Reality: They’re still on top

It was another banner week for staged reality shows, though blockbuster ratings for the finales of “Joe Millionaire” and to a lesser degree “The Bachelorette” were somewhat dampened by the low star wattage of “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!,” based on viewing estimates issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

Viewers, in fact, seemed to echo at least the “get me out of here” sentiment, as “I’m a Celebrity” -- a consecutive-night stunt that made its debut Wednesday after “The Bachelorette” -- saw its ratings steadily decline through the weekend.

Shifting to Sunday night, meanwhile, was apparently what the doctor ordered for the Grammy Awards, which surged roughly 30% over last year’s undernourished telecast. Moving the show to New York had no impact on local viewing, as ratings in the Los Angeles area mirrored year-ago results.

NBC’s “Law & Order” drew its biggest audience since October, while spinoff “Special Victims Unit” continues to hold its own against reruns of “CSI.” The news wasn’t as good for “Law” producer Dick Wolf’s revival of “Dragnet,” however, which booked its smallest audience yet against the Grammys.

The week was also characterized by a massive outbreak of Michael Jackson mania, with specials on “Dateline NBC” and Fox drawing respectable but unspectacular ratings relative to the British documentary that made Jackson the King of the February sweeps, with 10 prime-time hours devoted to him.

-- Brian Lowry