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Dec 8 2009 11:37 AM ET

Ratings: Football wins week; 'Desperate' is top scripted show

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In a seven-day period that saw several shows in repeats or off-the-air because of holiday specials, NBC’s always-dominant Sunday Night Football easily won the week ending Dec. 6, pulling in 20.9 million viewers. The second-place finisher (and week’s top scripted show, for the first time this season!) was a surging Desperate Housewives, which drew a healthy 14.9 million viewers, but was still a rather distant 6 million viewers behind Sunday Night Football. However, Desperate‘s No. 2 spot was still totally a positive: The heavily hyped hour (thank that plane crash!) was up a healthy 2.1 million over the previous week’s episode. Third place for the week went to a repeat, specifically CBS’ NCIS, the top scripted show of the season overall, which drew 14.3 million viewers.

Because of the slow week, several shows saw their star rise, in terms of where they landed on the chart. Survivor landed at No. 5 with 12.8 million viewers; The Amazing Race wrapped its season with a season-high finale at No. 7 with 12.3 million viewers; and the rarely-in-the-Top-20 Brothers & Sisters made a splash at No. 10 with 10.8 million viewers. The rest of the Top 20—with viewership totals—is after the jump.

1. Sunday Night Football | NBC | 20.9 million
2. Desperate Housewives | ABC | 14.9 million
3. NCIS (R) | CBS | 14.3 million
4. House | Fox | 13.2 million
5. Survivor: Samoa | CBS | 12.8 million
6. Big 12 Football Championship | ABC | 12.7 million
7. The Amazing Race 15 | CBS | 12.3 million
8. 60 Minutes | CBS | 12.0 million
9. Two and a Half Men (R) | CBS | 11.4 million
10. Brothers & Sisters | ABC | 10.8 million
11. The Mentalist (R) | CBS | 10.7 million
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (R) | CBS | 10.6 million
13. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | ABC | 10.4 million
14. The Big Bang Theory (R) | CBS | 10.1 million
15. The Biggest Loser 8 | NBC | 10.0 million
16. Bones | Fox | 9.9 million
17. CSI (R) | CBS | 9.9 million
18. Cold Case (R) | CBS | 9.6 million
19. CSI: Miami (R) | CBS | 9.5 million
20. BCS Selection Show | Fox | 9.3 million

Source: Nielsen

More from EW.com’s Hollywood Insider:
Daily TV Ratings Recaps
‘Jersey Shore’ star ‘The Situation’ talks about MTV’s controversial series
Ratings: Football hot, ‘Cold Case’ not

Comments (2 total) Add your comment
  • ks
    Tue 12/08/09 1:02 PM

    GO SAINTS

    Reply
  • don
    Tue 12/08/09 1:30 PM

    YES GO DH ITS A RATINGS SMASH I CANT WAIT TILL NEXT MONT AND ANOTHER 3 SEASONS TO GO AFTER THIS ONE WAY TO GO MARC CHERRY

    Reply
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  1. Tuesday, May 1
    1. The Biggest Loser NBC, 8-9PM
  2. Friday, May 4
    1. In Plain Sight USA, 10-11PM
  3. Sunday, May 6
    1. The Amazing Race CBS, 8-10PM
    2. GCB NBC, 10-11PM
  4. Monday, May 7
    1. Two Broke Girls CBS, 8-9PM
    2. Castle ABC, 10-11PM
  5. Tuesday, May 8
    1. Last Man Standing ABC, 8-8:30PM
    2. The Voice NBC, 8-10PM
    3. New Girl FOX, 9-9:31PM
    4. Unforgettable CBS, 10-11PM
  6. Wednesday, May 9
    1. CSI CBS, 10-11PM
  7. Thursday, May 10
    1. The Big Bang Theory CBS, 8-8:31PM
    2. The Vampire Diaries The CW, 8-9PM
    3. The Office NBC, 9-9:30PM
    4. The Secret Circle The CW, 9-10PM
    5. Parks and Recreation NBC, 9:30-10PM
  8. Friday, May 11
    1. The Finder FOX, 8-9PM
    2. Undercover Boss CBS, 8-9PM
    3. Fringe FOX, 9-10PM
    4. CSI: NY CBS, 9-10PM
    5. Blue Bloods CBS, 10-11PM
  9. Sunday, May 13
    1. Once Upon A Time ABC, 8-9PM
    2. Survivor: One World CBS, 8-10PM
    3. Desperate Housewives ABC, 9-11PM, SERIES FINALE
    4. American Dad FOX, 9:30-10PM
  10. Monday, May 14
    1. Bones FOX, 8-9PM
    2. How I Met Your Mother CBS, 8-9PM
    3. Gossip Girl The CW, 8-9PM
    4. Two and a Half Men CBS, 9-9:30PM
    5. Hart of Dixie The CW, 9-10PM
    6. Mike & Molly CBS, 9:30-10PM
    7. Hawaii Five-0 CBS, 10-11PM
    8. Smash NBC, 10-11PM
  11. Tuesday, May 15
    1. 90210 The CW, 8-9PM
    2. Cougar Town ABC, 8-9PM
    3. NCIS CBS, 8-9PM
    4. NCIS: Los Angeles CBS, 9-11PM
    5. Fashion Star NBC, 10-11PM
    6. Private Practice ABC, 10-11PM
  12. Wednesday, May 16
    1. Suburgatory ABC, 8:30-9PM
    2. Criminal Minds CBS, 9-11PM
  13. Thursday, May 17
    1. Missing ABC, 8-9PM
    2. Community NBC, 8-8:30PM, 9-10PM
    3. 30 Rock NBC, 8:30-9PM
    4. Rules of Engagement CBS, 8:30-9PM
    5. Awake NBC, 9-11PM
    6. Grey's Anatomy ABC, 9-10PM
    7. Person of Interest CBS, 9-10PM
    8. The Mentalist CBS, 10-11PM
    9. Scandal ABC, 10-11PM
  14. Friday, May 18
    1. Nikita The CW, 8-9PM
    2. Shark Tank ABC, 8-9PM
    3. Who Do You Think You Are NBC, 8-9PM
    4. Grimm NBC, 9-10PM
    5. Supernatural The CW, 9-10PM
  15. Saturday, May 19
    1. Saturday Night Live NBC, 11:29PM-1AM
  16. Sunday, May 20
    1. America's Funniest Home Videos ABC, 7-8PM
    2. The Cleveland Show FOX, 7:30-8PM
    3. Harry's Law NBC, 8-9PM
    4. The Simpsons FOX, 8-8:30PM
    5. Bob's Burgers FOX, 8:30-9PM
    6. Celebrity Apprentice NBC, 9-11PM
    7. Family Guy FOX, 9-10PM
  17. Monday, May 21
    1. Dancing With the Stars (Performance) ABC, 8-9PM
    2. House FOX, 8-10PM, SERIES FINALE
  18. Tuesday, May 22
    1. American Idol (Performance) FOX, 8-9PM
    2. Dancing With the Stars (Results) ABC, 9-11PM
    3. Glee FOX, 9-10PM
  19. Wednesday, May 23
    1. The Middle ABC, 8-8:30PM
    2. American Idol (Results) FOX, 8-10:07PM
    3. Modern Family ABC, 9-9:30PM
    4. Don't Trust the B— ABC, 9:30-10PM
    5. Revenge ABC, 10-11PM
    6. Law & Order: SVU NBC, 10-11PM
  20. Thursday, May 24
    1. Awake NBC, 10-11PM
  21. Tuesday, May 29
    1. Cougar Town ABC, 8-9PM
    2. The L.A. Complex The CW, 9-10PM
  22. Wednesday, May 30
    1. America's Next Top Model: British Invasion The CW, 9-10PM
*Times are Eastern Daylight and subject to change

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