‘Survivor,’ ‘CSI’ Give CBS a Thursday to Remember

CBS got a one-two Thursday-night punch from “Survivor II” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” that led the network to a weekly win, according to figures released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

The tandem, the top two shows of the week, helped CBS topple NBC in the key demographic of adults 18-49 for the first time on a Thursday night since the advent of viewer meters.

NBC didn’t have a good Sunday night, either, when Part 1 of its adventure “The Lost Empire” couldn’t find its way against cable’s “The Sopranos,” the CBS movie “Second Honeymoon” and Fox’s “The Lone Gunmen.”

NBC did fare better on Tuesday when its new comedy series, “The Fighting Fitzgeralds,” starring Brian Dennehy, premiered in the Top 20 at No. 18.

ABC’s experiment with a crossover episode Sunday night between “The Practice” and the Monday night medical drama “Gideon’s Crossing,” was first in its 10 p.m. time slot by 6 million viewers, according to the network.

Meanwhile, a timely episode of “The Simpsons” that featured Lisa’s attempt to reach out to a new student in school, landed in the Top 10 at No. 10. And Fox’s presentation of “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” on Tuesday night was the network’s highest-rated movie in more than a year in several demographics.

Network Averages

Here is the number of viewers that each network averaged per hour of prime time, for last week and for the season.

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Last Season week to date CBS 12.21 million 12.65 ABC 12.06 12.97 NBC 9.86 12.04 FOX 8.43 9.97 UPN 3.36 3.88 WB 3.13 3.90

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