The Programming Insider

Prime-Time Wednesday Ratings:
ABC Wins, CBS a Close Second, Fox's The O.C. DOA in Midweek

Wednesday 11/08/06
Metered Market Ratings

Household Rating/Share
ABC: 10.6/16, CBS: 9.5/14, NBC: 5.4/ 8, Fox: 4.3/ 6, CW: 3.5/ 5

-Percent Change From the Comparable Year-Ago Evening (Wednesday 11/09/05)
(The CW is compared to the UPN's combination of America's Next Top Model and Veronica Mars)
ABC: +25, CBS: no change, CW: - 5, Fox: -12, NBC: -23

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Note: The fast national results for Wednesday will be posted at www.pifeedback.com at 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night's Results, and Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006. And while you're there, leave a comment…or two.

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-Yesterday's Winners:
Dancing With the Stars Results Show (ABC), Lost (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), CSI: NY (CBS)

-Honorable Mention:
Bones (Fox), America's Next Top Model (CW)

-Yesterday's Losers:
The O.C. (Fox), The Nine (ABC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
First, and foremost, the next time someone mentions that variety is dead in prime time, remind that person of Dancing With the Stars, which is now the true definition of that genre. On that note, ABC danced its way to another Wednesday victory, with an overnight advantage over second-place CBS of 12 percent. Keep in mind, however, that the strength of Criminal Minds and CSI: NY could push CBS past ABC in total viewers (and, less likely, adults 18-49) once the fast national ratings are posted on www.pifeedback.com at 12 p.m.

The live Dancing With the Stars Results Show (so long, Joey Lawrence) kicked-off the evening for ABC with a 14.3 rating/21 share from 8-9 p.m. -- a time period high. Comparatively, that bested the No. 2 occupant in the hour, Fox's Bones, by a whopping 134 percent in rating and 12 share points. Bones (Overnights: 6.1/ 9) managed to inch pass CBS' soon-to-temporarily depart Jericho (#3: season low 6.0/ 9) by one-tenth of a rating point. For more on Jericho, see TV Tidbits below.

Over at NBC, a two-hour edition of The Biggest Loser (in place of former occupants 30 Rock and 20 Good Years) was not the biggest loser, with a 5.0/ 7 from 8-10 p.m. Following last week's clips show, America's Next Top Model on the CW bounced back with a healthy 4.5/ 7 in the overnights. Comparatively, that was almost equal to the 4.8/ 7 it delivered on UPN on the