'Frasier,' 'Dateline' power Peacock
Morning Ratings Flash - Rick Kissell
The first of a three-episode arc about Niles' heart troubles boosted "Frasier" by 50% week-to-week, as the vet laffer rolled over its competition and sent Fox's "24" (5.0/12) and CBS' "The Guardian" (2.8/7) to season lows. And at 10, "Dateline," featuring a report on "Today" weatherman Al Roker's weight loss, dominated by virtually every key measure with the show's best 18-49 score since Oct. 2, 2001. It sent ABC's "NYPD Blue" (4.5/12 in 18-49, 12.2 million viewers overall) and CBS' "Judging Amy" (3.7/10 in 18-49, 13.3 million viewers) to season-low scores.
Fox was a close second in 18-49 on the night, placing second in each half-hour. Although "24" was down about 15% week-to-week, its 5.0 rating is still about 20% better than the 4.1 it delivered with its third episode last season.
ABC won the night's opening hour in 18-49, with "8 Simple Rules" (5.0/14) moving back ahead of Fox's "That '70s Show" (4.5/13) and "According to Jim" (5.3/14) easily topping a "70s Show" repeat (4.3/11) as well as NBC's struggling "In-Laws" (3.1/8).
CBS' older-skewing lineup won as usual in total viewers but will finish fourth in fifth in key demos.
Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: NBC, 4.9/13; Fox, 4.7/12; ABC, 4.5/11; CBS, 3.2/8.
Preliminary total-viewer averages: CBS, 13.8 million; NBC, 12.1 million; ABC, 11.1 million; Fox, 9.1 million.
