Bart, Bundys boffo for Fox
'Simpsons,' 'Married' reunion ratings huge
More Articles:
Most Viewed:
'Carol' in tune with box office(4243 views)Gyllenhaal goes straight to 'Source'(2236 views)The Wanda Sykes Show(614 views)'Precious' on path to indie success(593 views)Bradley Cooper 'Fields' film offer(590 views)'Wanda' off to good start in ratings(533 views) |
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.
