ABC’s “V,” after a huge debut of 14.3 million and 387,000 locally, shed 25 percent of its total audience this past Tuesday and 29 percent of its 18-49 demographic, the largest drop of any new show this year.

That’s not a good sign for ABC after such an ebullient opening. Science fiction is always a tricky area for mainstream networks and a difficult one to keep around.

Otherwise, football was the big draw as usual. The Falcons-Saints game on ESPN and CBS Nov. 2 drew about 800,000 viewers combined. The NBC Sunday night matchup between the Eagles and Cowboys brought in 492,000.

The top scripted show in Atlanta was “Desperate Housewives” again, with 396,000. The World Series game 6 on Fox was the top national show with 22.3 million.

“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion show last Thursday drew a relatively low 2.44 million viewers nationally. It was probably a combination of no drama and the fact it aired an hour earlier than normal thanks to the new “Real Housewives of Orange County” debut at 10 p.m.

Atlanta-based BET reality show “Monica,” with no lead-in from a big awards show last Tuesday, took a major dive in its second week, bringing in just 1.14 million vs. 2.8 million a week earlier. That’s a far bigger dropoff than “Tiny & Toya” over the summer, which fell from 3.1 million to 1.8 million in its second week. “The Monique” show didn’t have any big pops last week, averaging around 600,000 viewers.

Comedy Central has to be relieved with Jeff Dunham’s new show, which opened huge at 5.3 million, then fell to 2.3 million week two. Week three last Thursday? 2.3 million again.

And FX must be thrilled that “The League” last Thursday saw its ratings jump about 40 percent from a tepid opening of about 994,000. to 1.4 million.

USA could not have been happy to see “White Collar,” drop off so sharply in its third week, from 5.1 million to 3.8 million.

And TBS got its consistent 2.8 million viewers November 4 for two new “Meet the Browns,” which actually did better than the 2.6 million or so who watched “House of Payne.” Naturally, these two Tyler Perry vehicles are taped at his studios here in Atlanta.

The CW’s “Vampire Diaries,” filmed in metro Atlanta, continued to hold up strong Novmber 6 in its eighth round, hitting 4.1 million, virtually the same as a week earlier.

Top 20 primetime programs in Atlanta the week of November 2, 2009:
1. Eagles vs. Cowboys, NBC, 11/8, 492,000
2. Falcons-Saints, ESPN, 11/2 421,000
3. Desperate Housewives, ABC, 11/8 396,000
4. V, ABC 11/3, 387,000
5. Dancing With the Stars results, ABC, 11/5, 382,000
6. Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 11/5, 377,000
7. Falcons-Saints, CBS, 11/2 376,000
8. Yankees-Phillies World Series game 6, Fox, 11/4 375,000
9. Dancing With the Stars, ABC, 11/2, 357,000
10. NCIS, CBS 11/3, 309,000
11. NCIS: LA, CBS, 11/3 294,000
12. 20/20 (Rihanna interview), ABC, 11/6, 290,000
13. Private Practice, ABC, 11/5, 281,000
14. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, ABC, 11/8, 279,000
15. Castle, ABC, 11/2/ 253,000
16. Brothers & Sisters, ABC, 11/8 246,000
17. CSI, CBS, 11/5, 238,000
18. Bones, Fox, 11/5 235,000
19. Mentalist, CBS, 11/5, 233,000
20. Modern Family, ABC, 11/4, 230,000
SOURCE: Nielsen Media

Top 5 songs, primetime, among some of Atlanta’s urban and rock stations. Next week: country and pop.

V-103
1. Jay-Z – Empire State of Mind (w/ Alicia Keys)
2. Usher – PaperS
3. Trey Songz – Invented Sex (w/ Drake)
4. Drake – Forever (w/ Kanye, Eminem, Lil Wayne)
5. Maxwell – Pretty Wings

Hot 107.9
1. Gucci Mane – Wasted (w/ Plies)
2. Trey Songz – Invented Sex
3. Usher – Papers
4. Jay-Z – Empire State of Mind
5. Lil Wayne – We Be Steady Mobbin’ (w/ Gucci Mane)

Majic 107.5
1. Maxwell – Bad Habits
2. K’Jon – On the Ocean
3. Mary Mary – God in Me
4. Anthony Hamilton – The Point of It All
5. Maxwell – Pretty Wings

95.5/The Beat
1. Lady Gaga – Paparazzi
2. Jay Sean – Down
3. Jason DeRulo – Whatcha Say
4. Drake – Best I Ever Had
5. Pitbull – Hotel Room Service

Project 9-6-1
1. Alice in Chains – Check My Brain
2. Godsmack – Whiskey Hangover
3. Mudvayne – Do What You Do
4. Shinedown – Sound of Madness
5. Disturbed – Indestructible

Rock 100.5
1. Nickelback – Rockstar
2. Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
3. Finger Eleven – Paralyzer
4. The Who – Baba O’Riley
5. Shinedown – If You Only Knew
(and based on their playlist lately, they’ve dropped the wimp rock a la Barenaked Ladies/John Mayer and most currents and gone back to a more classic rock sound with the likes of Bob Seger, Bad Company and CCR.)

Dave FM
1. John Mayer – Who Says
2. Pearl Jam – The Fixer
3. Train – Hey, Soul Sister
4. Kings of Leon – Notion
5. O.A.R. – Shattered

99X at 97.9
1. Muse -Uprising-Muse
2. Silversun Pickups – Panic Switch
3. Rise Against – Savior
4. Kings of Leon – Notion
5. Weezer – I Want You To

SOURCE: yes.com