Despite a flurry of promotion for the new series, ABC’s The Unusuals did what most shows do in that time slot: not much of anything. The premiere lost 18% of its lead-in’s audience and made it that much easier for FOX to dominate.

8pm

• Lie to Me (8.4 million, 2.5/8 in 18-49) fell by 600,000.
• The New Adventures of Old Christine (7.3 million, 2.1/7) and Gary Unmarried (7.3 million, 2.2/7) finished with similar numbers.
Law & Order* (5.4 million, 1.2/4) did 300,000 better than the Criminal Intent version.
• Scrubs (4.7 million, 1.8/6) lost 300,00; Better Off Ted (4.2 million, 1.7/5) dropped 500,000.
• America’s Next Top Model (3.7 million, 1.7/5) was down by 200,000.

9pm

• American Idol (22.4 million, 7.8/20 in 18-49) shrunk by 1.2 million.
• Criminal Minds (13.3 million, 3.2/8) added on 3.3 million.
• Lost (8.3 million, 3.7/9) gave up 1 million.
• The season (series?) finale of Life (1.3/3) closed with 4.5 million.
• An America’s Next Top Model* clip show (0.9/2) recapped 2 million

10pm

• CSI: NY (12.5 million, 3.3/9 in 18-49) picked up 2.5 million.
• The Unusuals (6.8 million, 2.2/6) improved 900,000 over Life on Mars.
• Law & Order* (1.2/3) settled in with 4.7 million.

*denotes repeat

(You can review last Wednesday’s ratings here.)