"My Name is Earl" may not revive the sitcom on its own but it could revive NBC.
   The quirky, critically acclaimed new comedy debuted last night to a very impressive 6.4 adults 18-49 rating at 9 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights. It was the night's highest-rated show by nearly a full ratings point and also took lots of bite from Fox's "House" while boosting lead-out "The Office" to its best numbers since its debut last year.
   “Earl’s” 18-49 rating is 36 percent higher than the 4.7 overnight rating “Father of the Pride” premiered to last year in the same timeslot. It was up 78 percent over NBC's 3.6 9-9:30 timeslot rating last year.
   It was the highest-rated new comedy premiere on any network since NBC’s “Joey” averaged a 7.2 last fall. It had the best Tuesday premiere for any new shows in the past three years.
   “Earl” also gave lead-out “The Office” a huge boost. Airing at 9:30 p.m., “The Office,” posted a 4.3 rating among 18-49s, a 72 percent increase over the 2.5 rating it averaged last season.
   Of course, the big question is whether "Earl" can keep it up. "Joey" fell to below a 4.0 by season's end last year, and it remains to be seen whether the big buzz that drove viewers to tune in will last. But certainly NBC has to be thrilled even if it falls by a full point next week. It's been years since the network had a dominant comedy Tuesday at 9, with even "Frasier" slipping in its final years.
   “Earl” helped propel NBC to a first-place finish for the night among 18-49s with a 4.7 average rating and a 12 share. Fox finished second at 3.9/10, CBS third at 3.5/9, ABC fourth at 2.6/7, the WB fifth at 2.3/6 and UPN sixth at 1.7/5.
   Meanwhile, a 90-minute “Dancing with the Stars” dance-off special between finalists Kelly Monaco and John O’Hurley averaged just a 2.8 rating among 18-49s,less than half the 6.5 overnight rating posted by the show’s season finale in July.
   Also, the second episode of the WB’s “Supernatural” slipped 16 percent week-to-week to a 2.1 average rating among 12-34s, but that loss isn’t too bad considering it went head-to-head with NBC’s “Earl” and “Office” premieres.
   CBS started the night in the lead with a 3.5 average rating at 8 p.m. for the season premiere of “NCIS.” NBC was second that hour with a 3.4 for “The Biggest Loser” and Fox third with a 3.0 for episode No. 2 of its new drama “Bones,” down significantly from last week’s 3.9. ABC was fourth that hour with a 2.5 average for the season premiere of “According to Jim” (2.4) and the first half hour of the “Stars” special (2.5).
   NBC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 5.4 average for the “Earl” (6.4) and “Office” (4.3) premieres. Fox took second that hour with a 4.8 average for “House,” down 19 percent from last week’s 5.9, and CBS was third with a 3.2 for “Big Brother.”
   NBC led again at 10 p.m., this time with a 5.4 average rating for the season premiere of “Law & Order: SVU.” CBS was second with a 3.9 average for the series finale of “Rock Star: INXS” and ABC third with a 2.4 for “Wife Swap.”
   NBC also led the night among households with a 7.9 average rating and a 12 share. CBS and Fox tied for second at 6.6/10, ABC was fourth at 6.3/10, the WB fifth at 3.3/5 and UPN sixth at 2.4/4.