• by Wayne Friedman , September 22, 2006

In the first three days of the new season, three different networks came out on top.

It was CBS' turn on Wednesday--albeit in a weaker night overall for prime-time TV with ABC in quasi-rerun mode. CBS, thanks to season debuts of "CSI: NY," "Criminal Minds," and new show "Jericho," earned steady numbers, pulling in an overall average of 4.2 rating/12 share in preliminary Nielsen estimates.

Next was ABC. But without its usual Wednesday-night powerhouse "Lost," as well as two reruns of "Grey's Anatomy," ABC only pushed to a 3.7/10 for the evening. "Grey's" earned a 3.8/11. The "Dancing with the Stars" 8 p.m. results show slipped to a 3.7/11, but still won its time period.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was with the CW--debuting in its official premiere night with a two-hour "America's Next Top Model," beating up on Fox. The CW pulled in a 2.6/7, for fourth-place overall, besting Fox with a 2.2/6 and Univision at a 1.8/5.

CW's "Model" struck a chord with a strong 3.3 rating in adults 18-34, and a 2.6/7 in adults 18-49. The show was the net's only show of the night.

NBC didn't get such good news. The net pulled in a third-place spot with a 3.0/8. Its new "Kidnapped" drama got off the ground with only a 2.8 rating in adults 18-49--coming in fourth at 10 p.m., well behind CBS's "CSI: NY" premiere and a "Grey's Anatomy" rerun.

CBS had better news with its new drama, "Jericho," although it wasn't as highly recommended by critics or media buyers. The show, starring Skeet Ulrich, averaged a 3.2 at 8 p.m., drawing 11.4 million total viewers and coming in second place to "Dancing with the Stars."

The top seven shows of the night among adults 18-49 were: "CSI: NY" with a 4.9; "Criminal Minds," at 4.5; the 10 p.m. "Grey's" repeat, at 4.0; "Dancing with the Stars," at 3.7; the 9 p.m. "Grey's" repeat, at 3.5; the 9 p.m. hour of NBC's "The Biggest Loser," at 3.5; and "Jericho," at 3.2.