NBC springs forward

A Bob Hope special, five hours of “Law & Order” and a reasonably good Thursday showing were enough to put NBC in the winner’s circle last week, as viewing levels were somewhat muted by the Easter holiday and spring break, based on viewing estimates issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

NBC continues to run encore episodes of “Law & Order” on Saturday and aired an original Thursday in place of “ER.” The network also saw first-season sitcom “Good Morning, Miami” close its season with a cliffhanger that retained 90% of those viewers who watched lead-in “Will & Grace,” though both trailed a rerun of CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

“Boomtown,” another first-year NBC show whose renewal prospects remain uncertain, ended its season with a reasonably good performance opposite ABC’s traditional Easter telecast of “The Ten Commandments,” which the network has aired 23 times since 1973. As usual, the epic gained viewers through the evening.

The Hope special, “100 Years of Hope and Glory,” was NBC’s most-watched Sunday special since the Golden Globes in January.

Few programs introduced this spring have made much noise. NBC’s “Watching Ellie” generated some sampling last Tuesday, while the network’s revival of “Hunter” has drawn tepid ratings.

With Fox buoyed by “American Idol,” last week’s top-rated program, the network tied with NBC for the week among adults 18 to 49.

Brian Lowry

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