CBS' tried-and-true summer strategy of running repeats of its strong sitcoms and crime franchises, as well as sticking with its established summer reality shows -- Amazing Race and Big Brother -- is paying big dividends for the network.
For the week ending July 11, CBS had the seven top shows in viewers and eight of the top-10, as well as seven of the top 10 in adults 18-49 and the top seven in adults 25-54. The win in adults 18-49 marks CBS's first weekly win in the demo.
Last week, a repeat of CSI was the top-rated show in viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, followed by CSI: Miami in the number-three spot among adults 18-49. Repeats of Everybody Loves Raymond and Two and a Half Men were the top two sitcoms in viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, beating repeats of NBC's Friends and Will & Grace.
The premieres of Amazing Race 5 and Big Brother 5 both scored for CBS as well, with Amazing Race taking fourth among adults 18-49. Big Brother's Tuesday and Thursday outings both ranking in the top-10 among adults 18-49.
Even with tough competition from Amazing Race and Big Brother, NBC's Last Comic Standing managed to turn in its best results in three weeks and come in fifth for the week among adults 18-49. The show is performing so well that NBC has given it a spot on its fall schedule.
Over at Fox, The Simple Life 2 remains the bright spot, with the show coming in second for the week among adults 18-49. In adults 18-34, The Simple Life 2 is first, followed by Method & Red and The Simpsons.Quintuplets came in eighth in the demo.
Summer-to-date, CBS is the only network to be up across all demos (much as it was during the regular season). The network is up 3% in viewers, 4% in adults 18-49 and 3% in adults 25-54. NBC, which is winning the summer season in adults 18-49 with a 2.6 rating compared to CBS' 2.4, is down 13% summer-to-summer in adults 18-49. Fox is down 20% in the demo, while ABC is down 4%.
