So the first Friday of November sweeps saw House substitued in for Dollhouse on FOX and Smallville hit season highs on The CW.

Ghost Whisperer won the 8pm hour for CBS, bringing in 8.3 million viewers and a 2.0 rating. Law & Order was second for the peacock, pulling a 1.4 rating and 7 million viewers beating out Supernanny on ABC, which drew just under 5 million viewers and a 1.3 18-49 rating. Smallville posted season highs in both viewers (2.6 million) and adults 18-49 (1.2) for The CW. A rerun of House was last in the hour, bringing in 3.4 million viewers and a 1.1 rating, which is still over 30% more than the Fox’s Friday 8pm average.

At 9pm, Medium took over for the eye, bringing in 7.7 million viewers and a 1.8 rating. NBC’s Dateline was second, pulling just under 8 million viewers and a 1.7 18-49 rating. A second ‘House’ rerun was third in the 9pm hour for FOX, out-rating the ratings challenged ‘Dollhouse’ By over 50% compared to last week. An America’s Next Top Model encore was last for the CW, pulling a 0.5 rating and just under 1.3 million viewers.

CBS continued to win at 10 with Numb3rs, which pulled a 1.8 rating and 7.7 million viewers to end the night. 20/20 was second for the alphabet, with a 1.6 rating and just under 7 million viewers. The Jay Leno Show posted series lows for NBC (1.2 rating, 5 million viewers) , who may be regretting this move already.

So there’s a plane bearing towards Wisteria Lane and now we know who the pilot who crashes it is.

The Simpsons star Dan Castellaneta, (the voice of Homer Simpson), will be taking on the role of the pilot that crashes a small plane in Fairview during the midseason finale of Desperate Housewives on December 6.

Castellaneta has recently guest starred on Greek as Rusty and Dale’s professor in the ABC Family show.

To view the latest What’s Next To Be Cancelled #6, Click Here

So, it’s Monday again and time to look at what’s transpired in the world of television renewals and cancellations.

In an update from last week, Community, Parks and Recreation and Mercy were given back 9 pickups by NBC. The Vampire Diaries was given a full season and Melrose were given an extra 5 episodes. What does this say about the chance of a the others? Find out below.

So we’ll again start with Three Rivers. My prediction was wrong. It lived to see another day… I can’t really see how much longer CBS are willing to put up with these numbers, especially seeing CSI and The Mentalist reruns out-rate it last week. I haven’t yet seen the numbers from last night but I predict that they’ll be lower than last week.
My Prediction: I’m puzzled. Although with November sweeps coming up I believe cancellation is imminent.

Eastwick – Last week ABC released a statement that they’re happy with Eastwick and will continue showing it and I believed them, to an extent. I believe that they’re happy with the content and creative direction that the show is going but there isn’t a chance in hell that I believe that they’re happy with the numbers. I will concede that this show isn’t going to get cancelled before Christmas but will not be picked up for a back 9. Judging by last weeks ratings which were steady with the week before at a (1.7 18-49), there’s no way that advertisers are happy with the performance.  
My Prediction: End after 13 episodes.  

The Forgotton - I was slightly surprised that this show actually bounced back slightly from last weeks ratings low and posted a 2.0 A18-49 rating. I know that NBC’s comedies Parks and Recreation and Community were picked up with similar numbers last week but still. This isn’t NBC, it’s ABC. They expect more from their shows and aren’t just trying to make the best of a bad situation.
My Prediction: Gone after 13 Eps

Fringe - Unfortunately Fringe has made it into the main list this week. This isn’t because it’s a bad show or it’s numbers are at Three Rivers levels but because it’s down so much from last season. The problem is the shows timeslot. It’s clear to see that FOX went with counter-programming when finding this show a slot. They’ve put it against two of the most successful shows of the last decade in CSI and Grey’s Anatomy along with demo powerhouse The Office & 30 Rock. They could’ve had a better response if they put something like Glee or So You Think You Can Dance in this slot.
My Prediction: Full 22 and who knows? I can’t imagine it’s a cheap show so it needs to get to at least a 2.5 for next year consideration.

The Others -

- Eastwick - Stayed the same this week. Their unlucky number is 13

- Hank - Pulled a season low 1.5 rating this week and really hasn’t got a chance of a back 9 pickup.

- Trauma - Although it wasn’t mentioned when P&R, Community and Mercy got picked it, the lack of a mention said more than if it was…13 Episodes. ‘Nuff Said.

- Dollhouse – Pulled a 0.8 rating and 2.2 million viewers this week. Don’t get too attached. 13 and out.

- Brothers - a 0.8 again this week, no rerun on Sunday. Possibly run until the end of the season.

- Law and Order – Say goodbye after 20 prosperous seasons.

- Gary Unmarried/ New Adventures of Old Christine – Similar to last season. Possible 2010 pickup.

- Heroes - A 2.5 isn’t enough to save this expensive show. Gone after 18.

UPDATE: Melrose Place encores have just been pulled from Wednesday Nights and are to be replace by The Vampire Diaries encores – sound move.

What do you think’s next to go? Sound off below!

ABC took the ratings crown last night beating out CBS which was in repeats throughout primetime. FOX was third due to House being replaced by So You Think You Can Dance. NBC took fourth and The CW posted its best numbers for a while but still finished 5th.

Dancing With The Stars won the 8pm slot, pulling a 3,4 18-49 and just over 17 million viewers. In second place was How I Met Your Mother (repeat) pulling in a 2.6 rating and just over 7 million viewers. 3rd was an out of timeslot So You Think You Can Dance, also pulling a 2.6 rating and just under 6 million viewers. Fourth was Heroes on NBC, pulling a 2.5 rating, even with the past 2 weeks. One Tree Hill posted a season high 18-49 rating (1.3) and viewers (2.7 million). Accidentally on Purpose (repeat) pulled a 2.1 rating and 6 million viewers at 8.30.

At 9, Dancing continued to lead pulling a 4.0 rating and just under 18.5 million, a large improvement over the first hour. A Two and a Half Men/ Big Bang Theory for CBS pulled an average 3.5 rating and 10.8 million viewers to take second. Third was Lie To Me for FOX which was down over 10% vs. last week (but had a House lead in last week) pulling a 2.5 rating and just over 6 million viewers. Trauma was up a tick to 1.9 (rating) this week, taking 4th for NBC. The CW rounded out its night with a 1.2 rating and 2.3 million viewers with Gossip Girl. 

A CSI Miami rerun took first place for CBS at 10, roughly level with last weeks new episode….and beating a brand new Castle on ABC (2.8, 11 million) and The Jay Leno Show on NBC (1.3, 4.5 million).  

Against a repeat lineup on CBS, ABC took the night, though impressively CBS managed second place both in overall viewers and adults 18-49. NBC is now famously on record that it thought The Jay Leno Show would fare better against repeats. I was on record early saying that repeats of CSI: Miami would still best Jay, even in repeats. But I’m not sure I expected the beat down to be so bad. Last night at 10pm a rerun of CSI: Miami averaged a 3.1 rating with adults 18-49, while The Jay Leno Show averaged a 1.3 rating. Castle averaged a 2.8 rating, though that might get adjusted down a touch in the final numbers due to Dancing With the Stars overrun (also, in the Philadelphia market, Monday Night Football aired on the ABC affiliate and is counted in the numbers below, and that might have been the case in the Washington, D.C. market as well — that will be adjusted out in the finals). The real story to me though isn’t Leno’s ratings, it’s how great CBS Monday lineup does in repeats. This isn’t a new trend, but it still impresses me. Aided perhaps by CBS repeats, Dancing With the Stars had stronger legs and turned in a much better performance than last week. An out of normal time slot So You Think You Can Dance won the 8pm hour with adults 18-34. Heroes seems to have stabilized and the good news for NBC is that Trauma was up a tick versus last week. The bad news is that only got it to a 1.9 adults 18-49 rating.

A NFL overrun on FOX combined with the ALCS Game won the night, beating out NBC’s Sunday Night Football for the top spot- a seasons first.

The NFL overrun on FOX lasted until the start of the Angels-Yankees game averaging 21 million viewers and a 7.8 rating from 7-8pm. The AlCS game averaged a 5.2 rating and 15.5 million viewers for the rest of FOX’s night, giving them a 5.5 18-49 average and 15.8 million viewers, the best of the night.

NBC’s Football Night in America (2.0 rating, 5.5 million viewers) and Sunday Night Football (13 million, 5.0 rating) between the hours of 8-11pm (incuding 1/2 hour of Football Night in America) was good enough for second spot.

ABC ran with America’s Funniest Home Videos at 7, pulling a 2.3 rating and 8.4 million viewers, up slightly from last week. At 8, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition drew a 3.0 rating and 10.6 million viewers, also slightly up from last week. At 9, Desperate Housewives drew 13.6 million viewers and a 4.6 rating – roughly level with last week. At 10, Brothers and Sisters brought in around 10 million viewers and a 3.3 rating which was also up vs. last week.

CBS’ lineup was actually not affected by a NFL overrun this week (thank God!). 60 minutes at 7pm pulled a 2.1 rating and 12.1 million viewers which cannot be compared to last week because of the NFL overrun. At 8, The Amazing Race was level with last week, pulling a 3.2 and 10.9 million viewers, also level with last week. At 9, Three Rivers averaged a 1.7 which is equally as bad as last week but did gain a couple of points in the viewers (7.9 million). Cold Case seems to be heavily affected by its lead in, pulling just a 1.7 and 8.8 million viewers to round out the night for CBS.

The critics were all raving about last nights episode of Dollhouse but it didn’t help them in the ratings, pulling just a 0.8 rating and 2.25 million viewers.

CBS won the night with their regular lineup of Ghost Whisperer (2.1, 8.5 million viewers), Medium (2.2, 8.5 million and the shows season to date best) and Numb3rs (1.8, 8 million).

At 8 on FOX, Brothers and Til Death posted numbers similar to last week, pulling around 2.1 million viewers and a 0.8 rating. At 9, Dollhouse’s numbers looked, well, buh-leak.

ABC showed the season premiere of Supernanny (1.1 rating, 4.7 million viewers) at 8, followed by Ugly Betty which was down 20% in adults 18-49 with a 1.2 rating and 4.6 million viewers. At 10, 20/20 drew the nets highest rating (1.6) and 5.6 million viewers.

NBC started the night with a new Law and Order, posting 1.5 and 7.2 million viewers for the peacock. At 9, Dateline posted the networks best numbers of the night with a 1.8 rating and just under 8 million viewers. Leno was up a couple of ticks from the same slot last week pulling a 1.4 rating and just over 6 million viewers.

The CW went with Smallville (1.1, 2.5 million) which was level with last week and a America’s Next Top Model encore which pulled a 0.5 rating and just over a million viewers.

FOX has confirmed that it will not be showing new episodes of ratings-challenged Dollhouse during November sweeps.

The sophomore show, which is scheduled to run for 13 episodes this season, has been performing poorly since it’s return, averaging just 2.5 million viewers and a 0.9 18-49 rating.

FOX will instead show a combination of hit shows House and Bones for the month. Each is expected to beat Dollhouse’s current ratings. That means that Dollhouse will air this Friday and then return on Dec. 4.

If you’re wondering what ’sweeps’ are, I put a short explanation from wikipedia below:

Each year Nielsen processes approximately 2 million paper diaries from households across the country for the months of November, February, May and July — also known as the “sweeps” rating periods. Seven-day diaries (or eight-day diaries in homes with DVRs) are mailed to homes to keep a tally of what is watched on each television set and by whom. Over the course of a sweeps period, diaries are mailed to a new panel of homes each week. At the end of the month, all of the viewing data from the individual weeks is aggregated.

Monday Night Final Ratings Review:

The big story from the Monday night finals were that The Big Bang Theory jumped from a 5.1 to a 5.3, a new record for the show. In other CBS ratings news, Two and a Half Men was up a tick to a 4.8, How I Met Your Mother was down a tick to a 3.4 season low and Accidental on Purpose was up four ticks vs. last week (and also beat HIMYM in viewers).

Over on ABC, Dancing With The Stars were around level with the preliminary numbers (3.6) and Castle didn’t drop at all – for what I think is the first time ever (2.4).

With the massive overrun, FOX ’s MLB coverage from 8 – 8.43 posted a 2.2 average for the day. House was down to a 4.4 from a 5.3 last week, a 20% drop which I’m just going to put down to the odd start time (this also possibly explains why Accidentally on Purpose was up). Lie To Me was up a tick vs. last week with a 2.9 A18-49 rating.

Over on NBC, every was stable from the preliminaries, Heroes (2.5), Trauma (1.8) and Leno (1.4).

The CW also stuck to its earlier numbers, Gossip Girl pulled a 1.1 18-49 rating and One Tree Hill a 1.0 (both were down 10/12.5% from last week.

MLB caused a half an hour overrun last night meaning that FOX had to start airing House at 8.30. House pulled a 4.1 rating and 10.5 million viewers, the lowest of the season so far. Lie To Me drew a 2.4 and around 7 million viewers.

Over on CBS, How I Met Your Mother drew pretty much the same as last week, a 3.5 18-49 rating and 8.8 million viewers. At 8.30 Accidentally on Purpose had a 3.4 rating – it’s highest of the season – and 8.62 million viewers. Two and a Half Men drew 13.8 million viewers and a 4.7 rating. The Big Bang Theory again gained on it’s lead in (4.7 vs 5.1) to finally beat House in adults 18-49, but lost viewers as per usual (13.1 million).

ABC ran with Dancing with the Stars from 8-10, bringing in 16.5 million viewers and a 3.5 18-49 rating. At 10, Castle dropped off again, pulling a 2. 4 rating and just under 10 million viewers.

NBC’s Heroes was up a tick this week to a 2.5 18-49 rating followed by freshman flop Trauma, which brought in 1.86 and 5.5 million viewers.

Over on The CW it was business as usual, around 2.0 million viewers for both One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl, with a 1.1 A18-49 rating.

According to EW’s Michael Ausiello, former NCIS co-star,  Sasha Alexander has been cast as a woman who will possibly come between the shows only best friends – House and Wilson.

Alexander has been cast as House and Wilson’s beautiful new neighbor (after the two make their living arrangement permanent) in an episode which will see them both fall for her charms. However, it doesn’t seem that the in-fighting will last very long as Alexander has signed on for just one episode.

The episode is scheduled to air either late this year or early next year.