[Still Dirrty]

Episode 1.06
Prime Time Ratings:
Thursday 4/26/07

The following results are based on the fast national ratings (Live Plus Same Day data)

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 16.02 million, ABC: 12.88, Fox: 7.24, NBC: 7.22, CW: 3.34

-Adults 18-49:
ABC: 5.2 rating/14 share, CBS: 4.8/13, NBC: 3.2/ 9, Fox: 2.6/ 7, CW: 1.3/ 4

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-Yesterday’s Winners:
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader (Fox), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

-Down, but Far From Out:
Survivor: Fiji (CBS), CSI (CBS)

-Honorable Mention:
Ugly Betty (ABC), The Office (NBC)

-Yesterday’s Losers (excluding repeats):
30 Rock (NBC), Scrubs (NBC), Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy (Fox)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
ABC and CBS kicked-off the May 2007 sweeps on a winning note, with CBS first in total viewers (3.14 million viewers above ABC), and the alphabet net No. 1 among adults 18-49. NBC and Fox shared the No. three and four spots (Fox was third in total viewers; NBC third among adults 18-49), followed by iffy The CW.

CBS’ Survivor: Fiji opened the evening on a winning note, with 13.82 million viewers and a 4.5 rating/13 share among adults 18-49. But one year earlier (and without Ugly Betty and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader in the competitive mix), Survivor: Panama averaged a considerably heftier 17.90 million viewers and a 5.9/18 in the demo, based on the final nationals. Fox’s Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader finished second in total viewers (9.99 million), and third among adults 18-49 (3.4/10). Comparably, take a look at the Jeff Foxworthy hosted game show versus two episodes of That ‘70s Show on the year-ago evening (April 27, 2006).

Fox/Thursday 8-9 p.m.
4/27/07 That ‘70s Show (two episodes)
Viewers: 4.98 million (#4), A18-49: 2.2/ 7 (#3)*
(based on the final nationals)

4/26/07 – Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader
Viewers: 9.99 million (#2), A18-49: 3.4/10 (#2)
Percent Change – Viewers: +101, A18-49: +55

Expect a renewal for next season any day now for Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader.

ABC’s competing Ugly Betty (Viewers: #3, 9.56 million; A18-49: #4, 3.1/ 9) remains a vast improvement over year-ago occupant American Inventor (Viewers: #3, 5.01 million; A18-49: #4, 1.6/ 5 on April 27, 2006, based on the final nationals). But the comedic Betty continues to lose steam as the season progresses. Has the novelty worn off?

Rounding off the 8 p.m. hour were NBC sitcoms My Name Is Earl (Viewers: #3, 7.56 million; A18-49: #2, 3.2/10) and The Office (Viewers: #4, 7.48 million; A18-49: #2t, 3.9/11), and Smallville on The CW (Viewers: #5, 3.93 million; A18-49: #5, 1.5/ 4). Growth for The Office out of My Name Is Earl of 22 percent among adults 18-49 is worth positive noting.

ABC and CBS shared dominance at 9 p.m. as follows:

Thursday 9 p.m.
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Viewers: 19.75 million (#2), A18-49: 8.2/21 (#1)

CSI (CBS)
Viewers: 19.99 million (#1), A18-49: 5.8/15 (#2)

While you certainly cannot knock 20 million viewers, the year-ago telecast of CSI (without Grey’s Anatomy in the competitive mix, and also based on the final nationals) averaged 27.36 million viewers and an 8.7/22 in the demo. Should CBS be considered?

Elsewhere, the season-finale of NBC’s 30 Rock sunk to just 4.82 million viewers (#4) and a 2.4/ 6 among adults 18-49, with losses from lead-in The Office of a considerable 2.66 million viewers and 38 percent among adults 18-49. That led into Scrubs, which averaged an also disappointing 4.68 million viewers and a 2.3/ 6 in the demo at 9:30 p.m. Are you really think about renewing Scrubs -- again -- NBC?

Also in the 9 p.m. hour was an original installment of Fox’s Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy (Viewers: #3, 5.26 million; A18-49: #4, 2.1/ 5), and The CW’s Supernatural (Viewers: #5, 3.34 million; A18-49: #5, 1.4/ 3). Although Trading Spouses was, of course, a much bigger draw, retention out of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader of just 53 percent in viewers and 62 percent among adults 18-49 lands it in the loser’s circle. Supernatural’s retention out of Smallville was considerably stronger at 85 percent in viewers and 93 percent among adults 18-49.

CBS’ sure-to-be renewed Shark was the most-watched show at 10 p.m., while ABC’s October Road was first among adults 18-49 (despite losing more than half the audience of lead-in Grey’s Anatomy). NBC’s ER, meanwhile, continues to build from Scrubs by double-digits, but the veteran medical drama remains a shell of its former self. Take a look:

Thursday 10 p.m.
Shark (CBS)
Viewers: 14.25 million (#1), A18-49: 3.9/11 (#2)

ER (NBC)
Viewers: 9.39 million (#2), A18-49: 3.7/10 (#3)

October Road (ABC)
Viewers: 9.35 million (#3), A18-49: 4.2/12 (#1)

Source: Nielsen Media Research data