RATINGS RECAP: 5/22/11

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:00 Billboard Music Awards
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Movie: Jesse Stone - Innocent's Lost
Viewers: 13.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:00 Minute to Win It
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Celebrity Apprentice
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0

FOX
7:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
7:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
8:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1

ABC was all new on Sunday night starting with the season finale of America's Funniest Home Videos which was down nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week. This show may never disappear. At 8pm, the return of the Billboard Music Awards delivered decent ratings and skewed very young. For an award show that's been absent a few years, these numbers are probably acceptable enough to bring it back next year.

CBS started with two 60 Minutes editions that both basically did the same number. The 7pm edition was 1.8 million viewers and a tenth in the demo below last week's episode. At 9pm, they aired another Jesse Stone movie starring Tom Selleck. As usual, the total viewer number was decent but the demo skewed incredibly old - about as old a skew as we see on TV. Still, to get nearly 14 million viewers with a Sunday night movie in late May is not too bad and CBS had to know the demo would be terrible.

NBC started things off with Dateline NBC which was up nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from last week. A special Minute to Win It at 8pm was barely on the map as usual for this show which is barely qualifying as adequate filler anymore. The season finale of Celebrity Apprentice aired at 9pm and was up 1.8 million viewers and half a demo point but below last year's finale. Considering it was regularly getting numbers like this a few weeks ago, it could have been higher.  

FOX was full of season finales on Sunday night following a repeat of The Simpsons. At 7:30pm, American Dad! was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week but it did top the hour in the demo. At 8pm, The Simpsons was down seven tenths in viewers and even in the demo from last week as the veteran cartoon has slipped this spring. At 8:30pm, Bob's Burgers was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week. Did this show really deserve to come back? Finally at 9pm, the season finale of Family Guy was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo but had the night's best demo. FOX's cartoon lineup should be stronger in the fall assuming there is football.