Joe, Jacko and Simon made for a combustible combo on Fox last week, as the net exploded to its highest demo average for a frame in 11 years.
CBS was a strong second in demos and again won in total viewers, as the Grammys punctuated its week nicely.
According to Nielsen, Fox dominated the week of Feb. 17-23, capturing every demo from kids and teens to adults 18-34 (7.1/20), 18-49 (6.9/17) and adults 25-54 (6.7/15).
Leading the way was Monday's finale of "Joe Millionaire" (20.4/40 in adults 18-49, 40.03 million viewers overall), which became the highest-rated entertainment program in Fox history. Other than post-Super Bowl programs, it's also the highest-rated show among adults 18-49 on any network since the finale of the original "Survivor" on CBS in August 2000.
But the net, which had eight of the week's top 20 programs in adults 18-49, also did well with 3½ hours of "American Idol" coverage, including a one-hour Wednesday spec on "The Best of the Worst" auditions (8.8/20 in adults 18-49, 19.46m) that outperformed the show's regular episode prior to it; "Idol" on Tuesday is also helping funnel more viewers into "24" (6.5/15 in A18-49).
And then there was its two-hour "Michael Jackson: The Interview…," which delivered Fox's best Thursday entertainment ratings (6.1/14 in A18-49, 14.16m) in four years.
Overall, only 10% of Fox's sked comprised original scripted series programming, but it more than did the job. For the season, Fox has moved into sole possession of second in both adults 18-49 and 18-34.
For CBS, the Grammy Awards (11.3/27 in A18-49, 24.83m) capped its 16th total-viewer victory in 22 weeks this season. Net has shaved NBC's advantage for the season in adults 25-54 to just 6%.
The Eye was also represented nicely by "CSI" (most-watched scripted series of the week) and lead-out "Without a Trace" (season high 6.1/15 in 18-49, 17.78m). And the unscripted combo of "Survivor" and "Star Search" led off the night well on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
NBC settled for a rare third-place 18-49 finish in a sweeps month, as its Thursday -- while remaining victorious in the demo -- was bruised by tough competish. "Friends" remained the top-rated comedy of the week in 18-49 (8.9/22), and "ER" the top-rated drama (10.5/26).
ABC enjoyed a strong Wednesday courtesy of "The Bachelorette" finale (9.3/22 in 18-49, 20.39m) but still landed fourth in all key categories. Only 23% of the net's sked was original scripted entertainment series, with reality skein "I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here" drawing shares in the 8-9 range after bowing with a 14 on Wednesday.
On Sunday, "Alias" (4.2/9) held up well opposite the Grammys, but "Dragnet" (3.0/7) retained a lowest-yet 71% of its 18-49 lead-in.
The WB had only a so-so week opposite big events that fared extremely well in the net's young-female demos. Frog's two-hour finale of "Birds of Prey" on Wednesday netted a mere 1.7/4 in adults 18-34, while "Surreal Life" limped a bit to its conclusion, with its 1.7/4 in adults 18-34 less than half of its premiere score six weeks earlier (3.6/9).
At UPN, new comedy "Abby" isn't doing much Tuesdays at 9, but Wednesday's "Twilight Zone" (1.5/3 in 18-49, 3.26m) delivered its best scores since October.
Other notes:
- Cable unplugged: In a strong week for the broadcasters, basic cable had little to crow about. TNT (0.8) and TBS (0.7) were the top-rated ad-supported cablers in adults 18-49, while TNT (2.25 million) and Nickelodeon (1.81 million) were the biggest primetime draws overall.
TNN's Monday staple "WWE Raw Zone" (2.3/6 in A18-49, 5.16m) and Saturday fave "Trading Spaces" on TLC (2.1/7, 4.42m) were the week's top primetime cable programs.
- Dramatic night: Unscripted programming may be all the rage these days, but Tuesday at 9 remains one of the strongest hours for scripted fare, especially dramas. Last week, Fox's "24" led the hour with a 6.5/15 in adults 18-49 and its best-ever female demos, while the WB's "Smallville" moved up to second in 18-49 with one of its best scores ever (4.1/10).
And CBS' "The Guardian" won the hour in viewers (13.63 million) with its second largest aud of the season.
- Super Thursday: The broadcast nets combined for an unbelievable 72 share in adults 18-49 and a 75 share in adults 18-34. Things were so quiet on the cable front, in fact, that only one program -- an NBA contest on TNT (0.5/2 in adults 18-49) -- generated more than a 1 share in the 18-49 demo.
- Alphabet tops news: ABC won the evening news battle in total viewers, topping NBC for the first time since late November. The nets battled to a draw in the key news demo of adults 25-54 (3.6/13).
Contact Rick Kissell at
rick.kissell@variety.com