niel050808

StarTribune.com content is available via e-mail, mobile devices and as RSS feeds.

Mobile content

Advertise with us

Home | Entertainment | TV/DVD/Gaming

Big draws fizzled during 'sweeps'

Last update: May 8, 2008 - 5:17 PM

The May "sweeps" is precisely the wrong time to hit low marks in the ratings. But several big shows did the week of April 28-May 4.

"American Idol" was seen by only 22.8 million people on Wednesday. While still the week's second most-watched show (after Tuesday's "American Idol"), that's the smallest audience it has drawn for a regular night in more than two years, according to Nielsen Media Research.

CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" had its second smallest audience ever (behind the previous week's) for an original episode aired in its traditional Thursday time slot, Nielsen said.

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" struggled, too. While still a top 10 show with 15.3 million viewers, that was its smallest audience since moving into its Thursday time slot in fall 2006.

For the week, network averages were: CBS, 10 million viewers (6.5 rating, 11 share); Fox, 9.4 million (5.7, 10); ABC, 9.2 million (6.0, 10); NBC, 6.5 million (4.3, 7); CW, 2.6 million (1.7, 3); My Network, 1.2 million (0.8, 1); ION, 450,000 (0.3, 1).

In the evening news race: NBC "Nightly News," 8.2 million (5.6, 12); ABC "World News," 8 million (5.5, 12); "CBS Evening News," 5.8 million (4.1, 8). ASSOCIATED PRESS

1 American Idol (Tuesday) (Fox)

2 American Idol (Wednesday) (Fox)

3 Dancing With the Stars (Monday) (ABC)

4 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS)

5 Dancing With the Stars (Tuesday) (ABC)

6 Desperate Housewives (ABC)

7 Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

8 NCIS (CBS)

9 House (Fox)

10 CSI: Miami (CBS)

11 Criminal Minds (CBS)

12 Two and a Half Men (CBS)