Neilsen Ratings

Broadcast: Top 20
Rank Season average Show name Network Viewers in millions
1. 1 American Idol (Tues) Fox 24.7
2. X American Idol (Thurs) Fox 20.1
* 9 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CBS 20.1
4. 4 Dancing With the Stars ABC 19.7
5. X NCAA: Kansas vs. Memphis CBS 19.5
6. X Idol Gives Back Fox 17.8
7. 8 Dancing With the Stars results ABC 17.0
8. 6 Desperate Housewives ABC 16.4
9. 20 Without a Trace CBS 14.5
10. 14 NCIS CBS 14.0
11. 23 Criminal Minds CBS 13.3
12. 27 CSI: NY CBS 12.4
13. 20 60 Minutes CBS 12.2
14. X NCAA Pregame CBS 12.0
15. 16 Survivor: Micronesia CBS 11.6
16. 27 Hell's Kitchen Fox 11.2
17. 68 Don't Forget the Lyrics! Fox 10.9
* 44 Medium NBC 10.9
19. 23 Samantha Who? ABC 10.4
20. 23 Deal or No Deal (Mon) NBC 10.2

Broadcast: Tops among 18-49-year-olds
Rank Season average Show name Network Viewers in millions
1. 1 American Idol (Tues) Fox 12.0
2. X NCAA: Kansas vs. Memphis CBS 9.5
3. X American Idol (Thurs) Fox 9.1
4. X Idol Gives Back Fox 8.9
5. 9 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CBS 7.7
* 6 Desperate Housewives ABC 7.7
7. 27 Hell's Kitchen Fox 6.9
8. N/A The Office NBC 6.4
* 4 Dancing With the Stars ABC 6.4
10. X NCAA Pregame CBS 5.5
11. 68 Don't Forget the Lyrics! Fox 5.2
12. 16 Survivor: Micronesia CBS 5.1
13. 20 Without a Trace CBS 5.0
14. N/A The Biggest Loser NBC 4.9
15. 8 Dancing With the Stars results ABC 4.8
16. 44 Medium NBC 4.6
17. N/A Scrubs NBC 4.5
* 23 Samantha Who? ABC 4.5
19. N/A The Simpsons Fox 4.3
* 23 Criminal Minds CBS 4.3


Cable: Top 15
Rank Show name Network Viewers in millions
1. SpongeBob (Fri, 8 p.m.) Nickelodeon 6.1
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter Lifetime 5.8
3. Rock of Love VH1 5.0
4. WWE Raw (Mon, 10 p.m.) USA 4.9
5. SpongeBob (Fri, 8:30 p.m.) Nickelodeon 4.8
6. WWE Raw (Mon, 9 p.m.) USA 4.4
7. SpongeBob (Fri, 9 p.m.) Nickelodeon 4.2
8. Star Wars Episode VI Spike 4.1
9. Yankees vs. Red Sox ESPN 3.9
* Stanford vs. Tennessee ESPN 3.9
11. iCarly Nickelodeon 3.6
* The Hills (Mon, 10:30 p..m) MTV 3.6
13. South Park Comedy Central 3.5
* Star Wars Episode V Spike 3.5
15. SpongeBob (Fri, 9:30 p.m.) Nickelodeon 3.4
* The Hills (Mon, 10 p.m.) MTV 3.4


Spotlight: Most time-shifted series
Rank Show name Network Viewers Pct. of total
1. American Idol (Tues) Fox 3.8 14.4%
2. American Idol (Wed) Fox 2.6 9.9%
3. Two and a Half Men CBS 2.3 15.0%
4. CSI: Miami CBS 2.0 11.5%
5. Medium NBC 1.7 16.6%
6. Dancing With the Stars ABC 1.6 7.8%
* How I Met Your Mother CBS 1.6 14.2%
8. Apprentice NBC 1.5 11.6%
* New Amsterdam Fox 1.5 20.6%
10. Big Brother (Wed) CBS 1.3 21.5%
* Dancing With the Stars results ABC 1.3 7.3
* Big Brother (Tues) CBS 1.3 20.2%

Source: Nielsen Media Research,