Signs and wonders for NBC series

The world may be coming to an end, but at least NBC’s “Revelations” got off to a decent start.

The six-episode drama, starring Bill Pullman as a Harvard professor investigating mysterious religious signs pointing toward the apocalypse, preached to 15.6 million viewers in its Wednesday premiere, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research. “Revelations” also bolstered ratings among young adults by 44% compared with “The West Wing’s” performance in the 9 p.m. slot.

Of course, even Armageddon was no match for Fox’s monster hit “American Idol,” which was watched by 25 million viewers. But “Revelations” still gave NBC its best ratings performance opposite “Idol” in nearly three years.

One key to NBC’s success: a special edition of the 8 p.m. newsmagazine “Dateline” (10.8 million viewers), which was devoted to the bestselling book “The Da Vinci Code,” which also deals with religious mysteries.

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Scott Collins