Fox's reality series "Joe Millionaire" is off to a huge start, dominating its Monday-at-9 hour in all key demos and delivering the net's highest rating for any skein this season, according to preliminary nationals from Nielsen. Fox won the night in adults 18-49, while CBS prevailed in total viewers.
"Millionaire" bowed with a huge 10.1 rating/22 share and drew roughly 18.6 million viewers overall, topping CBS' second-place comedies in the demo by 9 shares. The 18-49 rating is higher than all but the finale of last summer's "American Idol" on Fox and better than every episode of CBS' "Survivor: Thailand" earlier this season.
CBS was led by "Everybody Loves Raymond," which remained the night's most-watched program overall (19.9 million, 6.5/15 in adults 18-49), and "CSI: Miami" (17.3 million, 6.4/16 in adults 18-49), which won at 10.
NBC was third on the night but received season-high scores for "Fear Factor" (6.4/16 in adults 18-49) and "Crossing Jordan" (4.9/12). This marked "Jordan's" most competitive position yet opposite an original "CSI: Miami."
ABC, with "Monday Night Football" finished, settled for less than half of its Monday average this season with the premiere of theatrical "Any Given Sunday" (2.7/6 in adults 18-49).
Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: Fox, 7.0/17; CBS, 5.8/14; NBC, 5.3/13; ABC, 2.7/6.
In total viewers: CBS, 16.7 million; Fox, 14.2 million; NBC, 13.1 million; ABC, 7.1 million.
Contact Rick Kissell at
rick.kissell@variety.com