The Brioux Report: old favourites Survivor, Amazing Race, Idol, NCIS and CSI dominate

Navratilova was a net job on DWTS

Again, no new Big Bang Theory, allowing other shows to reach the top of the weekly Canadian TV ratings. But Survivor, NCIS, CSI and The Amazing Race all in the Top-5? Strong showings from American Idol and Dancing with the Stars? What is this, 2006?

Sifting through all the reruns were a couple of specials and debuts. Here’s how all it all played out across Canada in prime time among adults 2+ the week of March 18 to 25 according to overnight estimates:

MONDAY

Two two-hour reality shows crowded comedies off CTV and CTV Two's usual prime time grid. Mike & Molly (866,000) was bounced to CTV at 7. Two and a Half Men managed a strong 1,119,000 even though it aired at 7:30 on CTV instead of its usual home, CTV Two.

CTV got back in simulcast synch at 8 with The Voice, which was heard by 1,362,000. Castle followed with 1,720,000.

Back at 8, CTV Two waltzed off with an impressive 1,321,000 with the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars. NBC renewed Smash for a second season this week, but CTV gave it no such vote of confidence, bouncing it over to CTV Two where 467,000 found it.

Global’s House repeated to 751,000 at 8 o’clock. A rerun of NCIS: Los Angeles drew 767,000 leading into a new Hawaii FIVE-0 (1,754,000).

With all those other talent shows on the schedule, City’s Canada’s Got Talent slid to 346,000 overnight viewers for a results show. How I Met Your Mother bounced up to 728,000 and 2 Broke Girls did a rich 840,000. Alcatraz drew a devilish 666,000 at 10.

A Mr. D repeat drew 506,000 on CBC, with soon-to-end Little Mosque down to 207,000. The Dragon’s Den spin-off The Big Decision managed 409,000 at 10.

A Canada/Denmark women’s curling tilt did 639,000 on TSN. A Leafs/Bruins game scored 555,000 on Sportsnet Ontario. Canucks drew a further 428,000 vs. Minnie on Sportsnet Pacific.

Montreal and Boston drew 589,000 NHL fans to TSN; San Jose and Edmonton scored 495,000 for TSN’s late game. Score pinned 309,000 with WWE Raw. Canada’s Greatest Know-It-All drew 295,000 at Discovery. Pretty Little Liars did 261,000 at MuchMusic, honest. Midsomer Murders killed on TVO (260,000).

Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly of NCIS. Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS

TUESDAY

NCIS got Global off to a big start with 2,222,000 viewers. NCIS: Los Angeles followed with an almost as impressive 1,918,000. Wipeout fell to 313,000 at 10.

Whitney began CTV’s night with 971,000 viewers. Hot in Cleveland drew 969,000. The season (series?) finale of The River pulled 728,000. Unforgettable ended CTV’s night with 1,593,000.

The Rick Mercer Report was seen by 901,000 viewers. 22 Minutes followed with 707,000. Arctic Air is over for the season, so Just Four Laughs took over the slot and pulled 577,000.

City stuck with Last Man Standing (352,000) but bounced up with new episodes of Cougar Town (384,000) and New Girl (549,000). Raising Hope (222,000) and Body of Proof (468,000) followed.

CTV Two aired the terrible movie Bewitched (210,000) followed by the new infomercial/talent search series Fashion Star (345,000).

Toronto/Islanders drew 575,000 hockey fans to Sportsnet Ontario. Canada/Sweden in women’s curling drew 554,000 on TSN. Discovery had another bonanza with Gold Rush Alaska (357,000). Pawn Stars fetched 455,000 and 542,000 on History.

Global's Titanic miniseries set sail last Wednesday

WEDNESDAY

                                                  

A surprise twist helped Survivor One World stay on top of the overnights with 2,327,000 viewers. Are You There Chelsea? (475,000) and I Hate My Teenage Daughter (354,000) followed. At 10, Global aired Part I of their new Titanic miniseries, with 636,000 survivors.

A two hour American Idol drew 1,975,000 CTV viewers. A new CSI followed with 2,220,000.

CTV Two led with America’s Top Model (94,000), took a big jump with Criminal Minds (1,469,000) and tumbled back down with the CTV Two premiere of Ashley Judd’s new international drama Missing (362,000). What really went missing was the other 2 million CTV viewers who caught this series’ opener.

Republic of Doyle remained Rock steady, topping the million mark overnight again with 1,042,000 viewers. Dragon’s Den led the way on CBC with 1,551,000.

City had reruns of The Middle (187,000), Suburgatory (223,000), Modern Family (383,000) and Happy Endings (340,000). An umpteenth Murdoch Mysteries rerun was slotted in at 10 (144,000).

Canucks and Blackhawks faced off to 775,000 on TSN, where more women’s curling brought 483,000 earlier in the afternoon.

TSN scored 664,000 for a Montreal/Ottawa game. Sportsnet Pacific drew 590,000 for a Canucks/Phoenix game.

Back-to-back episodes of American Restoration drew 402,000 and 533,000 on History. IRT: Deadliest Roads drove off with 514,000 and Swamp People did 504,000. King sunk again on Showcase, down to 54,000.

                                                                                 

THURSDAY

                                                                                 

Once again, The Big Bang Theory was Missing at CTV—literally. The second episode of the Ashley Judd drama drew a strong 2,219,000. Criminal Minds followed wityh 1,171,000, then C.S.I Miami (1,424,000).

American Idol (1,257,000) did what it does on CTV Two. Mike & Molly (358,000) and Up All Night (312,000) followed. Criminal Minds did 223,000 at 10. CTV Two opened the night at 7 with Vampire Diaries (285,000).

The Nature of Things drew 561,000 with “Smarty Planets.” Doc Zone did 296,000.

The Exes opened meekly for Global at 8 (290,000). Rob reran to 296,000. Kiefer Sutherland’s new series Touch roared back with a new episode drawing 1,914,000 Global overnight viewers. Awake was up over the week before at 860,000.

City saw 335,000 tune in to Community. 30 Rock rolled to 316,000 and 289,000. Reruns of Parks & Recreation and Private Practice did 118,000 and 163,000.

Canada/Scotland curling rocked the house on TSN (632,000). Sportsnet pacific had a Canucks game (476,000). Frozen Planet thawed to 348,000 on Discovery. Undercover Boss Canada hired another 389,000 at 9 p.m. on W.

FRIDAY

Marketplace was back, this time exposing “Dirty Hospitals” to 911,000. Mercer 2.0 did 625,000, then the fifth estate had 605,000 “Lost on Ice.”

CTV stuck with Shark Tank at 8 (881,000) followed by a rerun of Grimm at 9 (595,000) and C.S.I. New York (1,079,000).

Global slotted in Kitchen Nightmares at 8 (593,000) followed by Harry’s Law (1,023,000) and Ringer (424,000).

CTV Two’s big draws were Nikita (270,000) and Dateline (220,000).

City was back with Who Do You Think You Are (459,000) and Fringe (436,000) and the Mantracker (203,000).

More women’s curling drew 444,000 and 593,000 on TSN. WWE Smackdown drew 223,000 on Score. Otherwise everyone was at The Hunger Games.

SATURDAY          

Hockey Night in Canada scored 2,045,000 with the early Leafs/Rangers game and 1,052,000 with the late featuring the Canucks.

CTV got 828,000 to watch W5 and another 637,000 to sample a repeat of Missing.

Women’s curling peaked at 808,000 on TSN.

Buried Saturday at 8 and airing six days after its NBC broadcast, a two hour Celebrity Apprentice was found by 328,000 Global viewers.

Saturday Night Live dropped down to 306,000 viewers with another repeat.

SUNDAY            

Once Upon a Time (1,337,000) was solid at 7 for CTV. After all these seasons, The Amazing Race (2,491,000) remains the show to beat in Canada on Sundays. Desperate Housewives did 1,484,000 at 9. The new prime time soap GCB (1,183,000) seems to have found its level.

Same with Canada’s Got Talent, which drew 940,000 and 754,000 back-to-back on City. Only 15,000 across Canada then watched You’ve Got Mail on City. Can’t you get that anytime on Hollywood Suite?

Global opened with The Simpsons (689,000) followed by Bob’s Burgers (532,000), Family Guy (520,000) and American Dad (492,000). Guest star Matthew Perry (above right) boosted The Good Wife (896,000). The West Block  ended Global's night with 97,000.

Heartland galloped off with 808,000 at 7 on CBC. A Marketplace rerun followed (605,000) then the Sunday movie Barney’s Version (237,000). Still waiting for Fred and Wilma’s version.

The big draw over at CTV Two was CSI Miami at 10 (740,000). W5 did 210,000 at 7.

The Gold Medal game at the Women’s Curling Championship drew 750,000 on TSN.

Lost Girl was found by 241,000 at 9, outgunning Justified on Showcase at 10 (155,000).

Women’s curling drew 708,000 to TSN for a tilt between Canada and China. Lost Girl was found by 185,000 at 9 on Showcase.
How many people caught the fifth season opener of Mad Men in Canada on AMC? Wish I knew. Forward the number if you've got it.