Fox’s slow-starting Texas-St. Louis World Series wrapped up Friday with 25.4 million viewers, the most-watched contest since 2004 (and the first seven-game series since 2002). The big finish boosted the series’ average to 16.6 million, up 19% over last year.
Jason Motte of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Texas Rangers in Game 7 of the World Series, the most-watched contest since 2004.
•Bad timing. Against Game 7, the fifth-season premiere of NBC’s relocated Chuck hit a series low with 3.4 million viewers. But the debut of the fantasy Grimm, which followed, nearly doubled to a still-modest 6.6 million, though an improvement over the first episodes of Prime Suspect and The Playboy Club.
•Out of toon. The premiere of Fox’s animated Allen Gregory (4.8 million viewers Sunday) was weak behindThe Simpsons‘ annual Treehouse of Horror (8.1 million). But an extended X Factor (12.1 million Tuesday) had its biggest crowd in a month.
•Big laughs. ABC’s The Middle (10.2 million viewers) and Happy Endings (8.3 million, both Wednesday) hit series highs, while new drama Once Upon a Time (11.7 million Sunday) held up nicely in Week 2.
•Still ticking. A big NFL runover and an interview with Bernie Madoff’s family delivered CBS’ 60 Minutes 18.6 million viewers Sunday, the newsmagazine’s biggest audience since December.
•Cable openers. MTV’s Beavis and Butt-Head (3.3 million viewers) and Good Vibes (1.6 million, both Thursday); Food Network’s Next Iron Chef (3.1 million Sunday); Discovery’sGold Rush: Alaska (3.3 million Friday); A&E’s Hoarders (1.4 million) and Monster-in-Laws (1.3 million, both Monday); and Lifetime spinoff Project Accessory (1.3 million Thursday), behind Project Runway‘s ninth-season finale (3 million).
