Ratings Chart Attack!

Tying its most recent original episode from two weeks ago, the two-hour fourth-season finale of “Lost” chalked up its lowest-rated season-ender to date Thursday.

“Lost” pulled in a 4.9 rating/13 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic, according to preliminary Nielsen research. Last night’s “Lost” dipped 30% from last week’s “Grey’s Anatomy” two-hour finale in the same slot. But the “Grey’s” finale was its lowest-rated finale also.

Airing eight days after the official end of the television season, Thursday’s “Lost” finale is the latest into May the capper has aired. Last year’s finale ran on Wednesday, May 23.

However, the show does tend to rebound slightly in the Live+7 Nielsen numbers, which factor in DVR views.

ABC captured the night with the finale, pulling in a 4.0/11.

Fox’s (3.6/11) “So You Think You Can Dance?” continues to hold steady, jumping up a tick from last week’s start to land at a 3.6/11.

CBS (1.9/6) placed third with a hodgepodge of repeats. NBC’s (1.7/5) “Last Comic Standing” dipped 25% from last week’s season premiere to land at a 1.8/5. It’s the program’s worst showing so far.

The CW (0.6/2) placed fifth with repeats.

“So You Think You Can Dance?” continued steady from its positive start Thursday, while the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on ESPN bested everything else broadcast television had to offer Wednesday night.

Fox’s two-hour “Dance” (3.6 rating/11 share in 18- to 49-year-olds) increased a tick over Thursday’s season premiere, but slipped 12% versus last year’s Wednesday start on May 30. That score gave Fox a commanding first-place finish.

Over on ESPN, Game Five of the Celtics-Pistons NBA Eastern Conference Finals pulled in a 2.7/8, beating everything on broadcast except “Dance.”

Second-place ABC (2.1/6) brought in new episodes of “Wife Swap” (2.2/7) and “Supernanny” (2.5/7), which were right around average. “Men in Trees” (1.5/4) tied its last episode in April as the program returned to its time period.

Dominated by repeats, CBS (2.0/6) placed third. NBC’s coverage of the third game of the Stanley Cup finals was 200% above last year’s Game Three (which aired on a Saturday) and 38% over Game Five (where the Anaheim Ducks won the Cup). But the game still gave NBC only a fourth-place finish with a 1.8/5.

The CW (0.8/2) ranked fifth with “Farmer Wants a Wife” (0.9/2), hitting its average.

Now that Fox’s “American Idol” has ascended to reality Valhalla until another season, the show’s lead-outs like “Moment of Truth” are struggling, with “Truth” posting its lowest rating to-date yesterday.

“Truth” pulled in a 3.0 rating/9 share in the 18-49 year old age group, down 27% from its last showing in early April, according to preliminary Nielsen data. “Hell’s Kitchen” (4.4/11) didn’t suffer as badly, but still dipped 15% week-to-week for a season low.

Fox finished first in the ratings for the night with a 3.7/10.

The rest of the networks fielded sparse original programming. NBC (2.1/6) aired a new episode of “Most Outrageous Moments” (1.7/5), up 21% from last week. ABC’s (1.5/4) ended the seventh (yes, SEVENTH) season of “According to Jim” with two episodes (1.7/5, 1.9/5). Both were up 31% and 27% over their last airings in those slots.

CBS (1.8/5) finished fourth, while the The CW ended fifth (0.6/2).

(Editor: Baumann)

As Memorial Day marked the end of the standard broadcast season, networks downshifted as reruns and reality ruled a lightly viewed Monday night.

CBS won the night with a 2.4 rating/7 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic with reruns of its Monday night lineup. ABC (1.9/5) placed second with a special “Vacation Swap” (1.5/4) and “The Bachelorette” (2.0/5), down 31% from last week’s premiere.

Fox (1.8/5) re-aired its “So You Think You Can Dance?” premiere, while NBC (1.7/5) showed “American Gladiators” (1.9/5) and “Dateline” (1.6/4). “Gladiators” improved 12% from last week’s series low, but still placed fourth in its time period, which were mainly repeats.

The CW was fifth with a 0.5/1.

However, Spanish-language Univision (1.4/4) bested The CW with showings of “Al Diablo con los Guapos” (1.6/5, down 20%), “Fuego en la Sangre” (1.7/4, down 15%) and “Cristina” (1.0/3, down a tick from last week).

Fox steamrollered the competition Wednesday as another season of “American Idol” came to close with ratings numbers similar to last season’s finish.

“Idol” posted an 11.0/29 according to preliminary Nielsen numbers, which is on par with last year’s finale. “Idol” ran from 8 to 10:06 p.m. Prelim numbers are based on time periods, rather than program averages, so these numbers will change when final numbers are released later today.

Fox beat up on the competition, besting the combined total of the other networks by 77%.

Surprisingly, other shows were airing last night, too. CBS (2.7/7) ran “The Price Is Right Primetime” (1.8/5), up 29% from last week. “Criminal Minds” (3.3/8) and “CSI: NY” (3.1/8) ended their seasons to subpar numbers. “Criminal” aired its fourth lowest rated episode, while “CSI: NY” had its second lowest.

NBC (1.7/4) aired “Law & Order” repeats, along with a season finale at 10 p.m. The finale racked in a 2.5/7, fifth-worst performance for the show.

“Boston Legal” (1.5/4) wrapped up its season on ABC (1.2/3) to its worst showing ever, down 35% from last week.

The CW (0.6/2) was in repeats.

By the way, here’s your key to the 2008-09 schedule, in a handy-dandy PDF format. You could use it to create 2008-09 Schedule Bingo. You get to cover a square when a show gets canned. Make the free space in the middle a canceled show from the past. Mine’s “Shasta McNasty.”

“American Idol” matched last year’s Tuesday competition finale, while the “Dancing With the Stars” finale landed at a series low for the finish.

The two Davids faced off on Fox to the tune of a 9.7 rating/27 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic, a high-water mark for the show not seen since March. That tied Tuesday’s episode with last year’s performance finale, although that may change once final numbers are released by Nielsen.

“Hell’s Kitchen” (5.6/14) received a nice 10% bump due to “Idol,” and Fox finished first with a 7.6/20.

Kristi Yamaguchi now has something in common with Emmitt Smith, as the ice skating champ was crowned “Dancing With the Stars’” (5.3/14) champ last night. Compared to last year’s finale, “Dancing” dipped 17%, chalking up a series low for a finale.

ABC placed second with a 4.1/11.

CBS (3.1/8) let “Shark” (2.5/6) swim away from viewers desperate for a tough-talking lawyer, but not before landing a substantial series finale, up 25% from last week. Jack McCoy, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

The two-hour season finale of “NCIS” (3.4/9) increased 13% over last week’s episode, delivery not seen since November.

NBC (1.6/4) had a new episode of “Most Outrageous Moments” (1.4/4), followed by repeats.

The CW (1.0/3) brought “Reaper” to a season close with a 1.2/3, up 33% over last week.

“Gossip Girl” ended its season on a high note in the ratings Monday, while “American Gladiators” slid again from last week’s disappointing season premiere.

“Gladiators” dipped 16% to a 1.6 rating/4 share in the 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers. Last week’s “Gladiators” fell 68% from its premiere in January. Followed by “Dateline” (2.0/5), NBC finished fourth with a 1.8/5.

The CW (1.5/4) brought its freshman standout “Gossip Girl” to a close with a 1.4/4 in 18-49; it earned a 1.8/6 among the network’s target 18-34 demographic. “Girl’s” 18-49 numbers haven’t been that good since the show’s premiere in September.

“One Tree Hill” (1.5/4) improved 25% for its season finale. Both shows boosted The CW to the best Monday in 18- to 49-year-olds in the network’s history.

At the front end of the night, “Bones” (3.3/10) ended flat for Fox (4.5/12), while the second part of the “House” (5.7/14) finale dipped slightly from last week.

CBS (4.0/11) cleaned up with a night of finales. “Rules of Engagement” (4.3/10) and “CSI: Miami” (4.4/12) both were up slightly from last week, while the rest of the night was down. “Two and a Half Men” (4.8/12) slid 6%, “The Big Bang Theory” (2.7/8) dropped 7% and “How I Met Your Mother” (3.2/9) stumbled 16% off its guest appearance from Britney Spears last week.

ABC (3.4/9) premiered its latest iteration of “The Bachelorette” (3.0/8) with jilted “Bachelor” contestant Deanna Pappas. The show dropped 30% from the program’s last season premiere back in January 2005.

“Dancing With the Stars” (4.3/12) wound down with its last performance show, up a tick from last week.

A hectic season is winding down as nine programs finished their runs over the weekend.

Sunday saw the season finale of “Desperate Housewives” on ABC, pulling in the night’s high score with a 6.1 rating/16 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic. The two-hour episode increased 9% above last week, helping ABC win the night with a 4.7/13.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” also ended its season with a two-part episode, pulling in a 2.6/9 at 7 p.m. and a 3.8/11 at 8 p.m. The 8 p.m. episode fell 5% week-to-week, ringing up a tie with its season low.

“The 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards” (2.9/8) ticked up a slight 9% from last year, but was the second lowest rated CMA show since at least 1991. CBS finished second (2.6/7) for the night.

Fox (2.4/7) ended the seasons of “The Simpsons” (2.9/9), “King of the Hill” (2.6/7) and “American Dad” (2.7/7). All were essentially flat from last week.

NBC (1.3/4) finished fourth with repeats of “The Office.”

The CW (0.5/2) saw one of its last original self-programmed Sunday nights, as “Everybody Hates Chris” (0.5/2) and “The Game” (0.8/2) finished nearly on par with last week. “Aliens in America” (0.5/1) completed its series run with little fanfare.

Speaking of series finales, “Moonlight” (1.8/6) left CBS (2.0/7) for good on Friday. The show was down a tick from last week. It was also the lowest rated show of the night on the Eye, as “Ghost Whisperer” (2.0/7) and “Numbers” (2.3/7) finished their season runs right around average for the season.

ABC (1.7/6) finished second on Friday with the season finale of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (1.7/6) and “20/20” (1.9/6). Fox (1.2/4) and The CW (1.2/4) tied for third with “Dodgeball” on Fox and “Friday Night Smackdown” on The CW.

NBC (1.0/4) wound up last with “Dateline” (1.4/4) and an “American Gladiators” (0.9/3) repeat, falling 40% from the time period’s previous four-week average, mainly held by “Most Outrageous Moments” episodes.

Cop shows boosted Fox (1.6/6) to another Saturday win. ABC (1.3/5) finished second, CBS (1.0/4) third and NBC (0.8/3) fourth. Of note, “America’s Most Wanted” aired its 1,000th capture.

May 20, 1:10 p.m: "America's Most Wanted" stat corrected.

Without rubbing salt in the wound, I think it’s warranted to point out how low “Gladiators” sank last night with a separate post.

Background: When the show debuted, it gave NBC a shot in the arm with an impressive 5.9/14. Ratings steadily decreased over the course of its February run, but “Gladiators” left the schedule with a respectable 3.0/9.

It has cratered back onto the schedule last night with a 1.9/5. In terms of percentages, that’s down 68% from the premiere, 60% from its time-period premiere and 37% from its previous episode.

Even more damning is the drop in the 18- to 34-year-old male demo from that last episode to now, tapering off by 56%, from a 3.9/11 to a 1.7/4.

It’s not like the show wasn’t being promoted, either: “Gladiators” is heavily featured in NBC’s All American Summer campaign until the Olympics arrive.

The two-hour season premiere was an extended episode; the show will run 8-9:30 p.m. next week.

Britney Spears didn’t bump “How I Met Your Mother” one more time—her second guest spot on the CBS comedy landed the show right around its average in the ratings. Meanwhile, NBC’s “American Gladiators” sputtered during its second-season debut.

“Mother” earned a 3.8 rating/10 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demo, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers. Last night’s “Mother” was up slightly from the previous week, but down a tick from its season-to-date average. Spears’ first guest appearance lifted the show to a series-high 4.5/12.

There wasn't much movement in the rest of the CBS lineup, as “Two and a Half Men” (5.0/12) was up and “The Big Bang Theory” (2.9/9) was down a tick from last week. “Rules of Engagement” (4.1/10) increased two-tenths of a point and “CSI: Miami” (4.0/10) stayed flat. CBS finished second for the night with a 4.0/10.

NBC idled into its All American Summer with the return of “American Gladiators,” banking a lackluster 1.9/5, the third lowest rated show of the night. That’s more than a full ratings point off from when it left the schedule in February. “Medium” helped the night with a season finale rating of 2.9/8, a 9% decrease, leaving NBC with a 2.2/6 for the night.

First-place Fox (4.5/12) did well with “Bones” (3.2/9), up 19%, and the first part of a two-part season finale for “House” (5.8/14). “House” was up 14%.

ABC (3.7/10) ended another season of “The Bachelor” (3.3/8), increasing a full ratings point from last week. In its season finale, “Samantha Who?” (3.2/8) also saw an increase over last Monday of 10%. “Dancing With the Stars” (4.2/11) was down just a tick from last week.

“Gossip Girl’s” (1.2/3) digital experiment of funneling viewers to broadcast by not streaming episodes is in its fourth week, and the show's ratings were up 20% over last week. Women 18-34 also increased from last week by 14% to a 2.4/6.

“One Tree Hill” (1.2/3) was up slightly. The CW finished fifth with a 1.2/3.

Sunday’s “Survivor” finale clunked to a ratings low for a finale, but it had enough of a pull on viewers to send “Desperate Housewives” to a tie with its worst showing to-date.

ABC still won the night with a 4.0 rating/11 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demo, as “Housewives” (5.5/14) and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” dropped week-to-week. “Housewives” was off 15% from last week.

In its season finale, featuring the wedding of two gay characters, “Brothers & Sisters” was up two ticks from last week to a 4.0/10.

CBS (3.6/10) anchored itself with “Survivor” (4.4/12) and the reunion special (3.9/10). Both shows were down, with the finale off 15% from “Survivor: China’s” finale and the reunion show off 13% from December’s version.

Fox’s animation block ran even more ragged than last week’s lows, with “The Simpsons” dipping 7% to a 2.9/9. “American Dad” (2.7/7) and “King of the Hill” (2.5/7) also fell from last week. Fox finished third with a 2.3/6.

On NBC (1.1/3), “America’s Favorite Mom” (1.3/4) was the only new material on for the night as the Peacock ran a two-hour block of “The Office” and “Law & Order: SVU.”

The CW’s (0.4/1) Sunday was average.

ABC’s “Ugly Betty” and “Grey’s Anatomy” decided to stay in the cellar last night, tying the shows’ series lows in ratings.

“Betty” pulled down a 2.4 rating/7 share and “Grey’s” brought in a 6.1/16 in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic, according to preliminary Nielsen research. That’s flat from last week, and the bottom for both series in the numbers.

“Lost” (4.9/13) hoisted itself up 4% from last week. With that, ABC squeaked out a first-place finish with a 4.4/12.

Close on ABC’s heels, CBS (4.3/12) aired an average “Survivor” (4.1/12), a 15% improved “Without a Trace” (3.8/10) and a sweeps-infused “Two and a Half Men” writers crossover episode of “CSI” (4.9/13). The stunt didn’t bump “CSI,” as the show decreased 4% week-to-week.

“Scrubs” (2.5/7) ended its NBC run on the low side, down 14% from last Thursday. “My Name Is Earl” (2.6/8) declined 7%. The season finale of “30 Rock” (2.6/7) stayed flat, while “The Office” lowered the bar again on its season low with a 3.6/9, down 10%.

“ER” (2.9/8) bottomed out yet again, dropping a tick from last week’s former series low. NBC (2.8/8) finished in third place for the night.

Fox’s (2.0/5) “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (1.9/6) and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” (2.0/5) declined substantially from last week, by 14% and 20%, respectively.

“Smallville” (1.5/5) and “Supernatural” (1.0/3) dipped a tick for The CW (1.3/4).

Programming note: I’ll be in New York City next week live-blogging and video-blogging from the broadcast networks’ upfront presentations. Tune in next week to TVWeek.com as our reporters will let you know if your 100-to-1 bet that ABC will renew “Cavemen” over picking up “Scrubs” paid off (it probably won’t, but then again “According to Jim” is still on the air…).

The veritable gimmick month that “Deal or No Deal” is going through hasn’t been doing well, as “Deal” tied its worst performance ever in the ratings.

In recent weeks, “Deal” has brought on spring break partiers, Chewbacca and the president of the United States, all to lackluster numbers. Last night, host Howie Mandel dealt in Estonia, posting a 1.8 rating/5 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic, according to preliminary Nielsen data.

The show slipped 10% week-to-week, and was the third lowest rated show for Wednesday. “Deal” didn’t help lead-out “Law & Order” (2.8/8), which dipped to a season low. NBC finished third for the night with a 2.2/6.

Fox’s (5.0/14) “American Idol” (8.0/20) won again in convincing fashion, despite being down 5% from last week. “Back to You” (2.0/6) slipped 23% to join the ranks of several other shows this month that reached a series low. “’Til Death” (1.9/6) was down a tick from last week.

Prime-time “The Price Is Right” on Wednesdays continued its disappointing returns, tying its 1.7/5 from last week. When it aired in prime-time on Fridays, “Price” posted ratings 29% higher than its Wednesday showings.

“Criminal Minds” (3.1/8) dipped 6% and “CSI: NY” (3.3/9) rose a tick from last week. CBS ended up second for the night with a 2.7/7.

ABC’s (2.1/6) “Wife Swap” (2.5/8) posted a gain of 14%, winning the 8 p.m. hour. “Supernanny” declined 14% to a 1.9/5, a low not seen since October 2005 when the show ran on Fridays. A Barbara Walters special (2.0/5) finished last in the 10 p.m. time slot.

“America’s Next Top Model” (2.0/6) on The CW (1.5/4) stayed steady from last week in 18-49, but took a rocky 21% dip in the network’s target demo of 18-34 (1.9/7). “Farmer Wants a Wife” (1.0/2) was flat from last week.

Odds and Ends:

- Spanish-language Univision tends to get overlooked in terms of ratings coverage, but it consistently beats English-speaking broadcast networks on a nightly basis. Look for Univision numbers to appear more regularly in this blog. Speaking of which, Univision ended the night with a 1.8/5 (which would be 20% higher than The CW), up a tick from last week.

- While it might not seem like it, we’re right in the middle of May sweeps. As of day 13 of the sweep (the period runs April 24-May 22 this time around), Fox is leading in the 18- to 49-year-old demo with a 3.8/11 average, down 11% from last year. Fox is the closest to its mark from last year, with the other broadcast nets down nearly 17% from 2007.

ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” and “Women’s Murder Club” posted ratings gains this week, with “Stars” hitting a season high on Tuesday.

ABC finished the night in second place with a 3.0 rating/8 share in the 18-49 year old age group, according to preliminary Nielsen research.

“Stars” (4.4/11) rebounded 7% over last week, and was helped by a “Stars” special (2.4/7) lead-in. “Club” (2.2/6) also bounced up 22%, the third-highest rating for the program.

But “American Idol” (8.2/23) and Fox (6.7/18) rumbled to another no-sweat win yesterday. “Idol” fell 9% from last week. “Hell’s Kitchen” (5.2/13) also dipped 4%. Those numbers may change when final results come in because “Idol” ran two minutes into the 9 p.m. time slot, affecting the measurement.

“NCIS” (2.8/8) hit its previous season average on CBS (2.3/6), while “Shark” (2.2/5) stayed flat.
NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU” (3.5/10) struck out against primary election news coverage, falling 15% to a series low. NBC (2.1/6) ended up fourth.

The CW’s (0.9/2) “Beauty and the Geek” (0.7/2) and “Reaper” (1.0/3) were both down a tick from last week.

NBC’s “Deal or No Deal” bottomed out to its worst Monday showing to date, while CBS and Fox tied for the top ratings spot.

“Deal” dropped 21% in the 18-49 demographic to a 2.3 rating/6 share, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers. The show is off 34% from its previous season average. “Medium” floated up a tick to a 3.2/9. NBC placed fourth for the night with a 2.6/7.

Fox (3.8/10) and CBS (3.8/10) finished tied for first, with Fox’s “House” (5.0/12) tumbling 14% from last week to its lowest rating since November 2005. “Bones” fell 16% from last week to a 2.7/8.

CBS’ comedies in the 8 p.m. hour dipped slightly. “The Big Bang Theory” (2.8/9) fell 2/10ths of a ratings point from last week, and “How I Met Your Mother” (3.5/10) slipped 8%.

“Two and a Half Men” stayed steady at 4.8/12, while “Rules of Engagement” (3.9/10) dipped a tenth of a ratings point. “CSI: Miami” (4.0/11) hopped up slightly.

ABC’s (3.4/9) “Dancing With the Stars” (4.2/12) chalked up a loss of 7% week-to-week.
Both “Samantha Who?” (3.0/7) and “The Bachelor” (2.4/6) were down a tick.

“Gossip Girl” (1.0/3) over on The CW (1.0/3) is starting to show some deterioration, as the show fell 23% in the 18-49 demo, and dropped 32% in 18- to 34-year-olds to a 1.3/4. “Girl” took a 25% hit week-to-week in females 18-34 as well, from a 2.6/8 to a 2.1/6.

“One Tree Hill” also fell week-to-week, down 17% in 18-49 (1.0/3) and dipping 18% in 18-34.

(Editor: Baumann)

Whether it was daylight-saving time or the release of “Grand Theft Auto IV” earlier in the week, Fox’s Sunday animation block fell considerably from last week, with “The Simpsons” matching its second-lowest rating ever.

“The Simpsons” garnered a 3.0 rating/9 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers, dipping 19% from last week.

More telling are the week-to-week stats for “The Simpsons’” core 18-34 male audience, which tumbled 28% (from 5.3/17 to 3.8/14). “King of the Hill” (2.7/8) dropped 10% in 18-49 from last week. “Family Guy” (3.9/10) and “American Dad” (3.4/8) both stumbled by 9%.

If we want to get into even wackier stats that lend themselves to this “GTA: Grand Television Absence” theory (patent pending), consider males 12-17. Looking at the preliminary half-hour breakdowns, “The Simpsons” dropped 31% week-to-week in males 12-17 (from 4.9/16 to 3.4/13) while “Family Guy” fell almost a full ratings point, from a 6.2/19 to a 5.3/18. Interestingly, “American Dad” was pretty stable in both males 18-34 and 12-17 ratings.

Fox ended the night in second place with a 2.6/8.

On the front end, first-place ABC (4.2/12) saw some nice gains over its sluggish Sunday last week. “Desperate Housewives” (6.2/16) posted a 5% increase from last week. “Brothers & Sisters” (3.9/10) was up a tick, and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (4.1/12) jumped two ticks. “America’s Funniest Home Videos” celebrated its 400th episode of crotch-crushing fun with an on-par 2.4/9.

CBS (1.8/5) wrapped up its run of “Dexter” with two back-to-back episodes (1.5/4 and 1.8/5), slightly below average. “Cold Case” (2.4/7) also ended its season, down 11% from last week’s 9 p.m. showing. “60 Minutes” (1.5/5) ran flat.

NBC’s (1.2/4) re-airing of USA’s “Monk” (0.9/3) and “Psych” (1.0/2) continues to flounder. “Dateline” (1.2/4) dipped 25%.

The CW (0.5/1) was flat week-to-week.

Friday

CBS (2.2/7) won another Friday, thanks to new episodes of “Ghost Whisperer” (2.3/8), “Moonlight” (2.1/7) and “Numb3rs” (2.4/7), up 14% from last week.

NBC (1.7/6) placed second with a new “Dateline” (1.9/6), flat from last week.

Third-place ABC (1.2/4) brought out a special “20/20” (1.6/6), along with an average “Duel” (1.0/3) and a down “20/20” (1.2/4).

The CW (1.2/4) beat Fox (1.1/4) by a tick with its “Friday Night Smackdown!” (1.2/4) against Fox’s movie “Are We There Yet?” (1.1/4).

Saturday

Fox finished first with NASCAR coverage (2.4/8), followed by ABC (2.0/7), CBS (1.1/4) and NBC (1.0/3).

After an unexpectedly disappointing return from ABC’s lineup last Thursday, the trend continues as “Ugly Betty” and “Grey’s Anatomy” chalked up series lows in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic.

Even with a guest appearance by “Project Runway” winner Christian Siriano, “Betty” scored a 2.4 rating/7 share, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings, a tick down from last week. “Grey’s” dipped 8% from last week to a 6.0/15. After bottoming out last week, both shows pushed the needle down further this week. Despite that, however, “Grey’s” was the highest-rated show of the night.

“Lost” dropped 9% to a 4.8/13. ABC placed first for the night with a 4.4/12.

CBS’ (4.1/11) “Survivor” (4.0/12) slipped 7% from last Thursday. “CSI” gained ground to the tune of 6%, ending with a 5.0/13. “Without a Trace” stayed flat with a 3.3/9.

NBC’s (3.0/8) “My Name Is Earl” rebounded from a series low last week, up 17% to a 2.8/9. “Scrubs” (2.9/8) and “30 Rock” (2.6/7) were around average, while “The Office” dipped a tick (3.9/10) for its second consecutive season low.

“Are You Smarter Than a 5fth Grader?” (2.2/7) kicked up slightly from last week, while “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” was average (2.5/6). Fox finished fourth with a 2.3/6.

The CW’s (1.3/3) “Supernatural” (1.0/3) and “Smallville” (1.5/5) were flat.

Most people chose “no deal” Wednesday as “Deal or No Deal” tied its second lowest performance to date, according to preliminary Nielsen research.

“Deal” brought in a 2.0 rating/6 share, down 17% from last week. “Law & Order” (3.0/8) took a hit as well, stumbling 19%. NBC placed third for the night with a 2.3/6.

At the front end, Fox’s (5.2/14) “American Idol” unsurprisingly rolled on as the highest-rated show of the night with an 8.1/21, off 6% from a week ago. “’Til Death” (2.0/7) and “Back to You” (2.5/7) saw drops from last week as well, 13% and 7%, respectively.

CBS’ (2.7/7) “The Price Is Right” (1.7/5) came on down to a Wednesday prime-time showing, taking “Big Brother’s” slot. “Price” slid 23% from its Friday night showings. “Criminal Minds” (3.2/8) and “CSI: NY” (3.1/8) placed near their previous season averages.

“Wife Swap” (2.2/7) and “Supernanny” (2.2/5) were flat for ABC (2.1/6), while “Boston Legal” (1.9/5) tripped over its Wednesday time period premiere. “Legal” fell 21% off its Tuesday average, but improved on “Men in Trees’” season-to-date average in the slot by 19%.

“Farmer Wants a Wife” (1.0/3, 1.0/3 in 18- to 34-year-olds) debuted on The CW (1.5/4), down 23% at 9 p.m. in the 18-34 demo from “Crowned’s” debut in the time period in December.

“America’s Next Top Model” was essentially flat from last week with a 2.0/6 in the 18-49 demo and a 2.4/8 among 18- to 34-year-olds.

The folks over at Nielsen have put down their copies of “Grand Theft Auto IV” long enough to release Tuesday’s preliminary numbers.

“American Idol” tentatively fell again from last week to an 8.7 rating/24 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demo, off 3%. “Idol,” being live, will see some change once final numbers are released by Nielsen. “Hell’s Kitchen” increased 12% to a 5.5/14. Fox finished first for the night with a 7.1/19.

ABC and CBS tied for second with a 2.4/6. ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars Results Show” (4.0/10) fell 7%. “Women’s Murder Club” (1.9/5), which moved into its new home at 10 p.m., was off the mark by 21% from “Boston Legal’s” season-to-date average in that slot.

“According to Jim” (1.2/3, 1.4/4) was right around average.

CBS’ “NCIS” (3.0/8) stayed flat, while “Shark” (2.2/5) swam into the space vacated by “Big Brother,” down a tick from the time-period average. A special “CSI” filled in “Shark’s” usual slot at 10 p.m.

NBC (2.1/6) felt clip-tastic as “Most Outrageous Moments” (1.2/3) and an “SNL” prime-time special frontloaded the schedule. A new “Law & Order: SVU” (4.1/11) perked up slightly from last week.

The CW (0.9/2) ran “Beauty and the Geek” (0.8/2), which was on par, and “Reaper” (1.1/3), up slightly from last week.

A fun fact on “Reaper”: The show obtains the largest gain in ratings from Live+Same Day numbers (which is used in this blog) and Live+7 data (which factors in DVR views). “Reaper” tends to move the needle about 25% between the two stats, from a 1.2 to a 1.5.