ABC Actually Wins

ABC won the primetime average in the Nielsens this week. No, that’s not a typo. The network, which has struggled all season with ratings far lower than NBC and CBS, surged to the top for the week of 3/18-24 thanks to a strong showing from the Academy Awards and Oscars 2002, which were the top two shows for the week.

The Academy Awards earned a 39 share with a 15.5 household rating, with the Oscars at 24/9.6. In perspective, the numbers aren't really all that great. It was the lowest Academy Awards rating in history. Yet it was still the fourth highest rated show of the season, after the Super Bowl and two Olympics events. ABC also scored high with a Barbara Walters Special, also on Sunday, which was the seventh highest ranked show with a 17/6.3. NYPD Blue was the other ABC show that made the top 25. Together, they helped ABC win the top prime average with a 14 share/8.5 household, which beat CBS (13/7.6), NBC (12/7.2) and Fox (8/5.1).

Other top shows for the week included Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS), Friends (NBC), Becker (CBS) and Fear Factor (NBC). Baby Bob, the new comedy from CBS, ranked ninth at 13/5.8 in its premiere episode with 15.6 million viewers.

Wrestling and movies led the way on cable for the most recent week of 3/11-17 with WWF Entertainment (TNN) again winning the top two spots, followed by the Sunday Movie, Murder at 75 Birch (LIF), Sunday Movie, Big Daddy (USA) and Prime Movie, Her Best Friend's Husband (LIF).

Syndicated winners were Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Friends, Seinfeld and Entertainment Tonight.

NCAA basketball (CBS) won the top sports shows for the most recent week of 3/11-17, taking nine of the top 10 spots, with the Fox Winston NASCAR Cup taking the other. For NCAA basketball, household shares ranged from 10 to 17, with audiences of 5.6 million to 7.5 million households.

In other TV news, WB and ABC announced cancellations, with WB pulling No Boundaries, a reality show, and My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star, a comedy. ABC pulled The Wayne Brady Show and My Wife and Kids.

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