Nielsen Ratings

No writers? No problem for JAY LENO, at least on Wednesday night, when several major late-night TV shows ended an eight-week hiatus brought on by the writers' strike. Seven-point-two million viewers watched Leno on NBC's Tonight Show, which secured a comfortable victory over DAVID LETTERMAN and CBS' Late Show, despite Letterman's returning writing staff, thanks to a separate agreement with the Writers Guild of America.

The newly-bearded Letterman was seen by 5.5 million viewers. NBC's CONAN O'BRIEN was more popular with viewers than CBS' CRAIG FERGUSON later in the night, even though he also was without his writers. O'Brien and Late Night attracted 2.8 million viewers, while 2.2 million people watched Ferguson and Late Late Show. Ferguson went back on the air with his writers under the same agreement made by Letterman's production company.

The country was certainly curious to see how these hosts would respond to the ongoing strike. Leno, Letterman, O'Brien and Ferguson all saw a spike in ratings in comparison to their pre-strike averages, with The Tonight Show enjoying a 43-percent increase.

In other Nielsens news, the NFL regular season ended with a bang last weekend. Most notably, the New England Patriots' victory over the New York Giants Saturday night was seen by 34.5 million people. The NFL Network's telecast of the game, in which the Patriots became the first team in 35 years to finish a regular season undefeated, was simulcast on NBC and CBS.

CBS won the primetime ratings race last week, followed by NBC, Fox, ABC, the CW, MyNetworkTV and ION Television.

Here are the top 10 primetime programs for the week of December 24th-30th, according to Nielsen Media Research:

1. NBC Sunday Night Football: Tennessee at Indianapolis, NBC, 15.8 million viewers.

2. NFL Football: New England at N.Y. Giants, CBS, 15.68 million viewers.

3. NFL Football: New England at N.Y. Giants, NBC, 13.23 million viewers.

4. 60 Minutes, CBS, 12.39 million viewers.

5. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 10.69 million viewers.

6. Without a Trace, CBS, 10.54 million viewers.

7. Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick, NBC, 10.38 million viewers.

8. Deal Or No Deal, (Tuesday) NBC, 9.78 million viewers.

9. Amazing Race 12, CBS, 9.69 million viewers.

10. CSI: NY, (Thursday) CBS, 9.49 million viewers.

Nielsen Ratings

ABC's Dancing With the Stars was the most-watched show during Thanksgiving week, but CBS had nine of the top 20 shows and squeaked out a ratings victory over its competitors. For the week, CBS averaged 11.71 million viewers while ABC averaged 11.57 million. Monday's Dancing With the Stars competition show attracted more than 22 million viewers, and Tuesday's "results" show drew 21 million fans.

NBC had only one show in the Top 20 -- Sunday Night Football -- and finished third in the network ratings race. NBC's fading Heroes finished in 27th place.

More than 11 million viewers watched BRAD WOMACK reject his final two matrimonial contestants on The Bachelor finale. The show attracted one million more viewers than last fall's finale. Last week's follow-up show, The Bachelor: After the Final Rose, did even better -- 12.3 million viewers.

Here are the ten most watched prime time shows for the week ending Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research:

1. Dancing With the Stars (Monday) - ABC, 22.8 million viewers

2. Sunday Night Football - NBC, 21.8 million

3. Dancing With the Stars (Tuesday) - ABC, 21 million

4. Desperate Housewives - ABC, 18.6 million

5. NCIS - CBS, 17.3 million

6. House - Fox, 16.9 million

7. 60 Minutes - CBS, 16.1 million

8. Criminal Minds - CBS, 15.9 million

9. CSI: Miami - CBS, 15.8 million

10. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - ABC, 15 million

Neilsen Ratings

The writers' strike may be in full swing, but it hasn't had much of an effect on the Nielsen ratings just yet. New episodes of shows continued to air last week to the usual numbers, with CSI the week's top-rated show, drawing 21.9 million viewers.

Then again, it may be best to let some shows die when the writers return. Last week's episode of Carpoolers pulled up in 83rd place and Cavemen slumped to 88th. NBC's Bionic Woman also looked pretty rusty -- last week's episode earned its lowest ratings to date, six-and-a-half million viewers for a dismal 65th-place showing.

NBC's Heroes could also use some help. Last week's episode pulled in 9.9 million people and took 33rd place, the worst numbers the critically-acclaimed series has ever scored.One positive note from last week's ratings came from ABC's coverage of the Country Music Awards. It finished in tenth place, thanks to the nearly 16 million people who tuned in.

ABC was the top-ranked network for the week, followed by CBS, Fox, NBC, Univision, the CW, My Network TV, Telemundo and ION Television.

Here's a look at the top 10 primetime shows for the week of Monday, November 5th-Sunday, November 11th.

1. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 21.9 million viewers.
2. Without a Trace, CBS, 21.7 million viewers.
3. Dancing with the Stars (Monday), ABC, 20.5 million viewers.
4. Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 19.5 million viewers.
5. Desperate Housewives, ABC, 18.6 million viewers.
6. House, Fox, 18.2 million viewers.
7. NCIS, CBS, 18.1 million viewers.
8. NBC Sunday Night Football, NBC, 17.3 million viewers.
9. Dancing with the Stars (Tuesday), ABC, 17.1 million viewers.
10. CMA Awards, ABC, 15.95 million viewers.

Nielsen Ratings

SABRINA BRYAN's final week on Dancing with the Stars was a success, at least from ABC's perspective. More than 21 million viewers watched the October 29th edition of the dancing competition, making it the most popular primetime show of the week. Of course, not enough of those viewers cast their vote for Bryan, who was surprisingly booted off the show the following night.

While the highest-rated show of the week also had its fair share of drama, it didn't air in primetime. Sunday's NFL game between the undefeated New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts on CBS averaged 33.4 million viewers, the largest audience for a TV program since the Oscars.

Elsewhere in the Nielsens:

* CBS' The Amazing Race had a pretty amazing season premiere, ranking in 17th place.

* You're still a ratings draw, Charlie Brown. ABC's airing of the classic Halloween special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on October 30th was seen by 11.4 million viewers.

CBS won the primetime ratings race for the week, followed by ABC, NBC, Fox, the CW, MyNetworkTV and ION Television.

Here are the top 10 primetime programs for the week of October 29th-November 4th, according to Nielsen Media Research:

1. Dancing with the Stars (Monday), ABC, 21.43 million viewers.
2. Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 19.31 million viewers.
3. 60 Minutes, CBS, 19.24 million viewers.
4. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 19.06 million viewers.
5. Dancing with the Stars (Tuesday), ABC, 18.86 million viewers.
6. Desperate Housewives, ABC, 18.58 million viewers.
7. House, Fox, 17.30 million viewers.
8. NFL Football (Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles), NBC, 16.45 million viewers.
9. NCIS, CBS, 16.33 million viewers.
10. Criminal Minds, CBS, 14.94 million viewers

Ratings Rant

The Boston Red Sox carried Fox to a ratings victory last week. Each win in the team's four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the World Series entered the Nielsen's top 15. Boston's championship-clinching victory Sunday night was seen by nearly 21 million viewers, trailing only last week's edition of Dancing with the Stars.

NBC, on the other hand, is still in a ratings slump. CRISS ANGEL's new reality series, Phenomenon, didn't live up to its title, ranking 45th in the Nielsens. And Bionic Woman continues to prove it's not bulletproof -- last week's episode was only viewed by 7.81 million people, six million less than its premiere show.

Fox was first in the ratings race last week, followed by ABC, CBS, NBC, the CW, MyNetworkTV and ION Television.

Here are the top 10 primetime programs for the week of October 22nd-28th, according to Nielsen Media Research:
1. Dancing with the Stars (Monday), ABC, 21.37 million viewers.
2. World Series, Boston at Colorado (Game 4), Fox, 20.95 million viewers.
3. Desperate Housewives, ABC, 18.28 million viewers.
4. Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 18.18 million viewers.
5. House, Fox, 18.11 million viewers.
6. Dancing with the Stars (Tuesday), ABC, 18.06 million viewers.
7. NCIS, CBS, 17.26 million viewers.
8. World Series, Colorado at Boston (Game 2), Fox, 16.95 million viewers.
9. World Series, Colorado at Boston (Game 1), Fox, 16.90 million viewers.
10. CSI: Miami, CBS, 15.67 million viewers.

*Gee..no one was watching Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday? Can't believe that!