For the week ending May 17, American Idol, and the season finales of Grey's Anatomy, The Biggest Loser, Desperate Housewives, House, and Survivor: Tocantins and Two and a Half Men (not its season finale) led broadcast prime-time viewing with adults 18-49. If you're more of a person who likes to see total viewers, regardless of age demographics, scroll down to the second table...
Nielsen Top Twenty Shows Among 18-49 year olds for the week ending May 17, 2009:
| Rank | Shows | R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere | Net | 18-49 Rating | 18-49 Viewers (000) |
| 1 | AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY | FOX | 8.7 | 11,422 | |
| 2 | AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY | FOX | 8.0 | 10,591 | |
| 3 | GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM | ABC | 5.9 | 7,773 | |
| 4 | Biggest Loser 7 | NBC | 4.7 | 6,242 | |
| 5 | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 4.7 | 6,192 | |
| 6 | HOUSE | FOX | 4.7 | 6,192 | |
| 7 | TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | 4.5 | 5,977 | |
| 8 | LOST | ABC | 4.4 | 5,776 | |
| 9 | SURVIVOR:TOCANTINS FINALE(S) | S | CBS | 4.2 | 5,609 |
| 10 | DANCING WITH THE STARS | ABC | 4.2 | 5,563 | |
| 11 | SURVIVOR:TOCANTINS RNION(S) | S | CBS | 4.1 | 5,359 |
| 12 | FRINGE | FOX | 3.9 | 5,181 | |
| 13 | CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 3.9 | 5,159 | |
| 14 | SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS | CBS | 3.8 | 4,975 | |
| 15 | Family Guy | FOX | 3.7 | 4,944 | |
| 16 | Big Bang Theory, THE | CBS | 3.7 | 4,877 | |
| 17 | RULES OF ENGAGEMENT | CBS | 3.6 | 4,814 | |
| 18 | HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER | CBS | 3.6 | 4,807 | |
| 19 | OFFICE | NBC | 3.5 | 4,676 | |
| 20 | CSI | CBS | 3.4 | 4,530 |
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| Rank | Shows | R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere | Net | # Viewers (LIVE+SD) (000) | HH RATING (LIVE+SD) | HH SHARE (LIVE+SD) |
| 1 | AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY | FOX | 24,670 | 14.0 | 22 | |
| 2 | AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY | FOX | 22,712 | 13.0 | 21 | |
| 3 | DANCING WITH THE STARS | ABC | 18,554 | 11.8 | 18 | |
| 4 | GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM | ABC | 16,531 | 11.0 | 18 | |
| 5 | Mentalist, THE | CBS | 16,205 | 10.1 | 15 | |
| 6 | NCIS | CBS | 16,195 | 10.2 | 16 | |
| 7 | CSI | CBS | 14,810 | 9.3 | 15 | |
| 8 | DANCING W/STARS RESULTS | ABC | 14,058 | 9.1 | 14 | |
| 9 | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 13,956 | 8.7 | 14 | |
| 10 | CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 13,586 | 8.7 | 15 | |
| 11 | WITHOUT A TRACE | CBS | 13,401 | 8.8 | 15 | |
| 12 | CRIMINAL MINDS | CBS | 13,371 | 8.4 | 13 | |
| 13 | TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | 13,108 | 8.2 | 12 | |
| 14 | SURVIVOR:TOCANTINS FINALE(S) | S | CBS | 12,942 | 7.0 | 11 |
| 15 | CSI: NY THURSDAY 10PM SP(S) | S | CBS | 12,768 | 8.3 | 14 |
| 16 | HOUSE | FOX | 12,741 | 7.7 | 12 | |
| 17 | CSI: NY | CBS | 12,329 | 7.9 | 13 | |
| 18 | SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS | CBS | 12,180 | 7.0 | 12 | |
| 19 | BIGGEST LOSER 7 | NBC | 11,847 | 7.1 | 11 | |
| 20 | SURVIVOR:TOCANTINS RNION(S) | S | CBS | 11,588 | 6.4 | 11 |
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2008 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
All numbers are Live + SD (live, plus same day DVR viewing)
Gey’s still rules….
Grey’s
wooo for desperate housewives!!!!
you go glen coco!
lol
As a ‘fan’ of Without A Trace it really is disappointing to see it doing really quite well in terms of overall viewers but just not able to pull in the right demo figures. It’ll be a shame if CBS do give it the axe when they make their announcement but it feels as though it might be inevitable unfortunately.
i didnt know Greys got such high numbers!!
lol i sort of feel sorry for The CW, like none of their shows go over 5 million haha, they have some decent shows too like Smallville is ok and i liked Reaper.
I really get annoyed at The Mentalist!! Its just feels like a wrip-off of Dexter whenever i watch it, most of the characters are the same except obv instead of killer he can read people’s minds or whatever lol.
Just out of interest, what ratings does Dexter get? because really it is such an interesting and well written/acted show. Everyone who i have shown it to is hooked after a few episodes, most didnt know about it either.
CBS is making a mistake cancelling Without A Trace. That is a great show. What an amazing cast. Poppy Montgomery and Eric Close alone are amazing, but the others top it off. I can’t believe they would get rid of that and we have to keep crap like Survivor. I know they will have another. That show will not die. The reason I like CBS is because they have less reality based crap and two decent sitcoms… the only ones on tv I might add.
WAT almost a top 10 show in viewers canceled is just to crazy right now in my opinion!
CSI only got 20th place in de demo and two years or so was number one. wake up CBS. be pleased with the demo rating for WAT because they don’t go down unlike other shows… the actually went up in the final weeks…
hope a 13 episode order to finish the story.
I LOVE [H]OUSE__M.D
I dont watch WAT anymore but I agree with alot of the people here. The show ranks #16 in overall viewers and actually beat L&R SVU this season in total viewers so I think CBS made a big mistake in cancelling the show. I guess the show was just getting too expensive to make.
Nice job from Survivor, holding its own and making Top 10 in demos despite the numerous other finales on last week.
I can’t beleive that Grey’s Anatomy got such great numbres… Desperate Housewives is much better show than GA.
No, I think Grey’s at the moment is better than Desperate Housewives… there just losing the storyline in Desperate Housewives and they had so many stupid episodes this season!
I watch both by the way.
I agree that DH had so many stupid episodes in 5th season, but Grey’s Anatomy is like soap opera.
I hope that sixth season of DH will be much better, as ratings.
I hope Adam wins everyone is saying that he doesn’t have a chance because he is gay and the audience wont accept him: http://www.newsy.com/videos/idol_finale_full_of_subplots
Go House!
All the good shows (or at least the ones that get the good numbers) are in their 5th season.. Their need to come some great new shows next year!
9 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC 13,956
Is this for 5th season, or just for last week?
you go grey’s!
“All the good shows (or at least the ones that get the good numbers) are in their 5th season.. Their need to come some great new shows next year!” – House Addict
I agree! House, Greys, Lost, Desperate Housewives… ALL in 5th season! That was obviously a good year for new shows. And they are all still high up on the ratings.
I do agree they need some GOOD new shows. I think Castle has potential, especially if they keep putting it after things like Dancing with the stars. It sucked ratings wise when it followed Surviving Suburbia. That is the reason that Castle has been renewed and crappy new sitcoms have not.
I also think Glee on fox has some potential. It’s special sneak peak followed the American Idol performance finale, so it probably got some overrun from that. It’s from the creator of nip tuck, so that will draw in viewers, plus anyone who has ever been in a choir or show choir will find it amusing. We’ll have to see how that does in the fall.
GREYS ROCKED It!!!!
i have watched that show from the begining and i know that last season was not great and the begining of this season wasnt that good eather but at the end of the season they really improved. All those surprises made the episode and the ending with izzy and george was truly amazing. I think this was one of the best season finalys of all tine!