Which reality show owes the California octuplets a case of Pampers? Who was TV's top cop? Why wasn't the Super Bowl really No. 1? And why might Miley Cyrus wish she wasn't? No. 1, that is.
The answers—and more questions—in this week's TV ratings pop quiz:
1. So, what do the octuplets have to do with the Nielsens? Maybe nothing. Or maybe all the news about the babies' arrival last Monday led to increased interest in that night's new offering of TLC's resident full-house series, Jon and Kate Plus 8 (3.7 million viewers—tops for cable reality shows), which was up 76 percent from the previous week.
2. Which cop show collared a No. 1 ranking? The Closer (6.2 million), back in business after a four-month hiatus, was cable's top draw. CSI (20.2 million) and other free-TV crime shows scored bigger audiences, but not top finishes.
Other cable standouts: Monk (5.4 million), Burn Notice (5.4 million) and Psych (4.3 million). Suite Life on Deck (3.8 million) and Meet the Browns (3.2 million) were the top half-hour comedies. After Jon and Kate, Top Chef (3.2 million) and Real Chance of Love (3 million) were the leading reality shows.
3. Why is NBC calling Super Bowl XLIII the most-viewed TV program in history when M*A*S*H is? The key is the network's use of the phrase "most viewed." NBC is touting the stat that shows 151.6 million watched even a few minutes of Sunday's game. By that accounting, the Super Bowl was TV's No. 1 show ever. But Nielsen's record book goes by what a show averaged from start to finish, not how many people happened to sample it. By that accounting, the 1983 M*A*S*H finale is still No. 1, averaging 106 million viewers to Super Bowl XLIII's 98.7 million.
4. Might not Miley Cyrus get so much grief for her off-screen behavior if her on-screen self weren't so beloved by children? Perhaps. But she—or, at least her series—is beloved by children. Even without a new episode to drive it last week, Hannah Montana was cable's top-rated program among kids 6-11, Disney Channel said.
5. What's better than airing after a Super Bowl? Being American Idol. Last week, it aired three times, and, in the weekly broadcast standings, each telecast outranked Super Bowl Sunday's episode of The Office. For Idol completists, Wednesday Idol was the biggest (27.4 million), followed by Tuesday (25.5 million) and Thursday (24.6 million).
6. What's better than being Cloris Leachman? Not much. After all, more people, on average, saw you make out with Jack Black on Sunday's The Office (22.9 million) than saw you get eliminated on Dancing with the Stars (17.4 million for the Oct. 28 episode).
7. Who else had a good week? Eric McCormack (Trust Me, 3.4 million—tops for a cable debut), The Real Housewives of Orange County (series-high 2 million) and True Beauty (Top 25 ranking in free TV's 18-49 demo). Damages (1 million) had a back-to-its-old-self week.
8. Is there hope for Scrubs? Definitely—if the ABC comedy aired on the CW. Last week, each of its two new episodes ranked in free TV's top 25 among women 18-34.