Weekly Ratings: 11/2 – 11/7

Sunday Ratings: The Simpsons Scares Up a Big Audience

This Sunday, as NBC's coverage of the Patriots-Colts game averaged 14.2 million total viewers:

8 pm/ET
The Simpsons won its time slot with an audience of 12.48 million, up 760K from last year's "Treehouse of Terror" special and the series best numbers since Feb. 22, 2004. In turn, lead-out King of the Hill (8.6 mil) gained 17 percent. Extreme Makeover did 11.7 mil, dipping 450 thou week-to-week, while Amazing Race held steady at 9.76 mil. The CW's Valentine (772,000) bled another 70K.

9 pm
Housewives topped the hour (and the demos) with 15.86 million viewers, inching up 200 thou. Placing third behind football, Cold Case (11.64 mil) dropped 350K. Both Family Guy (9.97 mil, +900K) and the just-renewed American Dad (7.2 mil, +600K) saw increases over their last fresh eps, while the CW's Easy Money slid 170 thou to 650K.

10 pm
Brothers & Sisters placed second with 9.72 mil, slipping 390 thou week-to-week. It was followed by The Unit (8.97 mil), which was down 130K.

Monday Ratings: Biggest Bang Ever, SNL Bash Gets Popular Vote

8 pm/ET
Dancing with the Stars dipped eight percent, averaging 17.34 million total viewers over its 90-minute run. CBS' swelling sitcombo placed second, with both Big Bang (rising 620K to an all-time high of 9.9 mil) and Mother (9.56 mil, +200K) posting gains. Behind Deal or No Deal, Sarah Connor did 5.16 mil, sliding 180 thou. Gossip Girl (3.16 mil) enjoyed a small increase.

9 pm
The SNL Presidential Bash special had the popular vote, averaging 14.36 million viewers over its two-hour run. That of course whittled away at everyone else's numbers, with Two and a Half Men (12.8 million, -1.75 mil), Worst Week (8.4 mil, down 16 percent) and Samantha Who? (9.7 mil, down 12 percent) suffering the biggest blows during this hour. Prison Break (5.23 mil) bid adieu to 600K viewers (as well as an original cast member). Tree Hill dipped 120 thou, to 3.02 mil.

10 pm
Trailing the back half of the SNL bash, CSI: Miami delivered 12.7 mil (down 600K). Boston Legal had a cow, plunging 20 percent to 7.22 mil.

Tuesday Ratings: ABC Ekes Out Win on Biggest Election Night Since 1980

After more than 130 million Americans cast their vote for President of the Unites States on Tuesday, a full 71 million tuned into 14 broadcast and cable networks to see who would emerge the winner, according to Nielsen. (Spoiler alert: Obama won.)

Of that total, ABC topped the pack in viewers, averaging 13.1 mil. CNN placed second with 12.3 million, the largest audience in the cabler's 28-year history.

Among the Big 4 networks, ABC and Fox posted gains over their 2004 presidential election coverage — of 13 percent and 29 percent, respectively — while CBS (plunging 22 percent) and NBC (down 10 percent) fell short of their previous performances.

All told, this year's coverage of the race to the White House was up 16 percent over the 2000 nail-biter, and represented the most-watched election night since 1980. It was also TV's most watched event since February's Super Bowl (97.5 mil).

Of the scarce scripted fare, the CW's 90210 (3.02 million viewers) dipped 180K week-to-week, but Privileged (2.26 mil) managed a slight increase. (Nope, no word yet on the back nine.)

In the land of cable, the Colbert and Stewart-hosted Indecision 2008: America's Choice drew 3.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched special in the history of Comedy Central's Indecision political coverage.

Wednesday Ratings: Dancing Puts the Brakes on Knight Rider

8 pm/ET
A special election-delayed broadcast of the Dancing with the Stars results show averaged 15.6 million total viewers, and thus played havoc with the competition. While Bones (10.1 mil) fought the good fight, dipping just 250K from its last outing, Knight Rider found water in its tank, skidding 29 percent to hit 5.14 mil. Similarly, CBS' Christine (6.57 mil) and Gary (6.44 mil) both dropped about 16 percent. Top Model matched last week's 3.94 mil.

9 pm
Criminal Minds topped the hour with 14.29 million viewers, up 480K. Goosed by a stronger (non-Daisies) lead-in, Private Practice surged 23 percent to a season-high 9.54 mil. NBC's relocated Life (5.82 mil) was up 320K from its last Friday airing, and the CW's Stylista inched up 130K, to two mil.

10 pm
Trailing CSI: NY (which at 11.75 mil was down 14 percent), Law & Order's 19th season premiered to an audience of 7.85 mil. That's down slightly from its May season finale, and a full 40 percent off from its previous season opener. Dirty Sexy Money inherited third place from Lipstick Jungle, delivering 6.25 mil (up 170K).

Thursday Ratings: Smallville, Supernatural Both Looking Super

8 pm/ET
Survivor: Gabon dropped nearly a million total viewers week-to-week, topping the hour with 12.18 mil. Ugly Betty placed second with 8.95 mil, up 400 thou. In third, both NBC's Earl (6.62 mil, +450K) and Kath & Kim (5.57 mil, +110K) saw increases. Smallville surged 13 percent to grab fourth place from Kitchen Nightmares and hit what could be a season high of 4.8 mil. We'll know for sure once some Denver affiliate (aka Broncos game) numbers are weeded out.

9 pm
Grey's Anatomy dominated the demos, but at 15.63 million viewers (up 580K) again fell shy of unseating CSI (18.1 mil, down 540 thou) as the hour's most-watched program. With NBC's The Office dropping 10 percent to match its season low (8.35 mil), 30 Rock (eight mil) in turn dipped 530K from its week-ago series high. Supernatural gained 200K to deliver 3.73 mil, which like Smallville's audience may be a season-best.

10 pm
Eleventh Hour continued its run at No. 1 with 10.97 million viewers, sliding 500K. Life on Mars stole second with 8.9 mil (up 520 thou), to ER's 8.64 mil.

Friday Ratings: Controversial Ghost Busts Out a New Season High

Unless otherwise noted, I'm comparing this Friday's ratings to Oct. 24, since Halloween scared away (snicker) so many viewers:

8 pm/ET
Ghost Whisperer looked Jim-dandy as it topped its previous season high by 11 percent, delivering 11.05 million total viewers. 5th Grader placed a distant second with 6.4 mil (surging 13 percent), followed by Deal or No Deal (5.53 mil) and Wife Swap (4.6 mil, up nine percent). The CW's Chris (1.72 mil) and The Game (1.68 mil) both dipped a bit.

9 pm
An NCIS repeat dominated with 11.26 million viewers, and in fact was the night's most-watched program. While Supernanny's divorce episode (5.43 mil) saw a gain of 350K, Don't Forget the Lyrics (4.94 mil, down 11 percent) and NBC's Crusoe (4.17 mil, plunging 30 percent) were the ones who really saw people split.

10 pm
Numbers nailed a new season high, tallying an audience of 11.2 million. It was followed by 20/20 (8.19 mil, up 700K) and Lipstick Jungle (which at 3.34 mil was up a hair from its first Friday foray).