Primetime Ratings: Fox’s ‘Sit Down, Shut Up’ Has Weak Debut

Fox’s new animated comedy Sit Down, Shut Up, finished third in the 8:30 half hour Sunday night, debuting with a 2.3/6.  The show was fourth in total viewers, earning 5.2 million, less than lead in The Simpsons and its follow up Family Guy.

ABC opened the night on top at 7 p.m. with America’s Funniest Home Videos drawing a 2.2/7. CBS was next at 1.8/6 with 60 Minutes, which was first in total viewers with 11.9 million. Fox’s American Dad (re-run, 1.1/4) and King of the Hill (1.6/5) was next with a cumulative 1.4/4. The first hour of the Ms. USA Pageant on NBC was next with a 1.0/3. The CW’s Jericho was fifth with a 0.2/1.

At 8 CBS moved into first with a 3.0/8 and 10.4 million viewers for the Amazing Race. The Simpsons on Fox won from 8-8:30 with a 3.0/9 but Sit Down, Shut Up’s third place finish gave Fox a second place 2.7/7 for the hour. A re-run of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was next at 2.2/6.  NBC was fourth with a 1.7/5 for the second half hour of the Miss USA pageant. The CW was fifth with its Sunday night movie, Cutthroat Island, drawing a 0.2/1.

ABC’s Desperate Housewives topped the night for ratings and viewers with a 4.7/11 and 13.6 million eyes in the 9 p.m. hour. Family Guy (3.8/9) and American Dad (3.0/7) teamed up for a 3.4/8 on Fox. NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice was next at 3.0/7. CBS fell down to fourth with the first hour of a Hallmark movie special The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler delivering a 1.5/4. The CW earned a 0.3/1 for the second hour of Cutthroat Island.

ABC barely edged out NBC for first place at 10. Brothers & Sisters delivered a 3.3/9 while the second hour of Celebrity Apprentice came in at 3.3/8.  CBS’s Hallmark movie was third at 1.6/4.

ABC won the night with a 3.1/8 rating overall.  Fox was next at 2.5/7 but finished fourth in total viewers.  NBC was third with a 2.3/6, followed by CBS at 2.0/5. CBS was first in total viewers with 10.5 million. The CW finished fifth at 0.3/1.