Overnights
NBC's 'Catch a Predator' nabs viewers
By Toni Fitzgerald
Jul 19, 2007 - 12:01:04 PM

“Dateline” has already had a strong summer, with big ratings for an interview with Princess Diana’s two sons and a piece on the preacher’s wife convicted of killing her husband.

Last night, with the return of the popular “To Catch a Predator” series, in which people accused of chatting about sex online with underage kids are confronted, “Dateline’s” ratings soared again.

The NBC newsmagazine averaged a 3.0 adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen overnights, at 10 p.m., winning its timeslot and finishing second for the night in the demo behind Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.”

It was the network's best rating in the timeslot in five weeks.

“Dateline” received heavy promotion for this 11th edition of the “Predator” series. The second part of the investigation will air next Wednesday, and extra footage of the confrontations was posted on MSNBC.com.

“Dateline” may also have gotten a boost over publicity from a “Predator” spot gone bad. Last year, when the NBC crew showed up with police at Texas prosecutor Louis J. "Bill" Conradt’s house, Conradt killed himself rather than face the camera. Charges against 23 people accused in the Texas sting were later dropped.

Now Conradt’s sister plans to file a $100 million suit against the network, claiming it caused her brother’s death.

Meanwhile, Fox was first for the night among viewers 18-49 with a 3.1 average overnight rating and a 10 share, followed by NBC at 2.5/8. ABC and CBS tied for third at 1.6/6, with Univision fifth at 1.5/5 and CW sixth at 0.6/2.
 
Fox led the first two hours last night, starting with a 3.0 at 8 p.m. for its first hour of “So You Think You Can Dance,” followed by ABC with a 2.1 for “The Next Best Thing: Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator.” NBC was third with a 2.0 for “Most Outrageous Moments,” CBS fourth with a 1.6 for an hour of “King of Queens” repeats, Univision fifth with a 1.0 for “Amar sin Limites” and CW sixth with a 0.6 for a repeat of “America’s Next Top Model.”
 
At 9 p.m. Fox led again, this time with a 3.2 average for the last 30 minutes of “Dance” (3.5) and a new “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” (2.9), which was even to last Thursday’s outing but down 15 percent from last week’s debut. NBC was second that hour with a 2.6 for “Last Comic Standing,” ABC third with a 2.2 for “American Inventor,” CBS fourth with a 1.9 for a “Criminal Minds” repeat, Univision fifth with a 1.7 for “Destilando Amor” and CW sixth with a 0.6 for another “Top Model” rerun.
 
NBC took the lead at 10 p.m. with a 3.0 for “Dateline,” with CBS second with a 2.3 for a repeat of “CSI: NY.” That left Univision third with a 1.8 for “Don Francisco Presenta” and ABC fourth with a 1.3 for “Traveler.”
 
Among households, CBS and Fox tied for first for the night, each with a 5.0 average overnight rating and a 9 share. NBC was third at 4.3/8, ABC fourth at 3.8/7, Univision fifth at 1.9/3 and CW sixth at 1.1/2.