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Primetime Thursday Ratings: CBS Rules, Fox on the Map Courtesy of Pre-Season Football

(Posted August 22, 2005 by Leah Yoakum)

-Ratings Breakdown:
On another Thursday of significant leadership, CBS stood head-and-shoulders above the competition with its dominant combination of Big Brother 6 (Overnights: 5.7/10; Viewers: 8.34 million; A18-49: 3.2/11), and repeats of CSI (Overnights: 9.8/16; Viewers: 12.52 million; A18-49: 3.9/11) and Without A Trace (Overnights: 9.8/17; Viewers: 12.82 million; A18-49: 4.1/12). Anyone who doesn't think Without A Trace is a bona fide hit should note growth out of CSI of 300,000 viewers and five percent among adults 18-49. To any fans of Big Brother watching last night, let's be grateful that Janelle won HOH, and Jennifer and Maggie are on the chopping block. After six seasons of watching this guilty summer pleasure, I have never seen the house this separated.

In a rare Thursday occurrence, Fox moved into the No. 2 spot with NFL: Pre-Season Football (New Orleans vs. New England) at a 5.4/ 9 in the overnights from 8:15 to 11:15 p.m., and an estimated 6.71 million viewers and a 2.6/ 8 among adults 18-49 in primetime (from 8-11 p.m.). As a reminder, total viewers and adults 18-49 are based on the fast affiliate ratings, and results for live events are approximate.

Although coming to any conclusions in the summer is always suspect, NBC's fall from Thursday grace is concerning. Repeats of Joey (Overnights: #4, 4.3/ 8; Viewers: #4, 5.27 million; A18-49: #3, 2.1/ 7), Will & Grace (Overnights: #3, 4.6/ 8; Viewers: #4, 4.86 million; A18-49: #3, 2.0/ 6), two episodes of Scrubs (Overnights: #4, 4.3/ 7; Viewers: #5, 4.70 million; A18-49: #4, 2.1/ 6 from 9-10 p.m.), and ER (Overnights: #4, 3.6/ 6; Viewers: #4, 4.34 million; A18-49: #4, 1.9/ 6) finished the evening fourth in the overnights and adults 18-49, and fifth in total viewers.

Over at ABC, theatrical The Tuxedo (Overnights: #3t, 4.4/ 7; Viewers: #3, 6.03 million; 18-49: #4, 2.0/ 6 from 8-10 p.m.) led into Primetime Live at a second-place 5.3/ 9 in the overnights, 6.63 million viewers, and a 2.2/ 6 among adults 18-49.

On UPN, soon-to-relocate WWE Smackdown! scored a consistent 3.5/ 6 in the overnights (#5), 4.73 million viewers (#4) and a 1.6/ 5 among adults 18-49 (#5), while repeats of recent WB Thursday occupants Smallville (Overnights: #6, 1.7/ 3; Viewers: #6, 2.19 million; A18-49: 0.9/ 3) and Everwood (Overnights: #6, 1.3/ 2; Viewers: #6, 1.59 million; A18-49: #6, 06/ 2) means that it could be rough sailing on the night for the ex-frog net in 2005-06.

Thursday 8/18/05

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 8.4/14, Fox: 5.8/ 9, ABC: 4.7/ 8, NBC: 4.1/ 7, UPN: 3.5/ 6, WB: 1.5/ 2

-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 8/19/04, which included the Summer Olympics on NBC):
ABC: +57, Fox: +18, CBS: +17, UPN: no change, WB: -29, NBC: -82

Source: Yahoo! News

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