Prime Time Preliminary Tuesday Ratings

Tuesday night's telecast of the "Kennedy Center Honors" (1.8/5) on CBS rose 50% from its airing on Dec. 26 last year, helping CBS win the night in total viewers (11.5 million). However, NBC won the night among viewers 18-49 with a block of "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: SVU," giving the network a 44% ratings increase over last week. Repeats of "House" and "Fringe" gave Fox a third-place finish in the demographic. ABC started the night strongly with holiday-themed programming, but lost ratings and viewers with "According to Jim" and remained relatively flat for "Eli Stone." The CW rounded off the night in fifth.

	8	8:30	9	9:30	10	10:30
1.5 / 4	Happy New Year, Charlie Brown 2.0 / 6 6.5	Rudolph's Shiny New Year 1.7 / 5 5.1 mil		According to Jim 1.2 / 3 3.8 mil	Eli Stone 1.2 / 3 3.8 mil
2.1 / 6	NCIS 2.6 / 8 13.5 mil		Kennedy Center Honors 1.8 / 5 10.4 mil
1.8 / 5	House 2.0 / 6 6 mil		Fringe 1.6 / 5 5.1 mil		No Programming
2.3 / 6	Law & Order 1.5 / 5 5.5 mil		Law & Order: SVU 2.6 / 7 9.7 mil		Law & Order: SVU 2.6 / 7 8.8 mil
0.4 / 1	90210 0.5 / 1 1.2 mil		Privileged 0.3 / 1 1 mil		No Programming

Source: Nielsen Media Research

*Ratings are specified in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic and viewership in P2+.

A note about ratings: Ratings are expressed as percentages of Nielsen's estimated 114.5 million U.S. television households. The first number, the rating, is a percentage of households tuned into a specific program at a specific time.

The second number, the share, is a percentage of households with televisions in use tuned into that same program. For example, if a show obtains a 10.2/16, this means that 10.2% of all U.S. households tuned into the program at some point during the broadcast. Meanwhile, 16% of all households watching television during the time period viewed the program at some point. Ratings are broken down further by demographic, as networks sell advertising time based on the makeup of the audience.

Prime Time Preliminary Monday Ratings

CBS' Monday night comedies and "CSI: Miami" gave the network a ratings win in adults 18-49 and total viewers, averaging a 3.0 rating/8 share and 9.8 million viewers for the night. CBS programming ranked first throughout the night, posting a 25% ratings increase from last week. Fox placed second (2.0/5, 6.6 million) with encores of "House" and "Bones." ABC (1.7/5, 4.9 million) edged out NBC (1.6/5, 6.1 million) in the ratings, but trailed the peacock's reality-themed programming. A new episode of "Momma's Boys" remained flat from its two-hour Monday-night debut last week. The CW also was flat from last week.

	8	8:30	9	9:30	10	10:30
1.7 / 5	Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 1.7 / 5 4.9 mil
3.0 / 8	The Big Bang Theory 2.6 / 8 7.9 mil	How I Met Your Mother 2.9 / 8 7.8 mil	Two and a Half Men 3.6 / 10 11.8 mil	Worst Week 2.9 / 8 8.8 mil	CSI: Miami 2.9 / 8 11.4 mil
2.0 / 5	House 2.2 / 6 6.7 mil		Bones 1.7 / 5 6.5 mil		No Programming
1.6 / 5	Greatest Holiday Moments 1.5 / 4 6.1 mil		Deal or No Deal 1.7 / 4 7.2 mil		Momma's Boys 1.7 / 5 5 mil
0.4 / 1	Gossip Girl 0.5 / 1 1.3 mil		One Tree Hill 0.4 / 1 0.9 mil		No Programming

Source: Nielsen Media Research

*Ratings are specified in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic and viewership in P2+.

A note about ratings: Ratings are expressed as percentages of Nielsen's estimated 114.5 million U.S. television households. The first number, the rating, is a percentage of households tuned into a specific program at a specific time.

The second number, the share, is a percentage of households with televisions in use tuned into that same program. For example, if a show obtains a 10.2/16, this means that 10.2% of all U.S. households tuned into the program at some point during the broadcast. Meanwhile, 16% of all households watching television during the time period viewed the program at some point. Ratings are broken down further by demographic, as networks sell advertising time based on the makeup of the audience.

Prime Time Preliminary Sunday Ratings

NBC's "Sunday Night Football's" featured matchup between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers performed strongly enough to give the network a win Sunday even though ratings were down significantly from last week, according to preliminary Nielsen Media Research numbers. "SNF" posted a 4.4/12 in the Fast National numbers, down 21% from last week's Fast Nationals for the game between the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants, which did a 5.6/14 before rising to 6.8/18 in the final numbers. An NFL lead-in helped Fox and CBS come in second and third, respectively, though programming on those networks was edged out by football throughout the night. ABC's presentation of "The Sound of Music" took up its entire prime-time block, doing a 1.6/4 for a fourth-place finish. The CW finished the night fifth.

	7	7:30	8	8:30	9	9:30	10	10:30
1.6 / 4	Movie: The Sound of Music 1.6 / 4 6.3 mil
2.5 / 7	NFL Overrun 5.3 / 15 18.6 mil	60 Minutes 2.7 / 8 13.5 mil		Million Dollar Password 2.0 / 6 9.9 mil		Cold Case 2.0 / 5 9.1 mil		The Unit 1.4 / 4 6 mil
2.6 / 7	NFL Overrun 3.6 / 10 9.7 mil	The OT 2.6 / 8 6.7 mil	The Simpsons 2.4 / 7 5.5 mil	King of the Hill 1.9 / 5 4.4 mil	Family Guy 2.7 / 7 5.6 mil	American Dad 2.2 / 6 4.7 mil	No Programming
4.0 / 11	Football Night in America 2.3 / 7 7.1 mil	Football Night in America 3.1 / 9 8.6 mil	NFL Football: Broncos vs. Chargers 4.4 / 12 11.9 mil
0.3 / 1	Jericho 0.3 / 1 0.9 mil		Movie: Revenge of the Pink Panther 0.3 / 1 1.4 mil				No Programming

Source: Nielsen Media Research

*Ratings are specified in the 18-to 49-year-old demographic and viewership in P2+.

A note about ratings: Ratings are expressed as percentages of Nielsen's estimated 114.5 million U.S. television households. The first number, the rating, is a percentage of households tuned into a specific program at a specific time.

The second number, the share, is a percentage of households with televisions in use tuned into that same program. For example, if a show obtains a 10.2/16, this means that 10.2% of all U.S. households tuned into the program at some point during the broadcast. Meanwhile, 16% of all households watching television during the time period viewed the program at some point. Ratings are broken down further by demographic, as networks sell advertising time based on the makeup of the audience.

Prime Time Preliminary Tuesday Ratings

Repeats of Fox's "House" and "Fringe" and CBS' "NCIS" and "The Mentalist" gave the networks a first-place tie Tuesday night. Both Fox shows were down four-tenths of a point from last week's performance, but it was CBS' "Home for the Holidays" special that brought down the network's average for the night, even though the special was up 38% from last year. A night of "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: SVU" repeats gave NBC third place, while seasonal fare on ABC gave the network fourth. The CW placed fifth with its night of repeats.

	8	8:30	9	9:30	10	10:30
1.5 / 5	Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2.3 / 7 6.5 mil		Rediscovered 1.3 / 4 4.6 mil		The List 0.9 / 3 2.9 mil
1.8 / 5	10th Annual A Home for the Holidays 1.1 / 4 6.5 mil		NCIS 2.1 / 6 10.6 mil		The Mentalist 2.1 / 6 10.8 mil
1.8 / 6	House 2.1 / 7 6.7 mil		Fringe 1.5 / 5 4.3 mil		No Programming
1.6 / 5	Law & Order 1.3 / 4 6.1 mil		Law & Order: SVU 1.6 / 5 6 mil		Law & Order: SVU 2.0 / 6 7 mil
0.5 / 1	90210 0.4 / 1 1.2 mil		Privileged 0.5 / 1 1.2 mil		No Programming

Source: Nielsen Media Research

*Ratings are specified in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic and viewership in P2+.

A note about ratings: Ratings are expressed as percentages of Nielsen's estimated 114.5 million U.S. television households. The first number, the rating, is a percentage of households tuned into a specific program at a specific time.

The second number, the share, is a percentage of households with televisions in use tuned into that same program. For example, if a show obtains a 10.2/16, this means that 10.2% of all U.S. households tuned into the program at some point during the broadcast. Meanwhile, 16% of all households watching television during the time period viewed the program at some point. Ratings are broken down further by demographic, as networks sell advertising time based on the makeup of the audience.

Prime Time Preliminary Monday Ratings

CBS placed first for the night, despite a lineup of repeats. NBC's second airing of "Momma's Boys" dropped 32% from its debut last Tuesday, but gained viewers through its two-hour telecast. "Momma's'" 10 p.m. hour (1.9/5) was the network's highest rated in seven weeks, up 19% from last week's episode of "My Own Worst Enemy." Family-friendly programming on ABC gave the network second place. Fox took third, NBC placed fourth and The CW placed fifth.

	8	8:30	9	9:30	10	10:30
2.2 / 6	Shrek the Halls 2.0 / 6 7 mil	Movie: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2.2 / 6 7 mil
2.4 / 7	The Big Bang Theory 2.4 / 7 7.4 mil	How I Met Your Mother 2.5 / 7 7.1 mil	Two and a Half Men 3.5 / 10 11.8 mil	Worst Week 2.0 / 5 6.9 mil	CSI: Miami 2.0 / 5 8.5 mil
2.0 / 6	House 2.1 / 6 6.1 mil		Prison Break 1.9 / 5 5 mil		No Programming
1.7 / 5	Today Looks Back 1.5 / 5 6.2 mil		Momma's Boys 1.7 / 5 5 mil
0.4 / 1	Gossip Girl 0.5 / 2 1.3 mil		One Tree Hill 0.3 / 1 0.9 mil		No Programming

Source: Nielsen Media Research

*Ratings are specified in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic and viewership in P2+.

A note about ratings: Ratings are expressed as percentages of Nielsen's estimated 114.5 million U.S. television households. The first number, the rating, is a percentage of households tuned into a specific program at a specific time.

The second number, the share, is a percentage of households with televisions in use tuned into that same program. For example, if a show obtains a 10.2/16, this means that 10.2% of all U.S. households tuned into the program at some point during the broadcast. Meanwhile, 16% of all households watching television during the time period viewed the program at some point. Ratings are broken down further by demographic, as networks sell advertising time based on the makeup of the audience.

Prime Time Preliminary Sunday Ratings

NBC's "Sunday Night Football" led Sunday night among all key demos, according to preliminary Nielsen Media Research numbers. Sunday night's matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants was down 35% from last week's game's final ratings, but ahead 30% over last year. An NFL lead-in helped Fox take second place for the night, followed by CBS in third, ABC in fourth and The CW in fifth.

	7	7:30	8	8:30	9	9:30	10	10:30
1.9 / 5	America's Funniest Home Videos 2.1 / 6 7.5 mil		Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 2.0 / 5 6.8 mil		Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 2.1 / 5 6.5 mil		Desperate Housewives 1.6 / 4 4.9 mil
2.0 / 5	60 Minutes 2.2 / 6 13.1 mil		Million Dollar Password 1.7 / 5 9.5 mil		Cold Case 2.2 / 5 11.9 mil		The Unit 1.9 /5 8.2 mil
3.0 / 8	NFL Overrun 5.5 / 16 15.1 mil	The OT 3.2 / 9 7.9 mil	The Simpsons 2.8 / 8 6.5 mil	King of the Hill 2.1 / 5 5.2 mil	Family Guy 2.5 / 6 5.9 mil	American Dad 2.0 / 5 4.7 mil	No Programming
4.8 / 13	Football Night in America 2.0 / 6 15.1 mil	Football Night in America 2.7 / 8 7.9 mil	Football Night in America 4.5 / 12 6.5 mil	NFL Football: Panthers vs. Giants 5.8 / 15 16.6 mil
0.4 / 1	Jericho 0.3 / 1 0.9 mil		Movie: Three Amigos 0.4 / 1 1.3 mil				No Programming

Source: Nielsen Media Research

*Ratings are specified in the 18-to 49-year-old demographic and viewership in P2+.

A note about ratings: Ratings are expressed as percentages of Nielsen's estimated 114.5 million U.S. television households. The first number, the rating, is a percentage of households tuned into a specific program at a specific time.

The second number, the share, is a percentage of households with televisions in use tuned into that same program. For example, if a show obtains a 10.2/16, this means that 10.2% of all U.S. households tuned into the program at some point during the broadcast. Meanwhile, 16% of all households watching television during the time period viewed the program at some point. Ratings are broken down further by demographic, as networks sell advertising time based on the makeup of the audience.

Prime Time Preliminary Thursday Ratings

CBS won Thursday night as repeats dominated the schedule, but it was Fox's "Secret Millionaire" that claimed a victory among new programs. "Secret Millionaire" won the 8 p.m. hour, remaining flat from last week. It edged out CBS' special presentation of "Million Dollar Password" in the 18-49 demographic, but "Password" triumphed in viewers. Followed by ratings and viewer wins for "CSI" and "Eleventh Hour," CBS topped the night with a 2.2 rating/7 share. Fox finished second with a 1.9/6, beating repeats on ABC, NBC and The CW.

	8	8:30	9	9:30	10	10:30
1.5 / 4	Ugly Betty 1.3 / 4 4.6 mil		Grey's Anatomy 1.8 / 5 5.5 mil		Private Practice 1.5 / 4 4.4 mil
2.2 / 7	Million Dollar Password 1.5 / 5 8.3 mil		CSI 2.9 / 8 12.6 mil		Eleventh Hour 2.3 / 7 10.1 mil
1.9 / 6	Secret Millionaire 2.0 / 6 6.4 mil		Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? 1.7 / 5 6.9 mil		No Programming
1.8/ /5	My Name Is Earl 1.7 / 5 4.7 mil	Kath & Kim 1.6 / 5 3.8 mil	The Office 2.3 / 7 5 mil	30 Rock 2.0 / 5 4.7 mil	30 Rock 1.7 / 5 4.3 mil	The Office 1.6 / 5 3.8 mil
0.8 / 2	Smallville 0.8 / 2 2.1 mil		Supernatural 0.8 / 2 2.1 mil		No Programming

Source: Nielsen Media Research

*Ratings are specified in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic and viewership in P2+.

A note about ratings: Ratings are expressed as percentages of Nielsen's estimated 114.5 million U.S. television households. The first number, the rating, is a percentage of households tuned into a specific program at a specific time.

The second number, the share, is a percentage of households with televisions in use tuned into that same program. For example, if a show obtains a 10.2/16, this means that 10.2% of all U.S. households tuned into the program at some point during the broadcast. Meanwhile, 16% of all households watching television during the time period viewed the program at some point. Ratings are broken down further by demographic, as networks sell advertising time based on the makeup of the audience.

Prime Time Preliminary Wednesday Ratings

CBS won the night among viewers ages 18-49, posting a 3.2 rating/9 share, as well as total viewers with 11.9 million. NBC's new holiday special "A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa" won the 8 p.m. hour, giving the network its first win in that block in 11 weeks. New episodes on ABC were all down from their season averages, giving the network a third-place tie with Fox for the night (both 1.8/5). A new episode of "Secret Millionaire" dropped 21% from its last Wednesday night showing.

	8	8:30	9	9:30	10	10:30
1.8 / 5	Pushing Daisies 1.6 / 5 4.8 mil		Private Practice 2.3 / 6 6.7 mil		Dirty Sexy Money 1.7 / 5 5.2 mil
3.2 / 9	The New Adventures of Old Christine 2.0 / 6 7.5 mil	Gary Unmarried 2.3 / 7 7.5 mil	Criminal Minds 3.9 / 11 15 mil		CSI: NY 3.6 / 10 13.3 mil
1.8 / 5	Secret Millionaire 2.2 / 7 6.6 mil		Bones 1.4 / 4 4.2 mil		No Programming
2.0 / 6	A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa 2.4 / 7 7.4 mil		Life 1.7 / 5 5.2 mil		Law & Order 1.9 / 5 6.9 mil
0.7 / 2	The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 0.9 / 3 2.4 mil		Stylista 0.6 / 2 1.4 mil		No Programming

Source: Nielsen Media Research

*Ratings are specified in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic and viewership in P2+.

A note about ratings: Ratings are expressed as percentages of Nielsen's estimated 112.8 million U.S. television households. The first number, the rating, is a percentage of households tuned into a specific program at a specific time.

The second number, the share, is a percentage of households with televisions in use tuned into that same program. For example, if a show obtains a 10.2/16, this means that 10.2% of all U.S. households tuned into the program at some point during the broadcast. Meanwhile, 16% of all households watching television during the time period viewed the program at some point. Ratings are broken down further by demographic, as networks sell advertising time based on the makeup of the audience.