Last week wasn’t much different than the week before it, Sunday Night Football featuring the Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons was the most-watched program among the advertising-centric adults 18-49 demographic for the week ending October 18, 2009. NCIS was the most-watched program overall averaging over 21 million viewers.
Among scripted shows, this week House edged out Grey’s Anatomy with adults 18-49, 6.79 million vs. 6.59 million with both shows down a bit from the week before.
Aside from Sunday Night Football and its pregame, NBC again placed only two other shows on either list: The Office and The Biggest Loser – both made the 18-49 list.
Keep your eye on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory its growth this season in the 9:30 slot (which began over the summer during reruns) continues to be impressive. TBBT was the #4 show with adults 18-49 last week.
On to the lists!
Weekly cable show ratings and overnight broadcast show ratings are also available.
Adults 18-49 viewing for the week ending October 18, 2009:
| Rank | Shows | R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere | Net | 18-49 Rating | 18-49 Viewers (000) |
| 1 | NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL | NBC | 7.2 | 9,534 | |
| 2 | HOUSE | FOX | 5.2 | 6,792 | |
| 3 | GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM | ABC | 5.0 | 6,589 | |
| 4 | BIG BANG THEORY, THE | CBS | 5.0 | 6,563 | |
| 5 | TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | 4.8 | 6,276 | |
| 6 | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 4.6 | 6,104 | |
| 7 | SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK | NBC | 4.5 | 5,978 | |
| 8 | NCIS | CBS | 4.5 | 5,899 | |
| 9 | FAMILY GUY | R | FOX | 4.2 | 5,470 |
| 10 | SIMPSONS | FOX | 4.1 | 5,414 | |
| 11 | OFFICE | NBC | 4.1 | 5,348 | |
| 12 | CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 4.0 | 5,246 | |
| 13 | PRIVATE PRACTICE | ABC | 3.8 | 5,058 | |
| 14 | HELL’S KITCHEN | FOX | 3.8 | 5,031 | |
| 15 | CRIMINAL MINDS | CBS | 3.8 | 4,941 | |
| 16 | CLEVELAND | FOX | 3.8 | 4,935 | |
| 17 | CSI | CBS | 3.6 | 4,800 | |
| 18 | MODERN FAMILY | ABC | 3.6 | 4,791 | |
| 19 | HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER | CBS | 3.6 | 4,696 | |
| 20 | DANCING WITH THE STARS | ABC | 3.6 | 4,683 | |
| 21 | MENTALIST, THE | CBS | 3.5 | 4,641 | |
| 22 | BIGGEST LOSER 8 | NBC | 3.5 | 4,624 | |
| 23 | SURVIVOR: SAMOA | CBS | 3.5 | 4,624 | |
| 24 | NCIS: LOS ANGELES | CBS | 3.5 | 4,563 | |
| 25 | GLEE | FOX | 3.4 | 4,532 |
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Overall viewing (all ages 2+) for the week ending October 18, 2009:
| Rank | Shows | R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere | Net | # Viewers (LIVE+SD) (000) | HH RATING (LIVE+SD) | HH SHARE (LIVE+SD) |
| 1 | NCIS | CBS | 21,035 | 12.9 | 20 | |
| 2 | NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL | NBC | 18,170 | 10.9 | 17 | |
| 3 | DANCING WITH THE STARS | ABC | 16,789 | 10.8 | 16 | |
| 4 | NCIS: LOS ANGELES | CBS | 15,384 | 9.7 | 15 | |
| 5 | CSI | CBS | 15,376 | 9.7 | 15 | |
| 6 | MENTALIST, THE | CBS | 15,080 | 9.7 | 16 | |
| 7 | 60 MINUTES | CBS | 14,317 | 9.2 | 14 | |
| 8 | TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | 14,174 | 8.7 | 13 | |
| 9 | DANCING W/STARS RESULTS | ABC | 13,955 | 9.1 | 14 | |
| 10 | CRIMINAL MINDS | CBS | 13,917 | 8.5 | 13 | |
| 11 | GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM | ABC | 13,786 | 8.9 | 14 | |
| 12 | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 13,677 | 8.7 | 13 | |
| 13 | HOUSE | FOX | 13,498 | 7.9 | 12 | |
| 14 | CSI: NY | CBS | 13,402 | 8.8 | 15 | |
| 15 | CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 13,273 | 8.5 | 14 | |
| 16 | BIG BANG THEORY, THE | CBS | 13,068 | 8.0 | 12 | |
| 17 | GOOD WIFE, THE | CBS | 12,978 | 8.7 | 15 | |
| 18 | SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK | NBC | 12,003 | 7.1 | 11 | |
| 19 | SURVIVOR: SAMOA | CBS | 11,779 | 7.0 | 11 | |
| 20 | AMAZING RACE 15 | CBS | 10,923 | 6.4 | 10 | |
| 21 | PRIVATE PRACTICE | ABC | 10,360 | 6.8 | 12 | |
| 22 | EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P | ABC | 10,329 | 6.3 | 10 | |
| 23 | CASTLE | ABC | 9,768 | 6.5 | 11 | |
| 24 | BROTHERS & SISTERS | ABC | 9,722 | 6.6 | 11 | |
| 25 | BONES | FOX | 9,587 | 5.9 | 10 |
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Nielsen Ratings Data: ©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved. All ratings above Live+SD (live viewing plus same day DVR viewing)
| Rank | Shows | R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere | Net | # Viewers (LIVE+SD) (000) | HH RATING (LIVE+SD) | HH SHARE (LIVE+SD) | 18-49 Rank |
| 1 | NCIS | CBS | 21,035 | 12.9 | 20 | 2 | |
| 2 | NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL | NBC | 18,170 | 10.9 | 17 | 1 | |
| 3 | DANCING WITH THE STARS | ABC | 16,789 | 10.8 | 16 | 5 | |
| 4 | NCIS: LOS ANGELES | CBS | 15,384 | 9.7 | 15 | 16 | |
| 5 | CSI | CBS | 15,376 | 9.7 | 15 | 11 | |
| 6 | MENTALIST, THE | CBS | 15,080 | 9.7 | 16 | 13 | |
| 7 | 60 MINUTES | CBS | 14,317 | 9.2 | 14 | ||
| 8 | TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | 14,174 | 8.7 | 13 | 4 | |
| 9 | DANCING W/STARS RESULTS | ABC | 13,955 | 9.1 | 14 | ||
| 10 | CRIMINAL MINDS | CBS | 13,917 | 8.5 | 13 | ||
| 11 | GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM | ABC | 13,786 | 8.9 | 14 | 3 | |
| 12 | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 13,677 | 8.7 | 13 | 12 | |
| 13 | HOUSE | FOX | 13,498 | 7.9 | 12 | ||
| 14 | CSI: NY | CBS | 13,402 | 8.8 | 15 | 6 | |
| 15 | CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 13,273 | 8.5 | 14 | ||
| 16 | BIG BANG THEORY, THE | CBS | 13,068 | 8.0 | 12 | ||
| 17 | GOOD WIFE, THE | CBS | 12,978 | 8.7 | 15 | ||
| 18 | SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK | NBC | 12,003 | 7.1 | 11 | 17 | |
| 19 | SURVIVOR: SAMOA | CBS | 11,779 | 7.0 | 11 | ||
| 20 | AMAZING RACE 15 | CBS | 10,923 | 6.4 | 10 | 18 | |
| 21 | PRIVATE PRACTICE | ABC | 10,360 | 6.8 | 12 | 8 | |
| 22 | EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P | ABC | 10,329 | 6.3 | 10 | 7 | |
| 23 | CASTLE | ABC | 9,768 | 6.5 | 11 | ||
| 24 | BROTHERS & SISTERS | ABC | 9,722 | 6.6 | 11 | ||
| 25 | BONES | FOX | 9,587 | 5.9 | 10 |
Bones is the absolute BEST show on the entire list! Season 5 has been nothing short of FABULOUS! Best season yet!
Nice to see Amazing Race in the top 20 for viewers and HIMYM/Moder Family in the top 20 for demo
Why is this site so harsh on “Desperate Housewives”? The show has been sitting comfortably in the top ten demos for weeks now. Yeah, so what if it used to be a Top 2 show. Every show ages. At least it’s not sinking out of the Top 20. It is still ABC’s #1/#2 priority. (It always flip flops with Grey’s…this year Grey seems to be winning).
It isnt that people are being harsh about DH, it is just a fact that the show has taken a pretty big fall in the ratings so far this season. Last season they fnished the season at #10, so far this season they are at number #16. So far this season, they havent even been in the top 10. you are right every show ages and these Housewives are beginning to show the wrinkles and their cleavage is Sagging(except for Lynette’s, last episode those babies were Popping out)!
It’s amazing that “the forgotten” isn’t in the top 25. Christian Slater is great, plus some of the most beautiful women on televison.
the new show 3 rivers is a terrible lead in for cold case.cbs canceled without a trace a proven winner and cold case was solid against housewives last season.now cold case a great show is probably next to be canceled.
Okay, maybe I’m old fashioned and such, or maybe I’m missing something that’s right in front of my face, but I look at the ratings Friends got when it was on, and it got like 18-19m viewers average and only ranked like #3-#4 is there any reason why the number of viewers that watch TV has dropped in the past 10 years or so?
@aznfratboy: TV viewers have declined in the past decade because a lot of people are watching TV on cable or using the Internet a lot more than watching network TV.
Really? I presumed cable has always been around forever, I guess that shows like The Wire and Entourage have effected viewership of the main 4 networks right? But with the internet downloading thing, whether legal or illegal, I would’ve thought that since the US is the place that gets to watch the show first, why would you need to download the TV show? I mean, I watch FlashForward on TV in Australia because we get it like 3 days after the US airs it, but since Cougar Town won’t come until like February, if it comes, then I’m not going to wait, I’m going to download it. So basically my question is, why download something if you’re the first one to view it?
R.G., TV viewing in the US has not declined. It has been flat to slowly rising for a very long time.
Viewers have been shifting from broadcast to cable networks for the last 25 years.
It really is disappointing Fringe is struggling in the ratings, given how well its lead-in Bones is doing in the ratings. Fringe has a loyal following, but many of the Fringe fans are also fans of The Office, CSI, Greys, etc. I love Fringe, but I would rather watch The Office. Fringe is struggling due to its competition. Put it elsewhere, and Fox will see better numbers. I know they are trying to compete w/ those other network shows for Thursday. But Fringe was not the breakawy hit The Mentalist was last season(which CBS has successfully moved to Thursdays). Let Fringe establish itself before shuttling it to another night. It is one of the best series on tv, and this season has been far superior to season 1.