NBC PRIMETIME RESULTS FOR THE WEEK OF OCT. 10-16

NBC PRIMETIME RESULTS FOR THE WEEK OF OCT. 10-16

BURBANK, Calif. - October 18, 2005 - NBC averaged a 3.4 rating, 9 share in adults 18-49 and 9.6 million viewers for the week of Oct. 10-16, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

Primetime averages for the week of Oct. 10-16 in adults 18-49 were CBS (4.2/11), ABC (4.1/11), NBC (3.4/9), Fox (3.3/9) and WB and UPN (1.6/4). In overall total viewers the weekly averages were CBS (13.4 million), ABC (10.7 million), Fox (10.5 million), NBC (9.6 million), WB (3.8 million) and UPN (3.7 million).

NBC highlights for the week of Oct. 10-16:

* "My Name is Earl" was the #1 comedy and #1 new series of the week in adults 18-49. On Tuesday, "Earl" once again won its competitive time period in adults 18-49, beating ABC's "Commander-in-Chief," CBS' "Amazing Race" and Fox's baseball playoff game. With its Oct. 11 telecast, "Earl" has now delivered the three highest 18-49 ratings for any half-hour comedy on any network this season.

* Also on Tuesday, "The Biggest Loser" delivered NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the time period in nine months and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" produced the highest 18-49 rating of any program on television that night.

* On Monday, "Surface" posted a second consecutive week of ratings growth, increasing 13 percent in 18-49 versus the prior week, while "Las Vegas" matched its highest rating since Feb. 21.

* NBC ranked #1 on Saturday in 18-49 with NBC Sports' telecast of the Lowe's 500 NASCAR race. This marks the highest Saturday primetime rating for any network so far this season in 18-49 and NBC's highest Saturday primetime result since Jan. 11.

* On Wednesday, "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart " delivered its highest 18-49 rating to date.

Additional NBC highlights for the week of Oct. 10-16

On Monday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. ET, "Surface" (3.4 rating, 9 share in 18-49, 10.4 million viewers overall) posted a second consecutive week or ratings growth, increasing 13 percent in 18-49 versus the prior week. In the last two weeks, "Surface" has added 1.3 million viewers to its average audience (to 10.4 million from 9.0 million). For the hour, "Surface," which grew 16 percent in 18-49 rating from half-hour to half-hour, finished within one-tenth of an 18-49 rating point of CBS' comedy block (3.5 vs. 3.4).

Also on Monday, at 9 p.m. ET, "Las Vegas" (4.8/11 in 18-49, 13.6 million viewers overall) matched its previous-week 18-49 rating, the show's highest since Feb. 21. "Las Vegas" was #1 in the hour in 18-49 among non-sports programs, topping CBS' comedies, which averaged a 4.6 for the hour. At 10 p.m. ET, "Medium" (4.7/11 in 18-49, 12.7 million viewers overall) was up 52 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's performance in the hour on the same night last year.

On Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. ET, "My Name is Earl" (5.5/13 in 18-49, 12.6 million viewers overall) once again won its competitive time period in adults 18-49, topping ABC's "Commander-in-Chief" (4.5/11 in that half-hour), CBS' "Amazing Race" (4.1/10 in that half-hour) and Fox's baseball playoff (3.3/9 in that half-hour). Versus NBC's 18-49 rating in this time period last season, "Earl" was up 53 percent (5.5 vs. 3.6). "Earl" is the season's #1 new series and #1 comedy in 18-49 and currently ranks #11 out of 129 total primetime series season-to-date in 18-49.

Also on Tuesday, at 8 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser" (3.6/10 in 18-49, 8.4 million viewers overall) delivered NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the time period since Jan. 11 (the night of the "Biggest Loser" finale). "Biggest Loser" was up 6 percent versus the prior week and 20 percent versus two weeks earlier. "Loser" was #2 in 18-49, within one share of first place, and #1 in adults 18-34.

That night at 10 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (5.6/14 in 18-49, 14.9 million viewers overall) scored the night's top 18-49 rating, posting a winning margin of 30 percent in 18-49 (5.6 vs. 4.3 for Fox's baseball). Versus the same night last year, "SVU" was up 12 percent in 18-49 rating and up 20 percent (or 2.5 million viewers) in overall total viewers. From 9:30-10 p.m. ET, "The Office" (3.7/9 in 18-49, 7.6 million viewers overall) won its half-hour in adults 18-34.

On Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 9 p.m. ET, "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" (2.6/6 in 18-49, 6.9 million viewers overall) scored its highest 18-49 rating to date, building on its lead-in by 13 percent. "Apprentice: Martha Stewart" was up 4 percent versus its rating for the prior week and 24 percent versus two weeks earlier, when it ran in the 8 p.m. hour. At 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, "E-Ring" averaged a 2.3/6 in 18-49 and 8.6 million viewers overall, and at 10 p.m. ET, "Law & Order" delivered a 3.5/9 in 18-49 and 10.9 million viewers overall.

On Thursday, Oct. 13, NBC ranked #2 for the night in 18-49 with a 68 percent advantage over the third-place network (a 4.7 vs. 2.8 for Fox). At 8 p.m. ET, "Joey" (2.9/9 in 18-49, 7.4 million viewers overall) was #2 in 18-49, outperforming UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" (2.5), ABC's "Alias" (2.2 for that half-hour), WB's "Smallville" (2.2 for that half-hour) and Fox's baseball (1.4 for that half-hour). At 8:30 p.m. ET, "Will & Grace" (3.6/10 in 18-49, 8.3 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in by 24 percent to also rank #2 in 18-49. All three "Will & Grace" telecasts so far this season have out-delivered the 3.5 rating that the series averaged during the May sweep.

On Thursday, at 9 p.m. ET, "The Apprentice" (4.6/11 in 18-49, 10.2 million viewers overall) was #2 in 18-49 and total viewers, outscoring the third-place network by 59 percent in the demographic (4.6 vs. 2.9 for Fox's baseball).

At 10 p.m. ET Thursday, "ER" (6.1/16 in 18-49, 13.6 million viewers overall) built on its 18-49 lead-in by 33 percent, to slice CBS' time period lead to 9 percent in 18-49, down from a 117 percent advantage in the previous hour. "ER" ranked #10 out of 112 ranked network programs this week in adults 18-49 and ranks #7 out of 129 network programs season-to-date.

On Friday, Oct. 14, at 9 p.m. ET, "Three Wishes" (2.2/7 in 18-49, 7.8 million viewers overall) won the hour among women 18-49 and 25-54. At 10 p.m. ET, an encore "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (2.4/8 in 18-49, 7.5 million viewers overall) delivered NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the time period so far this season.

On Saturday, Oct. 15, NBC Sports' coverage of the Lowe's 500 NASCAR race (2.8/9 in 18-49, 7.9 million viewers overall for its full duration) delivered the highest Saturday primetime rating for any network so far this season in adults 18-49. It was NBC's highest Saturday primetime average in 18-49 since Jan. 11 and highest Saturday total viewership since March 12.

On Sunday, Oct. 16 at 10 p.m. ET, "Crossing Jordan" (3.7/9 in 18-49, 11.2 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in by 16 percent to rank #2 among non-sports programs in adults 18-49, 25-54 and total viewers. At 9 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (3.2/7 in 18-49, 10.2 million viewers overall) built on its 18-49 lead-in by 39 percent. At 8 p.m. ET, "The West Wing" (2.3/6 in 18-49, 8.1 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in by 28 percent and was up 5 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's rating in this time period on the same night last year.