Ratings: CSI Teaches Anatomy a Lesson

William Petersen by Bill Inoshita/CBS, Patrick Dempsey by Scott Garfield/ABC

Round 1 last fall went to the Seattle Grace gang; not so this time. Thursday's ratings rundown:

8 pm/ET
Survivor: China topped the hour with 14.16 million total viewers, a drop of a mil from its premiere. Ugly Betty's season-opener (11.05 mil) was up from its freshman finale but off six mil from its year-ago debut. NBC's Earl (8.52 mil) was down about 500K from its previous premiere. Smallville veritably matched last fall's return with 5.08 mil.

9 pm
With 24.9 million viewers, CSI outperformed its 2006 opener by some 13 percent and in doing so trumped Grey's Anatomy, which returned to an audience of 20.5 mil (down from last fall's 25.15 mil). Though Grey's fared better among the key demos, that is Grissom & Co.'s largest-ever margin of victory over the ABC titan. The Office (9.67 mil) improved on its previous premiere by 670 thou.

10 pm
Without a Trace embraced anew its Thursday time slot with 16.7 million viewers, just shy of its last (Sunday-night) season-opener but nearly two mil better than Shark did here a year ago. ABC's Big Shots (11.6 mil) shot down 43 percent of its Grey's lead-in, but still bested ER (which with 9.93 mil was way off last fall's 15.5 mil).

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Posted by

Matt Webb Mitovich

Sep 28, 2007 12:25 PM

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not bad for Ugly Betty. Survivor is still strong. Yeah Grey lost in the total viewers but still won the 18-49 demo, still a win. When will the CW beat FOX in the Thursdays ratings... FOX is weak during thursdays. good numbers for smallville given the stiff competition. the only reminder of the once good theWB
Posted by jecoup Sep 28, 2007 12:33 PM Report Abuse

and the reason I thinK csi won because of the Sara cliff hanger. How I wish Dirty sexy money got the greys lead in rather than big shots
Posted by jecoup Sep 28, 2007 12:37 PM Report Abuse

I agree about DSM and the fact that CSI was wrapping up a cliffhanger... Not looking good for ER, huh? read that Grey's audience increased in the 2nd hour, too...(and was the top show in the demo for the night) CBS squeaked out a win in the demos...barely.
Posted by daveraleigh Sep 28, 2007 12:58 PM Report Abuse

CSI won because it's CSI! and still one of the most popular if not the most popular shows on TV AND because the promo used was very effective. I fully believe promos with the right songs (think Nine Crimes and Leaving Las Vegas) get the job done.

Either way CSI's ratings can't possibly stay that high not with what TV GUIDE so gleefully reported not even 45 minutes after the show aired last night. It won't be able to survive that blow. The two highest rated eps (last night) and 26 million for whether Grissom was leaving should tell TPTB something. People care about these characters. CSI isn't a show with turnaround of characters like a soap opera

Posted by Sonnet53

Sep 28, 2007 1:09 PM

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Being a firm hater of the numbers game, yet I'm pleased to see that CSI overwhelmed Grey's Anatomy. Grey's, while it commands a large fan base, is still just another soap.
Posted by inthewind Sep 28, 2007 1:34 PM Report Abuse

And CSI isn't just another procedural? I can't imagine that anyone who watched "Big Shots" once will do so again. I know I won't.
Posted by MiniMarie Sep 28, 2007 1:57 PM Report Abuse

And CSI isn't just another procedural? Words right outta my mouth.
Posted by daveraleigh Sep 28, 2007 2:00 PM Report Abuse

CSI is one of the original investigative crime procedurals as we currently know them - can't fault it for still being popular and awesome.
Posted by Susan Marvin Sep 28, 2007 2:16 PM Report Abuse

Got bored with Big Shots after about 30 minutes. Great talent in front of the camera, but nothing engaging me otherwise. And I already got my trannie girlfriend fix with the far superior Dirty Sexy Money. I'm curious how The Office's numbers will improve once the +7 (if I've got that right) figures are compiled.
Posted by brian73107 Sep 28, 2007 2:18 PM Report Abuse

CSI isn't just another procedural because of the cast and the fact that is started a whole new genre (the forensic procedural). If it was just another procedural people wouldn't still be so easily riled everytime it's brought up. CSI used to draw over 30M people a week. That's astounding. You can't discount it or it's cast. GA IS just another soap, no matter how you slice it. Nothing wrong with that I like soaps. Though I prefer GH and Sonny (McMobster)

Posted by Sonnet53

Sep 28, 2007 2:32 PM

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I wanted Grey's to knock off CSI and last year was the best chance Grey's had to overtake CSI as ratings champ, while they were coming off their best year(S2), but CSI had one of its strongest seasons and Grey's slipped. I think its safe to say CSI will remain ratings champ for another year.

I've never believed that winning the 18-49 demo is still a win, numbers don't lie; CSI is the most popular program on TV

Posted by 525600min

Sep 28, 2007 2:36 PM

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Granted it was still in third place behind CSI & Grey's, but I am thrilled with "The Office"'s numbers!!
Posted by Shannonm93 Sep 28, 2007 2:57 PM Report Abuse

I am happy about the office and smallville.. i hope supernatural is able to get good ratings and not sink below 3 mil like gossip girl did this week
Posted by zack89 Sep 28, 2007 3:14 PM Report Abuse

Hey I watched both Grey's and CSI last night and frankly, both were very disappointing. Neither was good but CSI was just plain bad. CSI has went from a good procedural show to a canrival of errors in last nights episode. The evil girl single-handidly lowered a car onto Sara without the aid of tools - RIDICULOUS! And with the flash flood barely over, all of the search vehicles were kicking up so much dust I felt like I was in Kansas!

CSI used to be better than that!

Posted by Ranger99

Sep 28, 2007 4:09 PM

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