Note: The fast affiliate results for Thursday will be posted at PIFeedback by 12 p.m. ET. Go to the website, click on Ratings Box (the first category), then Last Night’s Results, and Thursday, July 24, 2008.   

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Fox), So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)

Fox led the soggy Thursday overnight troops with its non-scripted combination of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (#1: 5.0 rating/9 share) and the live So You Think You Can Dance results show (#1: 5.8/10), which surprised the masses when Will departed with the expected Comfort last night. The name Comfort would be a great sounding daytime syndicated talk show, wouldn’t it?

Second overall in the metered markets was CBS’ combination of The Greatest American Dog (#2: 3.9/ 7), which is like a four-legged edition of Survivor, a repeat of CSI (#2: 5.4/ 9), which is not the second-run force it once was, and the relocated Flashpoint (#1: 4.7/ 8). One week earlier, former 10 p.m. occupant Swingtown averaged a 4.1/ 7 (out of a 6.0/10 for the CSI encore). Comparably, Flashpoint was up by 15 percent, with improved retention of 87 percent out of CSI. As for Greatest American Dog, if it is picked-up for a second season, why not feature former reality stars and their dogs? Sue Hawk…if you don’t already have a pooch go out and get one.

Finishing a distant third was ABC’s line-up of a repeat of Ugly Betty (#4: 2.7/ 5), a repeat of Grey’s Anatomy (#4: 2.8/ 5), and Hopkins (#2: 4.0/ 7), which managed to build by 38 percent out of the second half of the encore Grey’s Anatomy lead-in (2.9/ 5 at 9:30 p.m.). 

NBC sunk to its lowest-rated Thursday this summer to-date care of a two-hour edition of should-be-retired Last Comic Standing (#3: 3.0/ 5) and anthology Fear Itself (#3: 2.7/ 5). And cellar-dweller the CW -- repeats of Smallville (1.5/ 3) and Supernatural (1.1/ 2) -- has not done itself any favors by not introducing anything new this summer. The lower the ratings, the weaker the promotional platform for the fall.

To whet your appetite for the fall, here is what you will be seeing on Thursday. New shows have an asterisk next to them.

Wednesday 10 p.m. Bravo occupant Shear Genius rose to 1.91 million viewers and 1.19 million adults 18-49 this week, building year-to-year by a considerable 80 percent in total viewers and 62 percent among adults 18-49.

Based on national ratings through July 13, 2008, what follows is an updated track for all syndicated court shows in households and two key demos -- women 25-54 and adults 25-54. Change versus the comparable year-ago period appears in parentheses for all established series.

Judge Judy (CBS Television Distribution): 4.9 rating (+ 4), Judge Joe Brown (CBS): 2.6 (-10), People’s Court (Warner Bros.): 2.4 (-11), Judge Mathis (Warner Bros.): 2.1 (-13), Judge Alex (Twentieth Television): 1.8 (- 5), Divorce Court (Twentieth): 1.8 (-10), Judge Hatchett (Sony Pictures Television): 1.3 (-13), Cristina’s Court (Twentieth): 1.2 (-14), Judge David Young (SPT): 0.9, Judge Maria Lopez (SPT): 0.9 (-10), Jury Duty (Radar Entertainment): 0.3

Judge Judy (CBS Television Distribution): 2.4 rating (- 4), Judge Mathis (Warner Bros.): 1.3 (- 7), People’s Court (Warner Bros.): 1.3 (-13), Judge Joe Brown (CBS): 1.3 (-19), Divorce Court (Twentieth): 1.0 (-17), Judge Alex (Twentieth): 0.9 (-10), Judge Hatchett (SPT): 0.8 (-11), Cristina’s Court (Twentieth): 0.6 (-14), Judge David Young (SPT): 0.5, Judge Maria Lopez (SPT): 0.5 (-17), Jury Duty (Radar Entertainment): 0.1

Judge Judy (CBS Television Distribution): 2.0 rating (no change), Judge Mathis (Warner Bros.): 1.1 (- 8), People’s Court (Warner Bros.) and Judge Joe Brown (CBS): 1.1 (-15 each), Judge Alex (Twentieth): 0.8 (-11), Divorce Court (Twentieth): 0.8 (-20), Judge Hatchett (SPT): 0.6 (-14), Cristina’s Court (Twentieth): 0.5 (-17), Judge David Young (SPT): 0.4, Judge Maria Lopez (SPT): 0.4 (-20), Jury Duty (Radar Entertainment): 0.1

 8:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos (R)

 9:00 p.m. Duel (series finale)

 8:00 p.m. Ghost Whisperer (R)

 9:00 p.m. Numb3rs (R)

 8:00 p.m. Most Outrageous Moments (R)

 8:30 p.m. Most Outrageous Moments (R)

 9:00 p.m. Dateline (two hours)

 8:00 p.m. Movie: Anger Management (R)

 8:00 p.m. Friday Night Smackdown! 

 8:00 p.m. The Academy (R)

 9:00 p.m. Paradise Hotel 2 (R)

 8:00 p.m. The Wonderful World of Disney: Peter Pan (R)

 8:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery (R)

 9:00 p.m. Elitexc Saturday Night Fights

 8:00 p.m. The Office (R)

 8:30 p.m. The Office (R)

 9:00 p.m. Law & Order (R)

 9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted (broadcast from the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA)

 8:00 p.m. Movie: Under the Tucson Sun (R)

 7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos (R)

 8:00 p.m. High School Musical: Get in the Picture

 9:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (R)

 7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes

 8:00 p.m. Big Brother 10 

 9:00 p.m. Cold Case (R)

 7:00 p.m. Most Outrageous Moments (R)

 7:30 p.m. Most Outrageous Moments (R)

 8:00 p.m. America’s Got Talent (R)

 9:00 p.m. Dateline (two-hours)

 7:00 p.m. ‘Til Death (R)

 7:30 p.m. ‘Til Death (R)

 8:00 p.m. The Simpsons (R)

 8:30 p.m. King of the Hill (R)

 9:00 p.m. Family Guy (R)

 9:30 p.m. American Dad (R)

 7:00 p.m. One Tree Hill (R)

 8:00 p.m. Everybody Hates Chris (R)

 8:30 p.m. Aliens in America (R)

 9:00 p.m. The Game (R)

 9:30 p.m. Girlfriends (R)

7:00 p.m. Movie: Voyage of the Unicorn (R) – from 6 p.m. ET

Former syndicated talk show host Montel Williams has a new gig: a guest starring role on veteran CBS serial The Guiding Light. He will appear on the Friday, Aug. 1 and Tuesday, Aug. 5 telecasts.

Academy Award nominated Harvey Keitel will join the cast of ABC’s upcoming Life on Mars in his first regularly scheduled series role. Keitel will play the head of the homicide department. 

Upcoming Disney-ABC first-run weekly Wizard’s First Rule, the first scripted syndicated drama in years, is now called Legend of the Seeker. Premiering with a two-hour installment on Saturday, Nov. 1 and shot in New Zealand, Legend of the Seeker will combine elements of fantasy, adventure, magic, mystery and romance in this tale of a wise, old wizard who accompanies two young men on an epic journey.

What is the second longest running live action comedy in the history of television behind The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet?

In memory of Estelle Getty, how many children did Sophia Petrillo have on The Golden Girls? (Bonus: what were their names)?

Is: b) 3. Dorothy, Phil and Gloria. All together now…

And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend.

Anthony Arena, Brian Armistead, Barbara Berman, Gerry Bixenspan, Jocelyn Brandeis, Cory Chapman, Vanessa Coates, Larry Collins, Jim Colucci, Marie LeFevre Karp, Bob Ingersoll, David Jackino, Deb Kainer, Marie LeFevre Karp, Adam Maloney, Wes Meador, Jim Negri, Jim O’Heir, David Primuth, Andrea Regusters, Rachel Rosenblatt, Marilyn Rutkowski (2x)