Ratings Analysis: The major broadcast networks once more used Black Friday to showcase the various Christmas and holiday specials that they have the rights to air. 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas!' (0.58) led the way as it often does, with the NBC broadcast of it eclipsing Fox's 'WWE Smackdown' (0.57, +0.05) by just a single hundredth. When compared to 2020, 'Grinch' was down a little more than a tenth (0.7). Newcomers '5 More Sleeps 'Til Christmas' (0.40) and 'Trolls Holiday in Harmony' (0.35) were unable to stir up much fanfare. 'An SNL Christmas' (0.40) posted a rather solid result by 10pm standards. On CBS, 'Frosty the Snowman' (0.49) and 'Frosty Returns' (0.39) were also about a tenth shy of what they managed one year prior (0.6/0.5). Reruns of 'Magnum PI' (0.29) and 'Blue Bloods' (0.30) filled out the latter-half of the night. ABC's showing of 'Santa Claus is Comin' to Town' (0.42) took a bigger hit than the others, falling by two-tenths from its November 2020 telecast (0.6). At 9, an episode of '20/20' (0.36, -0.66) centered on the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial was a far cry from the week-ago 'Turpin family' installment (1.02). The CW's 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer' (0.09) was at less than half of what it posted in 2020 (0.2). Nonetheless, the special matched its 'Masters of Illusion' lead-in (0.09).
Finals Update: 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas!' (+0.1), 'Frosty the Snowman' (+0.1), 'Santa Claus is Comin' to Town!' (+0.1), '5 More Sleeps 'Til Christmas' (+0.1), 'WWE SmackDown' (+0.1), '20/20' (+0.1), and 'Trolls Holiday in Harmony' (+0.1) adjusted up.
(R) = repeat
