Bart, Bundys boffo for Fox

'Simpsons,' 'Married' reunion ratings huge

By RICK KISSELL

Bart Simpson

In a flashback to a decade ago, Fox dominated Sunday's primetime ratings action behind "The Simpsons" and "Married … With Children."

According to preliminary nationals from Nielsen, the 300th episode of "The Simpsons" combined with a reunion spec of "Married" for the net's strongest nonsports showing on a Sunday in more than three years. Opposite this tough Fox twosome, ABC's new version of "The Music Man" settled for merely OK numbers.

At 8, "The Simpsons" (9.8/23 in adults 18-49, 21.2 million viewers overall) delivered Fox's highest entertainment scores in the time period since October 1995, topping its combined ABC-CBS-NBC competish in the demo. And, perhaps fittingly for the unstoppable toon hit, its 301st episode, which followed at 8:30, actually delivered a higher rating (10.3/23 in A18-49, 22.0m).

Auds also were clearly interested in revisiting the Bundys, as Fox's sit-down reunion/clips show of the long-running "Married" averaged a huge 9.8/21 in adults 18-49 and 19.2 million viewers overall. Demo score is not only higher than that of the recent reunions for "The Carol Burnett Show" on CBS (9.5/23) or "The Cosby Show" on NBC (7.7/17) but also surpasses any nonsports score in the Sunday-at-9 hour for Fox since an episode of "The X-Files" in November 1999.

Fox rolled on the night by all key measures and has caught NBC for the sweep in adults 18-49, with both nets at an estimated 5.0 rating through Sunday. Fox, with last night's "Joe Millionaire" yet to be counted, is projected to win the month by at least half a ratings point in the demo that most closely translates to advertiser revenue.

Elsewhere in primetime Sunday, "Meredith Willson's Music Man" netted a 3.8/9 in adults 18-49 and 13.1 million viewers overall from -- gains over the net's Sunday movie average this season but nothing spectacular.

In the 10 o'clock hour, both ABC's "Dragnet" (4.0/10 in adults 18-49) and NBC's limited-run series "Kingpin" (4.3/10) fell to their lowest scores in three tries, although the latter again led its hour in the demo -- thanks in part to a strong lead-in from "Law & Order: CI" (5.4/12).

From 9 to 11, CBS movie "Open House" led in total viewers (13.0 million) but ran last among the major nets in both 18-49 (3.3/8) and 25-54 (4.2/9). CBS is projected to win the sweep easily in total viewers.

Earlier in the day, Fox's coverage of racing's Daytona 500 netted a 9.8/21 in metered-market overnights despite lengthy rain delays. Its preliminary average aud of 16.8 million would make it the third most-watched Daytona 500 on record.