TVSquad

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

Looks like everybody was chasing Zoey this week, and not just the paparazzi. The Nickelodeon show got the top two spots in viewers (a movie and a regular episode of the show), knocking Monday Night RAW down a bit. TNT did really well with the NBA Playoffs.

1. Chasing Zoey (Nickelodeon)
2. Zoey 101 (Nickelodeon)
3. Monday Night RAW (USA)
4. NBA Playoffs - Suns/Spurs (TNT)
5. Monday Night RAW (USA)
6. The Hills (MTV)
7. NBA Playoffs - Lakers/Nuggets (TNT)
8. NBA Playoffs - Spurs/Hornets (TNT)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. NBA Playoffs - Hawks/Celtics (TNT)

Here are the weekly TV ratings, by number of viewers.

Last week I mentioned that Lost had dropped a lot in the ratings. This week they're not even in the top 20.

Looking over this list, it becomes apparent what it takes to get on it. If you're FOX, keep pumping out reality shows and reality competitions shows. If you're ABC, it's dancing and doctors. And if you're CBS, the answer is clear: create another police procedural show. It doesn't matter who's in it or where it's set, just make sure it's about a team of investigators who investigate something that needs investigation.

1. American Idol - Tues (FOX)
2. American Idol - Weds (FOX)

Here's an interesting theory on why the ratings for many returning dramas are down a bit: the writers strike gave viewers an excuse to finally stop watching a show.

Of course, the shows that are down (including Grey's Anatomy, House, Lost, CSI, and Desperate Housewives) are still getting great ratings (all of the above shows are usually in the top 15 for the week), they're just noticeably down. Some industry analysts think that viewers might be getting a little frustrated at the continuing storylines you see on many dramas, while others think that some viewers are confused over the return dates for different shows and maybe even time slot changes for a couple of shows.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

Wait, no SpongeBob SquarePants this week? Actually, two episodes of the show just missed making the top 10. Probably because a certain cranky doctor named House decided to go on a rampage this week and take up three spots. The NBA Playoffs are rather popular too.

1. Monday Night RAW (USA)
2. NFL Draft (ESPN)
3. Monday Night RAW (USA)
4. NBA Playoffs (TNT)
5. House (USA)
6. House (USA)
7. House (USA)
8. NBA Playoffs (ESPN)
9. NBA Playoffs (TNT)
10. Zoey 101 (Nickelodeon)

Here are the weekly TV ratings, by number of viewers.

OK, can someone explain to me why Lost, which returned after several weeks away with an important (and great) episode, only came in #15 in viewers this week? This season it has been showing up in the top 10 a lot, sometimes even in the top 5 or 6, and now it slips to 15? Gah.

In other news, I finally watched Rules of Engagement this week. It's actually a funny show.

1. American Idol - Tues (FOX)
2. American Idol - Weds (FOX)
3. Dancing with the Stars - Mon (ABC)
4. Dancing with the Stars - Tues (ABC)

That's the rumor about Reaper that is swirling around the industry. And it might be true, because even though it does better in the ratings overall than Gossip Girl, the latter show has already been renewed.

That's because Gossip Girl has several things going for it that Reaper doesn't: buzz, sex, controversy, and higher ratings in the younger 18 to 34 demographic that networks and advertisers love.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

Okay NCIS fans, we get it. It's the most awesome-est show in the universe. In the top 10 every week in the network ratings, and now its shows up twice in the top 10 cable ratings. If this keeps up, it's not going to make Hannah Montana very happy.

But it doesn't really bother SpongeBob SquarePants. NCIS might have gotten better ratings, but SpongeBob got four of the top 10 slots this week.

1. Monday Night RAW (USA)
2. Monday Night RAW (USA)
3. NCIS (USA)
4. Rock of Love 2 (VH-1)
5. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
6. The Hills (MTV)
7. NCIS (USA)
8. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)

Here are the weekly ratings, by number of viewers.

If you were to pick a random TV fan off the street (The Street of TV Fans, I guess it would be called) and you asked them, "what is the #1 scripted show on television right now?," I would assume that not everyone would guess the answer to that question. A third of them would probably answer one of the CSI shows, a third would probably say one of the Law and Order shows (or maybe House), and the other third would probably say "what's a scripted show?"

But the answer this week is Desperate Housewives, followed very closely by NCIS. And I would bet no one would guess how high NCIS finishes every week.

1. American Idol - Tues (FOX)
2. American Idol - Weds (FOX)

You might be surprised to learn that the results of a new poll by AOL.com found that the number one soap opera among web searchers is Day of Our Lives. According to the Nielsen ratings for the soaps, The Young and the Restless is the top daytime drama -- and has been for over a thousand weeks. But I'm not surprised to read these AOL results, which shows Days, General Hospital and All My Children at the top of the list. Y&R is number eight. Also getting a lot of search engine hits is a Spanish telenovela, Fuego en la Sangre, from Mexico.

The LA Times ran a piece yesterday stating that American Idol's ratings are down for the first time in its seven-year run, with a 7% lag this season. Hmm, seven years and a 7% lag-- does that mean the show's viewers are showing signs of a seven-year itch?

The Times story reported that shows typically show signs of a crack in the ratings veneer between seasons five and seven, which means that it is probably really smart for shows like Lost and Battlestar Galactica to determine their own ending dates, well before their ratings start to drop. Granted, a 7% decrease is not really anything to write home about. Simon, Paula, and Randy don't have to start paddling quite yet.

If you're like me, you probably get annoyed when you roll down your window and your beard blows up in your eyes... And if you don't have a ridiculous beard, but are still like me in your appreciation for a good teen drama, this might be relevant to your television scheduling.

It seems the overlords over at the CW have hatched a new plan. The last five episodes of Gossip Girl, set to begin on Monday, will not be available for online streaming. I know. OMG! Right? I'll pause while you text your BFF. Over at the New York Times, Paul McGuire, senior VP of communications for the network, is quoted as saying, "This is an experiment to see if this moves the [Nielsen ratings] needle at all."

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

A rather odd top 10 in the cable ratings this week. Not only did Monday Night RAW get pushed around a bit (down to #'s 4 and 6 for both hours because of strong showings for Rock Of Love and a Lifetime movie), but SpongeBob SquarePants has come back with a vengeance. He's not going to take any crap from anyone anymore.

1. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Lifetime)
3. Rock Of Love (VH-1)
4. Monday Night RAW (USA)
5. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
6. Monday Night RAW (USA)
7. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
8. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
9. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
10. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)

Here are the weekly ratings, by number of viewers.

American Idol gets three spots this week. You know what FOX should do? Just spread out Idol over seven nights. Why not? Some episodes wouldn't be as highly-rated as others, but you know fans would tune in. They can have four performance shows and three results shows. Ryan Seacrest can drag out the results over a few nights. This will make sure that Idol takes up seven spots in the weekly top 20 and also make sure the shows that follow all get high ratings too.

1. American Idol - Tue (FOX)
2. American Idol - Thurs (FOX)
3. CSI (CBS)

Things are heating up in the late, late night wars. That's the 12:35 AM talk shows, as opposed to the late night 11:35 shows. In the most recent Nielsen ratings, Craig Ferguson's CBS Late Late Show rated higher than Conan O'Brien's Late Night. That's the first time that's ever happened, and industry analysts are scratching their heads to figure out if this is the pendulum swinging in CBS's direction, or simply a minor glitch in NBC's late night dominance.

NBC has declared that it supports Conan O'Brien completely and is unconcerned about the gradual shift in the numbers that have been going on for a while. It's in NBC's interest that Conan remain a strong player, especially since he will be taking over the Tonight show in the near future -- once Jay Leno's contract comes to an end in 2009. While tipping its cap to Ferguson for the ratings victory, NBC also noted that in the 18-49 demographic, Conan is still the leader in that time slot.

Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.

So...NCIS not only makes an appearance in the Nielsen network ratings every week, now the repeats on cable are in the top 10? This show has staying power.

Other than that, no surprises here. Monday Night RAW gets back in the top slots, SpongeBob and Hannah Montana make appearances, and The Wizards of Waverly Place continues to grow. I guess if there's one other surprise is that a movie on Spike made it all the way to number four.

1. Monday Night RAW (USA)
2. Monday Night RAW (USA)
3. The Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney)
4. Spike TV Movie (Spike)
5. The Hills (MTV)
6. iCarly (Nickelodeon)
7. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
8. NCIS (USA)
9. The Hills (MTV)
10. Hannah Montana (Disney)