'Survivor' & 'CSI' lift Eye

Crime skein becomes first show to beat an original 'ER'

By RICK KISSELL

"Survivor's" still got it.

The 90-minute premiere of the sixth edition of the reality adventure series teamed with an expanded episode of "CSI" to give CBS its first February sweeps victory on a Thursday (excluding the Olympics) in 10 years.

Red-hot "CSI," with a running head start at 9:30, became the first drama to beat an original episode of NBC's veteran juggernaut "ER" from 10 to 11, capping the Eye's strongest Thursday among young adults in 13 months.

According to Nielsen, CBS edged out NBC in adults 18-49 on the night (9.9/25 to 9.5/24) and moved ahead comfortably in both adults 25-54 (11.4/25 to 10.1/23) and total viewers (25.2m vs. 19.8m). It's the net's first February victory on a Thursday without help from the Olympics since 1993 (miniseries "Queen").

"Survivor" trailed NBC's firstrun "Friends" head-to-head at 8 (9.5/27 to 7.6/21 in adults 18-49 and 20.91 million viewers to 20.45m overall) but grew with each half-hour and wound up taking its 90-minute time period in 18-49 (9.1/24), 25-54 (10.4/24) and total viewers (23.26m).

These numbers are about on par with the last two editions of "Survivor," suggesting that the unscripted series credited with igniting the current reality boom remains a potent force. As for "Friends," the 9.5/27 was its lowest original score of the season.

From 9:30 to 11, "CSI" (10.7/25 in A18-49, 27.21m) easily led in total viewers and beat head-to-head in 18-49 both the final half-hour of a 40-minute "Will & Grace" (10.4/24 to 9.5/22) and "ER" (10.7/26 to 10.1/24).

For NBC's part, "Will & Grace" grabbed its best 18-49 score (9.4/22) since Dec. 5 and beat "CSI" in adults 18-34 and some femme demos.

"Hot" out of box

ABC's new reality skein "Are You Hot?" launched to solid numbers in the tough 9 o'clock hour (4.5/11 in adults 18-49), improving upon the net's weak average in the slot this season with regular programming (1.6/4) by 181%. Look for "Hot" -- with its "American Idol"-like format -- to build to some strong numbers by its March 20 finale.

ABC won on Friday in 18-49 and total viewers, according to Nielsen prelims, behind two hours of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (3.4/12 and 3.9/12 in the demo) and "20/20" (3.8/12), which closed the gap with NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" (4.7/15).

NBC, with three repeat hours of the "Law & Order" franchise, tied with Fox's regular lineup for Saturday's 18-49 lead (3.0/9). CBS led in total viewers, as "Touched by an Angel" drew its largest aud in the 8 o'clock hour (9 million) in more than 15 months.