Fox drama Best Medicine (0.85) returned with an NFL-boosted series high on Sunday night, putting it above CBS's 60 Minutes (0.61, -0.33) and Big Brother (0.59, -0.07) in the key demographic. NFL on NBC (5.89) was down but dominant. ABC aired repeats of America's Funniest Home Videos (0.26), RJ Decker (0.11), and Scrubs (0.08/0.08/0.08/0.08). The CW's movie of the week was the 1991 comedy Father of the Bride (0.07). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.
Fox used its NFL lead-in to boost the premiere of The Floor (0.68) on Sunday night, and enough of it trickled down to American Dad! (0.27, +0.16) to send the latter to a new season high. But the rally was short-lived, as Dad! (0.18, -0.09) declined sharply at 9:30 for its season finale. CBS's 60 Minutes (0.94) also benefited from football help, but it was a weaker start for the newsmagazine staple than years past. Later, Big Brother (0.66, +0.14) surged, but a VMAs special (0.21) that followed lost a massive chunk of that audience. NFL on NBC (6.86) remained a powerhouse. In film news, ABC aired The Parent Trap (0.17), while the CW's showing of Forrest Gump (0.11) put the network in a more competitive place than usual. Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
On CBS, an NFL-inflated 60 Minutes (1.2, +0.67) helped Tracker (0.54, +0.09) and The Road (0.24, +0.08) improve on last week's premieres. Fox was without football inflation for the night, so The Simpsons (0.25, -0.81) returned to normal levels, and Universal Basic Guys (0.15, -0.26) dropped to a new series low. Krapopolis (0.13, -0.16) remained an eyesore at nine, and Bob's Burgers (0.18, -0.09) grew from there. America's Funniest Home Videos (0.34, +0.09) jumped on ABC. NFL on NBC (5.56) gained more than a point. The CW aired Shrek (0.06). Key: (R) = repeat.
CBS's Tracker (0.45) had a robust return to the network, retaining the bulk of its 60 Minutes lead-in (0.53, -0.71). But the good news came to a halt at nine as reality series The Road (0.16) was dead on arrival. On Fox, The Simpsons (1.06, +0.31) soared to a new season high for its annual Halloween special, taking advantage of the ample NFL help it received. In comparison, Universal Basic Guys (0.41, +0.02), Krapopolis (0.29, +0.05) and Bob's Burgers (0.27, +0.03) were only up slightly. ABC aired two episodes of AFHV (0.25/0.21) and Edward Scissorhands (0.16). NFL on NBC (4.5) was down from last week. The CW aired The Day After Tomorrow (0.05). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.
CBS's 60 Minutes (1.24, +0.73) had substantial NFL help on Sunday night, enough so that Matlock (0.51) soared to a new series high right after despite lackluster retention. Elsbeth (0.34) tied its previously-set high at 9:30. ABC aired America's Funniest Home Videos (0.29/0.28) and Haunted Mansion (0.13). MLB on Fox (1.15) was a welcome improvement on the cartoon ratings. NBC's NFL broadcast (5.94) was the top program of the night. The CW aired National Treasure: Book of Secrets (0.03). Key: (P) = premiere. (R) = repeat.