TVSquad

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

NBC must be really happy that it's summer. With their reality shows and reality competitions, it's the only way they can get the top spot in the ratings. ABC's Wipeout continues to be strong, though I Survived A Japanese Game Show must be losing a lot of viewers. I'm really surprised that repeats of shows like Criminal Minds, 60 Minutes, and all of the CSIs continue to do so well in the summer.

1. America's Got Talent (NBC)
2. Wipeout (ABC)

Are you anxiously awaiting news of who was in that SUV that exploded? Still fraught with worry over how Gibbs is going to get his team back together? Or maybe you are just excited that Survivor is finally going to be beamed into your living room in glorious HD. Well, you can start making plans for your fall scheduling now. The eye network has released the schedule of premieres for their new and returning shows.

I'm a little concerned about two things on the schedule. First, The New Adventures Of Old Christine and Project Gary lead into Criminal Minds on Wednesday nights. That's an odd pairing, and I don't think bodes well for either of the comedies. And second, The Unit gets shuffled off to Sunday at 10? NCIS and The Unit have done remarkably well paired up on Tuesdays. Good for The Mentalist, not so much for The Unit. The whole thing kicks off with Survivor on September 18th. The rest of the schedule is after the jump.

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

A little behind the scenes info about the making of this post. When I started to type the #16 entry, my eye drifted to the #17 entry and I actually started to type Are You Smarter Than The Bachelorette? Which got me thinking that we could probably create other TV shows from this list, if the networks are looking for new ideas. How about America's Got Bones? Two and Half 60 Million? CSI: So You Think You Can Dance?

1. NBA Finals - Game 6 (ABC)
2. America's Got Talent (NBC)

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

Um, OK, I had to do a double take (or maybe a triple) when I saw these ratings for Lost. Number 1 for the week?? I knew it would do better since it was the season finale, but the top spot, up 18 spots from last week? That's pretty cool.

The new edition of Password took the number 3 spot. Meanwhile, the number 18 show really kinda baffles me.

1. Lost (ABC)
2. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
3. Million Dollar Password (CBS)

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)

Actress Brea Grant just landed a pretty cool role on the hit NBC series Heroes. According to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello, the young actress was cast as Joy, a woman in her early twenties with the power of superspeed.

This recurring character is said to be introduced in a scene set at a museum. Hiro meets the woman at the museum and asks her if she has powers and is using them to steal art. As expected, Joy will lie to our beloved hero Hiro and leave the scene with a few paintings. Is she part of the villains or is she one of the good guys and somehow lost her way? Only time will tell!

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then a new Cold Case and two episodes of Dexter.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, followed by new episodes of Extreme Makeover, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters.
• NBC has a new Dateline at 7, then episodes of Monk and Psych.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, followed by a new King of the Hill, the season finale of Family Guy, and a new American Dad.
• There's a new Everybody Hates Chris on The CW at 8, then new episodes of Aliens in America and The Game.
• PBS has a new Nature at 8, followed by a new Masterpiece.
• Also at 8: TCM has the 1965 special Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music.
• At 9, Showtime has a new episode of The Tudors, then the season premiere of This American Life.
• At 12:15am, Cartoon Network has a new Squidbillies, then a new Assy McGee.

Check your local TV listings for more.

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)

Let me start this rant by saying that I like sports. No, I love sports. I'm a fan. I get the DirecTV NBA package and the major league baseball games. I can talk to you for hours about stats and players and great games. That said, I hate the way Sunday sports programming drifts over into primetime. This happens primarily on CBS and Fox with the NFL games in the fall and winter, but the other networks have been guilty of staying with the game and then still insisting on showing the primetime schedule after the game is over -- even if that means that an 8 o'clock show begins at 8:45 and your DVR gets all screwed up and you wind up with only 15 minutes of a show you wanted to see!

Jeremy Piven was unavailable this time around, busy as he is playing Ari in Entourage, so writer/producer Rob Thomas went in another direction. Taller, by four inches. Thomas has chosen Bobby Cannavale for the title role in Cupid for ABC.

Cannavale, an Emmy-award winner for his guest turn on Will & Grace as Vince, will be Trevor Hale in Cupid. He's described as manic and charming and firmly believing in the fact that he is the real Roman god of love, Cupid. His mission is to make 100 love matches so he can earn the right to leave Earth and return to Mount Olympus. ABC is behind this new pilot, an updated version of Thomas' 1998 Cupid that didn't make it past season one.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then new episodes of Big Brother and Cold Case and an episode of Dexter.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7.
• NBC has a new Dateline at 7, then episodes of Monk and Psych.
• At 8, The CW has a new Everybody Hates Chris.
• PBS has a new Nature at 8, then a new Masterpiece.
• Nickelodeon has new episodes of Zoey 101 and Dance Sunset.
• Disney has two new episodes of The Wizards of Waverly Place starting at 8.
• Also at 8: VH-1 has a new Celebrity Fit Club, followed by a new Rock of Love with Bret Michaels.
• At 8:30, FOX has a new King of the Hill.
• At 9, ABC has a new Oprah's Big Give, followed by a new Here Come The Newlyweds.
• The CW has a new episode of The Game at 9.
• Food Network has a new Iron Chef America at 9, then a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay.
• HBO has a new John Adams at 9.
• Showtime has a new episode of The Tudors at 9, then a new Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.
• At 10, FX has a new Dirt.
• At 12:15am, Cartoon Network has a new Squidbillies, then a new Assy McGee.

Check your local TV listings for more.

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then new episodes of Big Brother and Cold Case, then an episode of Dexter.
• NBC has the fifth anniversary Countdown with Keith Olbermann special at 7, followed by a new Dateline.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, then a new King of the Hill.
• ABC has a new Extreme Makeover at 8, followed by new episodes of Oprah's Big Give and Here Come The Newlyweds.
• There's a new Everybody Hates Chris on The CW at 8.
• Also at 8: Cartoon Network has a new My Gym Partner's A Monkey.
• At 9, PBS has a new Masterpiece.
• HBO has another installment of John Adams at 9.
• The CW has a new episode of The Game at 9.
• Showtime has the season premiere of The Tudors, also at 9.
• At 9:30, FOX has the season (series?) finale of Unhitched.
• At 10, Food Network has a new Throwdown with Bobby Flay.
• FX has a new Dirt at 10.
• At 11:30, Cartoon Network has the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie.

Check your local TV listings for more.

(S01E01) "Most cops would kill to get into homicide" - John Amsterdam

I like the way this show begins. A brief voice over, a few establishing scenes and some hints as to what makes this series special. In the first five minutes, we learn that John Amsterdam is a homicide detective living in New York who owns a dog, has an active sex life is a recovering alcoholic and was once fatally stabbed in the chest. Makes sense.

Once the show gets rolling, we meet his new partner and his seasoned co-worker. This is where it becomes evident that New Amsterdam is your basic cop show with an added twist.

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

There's good news and bad news about this list. The good news is that we live in a world where a great show like Lost, now in its fourth season and in a new time slot, can still come in at #4. The same thing with 60 Minutes, which has been on forever. The bad news? We live in a world where Deal Or No Deal takes up three of the top twenty spots (including two in the top ten). Ugh.

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

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, then a new Big Brother, a new Cold Case, and an episode of Dexter.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos, then a new, two hour Extreme Makeover and a new Brothers & Sisters.
• NBC has a new, two hour American Gladiators at 7, then the new Knight Rider movie.
• The CW has a new CW Now at 7.
• At 8, FOX has a new Simpsons, then new episodes of King of the Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad.
• PBS has a new Nature at 8, followed by a new Masterpiece.
• At 8:30, TNT has the NBA All-Star Game.
• At 9, HBO has a new episode of The Wire, then a new Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam.
• There's a new episode of The L Word on Showtime at 9.
• At 10, AMC has a new Breaking Bad.
• At 11:45, Cartoon Network has a new Aqua Teen Hunger Force, then a new Squidbillies.

Check your local TV listings for more.