snowman
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:30 Frosty Returns
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 The Story of Santa Claus
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 48 Hours Mystery
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Grimm (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 WWE Salute to the Troops
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 America's Most Wanted Special
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

RATINGS RECAP: 12/16/11

ABC 
8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 A Gifted Man (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 CSI: NY (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Chuck
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Grimm
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 Happiness is a Warm Blanket Charlie Brown
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Ice Age Mammoth Christmas
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:30 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 

On Friday night, NBC had its usual lineup. Chuck was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. The end for this show can't come soon enough. At 9pm, Grimm was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a Friday low, but the number is not that bad for mid December Fridays. At 10pm, Dateline NBC was up three tenths in viewers but down four tenths in the demo. Over on ABC, two editions of the just-cancelled Extreme Makeover: Home Edition were comparable to last week while 20/20 was down 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the dmeo. CBS was in repeats while FOX populated the night with specials and repeats.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/15/11

ABC
8:00 A Charlie Brown Christmas
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 The Year with Katie Couric
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 12.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 13.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7

NBC
8:00 Community (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
8:30 Parks and Recreation (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 The Office (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:30 Whitney (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Prime Suspect
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 

FOX
8:00 The X-Factor
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
9:00 Bones (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5 

On Thursday night, CBS was new except for The Big Bang Theory, which was a repeat. Rules of Engagement followed the repeat lead-in and was down half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo for season lows. Will Rob! fare better or worse in January? At 9pm, Person of Interest was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The viewer total is its best since the series premiere and this show is quietly one of the most consistent of any new drama this season. At 10pm, The Mentalist was also up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Specials populated ABC for the evening and did not do too much - Katie Couric's special posted disappointing numbers. 

NBC aired repeats of its comedies to pathetically low numbers while a burnoff of Prime Suspect hit a series low. FOX was new in the 8pm hour with the results edition of The X-Factor. It was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo from last week. This show has done well enough but it consistently seems like it should be doing better.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/14/11

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:30 Suburgatory (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:30 Barbara Walters Special
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 12.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 12.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

NBC
8:00 Up All Night (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Whitney (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Harry's Law  (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX
8:00 The X-Factor
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
9:30 I Hate My Teenage Daughter
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

On Wednesday night, CBS was all new. At 8pm, Survivor was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo which is surprising with the finale nearing and less competition. At 9pm, Criminal Minds was up half a million viewers and even in the demo. CSI closed the night up 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the demo, posting its best demo number since October 5. CBS and NBC should really move CSI and Law & Order: SVU away from each other as they have both surged when the other was in a repeat. Over on ABC, Barbara Walters' annual Most Fascinating People list was way down from last week but still a decent performer. 


Over on FOX, The X-Factor was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo as it gets ready for finale week next week. At 9:30pm, I Hate My Teenage Daughter dipped three tenths in viewers and the demo in week three. This show is going nowhere fast as it continued to dive even against less competition and with a steady lead-in. Should FOX really even bother bringing it back in the spring? NBC was all in repeats and saw low numbers. 

CANCELLATION ALERT: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

In a surprise announcement today, ABC has cancelled the long running reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. A longtime staple of ABC Sunday night, Makeover was moved to Fridays this fall where it has tanked in the ratings. Many thought a less pressurized timeslot would lengthen this show's life but instead it couldn't make a dent on Friday night. The series finale will air on January 13 but ABC will continue to air specials next season.

ABC will bring back Shark Tank and Primetime: What Would You Do? to the Friday lineup starting a week after the series finale.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/13/11

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
8:30 Last Man Standing (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:30 Suburgatory (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Body of Proof (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 19.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 16.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
10:00 Unforgettable
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

NBC
8:00 William & Kate: Inside the Royal Marriage
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7

FOX
8:00 Glee
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:30 Raising Hope
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3

On Tuesday night, NBC was all new starting with an NBC News special on William and Kate that didn't do much. The luster of the wedding is long over. At 9pm, the fall finale of The Biggest Loser was up 1.1 million viewers and half a demo point for a season high. Too bad it can't do those numbers every week. Over on FOX, Glee was dead even with last week while New Girl was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo and Raising Hope was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

CBS was all new with its regular lineup and saw similar numbers to its last new airings during Thanksgiving Week. NCIS was up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. NCIS: Los Angeles was up a 2.3 million viewers but even in the demo and Unforgettable was up nine tenths in viewers and even in the demo. ABC was entirely in repeats except for Last Man Standing which was down 1.3 million viewers and half a demo point for a series low. Considering the rest of the night was repeats and its mid December, this can be taken as a mulligan for now.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/12/11

ABC
8:00 I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 You Deserve It
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 12.5 million, 18-49 demo: 4.2
8:30 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:00 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 14.9 million, 18-49 demo: 4.7
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 12.8 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8

NBC
8:00 Fear Factor
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:00 Fear Factor
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX
8:00 Terra Nova
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 House (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
 

NBC got some much needed good news on Monday night as the return of Fear Factor delivered really strong ratings by NBC standards. The show skewed young and gave NBC one of its best demo performances of anything outside of Sunday Night Football this season. NBC would be wise to not run this show to death as it looks like it be a good filler for the network. It did not help Rock Center much though as the newsmagazine was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo.

CBS experimented by kicking the night off with 2 Broke Girls at 8pm. It did quite well and held its own as a self-starter but it was a season low. This show will be an anchor someday but CBS would be wise to let it grow a little bit longer where it is. A repeat of Girls followed and garnered great encore ratings. At 9pm, Two and a Half Men was down three tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo while Mike & Molly was up a tenth in viewers but down two tenths in the demo. Hawaii Five-0 closed out the night up two tenths in viewers but down the same in the demo. It probably should have done better with such limited competition but this show has done well this fall.

Over on ABC, a Charlie Brown special did not do much at 8pm and You Deserve It slipped another two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. The Bachelor can't come soon enough for ABC. Over on FOX, Terra Nova was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from the last airing two weeks ago. It's looking more and more like next week's season finale will be a series finale.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/11/11

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
9:00 Movie: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
7:00 NFL Overrun
Viewers: 20.8 million, 18-49 demo: 7.2
7:42 60 Minutes
Viewers: 14.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
8:42 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 11.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:42 The Good Wife
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:42 CSI: Miami
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

NBC
7:00 Football Night in America
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
8:00 NFL Pregame
Viewers: 13.3 million, 18-49 demo: 4.9
8:30 Sunday Night Football
Viewers: 24.5 million, 18-49 demo: 9.4

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
7:30 The Cleveland Show (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
8:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5 

On Sunday night, NFL overrun led to a good night for CBS programming. 60 Minutes was up big from last week when it didn't have an NFL lead-in but not nearly as strong as two weeks ago when it did. At 8pm, the fall season finale of The Amazing Race was up a strong 2.1 million viewers and six tenths in the demo, hitting a season high. The improved lead-in helped The Good Wife as it was up a nice 1.7 million viewers and three tenths in the demo, posting its best numbers since October 2. CSI: Miami closed out the night down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo which is good, considering it started 42 minutes later than last week.

Meanwhile on ABC, America's Funniest Home Videos started off the night up 1.2 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. Once Upon a Time followed and was down eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo, hitting another series low. Is this just a problem with December originals or is it the sign of worse things coming? The luster appears to be fading a bit though. The movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory did nothing at 9pm. Over on NBC, a great Cowboys-Giants game posted the best Sunday Night Football numbers since Week 2's Philadelphia-Atlanta game.

Finally on FOX, a Christmas lineup was down across the board from last week when it had an NFL lead-in. At 8pm, The Simpsons was down a big 2.6 million viewers and a full demo point as it is always the most helped by the direct NFL lead-in. At 8:30pm, The Cleveland Show did fairly well, retaining much more of its lead-in than Allen Gregory last week. Gregory will return for what will presumably be its series finale next week. Family Guy followed and was down a million viewers and half a demo point from last week while American Dad! was basically on par with The Cleveland Show in the same slot last week.

WEEKEND REWIND: Top 10 Shows of the 2000s

Here we are at the last Weekend Rewind looking at the best shows from each decade. If you want to look back, check out my top shows from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Every other decade was all about sitcoms for me, but as you'll see, many dramas made the list for the 2000s.

Close Calls: That 70s Show (1998-2006), 8 Simple Rules (2002-2005), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006-2007)

10. Criminal Minds (2005-present)
The 2000s had many procedural dramas and to many, this is not one of the best ones. But it is one of my favorites. It's exceedingly dark and twisted yet it does one of the better jobs of keeping suspense and intensity as other procedurals can really drag. By focusing on serial killers, the show can really delve into psychological darkness. Plus, unlike other procedurals, the show wisely does not focus too much on the personal life of the team though the team is appealing enough to enjoy some stories.
Episodes you should see: #18 "Somebody's Watching" (3/29/06), #40 "Jones" (2/28/07), #59 "Damaged" (4/2/08), #68 "Minimal Loss" (10/8/08), #81 "Pleasure is My Business" (2/25/09)

9. Cold Case (2003-2010)
No procedural of the 2000s had the quality of Cold Case, which really took the genre to a much more moving level. The perfect blending of crimes from yesteryear and present day survivors was so interesting, particularly with crimes from long long ago. It was also interesting to see the same characters now and 40 years ago (for example) as they would sit down for questioning. With brilliant use of music, the show captured different eras in each episode and the end of each show always pulled at the heart strings as criminals finally had to pay and loved ones finally got closure.
Episodes you should see: #6 "Love Conquers Al" (11/9/03), #29 "The Sleepover" (11/7/04), #55 "A Perfect Day" (11/27/05), #114 "Wednesday's Women" (10/12/08), #116 "Shore Leave" (10/26/08)

8. According to Jim (2001-2009)
Every list for me needs a mindless silly sitcom that I enjoy and for the 2000s, it's According to Jim. I know that this show didn't redefine the sitcom and the writing and plots are sometimes sitcom cliches. Yet the performances elevate this show and it has a familiarity to it that makes it easy and fun to watch. The banter and one-upping relationship between Jim Belushi and Courtney Thorne-Smith was the best part of this family sitcom. It's one of those shows that doesn't need to be anything more than it is.
Episodes you should see: #32 "The Christmas Party" (12/10/02), #58 "Scary Movie" (11/4/03), #79 "A Vast Difference' (5/25/04), #85 "Father-Daughter Dance" (11/9/04), #103 "The Bachelorette Party" (5/3/05)

7. Monk (2002-2009)
Who would have thought a show about a detective with OCD would be so enjoyable? But the USA network original programming boom started with this whimsical dramedy. Tony Shalhoub's complex performance as Adrian Monk made this a character-driven show instead of a procedural. This is a crime drama show for people who find other shows like Criminal Minds and even Cold Case too intense. It's funny more often than not yet it really looks closely at a disorder that is not commonplace on TV.
Episodes you should see: #9 "Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man" (9/13/02), #41 "Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever" (2/4/05), #61 "Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty" (3/17/06), #63 "Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike" (7/14/06), #124/125 "Mr. Monk and the End" (11/27 & 12/4/09)

6. Arrested Development (2003-2006)
There has never been a show more delightfully weird than Arrested Development. It's just so absurd, there's no way of predicting what is going to happen next. One of the best ensembles in TV history is the reason this show worked as well as it did. From Jason Bateman's passive-aggressive attitude towards his family to Portia de Rossi's flakiness to Will Arnett's foolish arrogance to Michael Cera's awkwardness, each character was essential to the show. But the real scene stealers were Tony Hale, David Cross, and Jessica Walter as the bizarre Buster, flamboyant Tobias, and ice queen Lucille. And now the show is coming back! There's never been a better time to become a fan.
Episodes you should see: There are no particular episodes to see, this show is best to watch from beginning to end, in order, to fully appreciate its weirdness yet brilliance.

5. Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005)
A true classic from this era, Everybody Loves Raymond is going to be a show that stands the test of time. Why? Because like The Dick Van Dyke Show and others before it, it was never topical. It was always relational. It focused on character development, not the easy joke or relevant current humor. A first-rate cast including the best in-laws ever in Marie and Frank Barone made this show a modern classic. In 50 years, I have a feeling everybody will still love Raymond.
Episodes you should see: #84 "The Christmas Picture" (12/13/99), #95 "Bad Moon Rising" (5/8/00), #102 "Pet Cemetery" (10/23/00), #123 "The Angry Family" (9/24/01), #170/171 "Robert's Wedding" (5/19/03)

4. The West Wing (1999-2006)
The smartest show of the decade, bar none. The West Wing is an example of what we all wish Washington DC and the Oval Office was really like. The fast-paced drama is like any other workplace drama except that it takes place in the most important office in the country. Even when the dialogue is too complex for an average audience, the intensity makes every episode seem immensely important. There are many terrific performances in this stellar ensemble but the character who towers above it all is President Jed Bartlett, a thoughtful, passionate, and brilliant character. If only we had a President Barlett in real life, Washington DC might be able to get its act together.
Episodes you should see: #10 "In Excelsis Deo" (12/15/99), #16 "20 Hours in LA" (2/23/00), #22 "What Kind of Day It Has Been" (5/17/00), #40 "17 People" (4/4/01), #44 "Two Cathedrals" (5/16/01)

3. American Dreams (2002-2005)
An very underrated drama, American Dreams was a heartfelt family drama set against one of the most fascinating decades in American history - the 1960s. The show dealt with many themes from the era but was never cliche or sappy. The show uniquely used modern day artists as artists from the era on American Bandstand and the production value was incredibly strong. The real strength of this show though was the Pryor family and specifically, Brittany Snow as Meg Pryor. Snow captured all the hope of youth and the 1960s and has been my celebrity crush ever since!
Episodes you should see: #10 "Silent Night" (12/15/02), #14 "Heartache" (2/9/03), #23 "Down the Shore" (5/4/03), #25 "City on Fire" (5/18/03), #61 "It's My Life" (3/30/05)

2. Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
For years, American Dreams was my favorite drama but I had never seen Friday Night Lights until this past year and I am beyond hooked as I make my way through the show (I am only in season 2). Every episode is powerful and real. I can't think of any show that felt more like we are just dropped into the world the show is set in. There's nothing that feels scripted, the show is just powerfully exploring relationships in a small Texas town that loves their football. Every single character on this show is excellent but there's no one better than Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor - a proud and tough yet empathetic coach who loves his family and loves his team. This is a must see for anyone (like me) who missed it the first time around.
Episodes you should see: #1 "Pilot" (10/3/06), #10 "It's Different for Girls" (12/12/06), #16 "Black Eyes & Broken Hearts" (2/14/07), #20 "Mud Bowl" (3/28/07), #22 "State" (4/11/07)

1. The Office (2005-present)
Friday Night Lights is my new obsession but the 2000s decade (at least the back end of it) was all about The Office for me. The workplace mockumentary redefined the sitcom and produced one of the best, it not the best, character of all time in Steve Carell's Michael Scott. Without Carell (as evidenced now), the show is funny but not exceptional. With Carell's portrayal of the ever-annoying yet somehow endearing regional manager, the show is pure magic. The show is iconic to my generation, which came of age during the decade and was the show for college students during its golden days. Though it is slipping in quality now, it was brilliant for many years. And it's still a shame that Carell never won an Emmy for his brilliant performance.
Episodes you should see: #7 "The Dundies" (9/20/05), #17 "Booze Cruise" (1/5/06), #28 "Casino Night" (5/11/06), #40 "Back from Vacation" (1/4/07), #71/72 "Goodbye Toby" (5/15/08)

RATINGS RECAP: 12/10/11

ABC
8:00 Primetime Nightline
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 Republican Presidential Debate
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 The Flight Before Christmas
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 48 Hours Mystery
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 The American Giving Awards
Viewers: 1.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

FOX
8:00 Cops
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 Cops (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Terra Nova (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 

RATINGS RECAP: 12/9/11

ABC 
8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 Frosty the Snowman
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
8:30 Frosty Returns
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Yes Virginia
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:30 The Elf on the Shelf
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 Chuck
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Grimm
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

FOX
8:00 Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Fringe (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4 

Friday night had a regular lineup on NBC. Chuck started things off up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a season high in total viewers. Maybe it benefited from less competition on the other networks though it's not like it rose a ton. At 9pm, Grimm was dead even with its last Friday showing three weeks ago and up in total viewers from its Thursday sampling. This stabilization is a good sign for Grimm. Dateline NBC closed the night up 1.7 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo from last week when it had a terrible lead-in. Over on ABC, two episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was pretty much dead even with last week while 20/20 was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. CBS aired specials and repeats while FOX was in repeats. What a boring night.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/8/11

ABC
8:00 Winter Wipeout Special
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 America's Funniest Home Videos Special
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 The Great Big American Auction
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 14.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.6
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 13.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
9:30 Whitney
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Grimm
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

FOX
8:00 The X-Factor
Viewers: 9.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
9:00 Bones
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

On Thursday night, CBS was on top with its first new lineup in three weeks. The Big Bang Theory started things off down 1.1 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo which isn't too surprising since its December and it had been in repeats for a couple weeks. Rules of Engagement was down nine tenths in viewers and six tenths in the demo for season lows. It will be interesting to see if Rob can do any better in this slot but I'm skeptical. At 9pm, Person of Interest was up a million viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best total viewer numbers since the series premiere and best demo since October 13. Maybe the Sunday airings helped as did less competition from ABC. At 10pm, The Mentalist was up eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. ABC filled the night with specials and saw modest results.  

Over on NBC, the last Thursday of originals before the lineup changes in January was underwhelming as usual. At 8pm, Community was down a tenth in viewers and the demo, clearly earning its upcoming hiatus. No word on when it will be back at this point. At 8:30pm, Parks and Recreation was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. It's surprising how much younger this show skews than Community and it may be helped slightly by 30 Rock as a lead-in in January. At 9pm, The Office was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. The last new Thursday airing of Whitney was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It will be thrown to the wolves on Wednesday in January. At 10pm, a special airing of Grimm replaced Prime Suspect. It was no better than Friday numbers but it did do better in the demo than Prime Suspect in the demo. If it got new eyeballs to Grimm, it was worth the sampling.

Finally on FOX, The X-Factor was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low on Thursday. This show is not growing towards the finale which isn't a great sign for interest in the series. At 9pm, Bones was down eight tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo, easily hitting a season low despite no Grey's Anatomy on ABC. Not an impressive night overall for FOX.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/7/11

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
8:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 12.2 million, 18-49 demo: 5.1
9:30 Happy Endings
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
10:00 Revenge
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 12.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

NBC
8:00 Up All Night
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
8:30 Up All Night (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Harry's Law
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

FOX
8:00 The X-Factor
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
9:30 I Hate My Teenage Daughter
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

Wednesday night on ABC, the demos were up across the board from the last new airings on Thanksgiving Eve, but not to the highs from earlier in the season as December continues to make things difficult for regular shows. At 8pm, The Middle was down four tenths in viewers but up three tenths in the demo. Suburgatory followed and was showed the same change as The Middle. These two series fit together perfectly. At 9pm, Modern Family was the standout as usual as it was down half a million viewers but up half a demo point. This lineup is doing well but shouldn't other shows besides Family be doing better in the demo? This is particularly true of Happy Endings which was down seven tenths in viewers and up two tenths in the demo.

Over on CBS, Survivor started off the night up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo as the finale nears. At 9pm, Criminal Minds was down three tenths in viewers and the demo from its last new airing three weeks ago while CSI also returned and was up half a million viewers but down a tenth in the demo. Over on FOX, The X-Factor was down four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. Shouldn't this be doing better with the finale nearing? At 9:30pm, week two of I Hate My Teenage Daughter was down a rough 1.4 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo. This show is going nowhere fast.


NBC started off with the last Wednesday airing of Up All Night which was up seven tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo from its Thanksgiving Eve episode. This show should perk up some on Thursdays where it fits better. The dramas came back to Earth after limited competition last week as Harry's Law was down a big 2.8 million viewers and a tenth in the demo while Law & Order: SVU was down an even worse 2.9 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. NBC can only compete when the competition isn't there.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/6/11

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
8:30 Man Up!
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:30 Suburgatory (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Body of Proof
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Unforgettable (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

NBC
8:00 A Michael Buble Christmas
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

FOX
8:00 Glee
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
9:30 Raising Hope
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

ABC started strong but ended weak on Tuesday night. At 8pm, Last Man Standing was down 1.5 million viewers for a series low but back up three tenths in the demo from last week's series low. Perhaps Nick Jonas skewed the demo to better numbers? Either way, this remains a real solid performer. At 8:30pm, Man Up! was down 1.8 million viewers and a tenth in the demo to a series low. ABC has yanked the remaining scheduled episodes which were going to end in December anyway. There may as well be an official cancellation announcement. After repeats, Body of Proof closed the night down a huge 2.3 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for a series low. What happened here? After showing some promise without a big lead-in last week, Proof collapsed this week.

CBS was in repeats but to good encore numbers at 8pm & 9pm. NBC started with a Michael Buble special that skewed old but did alright in total viewers. The Biggest Loser slid to 9pm and was down four tenths in viewers and the demo from last week's 8-10pm episode. Over on FOX, Glee started off the night down eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, tying a season low in the latter category. At 9pm, New Girl was down eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low in the demo. The December doldrums are hitting everywhere. At 9:30pm, Raising Hope was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/5/11

ABC
8:00 A Charlie Brown Christmas
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
8:30 Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 You Deserve It
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 4.5
8:30 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 12.8 million, 18-49 demo: 4.6
9:00 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 15.2 million, 18-49 demo: 5.1
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 4.2
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0

NBC
8:00 The Sing Off Holiday Special
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 American Country Awards
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 

CBS continued to absolutely dominate on Monday night after a week of repeats. At 8pm, How I Met Your Mother was up 1.5 million viewers and half a demo point for its best total viewer numbers in this timeslot all season. This show is just on fire this season after slowing last spring. At 8:30pm, 2 Broke Girls was up 1.5 million viewers and even in the demo, also hitting its best total viewer numbers in its timeslot (only beaten by the mammoth premiere at 9:30pm in September). At 9pm, Two and a Half Men was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo despite the improved lead-in. Mike & Molly was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Finally at 10pm, Hawaii Five-0 was up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. It isn't even a competition between Castle and Hawaii this season.

Over on ABC, a classic Christmas special A Charlie Brown Christmas and the new Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice performed decently. The news was not good at 9pm where You Deserve It tumbled another eight tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo. Is it even worth keeping on another couple weeks? Repeats couldn't do much worse. At 10pm, Castle was affected by the terrible lead-in as it was down a big 2.8 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for season lows. This show is apparently very lead-in dependent still, which it really shouldn't be. A Sing Off holiday special did nothing for NBC while Rock Center was down a million viewers and two tenths in the demo, hitting a series low in total viewers. The American Country Awards on FOX performed better than last year.

RATINGS RECAP: 12/4/11

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:00 Desperate Housewives
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Pan Am
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 11.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 CSI: Miami
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

NBC
7:00 Football Night in America
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:00 NFL Pregame
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 5.1
8:30 Sunday Night Football
Viewers: 18.9 million, 18-49 demo: 7.4

FOX
7:00 NFL Overrun/The OT
Viewers: 29.8 million, 18-49 demo: 10.7
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
8:30 Allen Gregory
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
9:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

On Sunday night, huge football numbers powered FOX to better performances across the board. At 8pm, The Simpsons was up a big 3.4 million viewers and 1.4 demo points. At 8:30pm, Allen Gregory was up 2.1 million viewers and nine tenths in the demo. Though the total viewer count is a series high and the demo is the best since the premiere, it still lost a ton of its lead-in audience and probably didn't do enough to help itself from its fate. At 9pm, Family Guy was up 1.6 million viewers and eight tenths in the demo. It's weird that this is not outperforming The Simpsons in the demo. At 9:30pm, The Cleveland Show was up from both its 7:30pm showing last week and American Dad's 9:30pm showing. A Sunday Night Football game between the Saints and the Lions posted the lowest ratings since the last Saints Sunday night game - the Oct 23 massacre of the Colts.  

On CBS, no football overrun led to drops early in the night but gains at the end. At 7pm, 60 Minutes was down 5.1 million viewers and two demo points from its football-fueled lead-in last week. It's amazing the difference a football lead-in makes. At 8pm, The Amazing Race was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 9pm, The Good Wife was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo from its last airing two weeks ago. This show will likely hang on one more year for syndication and award purposes. At 10pm, CSI: Miami was up eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last new airing for its best total viewer count since October 16. This show seems to benefit from starting on time, surprise surprise.

Over on ABC, numbers were down across the board. At 7pm, America's Funniest Home Videos was down 1.6 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. Once Upon a Time followed and hit series lows as it was down a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. December tends to be a slow month so I wouldn't be overly concerned unless the trend continues into January. For now, I don't think it's a sign of bad things to come. Desperate Housewives and Pan Am were new for the first time since November 13 but not impressive. Housewives was down 1.1 million viewers and three tenths in the demo while Pan Am was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for a series low. This should be the final nail in the coffin for a show that only got one additional episode ordered.  

RATINGS RECAP: 12/3/11

ABC
8:00 College Football
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 How I Met Your Mother (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 48 Hours Mystery
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 48 Hours Mystery
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 Movie: It's a Wonderful Life
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX 
8:00 Pac 12 Football Championship
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

RATINGS RECAP: 12/2/11

ABC 
8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 A Gifted Man
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 CSI: NY
Viewers: 9.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Movie: Game of Your Life
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
8:00 Pac 12 Football Championship Game
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 

CBS was on top on Friday night but took huge demo hits in the 9pm and 10pm slot. 8pm was not affected though as A Gifted Man was down two tenths in viewers but even in the demo. CSI: NY followed and was down two tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for a series low in the demo. A 1.4? What happened here? Blue Bloods followed suit and was down 1.3 million viewers and four tenths in the demo for a season low. It seems surprising that the shows would fall this much unless people thought CBS was in repeats like the rest of their week.

Over on ABC, two episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition were low. The first episode was pretty much even with the last 8:00 episode while the 9:00 edition was down some. At 10pm, 20/20 was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. NBC completely tanked with a movie from 8-10pm and Dateline NBC was negatively affected as it was down a big 1.6 million viewers and six tenths in the demo. A college football game on FOX did not get much attention.

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: Week 11

GOOD WEEK: "2 BROKE GIRLS"
We already know that 2 Broke Girls is the biggest new hit of the fall season but that was further confirmed this week with its repeat performance. On a night of all repeats on CBS, Girls registered the highest demo performance with a stunning 3.3. This show is simply a beast and is showing no sign of slowing down. CBS will give it a try in the 8pm slot on December 12 and that is a good move because they are surely considering it for an anchor slot down the road - possibly as soon as next season. After years of trying, CBS has found a new hit for the 8:30 slot.

BAD WEEK: "I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER"
The final new show to the fall season was not a hit with viewers and especially not with critics. FOX's latest foray into live-action sitcoms does not look like it will last long as it lost a good portion of The X-Factor's audience and will surely go down from its low premiere. Plus, it has been savaged by critics and for good reason because it absolutely sucks. It's the worst new show of the fall season in my opinion.