• by Wayne Friedman , February 13, 2009

Network executives might say that sweeps periods mean little--but you wouldn't know it from ABC's and CBS' high-octane efforts for a big February sweeps number.

CBS premiered the 18th edition of "Survivor" with its "Survivor: Tocantins" and grabbed a dominating Nielsen Media Research preliminary 4.5/13 for the 18-49 crowd at 8 p.m. Those numbers are virtually the same as its two-hour premiere "Survivor: Gabon" last fall.

This rating was well ahead of other 8 p.m. shows--ABC's "Ugly Betty" and NBC's "My Name is Earl," which has been posting similar numbers in recent weeks. Thursday's "Betty" was a bit down from a week before at a 2.3/7, while "Earl" was up some to 2.6/8.

But the prize of the night goes to the double-dosing of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" in a special--and now rare--crossover story arc. "Grey's Anatomy" at 9 p.m. earned a 6.0/14--up from its 5.8/14 the week before. Then "Practice" rose to a 5.8/15 from a 5.4/14 the week before.

While ABC won the night among 18-49ers--with a 4.7/12 to CBS' 4.1/11--the better showing was among the 18-34 audience. ABC took a 4.7/14 to NBC's 3.0/9.

Those "Grey" 9 p.m. competitors didn't go away quietly. CBS' "CSI" was at a 4.9/12. NBC's "The Office" has been gaining on "CSI"--now just three-tenths of a rating point behind at 4.6/11. "Office" is already well ahead of "CSI" when it comes to 18-34 viewers, at 5.4/15.

But big "Practice" numbers didn't give its 10 p.m. competitors much room to move. CBS' "Eleventh Hour" and NBC's "ER" were well down the list--at a 2.7/7 and a 2.6/7, respectively.

Fox earned a 1.4/4 for its two-hour "40th NAACP Image Awards." The CW aired reruns of "Smallville" and "Supernatural" at a 0.9/3 and a 0.8/3, respectively, among 18-49 viewers--about the same numbers against its more core 18-34 audience.

In the all-important 18-49 race, after ABC and CBS came NBC in third place at 3.1/8. Univision was next at 1.8/5, followed by Fox at 1.4/4 and the CW at 0.9/2.