Eye, Peacock sweeping to victories in key demos
Alphabet in distant 3rd in Thursday total viewers, 18-49
Both nets helped solidify their first-place position -- NBC in adults 18-49 and CBS in total viewers -- by beating up on everybody else on Thursday.
NBC then cruised to victory on Friday but was slammed to the turf by the XFL on Saturday, while CBS struggled on Friday but rebounded nicely on Saturday behind the series premiere of "Kate Brasher."
With Thursday nationals from Nielsen and prelims for Friday and Saturday factored in, NBC remains atop the demo standings with a 5.5 rating/15 share (down 5% in rating vs. a year ago), with Fox second at 4.9/13 (up 4%). Fox will likely top NBC on each of the sweep's final four nights (Sunday through Wednesday), but it may not be enough to erase the deficit.
CBS, meanwhile, still has a handle on the month's total-viewer prize, averaging 13.9 million (up 7%) to NBC's 12.8 million (down 7%) and ABC's 12.3m (down 20%). Eye and Alphabet also figure to be battling to the end for third place in adults 18-49, with ABC looking to avoid a fourth-place finish after winning last February.
With four nights to be counted, CBS had a 4.5/12 (up 15% vs. a year ago); ABC a 4.3/11 (down 26%).
NBC won the fourth and final of the sweep's Thursday wars, but by its smallest margins of the month over CBS -- by 2 million viewers overall (21.6 million to 19.6m) and by 8 shares in adults 18-49 (11.0/26 to 7.6/18).
The Eye's "Survivor" again dominated the night's opening hour, topping NBC's comedies by its largest margins yet: by 44% in viewers (28.78m vs. 19.92m), by 28% in adults 25-54 (13.2/28 vs. 10.3/22), by 24% in adults 18-49 (11.9/28 to 9.6/22) and by 17% in adults 18-34 (11.6/29 to 9.9/24).
'Survivor' the fittest
CBS also pulled off a couple of "firsts" on the night: From 8 to 8:30, "Survivor" topped "Friends" in adults 18-34 for the first time (10.8/28 vs. 10.4/27), while "Survivor" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" combined to beat NBC's three 40-minute comedies in adults 18-49 for the first time (9.8/23 vs. 9.6/22).
The Peacock again put the night in its column thanks to "ER" (27.13m, 13.7/34 in A18-49).
ABC was a distant third on the night in both total viewers (12 million) and 18-49 (3.7/9), although its "Primetime Thursday" (11.54m, 3.5/9 in A18-49) topped rival newsmag "48 Hours" on CBS (9.10m, 3.1/8) for the second straight week.
UPN hung in there, placing third on the night in adults 18-34 (3.3/8) with "WWF Smackdown." The WB's combo of "Gilmore Girls" and "Charmed" improved the net's perf vs. a year ago by 17% in adults 18-34 (2.1/5 vs. 1.8/4).
NBC cruised on Friday in both total viewers (13.3m) and adults 18-49 (4.5/14), winning every half-hour in the latter. "Law & Order: SVU" (15.5m, 5.5/16 in A18-49) again led the way, finishing the sweep with a best-ever 5.4/15 average in adults 18-49.
Fox's theatrical "Starship Troopers" (prelim 7.5m, 3.2/10 in A18-49) couldn't match what "Police Videos" scored a week earlier, but still won the night in teens (4.1/16) and finished just behind NBC in adults 18-34.
CBS dropped to a firstrun season-low 2.4/7 in adults 18-49 on the night, as "Diagnosis Murder" (prelim 1.6/5) built a deep hole in the leadoff hour.
'Kate' does great
Things looked much better on Saturday for the Eye, as it won in total viewers (prelim 11.6 million) and women 25-54 (5.7/15) with its best numbers since premiere night on Oct. 7. Preem of Jersey TV/20th Century Fox drama "Kate Brasher" delivered the net's largest audience with series programming in the 9 o'clock hour (prelim 11.8 million) in at least two seasons.
"Brasher," which won in women 25-54 (6.0/15) and placed second in adults 25-54 (4.6/12), also seemed to bring more viewers to the set an hour earlier, as "That's Life" gained more than 1 million viewers week-to-week for its largest Saturday audience to date (prelim 9.2m).
Fox's reality staples "Cops" and "America's Most Wanted" tied with ABC's movie (repeat of three-hour "Phenomenon") for the night's lead in adults 18-49 (3.9/12 each), with the former also winning in adults 18-34 (prelim 3.5/13) and the latter in teens (prelim 3.3/13).
The XFL continued to sag in its fourth week on NBC. This week's overnight household rating of 2.8/5 is another 20% below the previous week's 3.5/6 and a whopping 73% lower than the opening week's 10.3/17.
The football league even finished last in one of its key demos, men 18-34 (prelim 1.5/6).
