CBS, NBC end on top
Eye carries auds, Peacock nails key demo
When Nielsen issues national averages today for the week of Nov. 12-18, NBC will come out on top in adults 18-49 for the seventh time in eight weeks this season. Net's projected 5.2 rating in the demo easily tops CBS (4.4 or 4.5), ABC (4.3) and Fox (4.3 or 4.2).
NBC remains in a neck-and-neck battle with Fox in the demo for the November sweep, with each carrying a 5.2 rating into Monday night's action. Among the programs that may decide the month are NBC's celebrity edition of "Fear Factor" on Nov. 27 and Fox's television premiere of "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" on Sunday.
CBS, the sweeps leader in total viewers and expected to finish on top, will win the week in overall audience for the third time in four weeks, edging NBC (roughly 13.1 million to 12.9m).
Leaders rest on Sunday
Both leaders capped the week with a disappointing Sunday, falling behind Fox and ABC.
Fox took Sunday by all measures, including adults 18-49 (prelim 6.4/15) and total viewers (13.8 million), boosted by a nearly one-hour NFL overrun. "The Simpsons" (prelim 14.5 million, 7.1/17 in 18-49) and "Malcolm in the Middle" (prelim 13.8m, 6.5/15) both led their slots, but by 9:30 the tiring "X-Files" (prelim 9.4m, 4.6/10) left the net third in 18-49.
Airing opposite "X-Files" for the first time, ABC's "Alias" (prelim 10.3m, 4.6/10) held up well. Rookie drama finished in a virtual 18-49 tie with the hour's other two dramas ("X-Files" and NBC's "Law & Order: SVU") while moving ahead in adults 18-34 (4.1/10).
The Alphabet's "The Practice" (prelim 16.4m, 6.4/16 in 18-49) easily won at 10 and ranked as the night's most-watched show, while net's "Facts of Life" reunion pic did OK from 7 to 9 (prelim 11.9m, 4.5/11) -- although it was down about 20% from a "Growing Pains" reunion movie a year ago.
CBS ran third Sunday in viewers and fourth in demos with a weak perf from "Hallmark Hall of Fame" pic "In Love and War" (prelim 11.9m, 2.6/6 in 18-49), which fell about 30% below last November's "Hall of Fame" pic.
NBC was third in demos and fourth in viewers, led by another solid perf at 9 for "Law & Order: Criminal Investigation," which won its hour in total viewers (prelim 12.8m). At 10, though, first-year drama "UC: Undercover" (prelim 7.7m, 3.4/9) continues to look shaky.
Combined share down
According to prelim Nielsen figures, the four major nets combined for a mere 41 share in adults 18-49 on the night, down from 49 on the same Sunday a year ago and 55 just two years ago. Fox, the night's leader, limited its year-to-year losses to about 8% but ABC was off by 18%, NBC 21% and CBS 27%.
There wasn't a big slate of original cable programming on Sunday, although HBO's Britney Spears concert and ESPN's Rams-Patriots NFL game both figure to rate well when their numbers are released today.
