Rank
Program
Network
Viewers (P2+)

1
FOX WRLD SERIES GM5 CONCL(S)
FOX
19,844,000

2
CSI
CBS
19,098,000

3
DANCING WITH THE STARS
ABC
18,876,000

4
DANCING W/STARS RESULTS
ABC
17,445,000

5
NCIS
CBS
17,258,000

6
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
NBC
16,741,000

7
MENTALIST, THE
CBS
16,073,000

8
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
ABC
15,933,000

9
GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM
ABC
15,319,000

10
60 MINUTES
CBS
14,322,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (October 27, 2008 – November 2, 2008).

ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” was the number one-ranked primetime telecast on broadcast TV for Monday, October 27, 2008. 
Game 5 of the MLB World Series, which aired on FOX, claimed second place, and CBS’s “Two And A Half Men” rounded out the top three.

Rank
Program
Network
Viewers (P2+)

1
DANCING WITH THE STARS
ABC
18,876,000

2
FOX WORLD SERIES GAME 5(S)-10/27/2008
FOX
13,237,000

3
TWO AND A HALF MEN
CBS
11,881,000

4
CSI: MIAMI
CBS
10,587,000

5
SAMANTHA WHO?
ABC
10,470,000

6
GARY UNMARRIED-MON 930 SP(S)-10/27/2008
CBS
8,654,000

7
BOSTON LEGAL
ABC
8,581,000

8
HEROES
NBC
8,189,000

9
BIG BANG THEORY, THE
CBS
7,932,000

10
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
CBS
7,260,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (October 27, 2008).

Overall, ABC won the night with an average audience of almost 14.2 million viewers, while FOX …

Game seven of the closely contested American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays drew the largest ever TV audience of any MLB playoff game aired on cable, Nielsen reported Tuesday.  
The game, which aired on TBS Sunday night, drew almost 13.4 million average viewers, easily surpassing game four of last year’s Indians v. Yankees division series, which claimed second place overall with 9.2 million average viewers.
TV viewership of the ALCS games surged after the Red Sox overcame a seven-run deficit in game five to beat the …

RANK
PROGRAM
NETWORK
DAYS
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
MLB ALCS (RED SOX-RAYS 7)
TBSC
SUNDAY
13,357,000

2
NFL REGULAR SEASON L (GIANTS/BROWNS)
ESPN
MONDAY
11,422,000

3
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE(S)-10/15/2008
FOXNC
WEDNESDAY
9,068,000

4
SR/PRES DEBATE 3 2008(S)-10/15/2008
CNN
WEDNESDAY
8,931,000

5
MLB ALCS (RED SOX-RAYS 6)
TBSC
SATURDAY
8,928,000

6
ANDERSON COOPER 360
CNN
WEDNESDAY
7,795,000

7
SPONGEBOB
NICK
MONDAY
7,666,000

8
ON THE RECORD W/GRETA
FOXNC
WEDNESDAY
7,394,000

9
MLB ALCS (RAYS-RED SOX 5)
TBSC
THURSDAY
7,211,000

10
SPONGEBOB
NICK
MONDAY
5,778,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (October 13, 2008 – October 19, 2008).

Baseball fans across the country might have been a little sleepy Friday morning after watching the Boston Red Sox’ late-night comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the MLB American League championship Series.
The game, in which the Red Sox trailed the Rays by seven runs as late as the seventh inning, was a rollercoaster ride for both teams’ fans — as reflected in the preliminary metered market TV ratings, released by Nielsen on Friday.
At the close of the game’s first hour, one-quarter of all Boston households were watching, …

NBC’s post-debate analysis of the final presidential debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama edged past ABC’s post-debate coverage to claim the number one spot in Nielsen’s ranking of the top primetime telecasts on broadcast TV for Wednesday, October 15, 2008.
FOX, which aired live coverage of Game 5 of Major League Baseball’s National League Championship Series — instead of the debate, rounded out the top three.
CBS’s post-debate analysis also made the top ten.

RANK
PROGRAM
NETWORK
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
DECISION ‘08:PRES ANALYS3(S)-10/15/2008
NBC
9,091,000

2
VOTE2008:ANALYSIS-WED(S)-10/15/2008
ABC
8,864,000

3
FOX MLB NLCS GAME 5(S)-10/15/2008
FOX
8,029,000

4
OLD CHRISTINE
CBS
7,613,000

5
GARY UNMARRIED
CBS
7,529,000

6
KNIGHT RIDER
NBC
7,470,000

7
CAMPAIGN ‘08-DEBATE ANL-3(S)-10/15/2008
CBS
7,189,000

8
PUSHING DAISIES
ABC
6,108,000

9
FOX MLB NLCS GAME …