Nothing Miniature About CSI

Tue., May. 1, 2007 3:17 PM PDT by Joal Ryan

Sure, the CSIers haven't caught the Miniature Killer yet. But nobody's caught the CSIers yet, either.

With three episodes to go in the season, the veteran CBS forensics series is closing in on yet another title as TV's most watched scripted show.

Translation: After all these years, and after American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, nobody's bigger than the Vegas bloodhounds.

To be sure, the Seattle doctors of Grey's Anatomy have turned some heads away from CSI, which is averaging 4.5 million fewer viewers this season than last. The ABC medical drama moved to Thursday nights opposite CSI last fall.

But while Grey's took several of the early rounds, CSI has taken the later ones, including last week's, winning the head-to-head matchup 20.2 million viewers (fourth place) to 20.1 million viewers (fifth place), per the latest Nielsen Media Research rankings.

For the season, CSI is averaging 20.5 million viewers, over Grey's Anatomy (19.1 million) and Fox's House (18.9 million), which is currently TV's hottest drama.

Further behind, and with little hope of dethroning CSI, is ABC's Desperate Housewives (17.5 million), which as of January was TV's No. 1 show, scripted or otherwise.

CSI hasn't been bested by another drama or comedy in five years, when Friends ended the 2001-02 season atop the Nielsen heap.

This year, the series has maintained its top spot, and staved off Grey's Anatomy, with its pursuit of the Miniature Killer, a psycho with an undeniable knack for itty-bitty-little crime-scene recreations. The killer's identity is to be revealed in the May 17 season finale.

The ratings cliffhanger—Was Miniature big enough for CSI? Did Grey's Anatomy rally? Did House surprise?—should be revealed the following week.

Here are some other ratings highlights from the TV week ended Sunday:

Bono, Celine Dion, video Elvis and $60 million in Idol Gives Back donations added up to a relatively ho-hum Wednesday performance (26.9 million, first place) for the Fox show. By comparison, Sanjaya Malakar's no-frills exit the week before drew 2 million more viewers.
Tuesday's Idol (second place, 26.5 million), featuring the top six finalists singing songs of uplift, was nothing to get excited about, either.
The week's least-watched broadcast network show, the CW comedy All of Us (118th place, 2.3 million), would kill for an off-week like Idol's.
NBC's Heroes (17th place, 12 million) is back—and not quite as big as ever. Its first new episode in approximately 100 years was off nearly 20 percent from its season average.
ABC's Lost (18th place, 11.9 million) edged CBS' CSI: NY (19th place, 11.4 million).
CBS' King of Queens (14th place, 12.6 million) is enjoying its last lap around the block.
The democracy is safe for now: An interview with former CIA director George Tenent on CBS' 60 Minutes (21st place, 11 million) outdrew less substantial foul-ups, bleeps and blunders on ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos (37th place, 8.4 million).
Ashton Kutcher's Real Wedding Crashers (52nd place, 6.7 million) isn't quite the blockbuster that the fictional Wedding Crashers was. Or that NBC must have hoped it would be.
Officially, that was a screening of the 2004 Ben Stiller-Jennifer Aniston comedy Along Came Polly that NBC aired Sunday night (65th place, 5.1 million). Unofficially, that was a white flag that the network waved on what once was TV's biggest night.
So, what kind of good deed does NBC's My Name Is Earl (48th place, 7.2 million) have to do to get its ratings karma back?
At least NBC's Scrubs (76th place, 4.7 million) didn't get beat on Thursday by the Univision telenovela Destilando Amor (82nd place, 4.6 million).
At least NBC's 30 Rock (74th place, 4.7 million) didn't end its first season with a thud. Oh, sorry, it did.
Fox's canceled Drive (80th place, 4.595 million) never got a chance to get it in gear.
The crowning of Asia Nitollano on the season finale of the CW's Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll (103rd place, 3.4 million) helped the reality series to its biggest numbers since its premiere all the way back in...Well, back in March.
In cable, Hannah Montana, Hannah Montana and Hannah Montana pretty much sums up the standings.
The Democratic Presidential debate was important and all (2.3 million viewers for MSNBC), but, come on, it's no NFL draft (5.1 million for ESPN).

Overall, Fox dominated the May sweeps week in total viewers (averaging 11.5 million) and young adults.

CBS placed second in viewers (10.8 million), but rated only third among youngsters who are too darn hip to appreciate a good Shark (11th place, 14.1 million).

ABC took second in the demo, and third in viewers (9.6 million).

NBC rebounded from its least-watched week ever to notch its second-least-watched week ever (6.7 million). It also finished last among the big four networks in young adults.

The CW averaged 3.1 million Friday Night Smackdown (92nd place, 4.2 million) fans and others.

Here's a look at the 10 most-watched prime-time shows for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research: