November Sweeps 2009 Week Three, Recap

Different day comparisons
Ugly Betty (F vs. Th) -52%
Private Practice (Th vs. W) +63%

The Mentalist (Th vs. T) +3%

House (M vs. T) -11%
Bones (Th vs. W) -9%
Fringe (Th vs. T) -46%

Law & Order: SVU (W vs. T) -30%
Law & Order (F vs. W) -27%

Smallville (F vs. Th) -14%

Top 5 Timeslot Gainers
1. House vs. Terminator: SCC (Fox, Monday 8pm) +163%
2. Smallville vs. Everybody Hates Chris/The Game (CW, Friday 8pm) +71%
3. Dateline vs. Crusoe (NBC, Friday 9pm) +70%
t-4. Modern Family vs. Private Practice (ABC, Wednesday 9pm) +57%
t-4. Glee vs. House (R) (Fox, Wednesday 9pm) +57%

Four of five nets represented, and three of the five timeslots that made the list last week are back this time, with a fourth of last week's representatives in BBT vs. Worst Week missing the top 5 by the thinnest of margins. As V's improvement relative to year-ago Dancing recaps continues to shrink, it's Modern Family that joins the list for ABC, making a huge improvement on Private Practice, which was fast-tanking on Wednesday last year but has found some new life on Thursdays. Private Practice becomes the first show to survive to this day despite airing an original last year that was a victim of a top 5 gain - and for a double whammy of numbers geekery, PP itself nearly made the top 5 gainers list, with its Thursday episode building on year-ago Life on Mars by 50%.

Top 5 Timeslot Losers
1. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7pm) -65%
2. The Jay Leno Show vs. ER (NBC, Thursday 10pm) -57%
t-3. SYTYCD vs. House/Fringe (FOX, Tuesday 8-10pm) -50%
t-3. Trauma vs. Heroes (NBC, Monday 9pm) -50%
5. The Jay Leno Show vs. Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Tuesday 10pm) -49%

60 Minutes becomes the first same show, same timeslot situation to make any of the top 5 timeslot lists. But don't let that fool you, as its situations were very different; it had football overrun last year and took place in the immediate aftermath of the presidential election. This year's 60 Minutes did not. Otherwise, usual suspects. Dance, Trauma, and a double-dose of Jay (with a third Jay, the Wednesday hour, part of a three-way tie for sixth at -36%).

Top 5 Show Gainers
1. Private Practice (Th10pm vs. W9pm) +63%
2. The Big Bang Theory (M9:30pm vs. M8pm) +32%
3. NCIS +17%
4. The Biggest Loser (T8:30-10pm vs. T8-10pm) +16%
5. The Simpsons +10%

Big Bang and NCIS are the only two incumbents on the show gainer list this week. Private Practice has a much better timeslot and finally gets an applicable comparison. Biggest Loser has been healthy year-to-year in general, but it looked particularly good this week because it didn't have to air in the 8pm half-hour thanks to a Madagascar Christmas special. The Simpsons benefits from a football lead-in this year but not last (and 60 Minutes, see above, had the opposite to deal with).

Top 5 Show Losers
1. 60 Minutes -65%
2. Ugly Betty (F9pm vs. Th8pm) -52%
3. Fringe (Th9pm vs. T9pm) -46%
4. Heroes (M8pm vs. M9pm) -39%
5. Ghost Whisperer -31%

Again, for the first time, we have shows that aired in the same timeslot both years. 60 Minutes has a decent excuse, above. Ghost Whisperer really doesn't. It's way down. The show had considerable momentum at this time last year and has squandered a very large chunk of it. Betty, Fringe, and Heroes are usual suspects on this list.