TV: 'Friends' Baby Finale Tops 'ER,' 'CSI' as 'Road to Perdition' Gets Major Ad Push
On Thursday night, Americans were doing more than just seeing Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. They were in front of the tube, watching the season finales of the nation's most popular TV shows.
Thanks in part to the much-hyped birth of Rachel's baby on Friends, NBC trounced the other networks with the season finale of its "Must See TV" lineup, scoring a 17.7 rating average and 28 share for the night. CBS came in second with an impressive 12.9 / 20, while the rest of the networks—UPN (4.4 / 6), ABC (3.9 / 7), Fox (3.1 / 5) and the WB (3.0 / 4)—were far behind, according to fast national and overnight metered markets data.
At 8 p.m., NBC's Friends delivered a 20.5 rating / 33 share and average 33.7 million viewers, the biggest audience ever for the long-running sitcom, not counting the 1996 Superbowl special. Around 19 million tuned in to see Sean get voted off the island on CBS' Survivor: Marquesas, which posted an 11.2 / 18.
ABC and Fox essentially sat out the night by respectively airing the movies Con Air (3.9 / 6) and The Nutty Professor (3.1 / 5). UPN's WWF Smackdown pinned a 4.4 / 6 overnight rating, while the WB ran a repeat of Charmed for a 1.9 / 3.
As has usually been the case, the tide turned in favor of CBS at 9 p.m. with the season finale of America's most watched show CSI, tracking down around 26.5 million viewers with a 16.1 / 25. NBC's Will & Grace trailed with a 15.1 / 24 and bout 24.5 million viewers. The season finale of the WB's Charmed conjured a 4.1 / 6 overnight.
At 10 p.m., ER's finale came down a notch after last week's farewell to Dr. Greene but nonetheless came in at No. 2 for the night with a 17.6 / 28, gripping 28 million viewers with its small pox outbreak plotline. CBS countered with a repeat of CSI, which nabbed an 11.3 / 18.
DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox took the big TV night as an opportunity to give many viewers their first glimpse of the Tom Hanks period gangster picture Road to Perdition. An extended commercial for the movie aired once during each of the night's top shows, including Survivor, CSI and ER. It displayed Road to Perdition as a sweeping epic from the director of American Beauty about a hit man trying to protect his son from a crime boss (Paul Newman). Road to Perdition opens July 12, opposite The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course and the dragon hunters of Reign of Fire.
In the late night stakes at 11:35 p.m., perennial champ The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was tops yet again for NBC with a 6.2 / 16 overnight. Jay welcomed Ewan McGregor from Attack of the Clones. CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman countered with Natalie Portman from the same movie and came in second with a 4.2 / 10. ABC was third for the hour with Nightline (3.8 / 9) and the canceled Politically Incorrect (2.4 / 7). The 12:35 a.m. slot saw NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2.9 / 11) out-distance CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (1.7 / 7). NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly took home a 1.8 / 9 at 1:35 a.m.
Related Story: 'Law & Order: SVU' Nabs Another Friday, 'M*A*S*H' Reunion Boosts Fox
click here for more
TELEVISION RATINGS
One rating point equals 1,022,000 households. The share equals the percent of all households watching TV at a given time. Ratings for NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox are from fast national data, while UPN, The WB and late night ratings which are culled from the results of the overnight metered markets (the top 53 in the country) and tend to be more inflated than the fast nationals. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change. Final stats for each week (Monday through Sunday) are issued the following Tuesday.
Thanks in part to the much-hyped birth of Rachel's baby on Friends, NBC trounced the other networks with the season finale of its "Must See TV" lineup, scoring a 17.7 rating average and 28 share for the night. CBS came in second with an impressive 12.9 / 20, while the rest of the networks—UPN (4.4 / 6), ABC (3.9 / 7), Fox (3.1 / 5) and the WB (3.0 / 4)—were far behind, according to fast national and overnight metered markets data.
At 8 p.m., NBC's Friends delivered a 20.5 rating / 33 share and average 33.7 million viewers, the biggest audience ever for the long-running sitcom, not counting the 1996 Superbowl special. Around 19 million tuned in to see Sean get voted off the island on CBS' Survivor: Marquesas, which posted an 11.2 / 18.
ABC and Fox essentially sat out the night by respectively airing the movies Con Air (3.9 / 6) and The Nutty Professor (3.1 / 5). UPN's WWF Smackdown pinned a 4.4 / 6 overnight rating, while the WB ran a repeat of Charmed for a 1.9 / 3.
As has usually been the case, the tide turned in favor of CBS at 9 p.m. with the season finale of America's most watched show CSI, tracking down around 26.5 million viewers with a 16.1 / 25. NBC's Will & Grace trailed with a 15.1 / 24 and bout 24.5 million viewers. The season finale of the WB's Charmed conjured a 4.1 / 6 overnight.
At 10 p.m., ER's finale came down a notch after last week's farewell to Dr. Greene but nonetheless came in at No. 2 for the night with a 17.6 / 28, gripping 28 million viewers with its small pox outbreak plotline. CBS countered with a repeat of CSI, which nabbed an 11.3 / 18.
DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox took the big TV night as an opportunity to give many viewers their first glimpse of the Tom Hanks period gangster picture Road to Perdition. An extended commercial for the movie aired once during each of the night's top shows, including Survivor, CSI and ER. It displayed Road to Perdition as a sweeping epic from the director of American Beauty about a hit man trying to protect his son from a crime boss (Paul Newman). Road to Perdition opens July 12, opposite The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course and the dragon hunters of Reign of Fire.
In the late night stakes at 11:35 p.m., perennial champ The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was tops yet again for NBC with a 6.2 / 16 overnight. Jay welcomed Ewan McGregor from Attack of the Clones. CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman countered with Natalie Portman from the same movie and came in second with a 4.2 / 10. ABC was third for the hour with Nightline (3.8 / 9) and the canceled Politically Incorrect (2.4 / 7). The 12:35 a.m. slot saw NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2.9 / 11) out-distance CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (1.7 / 7). NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly took home a 1.8 / 9 at 1:35 a.m.
Related Story: 'Law & Order: SVU' Nabs Another Friday, 'M*A*S*H' Reunion Boosts Fox
click here for more
TELEVISION RATINGS
One rating point equals 1,022,000 households. The share equals the percent of all households watching TV at a given time. Ratings for NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox are from fast national data, while UPN, The WB and late night ratings which are culled from the results of the overnight metered markets (the top 53 in the country) and tend to be more inflated than the fast nationals. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change. Final stats for each week (Monday through Sunday) are issued the following Tuesday.
