A dominating showing by "CSI" and season-high scores for "Survivor: Guatemala" powered CBS to an easy ratings victory Thursday night, according to preliminary nationals from Nielsen.
"CSI" (10.1 rating/25 share in adults 18-49, 29.4 million viewers overall) was in control at 9 o'clock — more than doubling NBC's second-place "The Apprentice 4" (4.8/12 in 18-49, 11.2 million viewers overall) and roughly matching the combined 18-49 delivery of the Eye's five competing broadcast nets in the hour. Fox's "Reunion" (1.8/4 in 18-49, 4.0 million viewers overall) was up week-to-week, topping ABC's "Night Stalker" (1.4/3 in 18-49, 3.9 million viewers overall).
In the opening hour, "Survivor: Guatemala" (6.9/19 in 18-49, 19.1 million viewers overall) posted its best Nielsens of the fall, towering over second-place NBC comedies "Joey" (3.1/9 in 18-49, 8.1 million viewers overall) and "Will & Grace" (3.6/9 in 18-49, 8.9 million viewers overall), which were up week-to-week. Fox's "The OC" was on the low side (2.6/7 in 18-49, 5.7 million viewers overall) but still finished ahead of ABC's "Alias" (2.1/6 in 18-49, 6.4 million viewers overall).
At 10, NBC's "ER" (6.7/18 in 18-49, 15.4 million viewers overall) hit season highs in topping in demos CBS' "Without a Trace" (6.3/17 in 18-49, 20.6 million viewers overall).
Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: CBS, 7.8/20; NBC, 5.0/13; Fox, 2.2/6; ABC, 1.8/5; WB, 1.8/5; UPN, 1.3/3.
In total viewers: CBS, 23.1 million; NBC, 11.7 million; ABC, 5.5 million; Fox, 4.9 million; WB, 4.5 million; UPN, 3.3 million.
Contact Rick Kissell at
rick.kissell@variety.com