What began as a rather disappointing season for “Big Brother 8” has perked up over the last month, and tonight’s season finale seems likely to pull good numbers for CBS opposite still-light summer competition.
“Brother” is up 4 percent over last summer among adults 18-49, averaging a 2.9 rating for its thrice-weekly episodes. Four percent doesn’t sound like a lot, but in a summer where most returning shows were down and new ones had bad-to-atrocious ratings, it’s a bright spot for CBS. During its first month, “Brother” had lagged behind last summer.
As always on “Brother,” the ratings spark has been provided by controversy. Months after allegations of racism on a British “Celebrity Big Brother” boosted that show to record ratings, the CBS version has seen two contestants accused of using hate-filled language.
One, Amber Siyavus, called Jewish people greedy, and CBS said it did not condone those remarks. Another, Dick Donato, was so verbally abusive toward a female houseguest, telling her at one point that he wanted to kill her, that the California National Organization for Women demanded that he be booted from the program. Of course he wasn’t, and now he and his daughter, Daniele, are the two finalists in tonight’s episode.
Last week’s penultimate “Brother,” which aired Thursday, attracted the show’s highest ratings of the season. It matched a season high among 18-49s with a 3.3 and set a new one in 18-34s with a 2.5.
It could do just as well tonight, when its toughest competition is NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”
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A look at this week’s top TV draws
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
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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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Music star James Blunt performs.
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8 p.m.
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CW
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"Beauty and the Geek" (R)
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Season premiere. Last season's winners help host Mike Richards select this season's 25 contestants.
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8 p.m.
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NBC
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"The Biggest Loser" (R)
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The teams are forced to race up the stairs of a 10-story building.
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9 p.m.
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ABC
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"Elvis: Viva Las Vegas" (N)
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Elizabeth Vargas examines The King's Vegas days.
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9 p.m.
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MyNetworkTV
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"Jail" (R)
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Kind of like a sequel to "Cops," focusing on jails.
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10 p.m.
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HBO
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"Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" (S, N)
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Among other things, an interview with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.
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10 p.m.
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TLC
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"LA Ink" (R)
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Kat and the crew try to put some money together so Pixie can get the surgery she needs.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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8 p.m.
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Fox
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"Back to You" (C)
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Series premiere. Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton play a reunited newscast duo in Pittsburgh.
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8 p.m.
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CBS
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"Kid Nation" (R)
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Series premiere. The controversial show where kids ages 8-15 live in a New Mexico ghost town.
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8 p.m.
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CW
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"America's Next Top Model" (R)
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Season premiere. The journey for this cycle's 33 contestants starts on a Caribbean cruise.
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9 p.m.
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NBC
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"Last Comic Standing" (R)
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Season finale. The show's fifth winner is selected.
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9 p.m.
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Fox
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"Kitchen Nightmares" (R)
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Series premiere. Chef Gordon Ramsay earns ratings for Fox in the summer, but how will he do in the fall?
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10 p.m.
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VH1
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"The Rise and Fall of Joe Francis" (N)
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A short chronicle of the plight of the "Girls Gone Wild" creator.
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10 p.m.
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MTV
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"The Real World" (R)
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The group gets ready for Mardi Gras in Sydney, which, apparently, is the world's biggest gay-pride festival.
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
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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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Country legend and actress Reba McEntire performs.
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7:30 p.m.
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ESPN
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"College Football" (S)
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Texas A&M and Miami meet for the first time since 1944.
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8 p.m.
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CBS
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"Survivor" (R)
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Season premiere. The 15th season takes place in China.
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9 p.m.
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USA
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"Burn Notice" (D)
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Season finale. Sam ends up where you never want to be: held hostage by heroin smugglers.
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10 p.m.
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AMC
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"Mad Men" (D)
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Don's face appears on an industry magazine after he wins an important award.
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10 p.m.
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FX
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"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (C)
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Dennis and Dee's mom dies, and she leaves them nothing in her will.
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10 p.m.
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A&E
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"Dallas SWAT" (R)
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Season finale. An officer looks into one last case before he retires.
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
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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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Tom Hanks and Ken Burns guest, while GQ magazine celebrates its 50th birthday.
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7 p.m.
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ESPN
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"Major League Baseball" (S)
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Who would have thought Brewers-Braves would be such an important game this late in the season?
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8 p.m.
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CMT
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"Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team" (R)
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The final round of auditions has newcomers trying to take the places of veterans.
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9 p.m.
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Fox
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"Nashville" (R)
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Rachel, Sarah and Lindsey all try to impress a talent scout.
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10 p.m.
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Sci Fi Channel
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"Painkiller Jane" (D)
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Season finale. A group of dangerous Neuros escapes from NICO.
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10 p.m.
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Showtime
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"The Payaso Comedy Slam" (C)
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Eight Hispanic comics perform their sets in San Bernardino.
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
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Time
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Network
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Program
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Description
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3:30 p.m.
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NBC
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"College Football" (S)
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Michigan State takes on 0-3 Notre Dame in South Bend.
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3:30 p.m.
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Fox
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"Major League Baseball" (S)
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Mariners-Angels, Brewers-Braves or Mets-Marlins.
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3:30 p.m.
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ABC
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"College Football" (S)
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Michigan's off to a 1-2 start but can get back on track with a win versus Penn State in the Big Ten season opener.
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8 p.m.
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Fox
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"Cops" (R)
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Cops in Florida stop a man driving a golf cart. No, it's not Bill Murray.
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8 p.m.
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ABC
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"College Football" (S)
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