Grey’s vs. CSI
The real TV season battle has happened! Last night was the season premier of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “C.S.I.” It was a HUGE event. Think Red Sox vs Yankees, for you sports people.
“Grey’s” kicked butt. It did 15.7/23, while “CSI” did 13.5/20. ((first number is share while second number is ratting. Its really hard to explain to non-TV people so just know “Grey’s” did better or if you want real numbers, “Grey’s” did 25.4 million viewers while “CSI” had 22.5 million.))
CSI has ruled Thursdays since moving there in 2001, mid-way through its first season. More than that, Gil Grissom's forensic gang has ruled prime time as TV's most watched scripted show since the 2002-03 TV year. So this is HUGE that Grey’s beat it last night.
Up against Grey's Anatomy, CSI saw its audience shrink 22 percent from last fall's premiere. (Grey's Anatomy, by comparison, was up 32 percent.) CSI got beat in total viewers, it got beat in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic, and it got beat in the 18-to-34-year-old demographic. According to ABC, the defeats were the first for CSI in five years, excluding a handful of times it lost out to supersized finales, à la the 2004 Friends farewell.