CBS’s “CSI” and “Survivor: Gabon” were the number one- and number three-ranked primetime telecasts on broadcast TV for Thursday, October 16, 2008.
ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” was sandwiched between the two, in second place.
| RANK | PROGRAMME | NETWORK | VIEWERS (P2+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CSI | CBS | 19,275,000 |
| 2 | GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM | NBA Finals capture top five broadcast telecasts; CNN Presidential Debate tops cable. | 14,803,000 |
| 3 | SURVIVOR: GABON | CBS | 12,807,000 |
| 4 | ELEVENTH HOUR | CBS | 11,907,000 |
| 5 | E.R. | NBC | 8,961,000 |
| 6 | SNL:WKND UPDT 10/16(S)-10/16/2008 | NBC | 8,832,000 |
| 7 | UGLY BETTY | NBA Finals capture top five broadcast telecasts; CNN Presidential Debate tops cable. | 8,327,000 |
| 8 | OFFICE | NBC | 8,276,000 |
| 9 | LIFE ON MARS | NBA Finals capture top five broadcast telecasts; CNN Presidential Debate tops cable. | 8,220,000 |
| 10 | MY NAME IS EARL | NBC | 6,722,000 |
| Source: The Nielsen Company (October 16, 2008). |
Overall, CBS won the night with an average audience of 14.7 million viewers, while ABC took second place with almost 10.5 million average viewers. NBC and Univision claimed third and fourth places with roughly 8.0 million and 4.5 million average viewers, respectively. The CW and FOX followed in fifth and sixth places with average audiences of roughly 3.62 million and 3.56 million viewers, respectively.
