• by Ken Liebeskind , July 31, 2002

The popularity of reality and game shows melds in NBC's new Meet My Folks, which debuted July 22 and was the seventh leading show in this week's Nielsens, earning a 12 share and a 6.8 household. The show, where men compete to win a trip to Hawaii with a woman, is a "reality dating competition," according to a NBC spokeswoman -- part reality, part game show.

CBS edged out NBC is this week's ratings, earning the highest prime rating, 10 share/5.5 household. NBC was 10/5.3, ABC 7/3.9 and Fox 6/3.5. CBS had the top three shows: CSI, Everybody Loves Raymond and 48 Hours (Monday), with Becker ranked fifth. NBC took most of the rest of the top 10, with Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Meet My Folks, Dateline Sunday and Dog Eat Dog. ABC had one top 10 show, Primetime Thursday.

Fox's American Idol continued to succeed, with both episodes making the top 25. It was reported this week that the network bought the rights to three similar reality shows from the Dutch production firm Edemol. Fox will broadcast 15 episodes of Star Chamber beginning next summer. The show, about becoming a performer, "picks up where American Idol leaves off," according to an Edemol spokesman. Two other shows, All You Need is Love and Exhausted are also planned as one hour episodes that may be turned into weekly series.

Cable winners for the most recent week (7/15-21) were New England 300 (TNT), WWE Entertainment (TNN), Spongebob (Nick), and Prime Movie Crossing the Line (Life), with New England getting a 3.7 household with 3.9 million households viewing. Syndicated leaders were Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Friends, Oprah Winfrey Show and Seinfeld, with Wheel getting a 7.7 household with 8.1 million household viewers.

Sports leaders for the most recent week (7/15-21) were the British Open on ABC, which took the top two spots, followed by Fox Saturday baseball, WWE Smackdown (UPN) and Michael Douglas & Friends (ABC). The British Open earned a 15 share/4.5 household with 4.7 million households.