(Variety) - NBC was tops among viewers last week in the coveted adults 18-49 demographic for the 15th week in a row, while ABC returned to the top in total viewers for the first time in four
months.
According to Nielsen Media Research data for July 23-29, NBC topped ABC by 2 shares in adults 18-49, extending a weekly winning streak by that measure that began in mid-April. NBCclaimed
nine of the week's top 10 shows, including runaway summer hit "Fear Factor," which was the No. 1 program in the demo for a third straight week and was also the most watched program overall for the
first time (14.12 million).
NBC cemented its victory with an effective reality Sunday as repeats of summer hits "Fear Factor" (two episodes at 7 and 8), "Spy TV" (two at 9 and 9:30) and "Weakest
Link" swept each of the night's eight half-hours. NBC turned one-third of its weekly schedule (7-1/2 of 22 hours) over to unscripted/alternative programming, with only Tuesday's "Downer Channel"
failing to drum up big demos.
ABC enjoyed its strongest week since May, placing second in adults 18-49 (2.9 rating, 9 share) and topping its primetime rivals in overall audience with an average of
8.51 million viewers. Four hours of celebrity "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," including three original "Top of the Charts" music editions, powered the network, which continues to be bolstered by the
return of Friday's "America's Funniest Home Videos."
(Each adults 18-49 rating point represents 1.24 million viewers, 1% of the U.S. total. A share is the same sort of percentage, except it's
measured against only the homes or viewers watching TV during the time slot involved.)
Overall, ABC had five of the week's 10 most watched programs, led by Thursday's "Millionaire" at No. 2 (13.19
million viewers).
Fox edged out CBS for third in adults 18-49 (2.5/8 vs. 2.4/8), with Tuesday's premiere of reality series "Murder in Smalltown X" winning but not dominating its hour.
CBS,
meanwhile, saw best-yet numbers from "Big Brother 2," but the dramas that followed it -- especially on Tuesday ("JAG") and Saturday ("Walker, Texas Ranger") -- fumbled away most of the reality series'
young-adult audience. CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" were again the week's most-watched scripted programs.
UPN, whose "WWF Smackdown!" rallied to some of its
best young-male demos in more than six months, topped rival the WB for a 10th straight week. The WB, though, boosted primarily by a strong showing for Tuesday theatrical "Dumb and Dumber," attracted
its largest weekly audience (2.59 million) in eight weeks.
SUNDAY
NBC's no-script night dominated the competition on July 29, with 8 p.m.'s "Fear Factor" (4.5/14 in adults 18-49) leading the
way. A repeat of May's celebrity episode of "Weakest Link" (10.84 million, 4.9/14 in adults 18-49) grabbed the quizzer's best Sunday score yet.
Fox's "The Simpsons" (4.2/14) held up the best
opposite NBC both on the night and for the week as the toon vet kept NBC from sweeping the week's top 10 in 18-49, placing eighth.
SATURDAY
"Big Brother" (5.93 million) won the lead-off hour
with its top Saturday scores to date, including the best adults 18-49 series rating (2.5/11) in the hour for CBS since October ("That's Life"). The network quickly fell to a deep fourth-place finish
in the demo at 9, though, with "Walker, Texas Ranger" (1.3/5).
Fox won the night in 18-49, led by "America's Most Wanted" (6.78 million, 2.8/11 in adults 18-49).
FRIDAY
ABC won each hour
in adults 18-49 and total viewers in grabbing its strongest numbers on the night in 10 weeks. The final "Top of the Charts" edition of "Millionaire" posted the quizzer's best 18-49 rating in 10 weeks
(3.0/12), and its best scores among teens (2.6/13) and kids (2.2/9) in more than three months.
CBS slipped badly in its second week with "That's Life" in the middle hour; a repeat of the rookie
drama slipped to the network's lowest adults 18-49 score at 9 in at least two seasons (1.0/4); it even failed to build on "Diagnosis Murder" (1.1/5).
THURSDAY
NBC won in adults 18-49 for a
12th straight week, winning every half-hour and led by "Will & Grace" (4.4/15).
ABC's celebrity "Millionaire," featuring Belinda Carlisle and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes as contestants, grabbed its
second highest 18-49 rating since May 10 (3.9/12).
WEDNESDAY
Newsmagazine "Vanished" (6.8 million, 2.7/8 in adults 18-49) didn't do much for ABC at 10 but it still performed considerably
better than what ratings-challenged drama "The Beast" netted its final episode a week earlier (3.50 million, 1.3/4). ABC was also boosted by the return of "My Wife and Kids," which won both of its
half-hours in adults 18-49 (3.1/11 and 3.7/12).
TUESDAY
Fox's "Murder in Smalltown X" won its hour in adults 18-49 (3.5/10) despite falling behind a repeat of "Dharma & Greg" in its second
half-hour, while the premiere of NBC's "Downer Channel" placed fourth in its timeslot.
"Big Brother 2" and "Millionaire" tied for the adults 18-49 lead in the 8 o'clock hour (3.5/11).
MONDAY
"Fear Factor" improved another 11% to a best-yet 6.8/21 in adults 18-49 on July 23, leading NBC to a dominant showing.
Reuters/Variety