The schedule was affected by the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike (which began on November 5 and ended on February 12).
NBC was the first to announce its fall schedule on May 14, 2007,[1] followed by ABC on May 15,[2] CBS on May 16,[3] Fox and The CW on May 17,[4][5] and MyNetworkTV on August 24, 2007.
[6] This was the first TV season where Nielsen Media Research kept track of DVR ratings (live plus same day; C3; live plus 7)[7] PBS is not included; member stations have local flexibility over most of their schedules and broadcasts times for network shows may vary.
Ion Television is also not included since the network's schedule consisted mainly of syndicated reruns and movies.
Each of the 30 highest-rated shows released in May 2008 is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.