TV Ratings: Baseball overrun boosts FOX to Monday split

ABC's 'Dancing with the Star' dominates overall, while CBS' 'Big Bang Theory' is tops in the demo

By Daniel Fienberg Tuesday, Oct 20, 2009 11:43 AM

Jim Parsons and Wil Wheaton of 'The Big Bang Theory'

Credit: CBS

Fast National ratings for Monday, Oct. 19, 2009.

The playoff game between the Angels and Yankees went deep into extra innings on Monday afternoon, pushing FOX's schedule by more than 40 minutes for more than half of the country. Yes, the displacement was a minor inconvenience, but FOX isn't likely to complain about an overall ratings bump that gave the network a Monday night split.

The baseball confusion appears to have actually lowered ratings for "House" and elevated numbers for "Lie to Me." Expect a shift, though, when final figures become available.

Among adults 18-49, FOX won the night with a 4.2 rating, nipping the 4.0 rating for CBS and the 3.2 rating for ABC. NBC was a distant fourth with a 1.9 rating, leaving The CW in fifth with a 1.0 rating in the key demographic.

Overall, though, ABC averaged an estimated 14.3 million viewers in primetime to go with a 9.5 rating/15 share, both comfortably in first. CBS was second with a 7.3/11, just ahead of the 6.7/10 for FOX. NBC's 3.4/5 and the 1.5/2 for The CW trailed.

ABC began the night in first with a 10.5/16 for "Dancing with the Stars." FOX was second with a 7.6/11 for the end of the baseball game and the beginning of "House" (or just "House" if you're on the West Coast), winning the hour with a 4.5 rating in the 18-49 demo. CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" and "Accidentally on Purpose" were up from last week with a 5.5/8. NBC's "Heroes" was also very slightly up from last week with a 3.6/5. The CW's "One Tree Hill" did its usual thing.

"Dancing with the Stars" was up to an 11.2/17 in the 9 p.m. hour for ABC. CBS' "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" averaged an 8.3/12 between them, winning the hour in the 18-49 demo as "Big Bang Theory" had a 5.1 rating, the best of any Monday show. FOX's "House" and "Lie to Me" had a 5.8/9 for the hour. NBC's "Trauma" was flat from last week. The CW's "Gossip Girl" had a 1.4/2, on the low side for the drama.

CBS moved into first at 10 p.m. with an 8.2/14 for "CSI: Miami," which also won the hour in the 18-49 demo with a 3.8 rating. ABC's had a 6.7/11 for second. NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" had a below average evening with under 4.75 million viewers.

All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change, especially in the case of live events.

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.