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Network TV takes a snooze.
FOX: On a night when no show on any broadcast network rated higher than 1.4, the closest thing to an event was THE FINDER rising to 1.2 from the previous week’s 0.9. This is almost certainly not enough to save the show, especially since every other network except CW aired reruns in the hour. FRINGE crept up 0.1 to 1.0, and paradoxically that may not mean the show is dead–as a longer-term show, its future, if any, probably lies in ancillary value and whether a license fee deal can be reached between FOX and Warner Bros Television, the production studio.
NBC: After a blip up last week, GRIMM (which has gotten more entertaining as the show finally develops some mythology) fell to an unimpressive 1.3, even with CBS in reruns against it. A repeat WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE did a 0.8, but DATELINE was the night’s “champion” with 1.4, enough to give NBC a tie for the night’s win.
ABC: Mostly reruns, except for PRIMETIME at 9PM, all rating 1.2-1.4, which was sufficient to tie for the nightly win.
CBS: The sitcom experiment at 8PM didn’t move the needle, with rerun MIKE & MOLLY and RULES OF ENGAGEMENT both scoring 0.8–exactly the same rating as the night’s later reruns of CSI NY and BLUE BLOODS.
CW: NIKITA may have sealed its fate with a lousy series low-tying 0.4 for its first new episode in several weeks. SUPERNATURAL also tied its series low with 0.6.
Tonight everything is either unscripted or a repeat, except for NBC’s interminable burn-off of THE FIRM. FOX airs one of its intermittent AMERICA’S MOST WANTED specials. Tomorrow, the last pre-sweeps Sunday of the season, FOX airs its self-congratulatory 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL and ABC throws the MOW FIRELIGHT against the wall, while CBS hopes NYC 22 doesn’t collapse too badly in its 2d airing. As usual, the Sunday night excitement is on cable, where HBO adds VEEP to its line-up (look for our view tomorrow night).
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