Baseball puts most Fox series in on-deck circle
Eye-opening CBS start; NBC primed
CBS and the WB, meanwhile, are the only nets to show year-to-year 18-49 gains through three weeks. The Frog also matched its best weekly rating ever in adults 18-34 (set the prior week) and set an all-time best mark in adults 18-49 and key male demos.
ABC again showed some spunk, delivering its best 18-49 rating since the week of the Academy Awards in March and placing a solid second in adults 18-34 -- the only net besides the WB to show year-to-year gains in the demo. Both nets are taking full advantage of Fox airing baseball, as postseason action is boosting that net's broader averages but hurting it in its usually strong demos of adults 18-34 and teens.
Most of Fox's entertainment series are now in the on-deck circle, set to return after the World Series.
According to Nielsen in-home viewing estimates for the week of Oct. 7-13, NBC remained on top in all key adult demos, but CBS pulled to within 2 shares in adults 18-49 (4.2/11 vs. 4.9/13) and 1 share in adults 25-54 (5.1/12 vs. 5.5/13).
For a third straight week, NBC's "Friends" was the No. 1 program in adults 18-49 (12.7/33), while CBS drama "CSI" moved on top for the first time this season in total viewers (a series-high 30.72 million). "CSI" was also the week's No. 1 show in men 18-49 (9.9/25), edging out ABC's "Monday Night Football" (9.4/24).
The Peacock won four nights in adults 18-49 (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday) and accounted for nine of the week's top 20 programs in the demo -- including the top four comedies, the No. 1 drama ("ER" at 12.3/31) and the No. 1 newsmag (Tuesday's "Dateline" at 4.5/12).
And new programs "Hidden Hills" and "American Dreams" again won their timeslots in adults 18-49.
CBS, which won five of seven nights in total viewers, remains very strong on Monday and Thursday but finished third or worse on the other five nights in adults 18-49. Net continues to do well with new crime dramas "CSI: Miami," "Without a Trace" and "Hack," which are shoring up weak hours from a year ago.
Through three weeks, South Florida is TV's hot spot, as the Eye's "CSI: Miami" is the highest-rated new drama in adults 18-49 (7.5/19) and NBC's "Good Morning Miami" is the top new comedy in the demo (8.6/20).
The WB placed four shows -- "Smallville," "Birds of Prey," "7th Heaven" and "Dawson's Creek" -- in the week's top 20 in 18-34. "Birds" debuted to some of the best preem scores ever for a WB series and "Smallville" drew the largest aud ever for a Tuesday Frog series (8.82m).
ABC was powered by its winning Tuesday, an improved Wednesday courtesy of "The Bachelor" and consistent performances elsewhere (save Thursday). Net placed first or second in 18-49 on five of seven nights and won five nights in adults 18-34.
UPN again looked weak in year-to-year comparisons but did have some highlights, including its Monday comedy block performing better than last year and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Enterprise" hitting season highs in key demos.
Monday
CBS captured Oct. 14 in both 18-49 and viewers behind "Everybody Loves Raymond" (20.73m, 7.4/18) and "CSI: Miami" (19.03m, 7.3/18).
A season-low perf from ABC's "Monday Night Football" (14.34m, 6.2/16 in 18-49) seemed to free up viewers for other shows. In addition to "CSI: Miami," programs up week-to-week included NBC's "Crossing Jordan" (4.3/11 in 18-49) and "Third Watch" (4.5/11) and CBS laffer "Still Standing" (6.0/14).
NBC's "Fear Factor" hit a season high in 18-49 (a winning 5.2/13).
UPN enjoyed its strongest Monday since last November in key demos. At 9:30, new comedy "Half and Half" saw best-yet scores, beating the WB's "Everwood" in adults 18-34 for the first time (2.2/6 vs. 2.1/6).
Sunday
NBC edged past ABC to win in 18-49 (4.1 to 4.0), with "Law & Order: CI" (5.2/12, the show's best yet in that slot) opening up some distance on "Alias" (4.2/9). ABC got the better of things at 10, though, with "The Practice" hitting a season high (5.7/14) opposite NBC's fading "Boomtown" (3.8/9).
CBS' comedy block of "Becker" and the new "Bram & Alice," delayed more than 30 minutes in most of the country by football, delivered a fourth-place 2.6 rating in adults 18-49 -- on par with last season's "Education of Max Bickford." And made-for "Gleason" (10.88m, 3.2/8 in 18-49) built on its lead-in but didn't do much biz.
HBO's "The Sopranos" (9.76m, 5.3/12 in 18-49) edged out "Law & Order: CI" in 18-49 but saw its overall aud decline for a fourth straight week. ESPN did well with its Miami-Denver NFL matchup (9.58m, 4.3/11), racking up a big 6.5/17 in men 18-34.
Saturday
With baseball sidelining Fox's reality series, CBS' femme-skewing "Touched by an Angel" (7.90m, 2.2/7 in A18-49) and "The District" (12.21m, 3.0/9) both hit season highs.
Game 4 of baseball's American League Championship Series delivered Fox's largest Saturday aud since April (8.9 million), while ABC won in adults 18-49 (3.3/10) with a strong repeat perf from "Enemy of the State."
Friday
Although down year-to-year, NBC won the night, with "Dateline" and "Law & Order: SVU" (15.91m, 5.3/16) leading their slots. At 8, "Providence" was on top in viewers (9.81m) but finished 2 shares behind ABC's first-place "America's Funniest Home Videos" in 18-49 (2.6/9 vs. 3.1/11).
ABC, with a second "Videos" at 9 replacing "That Was Then," saw its best Friday since May (2.9/9) and was up 26% year-to-year.
CBS' "Hack" (11.22m, 3.1/10 in 18-49), although down a bit, continues to look solid, placing second at 9 to NBC's "Dateline" (11.55m, 3.5/11). At 10, "Robbery Homicide Division" (7.69m, 2.3/7) fell 9 shares behind "SVU" in both 18-49 and 25-54.
Thursday
CBS closed the gap with demo leader NBC and inched ahead in total viewers on the night for the first time this season (Daily Variety, Oct. 14).
UPN, with "WWE Smackdown," ranked third in adults 18-34 (2.8/8).
Wednesday
The WB's "Birds of Prey" soared to huge premiere numbers and ABC's "The Bachelor" moved past NBC's "The West Wing" in adults 18-49 (Daily Variety, Oct. 11).
Tuesday
ABC won for the second straight week in 18-49, led by "8 Simple Rules" (5.8/17), which tied NBC's "Frasier" as the highest-rated show in the demo. And at 10, "NYPD Blue" was the night's top-rated drama in 18-49 (5.4/15) for a third straight week.
"Smallville" and "Gilmore Girls" teamed to lift the WB to its best-ever Tuesday in women 18-34 (5.1/14) and women 18-49 (4.0/10).
Monday
CBS won the night in adults 18-49 (5.8/14), and the WB delivered its best-ever Monday score in adults 18-34 (3.3/9). UPN saw year-to-year gains with its comedies, including 12% in adults 18-34 (1.9/5 vs. 1.7/5).
