NBC reels in 'Years' auds
'ER' elixir for NBC; UPN gains
Thanks to impressive gains by NBC (up 35%) and UPN (up 31%), as well as a slight gain by the WB (up 6%) and an unchanged perf from CBS, the six nets overall were unchanged from the corresponding week last year -- even though ABC and Fox posted double-digit declines.
The six-net total also was even from last year with adults 18-49 and adults 18-34.
For the week, NBC extended its ratings streak with adults 18-49 (5.0 rating/14 share), while CBS squeaked out another victory with total viewers -- by just 30,000 (12.66 million, to NBC's 12.63 million).
NBC now has won eight of the past nine weeks with adults 18-49, while CBS has been tops with viewers for 14 weeks this season.
"ER" ranked No. 1 with adults 18-49 (13.8/34), followed by "Friends" (11.2/30). CBS, which placed second with adults 18-49 for the week (4.1/11), rounded out the demo's top five programs with "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the NCAA basketball championships and "Survivor: Marquesas."
"ER" also was in the lead with total viewers (28.5 million), followed by "CSI" (26.8 million).
Rounding out the adults 18-49 rankings, Fox was third (3.2/9), followed by ABC (3.0/8), UPN (1.5/4) and WB (1.3/4). With viewers, ABC was No. 3 (8.23 million), followed by Fox (6.88 million), UPN (3.88 million) and WB (3.12 million).
Sunday
Someone forgot to tell NBC viewers that net's "50 Years of Late Night" special (5.4/13 adults 18-49, 14.1 million viewers) was a repeat. Either that, or nostalgia-mania has taken hold with auds: "50 Years" outscored its original September airing by 2 million viewers and almost matched the first run's adults 18-49 numbers.
Fox still won the night with young demos, as Homer's experiment with medical marijuana on "The Simpsons" spliffed the competition (6.2/17 adults 18-49).
Meanwhile, perhaps Celine Dion should feign retirement again. The diva's CBS comeback special "Celine Dion: A New Day" -- her return to the public limelight after an oh-so-long 18-month self-imposed time away -- scored the time period's best perf with adults 18-49 (3.5/9) since November's Emmy Awards telecast.
Saturday
NBC won this round of the "repeat mid-'90s semi-obscure theatrical" face-off, as its second run of "Kiss the Girls" pulled a 3.1/10 with adults 18-49 to beat ABC's second run of "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" (2.4/7).
Fox took the night in demos with its usual round of crimetime TV (3.3/11 adults 18-49), while CBS' "Touched by an Angel" and two servings of "The District" was tops with viewers (8.4 million).
Friday
ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" still has some life in it. Though not nearly as popular as it was in the early '90s, "Videos" is helping to keep the Alphabet web in business on Mondays and Fridays at 8 p.m.
A repeat on Monday, April 1, came in second for the hour, topped only by CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Baby Bob." And on Friday, where the web couldn't catch a break earlier this season with "The Mole," "Thieves" or "Once and Again," ABC has slid into second place among adults 18-49 and viewers thanks in part to "Videos."
Crash-landing into oblivion, CBS' "American Fighter Pilots" was grounded with a 1.2/4 adults 18-49 and 3.8 million viewers in its second -- and final -- showing.
Thursday
Another strong night for "Friends" (11.2/30 adults 18-49) and "ER" (13.8/34, the highest adults 18-49 number for any primetime series in two months), gave the Peacock a solid win in the demo (10.5/26 to CBS' 7.8/20). The race was tighter among viewers, but NBC (20.9 million) squeaked ahead of CBS (19.6 million).
Meanwhile, the collapse of ABC (2.0/5) and Fox (1.6/4) on the night has allowed UPN (2.6/7) to jump to third place among adults 18-49, as "WWF Smackdown" continues to perform well -- especially among teens. As a matter of fact, UPN ended the week in second place among teens (2.0/7), behind only Fox (3.5/12).
Wednesday
Tough night for Fox's comedies, as "Bernie Mac" -- which has been on an upward trajectory in recent weeks -- slumped to its lowest firstrun score (3.5/9). That didn't help the second week of "Greg the Bunny," which dropped 31% from its debut, to a 3.3/8. "Greg" still won the slot with adults 18-34 (tied).
Week two of ABC's "George Lopez" suffered smaller declines, dropping just 6% from week one to a 3.5/9 with adults 18-49. Alphabet's "My Wife and Kids" was Wednesday's top laffer with viewers (10.4 million) and adults 18-49 (3.8/11).
UPN's latest attempt at CBS synergy also fell short, as a repeat of the Eye's "Wolf Lake" attracted 3 million viewers -- down 47% from its "Enterprise" lead-in (5.6 million). NBC won the night (5.8/15 adults 18-49, 15.4 million viewers).
Dead and buried: ABC's "Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)," which averaged a paltry 2.3/6 with adults 18-49.
Tuesday
This won't help Sally Field's self-esteem. ABC's "The Court" posted a criminal 2.5/7 with adults 18-49 for the show's second week (down 29% from its premiere). It didn't help that the show's lead-in, "NYPD Blue," posted its lowest ratings ever during the regular season (2.9/7 adults 18-49). As you might expect, the web has declared a permanent recess for "The Court."
Monday
Those enthusiastic marketers at CBS are probably prepping a spot that heralds "Baby Bob" as primetime TV's new super-dooper-humungoid-ultra-orgasmic-inducing-mega comedy hit. Show still has legs, winning the timeslot with adults 18-49 (4.9/11) and viewers (12.9 million) -- granted, against a low-rated figure skating spesh on NBC rather than "Fear Factor."
Eye won the night thanks to the NCAA basketball championship (9.3/24 adults 18-49, 23.7 million).
