Things are different. Television audiences are smaller and I'm not just talking about this week or this month -- rather, it is for the whole year. Take your pick: bad stories, broadband video, alternative media lifestyles, digital video records, P2P file downloads, Daylight Savings time. All of them?

In fact, only 13 series posted had any ratings gains at all this last season!

Networks acknowledge that some shows story lines were weaker this year -- including Fox's 24 and ABC's Lost. Another factor is that many stronger series were forced to face off against each other, crammed together to avoid American Idol, which remains a powerhouse despite weakened ratings.

ABC's heavily hyped Grey's Anatomy tied Fox's House as the top-rated scripted series -- seeing its 18-49 ratings erode 9%. CBS' CSI sank 21%, from an 8.4 to a 6.6.

Ever in denial and ever the spin-meisters, a network executive (who asked not to be identified) said "There are a lot of good shows facing a lot of good competition. It used to be that they could be spread out over an entire week, but there's not a lot of open real estate anymore." Right, and I have a bridge to sell you too.

Even without much in the way of strong competition, American Idol saw its still hefty adult 18-49 ratings shrink 7% this season on Tuesdays (from 12.9 to 12.0). And last week's season finale of Idol plunged 19%, from a 14.2 rating/35 share a year ago to an 11.5/31.