-Friday's Losers (excluding repeats):
Swingtown (CBS), 20/20 (ABC) and the night overall

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
There was not much to say on this first Friday in August, with NBC first in households, CBS the most-watched network (with just over 5-million viewers), and three networks -- CBS, NBC and the CW -- tied for first among adults 18-49. You know something is up when the CW dominates in the demo.

CBS' relocated Swingtown continues to flounder at 10 p.m., with just 4.33 million viewers (#3) and a 1.3/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#2). Needless to say, the axe is about to swing. Earlier in the evening on CBS were repeats of Ghost Whisperer (Viewers: #1: 4.97 million; A18-49: #1: 1.2/ 5) and Numb3rs (Viewers: #1 and the most-watched show of the evening, 5.97 million; A18-49: #2, 1.3/ 5) from 8-10 p.m. Does anyone really think upcoming Friday 9 p.m. romantic dramedy The Ex List will succeed out of Ghost Whisperer and into Numb3rs? I personally don't.

NBC aired back-to-back repeats of the inane Most Outrageous Moments (Viewers: #2, avg. 4.09 million; A18-49: #4t, avg. 0.9/ 4 from 8-9 p.m.) and a two-hour edition of Dateline (Viewers: 5.54 million; A18-49: 1.4/ 5 from 9-11 p.m.). You know it's the summer when you see an expanded edition of Dateline pop up.

A repeat of theatrical Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney was fourth in both total viewers (3.46 million viewers) and adults 18-49 (1.1/ 4) from 8-10 p.m., leading into veteran 20/20 at just 4.34 million viewers (#2) and a 1.1/ 4 in the demo (#3) at 10 p.m. Can anyone remember the last time ABC aired something original on The Wonderful World of Disney?

The CW's soon-to-relocate Friday Night Smackdown! tied for first overall for the evening among adults 18-49, despite scoring a below average 1.2/ 5 in the demo. Total viewership was third, with 3.98 million.

Last, and very least, was repeat theatrical Fog on Fox at a mere 2.57 million viewers and a 0.9/ 3 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. To keep you interested, here is what you will be seeing on Fridays beginning in September:

ABC
8:00 p.m. Wife Swap (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. Supernanny (new day)
10:00 p.m. 20/20

CBS
8:00 p.m. Ghost Whisperer
9:00 p.m. The Ex List (new)
10:00 p.m. Numb3rs

NBC
8:00 p.m. Crusoe (new)
9:00 p.m. America's Toughest Jobs (new)
10:00 p.m. Life (new day)

Fox
8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (new day)
9:00 p.m. Don't Forget the Lyrics (new day)

CW
8:00 p.m. Everybody Hates Chris (new day)
8:30 p.m. The Game (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. America's Next Top Model (R, new day)

Friday 8/01/08
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

HH
Rtg/Shr
NBC 3.6/ 7
CBS 3.4/ 7
ABC 2.5/ 5
CW 2.3/ 5
Fox 1.8/ 3

-Total Viewers:
CBS: 5.09 million, NBC: 5.06, CW: 3.98, ABC: 3.75, Fox: 2.57

-Adults 18-49:
CBS, NBC and CW: 1.2 rating/5 share each, ABC: 1.1/ 4, Fox: 0.9/ 3

-------------------------

-Saturday's Winners:
Nothing as usual

-Saturday's Losers (excluding repeats):
Saturday Night's Main Event (NBC) and the night overall

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
Fox led the low-rated Saturday troops with a mere 4.47 million viewers and a 1.4 rating/6 share, on average, in prime-time. Two episodes of Fox's Cops averaged a typical 4.30 million viewers (#1) and a 1.4/ 6 among adults 18-49 (#1) in the 8 p.m. hour, followed by America's Most Wanted at 4.65 million viewers (#1) and a second-place 1.4/ 5 in the demo at 9 p.m.

ABC and CBS aired a night of all repeats. Two encore episodes of summer ABC hit Wipeout averaged 3.68 million viewers and a 1.3/ 5 among adults 18-49 from 8-10 p.m. That led into a repeat of Eli Stone at just 2.63 million viewers and a 0.8/ 3 in the demo -- last in both categories at 10 p.m. While I admire ABC for granting critically acclaimed Eli Stone a second season, it will be slim pickings Tuesday at 10 p.m. opposite NBC's perennial Law & Order: SVU and CBS' relocated Without a Trace. CBS aired encore telecasts of The Unit (Viewers: #3, 2.71 million; A18-49: #3t, 0.5/ 2), Canadian drama Flashpoint (Viewers: #3, 3.61 million; A18-49: #4, 0.7/ 3) and 48 Hours Mystery (Viewers: #1, 4.64 million; A18-49: #2, 1.1/ 04).

Minimally seen NBC capped off Saturday with two repeat episodes of The Office (Viewers: #4, avg. 1.64 million; A18-49: #4, avg. 0.5/ 2 from 8-9 p.m.), special Saturday Night's Main Event (Viewers: #4, 2.38 million; A18-49: #4, 0.7/ 3) and a repeat of Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Viewers: #2, 3.86 million; A18-49: #1, 1.1/ 4). What a night! It does not get much worse than this.

Saturday 8/02/08
Note: The following results are based on the fast affiliate ratings (Live Plus Same Day data).

HH
Rtg/Shr
Fox 3.0/ 6
CBS 2.5/ 5
ABC 2.0/ 4
NBC 1.7/ 3

-Total Viewers:
Fox: 4.47 million, CBS: 3.65, ABC: 3.33, NBC: 2.62

-Adults 18-49:
Fox: 1.4 rating/6 share, ABC: 1.1/ 4, NBC: 0.8/ 3, CBS: 0.7/ 3

-------------------------

-Yesterday's Winners:
Nothing

-Yesterday's Losers (Excluding Repeats):
Dateline (NBC), High School Musical – Get in the Picture (ABC)

----------

-Countdown to the Start of the New Season:
50 days

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
Pre-season football led NBC to an unimpressive metered market Sunday victory, with a nine percent advantage over second-place CBS. Tied for the distant No. 3 spot was ABC and Fox, followed by lowly the CW at an average 0.7 rating/ 1 share in prime-time. No…it doesn't get much worse than that.

Dateline opened the evening for NBC second in the 7 p.m. hour, with a weak 3.6/ 7 in the overnights. That led into the Indianapolis vs. Washington match-up (including the pre-game) at an approximate 5.4/ 9 from 8-11 p.m. Keep in mind that the results for any live sporting event are always approximate.

CBS' veteran 60 Minutes won the 7 p.m. hour in the overnights, with a 6.4/12. But that, of course, does not mean it will dominate among adults 18-49. Next was Big Brother 10 at a soggy second-place 4.1/ 8 at 8 p.m., followed by repeats of Million Dollar Password (#2: 3.8/ 6) and Cold Case (#2: 4.2/ 7) from 9-11 p.m. This week, Jessie is on the block with arrogant Memphis on Big Brother. Go, Renny!

ABC's High School Musical – Get in the Picture sunk to a series-low 1.8/ 3 at 8 p.m., 47 percent below a repeat of lead-in America's Funniest Home Videos (#3: 3.4/ 6 at 7 p.m.). Comparably, this very well could be ABC's lowest rated Sunday 8 p.m. performance in the history of the network. Also on ABC were repeats of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (#4: 2.9/ 5) and Desperate Housewives (#3: 2.4/ 4) from 9-11 p.m. Fox also lagged with its repeat combination of two episodes of ‘Til Death (#4: avg. 1.5/ 3 from 7-8 p.m.), two episodes of The Simpsons (#4: 2.9/ 6 from 8-9 p.m.), Family Guy (#3: 3.4/ 6) and American Dad (#4: 3.1/ 5). Don't forget that ‘Til Death airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. out of Bones this fall.

There was nothing to say, of course, with the CW”s encore combination of One Tree Hill (0.5/ 1), Everybody Hates Chris (#0.7/ 1), canceled Aliens in America (0.7/ 1), The Game (0.9/ 1) and concluded Girlfriends (0.9/ 1), which was never granted an official final episode. After eight seasons, Girlfriends deserved better. give you something to look forward to, here is what you will be seeing on Sunday nights beginning in September:

ABC
7:00 p.m. America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives
10:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters

CBS
7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes
8:00 p.m. The Amazing Race (return)
9:00 p.m. Cold Case
10:00 p.m. The Unit (new day and time)

NBC
7:00 p.m. Football Night in America
8:20 p.m. Sunday Night Football

Fox
7:00 p.m. The OT
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. King of the Hill
9:00 p.m. Family Guy
9:30 p.m. American Dad

Media Rights Capital (MRC – in place of the CW)
7:00 p.m. In Harm's Way (new)
7:30 p.m. Surviving Suburbia (new)
8:00 p.m. Valentine, Inc. (new)
9:00 p.m. Easy Money (new)

Sunday 8/03/08
Note: The following results are based on the metered market ratings.

HH
Rtg/Shr
NBC 5.0/ 9
CBS 4.6/ 8
ABC 2.6/ 5
Fox 2.6/ 5
CW 0.7/ 1

-Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening (Sunday, August 5, 2007)
NBC: +22, CW: no change, CBS: -12, Fox: -13, ABC: -16

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

-- Marc Berman