Overnights
Sweeps chill: Monday primetime sinks
By Toni Fitzgerald
May 6, 2008 - 12:04:19 PM

It was a competitive Monday evening, with CBS and Fox tying for the nightly lead and ABC close behind, but overall ratings continue to slip for the broadcast networks. The Big Four were all down from last week and several shows hit season lows on the second Monday of May sweeps.

Fox and CBS finished first with a 3.8 adults 18-49 rating and 10 share apiece, according to Nielsen overnights. Both were off from last week, CBS down 3 percent from a 3.9/10 and Fox down 14 percent, from a 4.4/11.

Fox’s “House” dipped to a season low in its new 9 p.m. timeslot, though it was still the night’s top-rated show among 18-49s. The show averaged a 5.0 rating, off 12 percent from last week’s 5.7, and it was hardly the only one to slip.

“The Bachelor: London Calling” dropped to a season-low 2.4 at 10 p.m., while NBC’s two-hour “Deal or No Deal” also hit a season low for Monday with a 2.3.

The networks have been seeing ratings declines all spring, as viewers slowly return from the writers’ strike along with their favorite shows, at the same time DVR households and thus delayed viewing rates continue to climb.

Meanwhile, for the night, NBC placed fourth at 2.6/7, Univision fifth at 1.8/5 and CW sixth at 1.0/3.
 
ABC began the night in the lead with a 4.0 at 8 p.m. for “Dancing with the Stars,” followed by CBS with a 3.2 for “The Big Bang Theory” (season-low 2.8) and “How I Met Your Mother” (3.5). Fox was third with a 2.7 for “Bones,” NBC fourth with a 2.2 for “Deal,” Univision fifth with a 2.0 for “Al Diablo con los Guapos” and CW sixth with a 1.0 for “Gossip Girl.”
 
At 9 p.m. Fox took the lead with a 5.0 for “House,” with CBS second with a 4.4 for “Two and a Half Men” (4.8) and “Rules of Engagement” (3.9). ABC slid to third with a 3.8 for the end of “Stars” (4.6) and an episode of “Samantha Who?” (3.0), with NBC fourth with a 2.4 for another hour of “Deal,” Univision fifth with a 2.1 for “Fuego en la Sangre” and CW sixth with a 1.0 for “One Tree Hill.”
 
CBS led at 10 p.m. with a 4.0 for “CSI: Miami,” while NBC moved to second with a 3.2 for “Medium.” ABC was third with a 2.4 for “Bachelor” and Univision fourth with a 1.5 for “Cristina.”
 
Among households, ABC led the night with an 8.7 average overnight rating and a 14 share. CBS was second at 7.3/12, Fox third at 6.7/10, NBC fourth at 5.6/9, Univision fifth at 2.2/4 and CW sixth at 1.6/2.