Schedules Plus, CBS Wednesday

Schedules Plus is another innovative application of the historical ratings statistic A18-49+. I hope this will be the ultimate resource for comparing the evolution of shows, networks and timeslots over time, complete with ratings numbers that make a fair adjustment for the collective decline. Right now this only includes programs aired in the fall. Much more about the process that went into this at the bottom.

At the very beginning of the A18-49+ era, CBS Wednesday was a problem night. But developing CSI: NY and Criminal Minds in back to back seasons cured a lot of ills. The 8:00 hour remained a problem for pretty much those dramas' entire time together, but starting in fall 2010 CBS locked it down by moving Survivor to the night. A second former Thursday megahit joined when the original CSI took over 10/9c in 2011, creating a solid three-hour lineup that was intact for three years.

CBS Wednesday

	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00	10:30	Avg
2001-02	60 Minutes II		The Amazing Race Fall		Wolf Lake		72
	59		90		65
2002-03	60 Minutes II		The Amazing Race Fall		Presidio Med		68
	62		86		56
2003-04	60 Minutes II		King of Queens	Becker	Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.		65
	53		100	78	53
			89
2004-05	60 Minutes II		King of Queens	Center of the Universe	CSI: NY		88
	46		90	87	130
			89
2005-06	Still Standing	Yes, Dear	Criminal Minds		CSI: NY		93
	53	62	98		123
	57
2006-07	Jericho		Criminal Minds		CSI: NY		102
	71		113		121
2007-08	Kid Nation		Criminal Minds		CSI: NY		96
	70		110		109
2008-09	The New Adventures of Old Christine	Gary Unmarried	Criminal Minds		CSI: NY		101
	68	74	120		112
	71
2009-10	The New Adventures of Old Christine	Gary Unmarried	Criminal Minds		CSI: NY		103
	69	76	128		108
	73
2010-11	Survivor Fall		Criminal Minds		The Defenders		121
	143		136		85
2011-12	Survivor Fall		Criminal Minds		CSI		132
	139		144		115
2012-13	Survivor Fall		Criminal Minds		CSI		126
	133		136		109
2013-14	Survivor Fall		Criminal Minds		CSI		122
	132		132		101
2014-15	Survivor Fall		Criminal Minds		Stalker		119
	138		127		91
Avg	89		114		99		101

2014-15 Update: Survivor had another banner year in 2014-15, dropping less than the league average for both the fall and spring (134) seasons. But the network as a whole regressed, as Criminal Minds gave back most of the Survivor gains with a slight drop at 9/8c, then 10/9c occupants Stalker and CSI: Cyber (82) fell well shy of CSI's previous production. They'll try again with Code Black this fall, and they well may be trying again multiple times (especially since a Criminal Minds spin-off sits on the shelf).

Notable midseason replacements:

• CBS' last tweak to this lineup before CSI came in was the spring 2011 Criminal Minds spin-off Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (92).

See here for more explanations/disclaimers about Schedules Plus.