Football, reality shows take top spots

Fox, NBC bring in big weekly numbers

By RICK KISSELL

Sunday football boosted Fox and NBC to the top spots in the demo rankings last week, while CBS hung tough with the conclusion of "Big Brother" and the return of "Survivor."

The Sept. 17-23 frame also included a sprinkling of series preems, including solid but unspectacular starts for Fox's "K-Ville," "Back to You" and "Kitchen Nightmares," CBS' "Kid Nation" and CW's "Gossip Girl."

Fox (2.9 rating/8 share) and NBC (2.8/8) set the pace for the week in adults 18-49, followed by CBS (2.4/7), ABC (1.9/5), Univision (1.5/4), ESPN (1.3/4) and CW (1.1/3).

CBS moved to the lead in adults 25-54 (3.2/8), edging out NBC and Fox, while also cruising to victory in total viewers (8.9 million).

Standout performers of the week -- despite opposing each other -- were NBC's "Sunday Night Football" matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears (7.8/20 in 18-49, 19.05 million viewers overall) and Fox's one-hour season premiere of "Family Guy" (5.6/13, 10.81m).

Football game was the highest-rated primetime telecast on any net since the "American Idol" finale on Fox last May, while "Family Guy" had its best numbers since May 2005 with a "Star Wars"-themed episode.

Combined, football on NBC and "Family Guy" on Fox drew 48% of the male 18-34 audience during Sunday's 9 o'clock hour.

Fox, which benefited from a dominant NFL overrun that kick-started its Sunday lineup, also delivered hearty numbers for the 19th-season preem of "The Simpsons" (4.7/13, 9.55m).

Fox's Monday lineup premiered to OK but declining ratings for "Prison Break" (3.3/9 in 18-49, 7.51m) and a solid start opposite lighter-than-can-be-expected competish for "K-Ville" (3.3/8, 8.93m).

On Wednesday, the net's Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton comedy "Back to You" (3.1/10 in 18-49, 9.48m) and reality skein "Hell's Kitchen" (3.1/8, 6.61m) opened to credible numbers, as did the Eye's "Kid Nation" (3.1/9, 9.38m).

CW's "Gossip Girl" (1.6/4 in 18-49, 3.50m) looked OK in broad ratings categories behind the season preem of "America's Next Top Model" (2.5/8, 5.22m) but shined among young femmes, racking up a 3.6/11 in females 12-34.

On Thursday, "Survivor: China" may have opened to the franchise's lowest premiere scores to date (5.0/15 in 18-49, 15.35m), but the skein remains a ratings force, crushing Fox's once-potent nonscripted rival "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" (2.4/7, 8.26m).

CBS also shined Tuesday at 9 with the finale of "Big Brother 8" (3.4/9 in 18-49, 8.67m), while NBC's "Biggest Loser" also looked good on the night (3.4/9, 7.94m), rising in its second week.

Sunday saw anemic results for the premieres of CW alternative skeins "CW Now" (0.3/1 in 18-49, 1.01m) and "Online Nation" (0.3/1, 1.00m). And CBS was nothing special with the season premieres of dramas "Cold Case" (3.1/7 in 18-49, 12.75m) and "Shark" (2.6/7, 11.42m).

ESPN dominated the week's cable race, behind "Monday Night Football" (5.0/14 in 18-49, 11.63m for Philadelphia-Washington), the most-watched telecast of the calendar year on ad-supported cable. Net also was strong Saturday with the college football matchup between Kentucky and Arkansas (1.7/7, 4.47m).

USA's "Burn Notice" (1.6/5 in 18-49, 4.78m) was easily cable's No. 1 scripted show of the week in 18-49, wrapping its rookie season with strong numbers, including its largest overall audience. "Burn" finishes as summer's No. 1 new drama in 18-49, duplicating the perf of the same net's "Psych" of a year ago.