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Prognostications of "Survivor's" decline were indeed premature. The fourth installment of the reality TV pioneer did just fine last night, though NBC still came out ahead with a 10.3 adult 18-49 rating. CBS had a 7.6, Fox a 2.4 and ABC a 2.1, based on preliminary Nielsen ratings. While NBC's "Friends" slid 6 percent and "Leap of Faith" eased 10 percent in its adult 18-49 rating from last week, CBS's "Survivor: Marquesas" came out 4 percent higher. This closed the gap between CBS and NBC in the hour from 2.6 points to 1.3 among adults 18-49. NBC's "Leap of Faith" lost 28 percent of its "Friends" lead-in at 8:30 p.m., only slightly more than last week's 25 percent. At 9 p.m. CBS's "CSI" comfortably defeated NBC's "Will & Grace" and "Just Shoot Me," even with a slight drop in its adult 18-49 audience from the week before. The first two hours were neck-and-neck between the networks. NBC had a 9.7 adult 18-49 rating; CBS had a 9.4. At 10 p.m. NBC shot ahead with an 11.5 among adults 18-49 from "ER," triple the pull from CBS's "The Agency." The average household rating and share for Thursday night were: NBC 13.6/21, CBS 12.5/19, ABC 5.1/8 and Fox 3.3/5. On Wednesday night, a night that has become a sure thing for NBC, was yet again taken by the network's regular lineup in both households and adults 18-49. The peacock network averaged a 6.2 adult 18-49 rating, Fox had a 4.1, ABC a 3.2 and CBS a 2.5, based on preliminary Nielsen ratings. ABC took the 8 p.m. hour by a hair, as a rerun of "My Wife and Kids" and a new "According to Jim" topped NBC's "Ed" by a tenth of a rating point. Fox's "That '80s Show" and "Grounded for Life" came in third place by another tenth of a point. NBC's "The West Wing" easily topped the Fox duo "Bernie Mac" and "Titus" with a solid 7.0 adult 18-49 rating to their 4.4. ABC struggled with a 3.5 in adults 18-49 from a rerun of "Drew Carey" and a new "The Job." At 10 p.m. NBC's "Law & Order" tripled the rating of its nearest competitor, CBS's "48 Hours," with a strong 7.6 among adults 18-49. The average household rating and share for Wednesday night were: NBC 11.3/19, CBS 6.1/10, ABC 5.5/9 and Fox 5.1/8.
ABC, CBS woo Dave with promo power
Decision time is looming for David Letterman, and most industry watchers say his choice will hinge less on money than on the kind of promotional clout his suitors are able to offer. Both CBS, Letterman's current home, and ABC are said to be offering the late-night comic a little over $30 million, plus licensing fees for his production company, Worldwide Pants. But ABC says it can help him reach his desired audience of young men by promoting him on ESPN, a fellow Disney network, as well as during NBA games and the Super Bowl. ABC has also reportedly offered to build him a new set in Times Square. Viacom-owned CBS, meanwhile, is promising to hype "The Late Show" on MTV and VH1 as well as on the radio stations of its Infinity Broadcasting network. Over at News Corp., Fox is looking to start its own late-night franchise. Network executives have reportedly met with comedians including D.L. Hughley, Tom Green and Orlando Jones.
Vanilla Ice vs. Todd Bridges on 'Celeb Boxing'
Fox has dredged up two more "celebrities" willing to pummel each other on next Wednesday's "Celebrity Boxing." Rapper Vanilla Ice and "Diff’rent Strokes" star Todd Bridges will square off in the evening's third--and, one expects, most violent--pairing. Vanilla Ice, whose given name is Robert Van Winkle, was arrested last summer after allegedly pulling his wife's hair in an argument, and Bridges, who played older brother Willis on the 1980s sitcom, was charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in the 1989 shooting of a Los Angeles drug dealer. (He was acquitted of both charges.) In the evening's other matchups, disgraced Olympic skater Tonya Harding will fight Clinton accuser Paula Jones, and "Partridge Family" star Danny Bonaduce will box "Brady Bunch" star Barry Williams.
CBS hopes 'CSI' will be next 'L&O'
Having nurtured and supported "CSI" into its highest-rated series, CBS is now developing its first spinoff in what the network hopes will be one of many, à la NBC's "Law & Order." Network officials insist the series will not just be a rehash set in a different location. "CSI: Miami" will feature more open, extroverted characters, and most of its action will unfold in the bright Florida daylight. The original "CSI's" laconic protagonists do most of their work in the twilit weirdness of Las Vegas's neon-riddled strip. The Miami characters will be police officers first and forensics experts second, while the Vegas crew are scientists who got diverted into police work. The multiethnicity of Miami, along with its vibrant and violent drug trade, will also play vital roles in shaping the drama. CBS will debut the new series within a "CSI" episode on May 9 in which two forensic experts are sent to Miami to investigate a case.
Legal tussle over judge's 'No TV' ruling
Credit card con-man Edward Bello says he would rather risk prison than give up "This Old House." Bello, a vending machine repairman from Orange County, N.Y., is fighting the ruling of a judge who sentenced him to 10 months of house arrest after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use stolen credit cards, according to The New York Times. The kicker: He’s not allowed to watch TV during that period. In his five-page ruling, Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said he wanted Bello, a small-time crook with a number of petty crimes on his record, to "reflect seriously on what he'd done. It is thus important that the normal diversion of television-watching be denied," wrote Hellerstein. Originally, he instructed Bello to remove all TV sets from his house, but he relented after Bello’s attorney pointed out that this would unfairly affect Bello's wife and two daughters. The judge then said that the daughters could keep TV sets in their rooms, but he asked Bello to promise not to watch them. Bello refused. His lawyers, arguing that the sentence violates Bello's First Amendment right of free expression, won a temporary stay of sentence last week in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Curiously, they don't seem to be contesting the ruling under the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Bello claims that the only shows he watches regularly are newsmagazines, "This Old House" and programs on the Discovery Channel.
March 8, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
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