Merry Christmas, readers! Open this present 12 days before Christmas, as TVRG's Ratings Library project continues, even days after concluding the series. After scouring the net yet again for a complete Nielsen List for the season and turning up empty handed, I decided the readers deserved a list and stubbornly piecemeal together a ratings list. The entire list will be published in upcoming weeks, but in the meantime, enjoy the sitcom excerpts which have all but one show's ratings reported.
A special thanks to our friendly competition at Spotted Ratings and TV By The Numbers, as both sites composed partial data lists which left ample clues to figure it out. Add thorough research through the world of Wikipedia to uncover ratings for the missing 47 shows (and finding 21!), TVRG stands poised to pioneer the largest compilation of Ratings History for the 2008-09 season.
CBS' Worst Week missing its ratings data leaves TVRG unable to calculate the sitcom averages for ratings. However, the coloration makes it obviously who performed and failed. CBS Mondays stood strong, FOX Sundays lived up to the branding Animation Domination, and NBC's Must-See-TV held on with The Office staying open. What didn't work was ABC's strewn comedies, which traversed the bottom of the charts. According to Jim limped out of the gate in its 8th, dreadful last season. NBC recycle Scrubs ranked a scant 81st Place, and sophomore sensation Samantha Who? lost its identity after suffering the effects of the 2007-08 WGA Strike postponements. And sadly, CW sent out its last sitcom Everybody Hates Chris with little fanfare. Initially a UPN hotspot, the Chris Rock showpiece failed to catalyze a memorable existence on hybrid CW. The network has yet to recover as it mildly attempted a sitcom in 2016 with Significant Mother, placing the failed fare up for adoption inside weeks.
2008 tells a sadder tale for the state of sitcoms as not only their ranks dropped down the list, but their numbers dwindled. The following season would tie the record low of 23 sitcoms on the air, and it appeared the franchise was old hat. Bless Chuck Lorre crassness on CBS, as the 2010's awoke the genre with furious results. Stat tuned, as TVRG isn't finished delivering historic ratings data to its readers.
Sources
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine_(TV_series)
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Unmarried#U.S._ratings
3. http://www.spottedratings.com/2011/12/spotvault-2008-09-index.html
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sit_Down,_Shut_Up_(2009_TV_series)#Ratings
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_(U.S._TV_series)#TV_ratings
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Not_Disturb_(TV_series)#U.S._Nielsen_ratings
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Motherhood#U.S._Nielsen_ratings
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid_(2009_TV_series)#U.S._Nielsen_ratings
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Stone#Ratings
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unusuals#Ratings
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipstick_Jungle_(TV_series)#U.S._Nielsen_Ratings
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Sexy_Money#Ratings
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper%27s_Island#Ratings
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(U.S._TV_series)#U.S._ratings
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Samantha_Who%3F_episodes#Weekly_ratings
16. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7920
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_Suburbia#Weekly_ratings
18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Show_in_My_Head#US_Nielsen_Ratings
19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Harm%27s_Way_(TV_series)
20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chopping_Block_(U.S._TV_series)#US_Nielsen_ratings
21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howie_Do_It
22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Dollar_Password#Ratings
23. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/renewcancel/final-renewals-cancellations-for-the-2008-9-tv-season/