TVSquad

Two-and-a-half years ago, I asked the (admittedly) dumb question, "Could Frank Caliendo take John Madden's place?" At the time, my contention was that Caliendo's loopy Madden impression was no longer that far off reality, and that Madden had become such a caricature of himself that Frank could have stepped in and no one would have known the difference.

If NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol had a sense of daring, he could have tried that experiment this Sunday night, as Madden is going to sit out NBC's broadcast of the Buccaneers-Seahawks game in Tampa. The week off was Ebersol's idea; last night's game was in San Diego, making a cross-country trek for Madden and his famous Cruiser (he doesn't fly) right before a week off, as NBC defers to the World Series.

We continue with our roundup of the season-ending ratings (here is the season winner and the May sweeps winner) with a list of the top 20 shows for the season. The first two shows aren't going to be a surprise to anyone (though the number of times one show shows up on the list might be surprising to some). How many shows on this list do you watch? I watch one show all the time and I watch another show a little bit. The other 18 1/2 shows I don't watch at all, which is odd because I watch a ton of television every week.

Only one sitcom made the top 20, and there was only one show from NBC. Do you know what those two shows are? Answer after the jump.

(Oh, I know The CW logo is in the pic above, but you won't find any of their shows on the list.)

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

NBC hits #1! OK, it's football and it's probably a temporary thing (plus it's the holidays), but they did it, and NBC even got a few more shows into the top 20 (even if they were temporary reality shows). I'm getting a little sick of typing the letters "CBS" each and every week though, at least when they're attached to shows like CSI. Interesting that 60 Minutes hit #3, considering it was a repeat.

1. Sunday Night Football (NBC)

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

Well, with eight shows of the top 10 (and 11 out of the top 20), I would say that CBS is really happy with the ratings this week. NBC makes an appearance, but it's all Deal or No Deal (except for football, which will be over in a few weeks or so). Good to see The Simpsons jump in there, with their new episode last week.

1. CSI (CBS)
2. Without A Trace (CBS)
3. Survivor - Finale (CBS)

Here are the weekly ratings, by number of viewers.

Funny how the ratings race becomes a little bit more interesting when Dancing with the Stars vanishes from the schedule. Though I guess it's always possible that ABC will give Marie Osmond her own weekly variety show again, and she can dance and sing and faint and cry and sell her dolls and find her way back into the top 10 again. NBC makes a strong showing, with five shows in the top 20 (though I guess two of them are really one show, Sunday Night Football and the Pre-Kick). Also good to see Rudolph at #4. They must think he's cuuuuuuuuuute.

1. CSI (CBS)

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

It will be interesting to see what this Top 20 looks like next week, as Dancing with the Stars ended its season last night. Will Sunday Night Football go to the top spot, or is this a chance for CSI: Miami to get back up there? That Bachelor episode was also a season finale, so that opens up another spot. It's interesting that NBC has two shows on the list, but they're both connected to Sunday Night Football.

1. Dancing with the Stars - Mon (ABC)

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

Wait a second...is that actually an NBC non-game show in the Nielsen top 20? That must be a typo, let me check...

Nope, it's true! That's a rare sighting, like the Aurora Borealis or a picture of Rosie O'Donnell where she isn't doing that "lip pucker" thing to make her face look thinner. It's so rare I just have to put a pic of Law and Order: SVU to the right. But the ratings were still dominated by Dancing with the Stars and CBS shows.

1. Dancing with the Stars - Mon (ABC)

How much would you spend for a 30 second commercial on Grey's Anatomy? It's the most expensive TV show to advertise on, according to Ad Age magazine. It costs $419,000 for a half minute.

In second place is Sunday Night Football, which costs $358,000, and then The Simpsons, which is a cool $315,000. Rounding out the top 10 are Heroes ($296,000), Desperate Housewives ($270,000), CSI ($248,000), Two and a Half Men ($231,000), Survivor and Private Practice (tied at $208,000 each), and then Prison Break ($200,000).

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

1. Sunday Night Football - Dallas vs. Chicago (NBC)
2. Survivor: China (CBS)
3. CSI (CBS)
4. Sunday Night Football Pre-Kick (NBC)
5. Cold Case (CBS)
6. Deal Or No Deal - Mon (NBC)
7. Shark (CBS)
8. 60 Minutes (CBS)
9. Without A Trace (CBS)
10. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
11. Family Guy (FOX)
12. Football Night In America - Part 3 (NBC)
13. Deal Or No Deal - Weds (NBC)
14. CSI: Miami (CBS)
15. The Simpsons (FOX)
16. The O.T. (FOX)
17. Back To You (FOX)
18. Kid Nation (CBS)
19. CSI: NY (CBS)
20. Desperate Housewives (ABC)

Please tell me that Heroes is not going to jump the shark one day before it's second season premiere. Please, please, please. If this happens, I will be so upset and forced to make up my own version of the season using action figures, some Play-Doh, and a 1980s cassette recorder. To be honest, I don't really have that kind of time, so I'm pleading for the TV gods to make this something whimsical rather than cringe-inducing.

Apparently Masi Oka will be appearing as Hiro Nakamura on Sunday Night Football tonight. NBC was tight-lipped about the content of the ad, but based on the pictures they sent out, you can only assume that it involves Masi and Terrell Owens (maybe he's the new Sylar) in front of ... something. Maybe Owens gets Hiro's ability to bend space and time, lord knows it would have helped with his receptions last year.

That green screen leaves a lot to the imagination. So tune in tonight when the Cowboys play the Bears and see what happens. It'll air right before Faith Hill's opening number. Yow.

One more photo for your enjoyment, after the break.

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

1. NFL Football - Bengals vs. Ravens (ESPN)
2. The Closer (TNT)
3. NFL Football - 49s vs. Cardinals (ESPN)
4. Saving Grace (TNT)
5. WWE Monday Night RAW - 10pm (USA)
6. Monk (USA)
7. WWE Monday Night RAW - 9pm (USA)
8. Sunday Night Baseball - Red Sox vs. Yankees (ESPN)
9. Burn Notice (USA)
10. The Hills (MTV)

Here are the weekly ratings, by number of viewers.

1. NBC Sunday Night Football (NBC)
2. Emmy Awards (FOX)
3. 60 Minutes (CBS)
4. Sunday Night Football Pre-Kick (NBC)
5. Without A Trace (CBS)
6. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
7. CSI: NY (CBS)
8. CSI (CBS)
9. Big Brother - Thurs (CBS)
10. CSI: Miami (CBS)
11. Football Night in America - Part 3 (NBC)
12. Criminal Minds (CBS)
13. Big Brother - Tues (CBS)
14. House (FOX)
15. NCIS (CBS)
16. Power of 10 - Wed (CBS)
17. The Biggest Loser (NBC)
18. Cold Case (CBS)
19. Rules of Engagement (CBS)
20. Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader (FOX)

NBC's press tour day continued with a panel on Sunday Night Football.

When it concluded, panelists including Tiki Barber, John Madden and Al Michaels tossed out signed footballs to 10 or so lucky members of the press. Score! I caught the ball thrown to me by 2006 Super Bowl champion Jerome Bettis, formerly of The Pittsburgh Steelers, now an NBC sports analyst.

In my dreams. It actually sailed over my head to a journalist behind me. "Fumble," he said as he scooped it up.

Sometimes press tour swag can be elusive.

Keith Olbermann has a new gig.

Or should I say "another gig," as he'll still be host of MSNBC's Countdown. But he's going to add a co-hosting position on NBC's Football Night In America, the pre-game show that airs at 7pm on Sunday nights before the NFL game that NBC telecasts.

Olbermann has a long history in TV sports, having hosted ESPN's SportsCenter with Dan Patrick years ago (he was one of the models for the characters on Sports Night) and his own show on FOX Sports Network that was good but didn't last too long. This will be his first job in network sports in several years, other than what he does on Dan Patrick's radio show. Olbermann will join Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth, Jerome Bettis, and Tiki Barber, who started on NBC this morning.

[via TV Newser]

1. NCIS (CBS)
2. Deal Or No Deal - Mon (NBC)
3. Survivor - Finale (CBS)
4. House (FOX)
5. Criminal Minds (CBS)
6. CSI: Miami (CBS)
7. CSI: NY (CBS)
8. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
9. Sunday Night Football (NBC)
10. CSI (CBS)
11. Survivor (CBS)
12. NFL Sunday Post Game (NBC)
13. 60 Minutes (CBS)
14. The Santa Clause 2 (ABC)
15. The Unit (CBS)
16. Survivor - Reunion (CBS)
17. The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
18. Biggest Loser (NBC)
19. Numb3rs (CBS)
20. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (ABC)