Fox has always been more of an afterthought on Thursday night, where NBC, CBS and most recently ABC have dominated the night. But with all three networks’ schedules moving into writers’ strike-induced reruns, suddenly Fox has become quite competitive.
Last Thursday Fox won its first non-summer Thursday night with regularly scheduled programming since December 1992 with the game shows “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics,” which both hit season highs.
Tonight at 8 p.m. Fox hopes to build on that win with a special two-hour edition of “Smarter” featuring an appearance by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Judging by how football has performed this year, with huge viewership for the recent playoff games, that could give “Smarter” another bump.
Fox’s win last week was due to the other networks’ struggles more than anything else, with ABC and CBS well off their year-to-date averages, but clearly Fox is benefiting from it. It was the only network with all-original programming last week.
“Smarter” averaged a season-high 3.7 adults 18-49 rating, its best since last March, and the Jeff Foxworthy-hosted show actually bested ABC’s “Ugly Betty,” the only original competition, by a solid 23 percent.
Tonight the show faces somewhat tougher competition, with a special episode of NBC’s usual Monday show “Chuck” airing at 8 p.m. CBS’s “Survivor” will also return two weeks from tonight.
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A look at this week’s top TV draws
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 24
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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7 a.m.
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NBC
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“Today” (N)
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Actress Diane Lane guests.
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8 p.m.
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ABC
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“Ugly Betty” (D)
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Marc helps Amanda track down her biological father.
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9 p.m.
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NBC
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“Celebrity Apprentice” (R)
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The contestants try to push tickets to Broadway shows.
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9 p.m.
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BBC America
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“Last Restaurant Standing” (R)
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Series premiere. Nine couples with little restaurant experience compete. How long before an American rip-off?
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9 p.m.
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ESPN
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“Winter X-Games” (S)
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The 12th annual event kicks off from Aspen, Colo.
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10 p.m.
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ABC
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“Big Shots” (D)
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James and Katie have relationship issues and Brody tries to keep a secret from Janelle.
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10 p.m.
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VH1
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“Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” (R)
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Some of the celebrities start to show progress, while others continue to get into it with Dr. Drew.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 25
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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7 a.m.
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ABC
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“Good Morning America” (N)
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Famous chef Cat Cora guests.
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8 p.m.
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NBC
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“1 vs. 100” (G)
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Oscar the Grouch and Playboy Playmates make up part of the mob.
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9 p.m.
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CBS
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“Garth Brooks: Live in L.A.!” (A)
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The country legend performs at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
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9 p.m.
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USA
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“Monk” (D)
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Monk looks for a murderer who seems to only kill people named Julie.
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9:30 p.m.
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ESPN
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“Tennis” (S)
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The Australian Open women’s final.
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10 p.m.
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NBC
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“Las Vegas” (D)
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R&B singer Ne-Yo makes a guest appearance.
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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1 p.m.
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CBS
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“College Basketball” (S)
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Good non-conference matchup between Indiana and Connecticut.
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3 p.m.
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CBS
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“PGA Golf” (S)
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Third-round coverage of the Buick Invitational, Tiger Woods’ first event of the year.
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8 p.m.
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Fox
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“Cops” (R)
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Among other things, cops in Cincinnati break up a fight.
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8 p.m.
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NBC
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“Figure Skating” (S)
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Women’s final at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships from St. Paul.
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8 p.m.
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CBS
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“Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials” (A)
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The annual look at the big game’s best ads.
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8 p.m.
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TLC
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“Miss America Live 2008” (A)
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The 87th annual event, live from Las Vegas.
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 27
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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1 p.m.
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CBS
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“College Basketball” (S)
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In-state rivalry game between Big Ten foes Michigan and Michigan State.
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1 p.m.
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ABC
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“NBA Basketball” (S)
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KG and the Celtics take on the Magic in Orlando.
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3 p.m.
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CBS
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“PGA Golf” (S)
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Final round of the Buick Invitational, which Tiger has won three straight years.
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7 p.m.
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NBC
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“Figure Skating” (S)
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More coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, this time on the men’s side.
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8 p.m.
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Fox
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“The Simpsons” (C)
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Marge and Homer flash back to their dating days.
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9 p.m.
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Showtime
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“The L Word” (D)
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Tina’s new girlfriend makes Better jealous.
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10:30 p.m.
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E!
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“Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood” (R)
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Snoop takes the kids to his old Long Beach neighborhood to help them better appreciate what they have.
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A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.
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