TVSquad

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

What, no America's Got Talent in the top spot or Wipeout in the #2 spot this week? Nope, thanks to FOX's All-Star Game. Wipeout fell all the way to #7, beaten by repeats of Criminal Minds and CSI.

CBS' Flashpoint came in at #18, which explains why they moved Swingtown to Fridays at 10 and put Flashpoint on Thursdays at 10.

1. MLB All-Star Game (FOX)
2. America's Got Talent (NBC)
3. MLB All-Star Pre-Game Show (FOX)

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

Doing the ratings during the summer is rather boring. America's Got Talent and Wipeout are on top again, and the rest of it is the usual mix of other reality shows and game shows and the CBS lineup of crime crime crime, which even gets big ratings when they're repeated, for some reason. Even the newest crime drama Flashpoint grabbed the #15 slot with its premiere, and it's on Friday nights.

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

Just because William Petersen signed a contract in May that said he was going to stay on CSI, doesn't mean that he's going to, you know, stay on CSI. As it turns out, Petersen, who does double-duty as Gil Grissom and executive producer of the long-running procedural, had a clause in his contract that is allowing him to leave the show after this season's tenth episode. Both Petersen and CBS are quick to point out, however, that we will not be seeing the last of Gil Grissom.

Petersen plans to remain actively involved in CSI and is maintaining his role as executive producer. Although he will no longer be a series regular, he's definitely not planning on leaving for good, saying, "I'm in a great place in terms of knowing that I'll be more free to make choices. And I'm responsible enough to not do it in a way that would hurt [the show]."

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP

Soap operas are a funny form of television fiction. They have rules all its own, they can tell all kinds of stories and do them in the most unusual ways. Here's a few things I've noticed lately, things that seem to only be possible, on a soap.

Only on a soap...can a medical clinic be conceived, built and stocked in less than a month.
It's true. It happened in Port Charles. On General Hospital, soon after Emily died -- and Nikolas stopped seeing visions of her thanks to a brain tumor -- he decided to dedicate a health clinic in her memory. Since Nikolas is a royalty, some kind of prince, cost was no object. He never met with an architect or designer, never spoke to contractors, never searched for a location and dealt with permits. He did have a fight with the mayor for a couple of shows about opening the clinic after it was already completed. If only all construction projects could be done so easily. Jeff Lewis on Bravo's Flipping Out doesn't even work that fast!

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)

After the success of the CSI franchise, it's only natural that CBS would look at other shows on its lineup for spinoff possibilities. Oddly enough, the lucky show isn't World's Greatest Dog, but Criminal Minds. According to Executive Producer Ed Bernero, talks between CBS and ABC studios, who produces Minds, are currently underway, saying, "It's safe to say there will be something soon."

Because the Criminal Minds spinoff is still in the discussion phase, there's no news on exactly what the new show will entail. But, since there are obviously many more specialties within the FBI besides criminal profiling, chances are the new series will focus on one of those. As is the case with most spinoffs nowadays, the new series will probably be introduced via a "backdoor pilot" in an upcoming Criminal Minds episode.

Here are the weekly ratings, by number of viewers.

Yes, NBC had four shows in the top 20 this week, but it took the summer and reality and/or reality game shows to get there, including America's Got Talent, The Baby Borrowers, and Celebrity Family Feud. ABC's new game shows, Wipeout and I Survived A Japanese Game Show, both made the top ten.

I'm surprised Hell's Kitchen isn't higher. #14 is great, I just thought it would do better during the summer (though it does well on its night). 60 Minutes' repackaged repeat segments continue to do well too.

1. America's Got Talent (NBC)
2. Wipeout (ABC)
3. 60 Minutes (CBS)

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.

Summer is a funny time for TV ratings. You're not quite sure what's going to be in the mix, just that's it's going to be a mix of new shows and repeats. This isn't a big surprise, but it which repeats that make the list. CBS seems to be dominating the summer, with repeats of CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Two and a Half Men, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds, Rules of Engagement, and 60 Minutes taking up many spots in the top 20. The top show with new episodes is also a CBS show, Million Dollar Password.

1. NBA Finals - Game 5 (ABC)
2. NBA Finals - Game 3 (ABC)
3. NBA Finals - Game 4 (ABC)

On Monday, April 28, CSI star Gary Dourdan was arrested in Palm Springs, California. He was asleep in his car and when a police officer approached, he found Dourdan disoriented. The actor was arrested after the cop found cocaine, heroin, Ecstacy, miscellaneous prescription drugs and paraphernalia in the car. Despite pleading guilty to drug possession today, Dourdan will not have to do any jail time. In fact, in the deal his lawyer struck with prosecutors, Gary will get treatment for his drug problems. Basically, he lucked out.

"Once Gary completes 30 hours of a diversion program, his case will be entirely dismissed," said his lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, in a statement to The Associated Press. Dourdan won't have to do any time in a drug rehab facility or behind bars, so all things considered, he's very, very fortunate. He could have faced up to three years or more in jail .

Gary has already departed CSI, and in the season finale, his character was seemingly killed in a point blank shooting. However, when Jorja Fox returns for the fall premiere, Dourdan is reportedly in the show. And not as a ghost. So, now that he won't be doing time, he'll have time to film scenes for CSI and, presumably, wrap up the unfinished business of the CSI crew exposing the corrupt under sheriff.

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

It will be interesting to see what the top shows are next week, since American Idol and Dancing with the Stars both had their season finales last week. And a lot of the scripted shows had their season finales too. I'm sure So You Think You Can Dance, at number 19 this week, will soar up in the ratings as spaces open up.

Hell's Kitchen finished a little higher than usual, and Ugly Betty a lot higher than usual.

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

Thanks to everyone who commented on my Put Me Out of This Misery Award post. If there's one thing that people are passionate about, besides what their favorite shows are, are the shows that they don't want around anymore. Below are the five nominees for this award, the show that has overstayed its welcome and should be put down already, damn it! Also, after the jump, a poll for what you would choose for this award, what we're calling the Reader's Choice Award. Both awards will be announced next week.

The nominees, in alphabetical order...

• TCM has classic war/military movies all day and night.
• At 6am, USA has an NCIS marathon.
• At 8, A&E has a marathon of City Confidential episodes.
• History Channel has a MonsterQuest marathon at 8.
• Sci-Fi has a Star Trek: Enterprise marathon at 8.
• Also at 8: TV One has a Day Break marathon.
• At 9, BBC America has a Monty Python's Flying Circus marathon.
• FX has a That 70s Show marathon starting at 9.
• GSN has a Match Game marathon at 9.
• Spike has a CSI marathon starting at 9.
• At 10, TNT has a Law and Order marathon.
• At 11, G4 has a Cops marathon.
• Lifetime has a bunch of "sex" movies starting at 11.
• At noon, GSN will have a special GSN Live from Iraq, featuring ex-game show contestants who are stationed there.
• There's a Top Chef marathon on Bravo starting at 2:30.
• At 4, Discovery has a Deadliest Catch marathon.

(Thanks to Interesting Pile)

Welcome to Subtle Subtitles. For those of you who are uninitiated to the purpose of this feature, we're asking you to come up with your funniest quote or description for what's going on in the screen grab we choose for the week. Winners are announced in the following Friday's contest.

Last contest's winner: ac

This week, a scene from the season finale of How I Met Your Mother ...

When Sara left CSI, driving out of Las Vegas on her way to who knows what, he left behind a brokenhearted Gil Grissom. The producers of CSI were wise to keep the door open for the character to return, and that's just what's happening -- at least for one show. According to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello, Jorja Fox will be in the season premiere of CSI. Oh, and she won't be the only former cast mate on the show; so will Gary Dourdan as Warrick.

I know, I know -- I can hear you now, how is that possible? Didn't he die in the CSI finale? When we last saw Warrick, he'd been shot twice and left to die in his car. Could the CSI have survived a bullet through the neck? He was slumped over the steering wheel, so he looked dead. And the sheriff shot him a second time -- presumably a death shot to the head since it was an execution.