LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- USA's "The 4,400" continued to dominate the cable ratings this weekend, helping fellow originals "Monk" and "The Dead Zone" to some of their best numbers of the season.

Here's a breakdown of all the cable ratings news from the past few days:

HBO - A disappointing 1.9 million viewers tuned into "Entourage's" debut on Sunday, making it one of HBO's least-watched series premieres in recent memory. Lead-in "Six Feet Under" fared better, pulling in 3.7 million viewers while lead-out "Da Ali G Show" kicked off its second season to the tune of 1.1 million viewers. Nevertheless, "Entourage" scored solidly in both men 18-34 (1.2 national rating/3 share) and men 18-49 (1.1/3) while industry insiders say the pay channel plans to announce a second season order as part of its session at the TCA's summer press tour on Thursday.

TNT - Week one of the network's limited series "The Grid" snagged 4.3 million viewers, with 4.5 million watching the opening hour and 4.1 million the concluding hour. The former was good enough to beat netlets UPN and the WB in the 9:00/8:00c hour among total viewers, adults 18-34, adults 18-49 (1.2/4) and adults 25-54 (1.7/4) and FOX in total viewers.

USA - "The 4,400" continued to dominate for the cable channel as 5.6 million viewers tuned into the show's second week, a basic cable record for the second episode of an original series. Said performance helped lead-out "The Dead Zone" hit a season high 4.0 million viewers while "Monk" equaled its season premiere numbers of 4.7 million viewers on Friday.

VH1 - The cable channel definitely loved "I Love the '90s" as the 10-hour mini-series averaged 1.2 million viewers and 845,000 viewers among adults 18-49. Said numbers helped give VH1 its highest-rated week in primetime among adults 18-49 in nearly five years.

In addition, NBC Universal Cable has issued two press releases touting the ratings success of its USA and Sci Fi Channel networks:

NBC UNIVERSAL�S USA AND SCI FI NETWORKS COMBINE TO DELIVER THE TOP THREE ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS ON BASIC CABLE FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 12-18

USA'S 'THE 4400' AND 'MONK' AND SCI FI'S 'STARGATE ATLANTIS' TOP THE WEEKLY RANKINGS

'STARGATE ATLANTIS' PREEM IS SCI FI'S TOP-RATED TELECAST EVER

BOTH USA AND SCI FI POST EXPLOSIVE ACROSS-THE-BOARD GROWTH VERSUS YEAR-AGO LEVELS

USA IS UP 45 PERCENT IN ADULTS 25-54 AND 40 PERCENT IN TOTAL VIEWERS, WHILE SCI FI SCORES INCREASES OF 47 PERCENT AND 52 PERCENT RESPECTIVELY

BURBANK, Calif. �- July 21, 2004 �- NBC Universal Cable networks USA and Sci Fi teamed up dominate the upper echelons of the weekly cable rankings, while posting explosive double-digit growth versus year-ago levels, according to in-home viewing figures for the week of July 12-18 from Nielsen Media Research.

USA NETWORK

For the week of July 12-18, USA Network was ranked #2 (out of 59 measured cable networks) in primetime in adults 25-54 and total viewers and ranked #4 in adults 18-49. For the month of July-to-date, USA is ranked #1 in adults 18-49 and #2 in adults 25-54 and total viewers.

For the week, USA averaged a 1.18 coverage rating in adults 25-54 (1,175,000 viewers), a 1.0 in adults 18-49 (1,048,000 viewers) and 2,458,000 viewers overall.

This marks explosive growth versus year-ago levels, with USA Network this week posting increases of 45 percent in adults 25-54, 32 percent in adults 18-49 and 40 percent in total viewers, versus July 2003.

USA had three of the top seven programs on basic cable last week ranked by adults 25-54, with episode two of "The 4400" (the #1 cable entertainment program of the week, #2 among all programs; ESPN's sports telecast of "Home Run Derby" was #1 overall), "Monk" (#3 entertainment program, #4 overall) and "The Dead Zone" (#6 entertainment, #7 overall).

"The 4400" (with 5,628,000 total viewers) and "Dead Zone" (3,968,000) were the two-most-watched programs on basic cable Sunday night and "Monk" (4,678,000) was the most-watched program on cable on Friday. Among adults 25-54, "The 4400" attracted 2,721,000 viewers; "Monk" delivered 2,501,000 viewers; and "The Dead Zone" 2,119,000 viewers.

SCI-FI

For the week of July 12-18, Sci Fi was the #6-ranked basic cable network (out of 59 measured networks) in adults 25-54, #7 in adults 18-49 and #10 in total viewers. Sci Fi averaged a .94 coverage rating in adults 25-54 (895,000), a .79 in adults 18-49 (792,000 viewers) and 1,559,000 viewers overall.

As with USA, the performance of Sci Fi this week represents dynamic growth versus year-ago levels, with increases of 47 percent in adults 25-54, 58 percent in adults 18-49 and 52 percent in total viewers, versus July 2003.

The series premiere of "Stargate Atlantis" on Friday, July 16 at 9 p.m. ET was Sci Fi's highest-rated telecast ever in adults 25-54, adults 18-49, total viewers and most key measures. It was the #2-ranked entertainment program on all of basic cable last week (second only to USA's "The 4400") and the #3-ranked cable program overall. "Stargate Atlantis" attracted 2,526,000 viewers 25-54; 2,142,000 viewers 18-49; and 4,191,000 total viewers overall.

ORIGINAL SERIES HELP USA TO THE TOP!

USA Network was the Top Rated and Most Watched Basic Cable Network on Friday and Sunday Night with Original Series, "Monk," "The 4400" and "The Dead Zone"

"The 4400" is the Strongest Rated Second Week of any Original Series on Basic Cable

NEW YORK -- July 20, 2004 -- USA Network was the top rated and most watched basic cable network on Friday and Sunday night this week thanks to the original series' "Monk," "The 4400" and "The Dead Zone."

In what is proving to be a solid block of programming on USA Network on Sunday nights, "The 4400" and "The Dead Zone" are continuing to deliver solid numbers.

In what is the highest rated second week of any original series on basic cable, "The 4400" earned a 4.3 in households, a 2.7 in P25-54, a 2.2 in P18-49 with over 5.6 million viewers tuning in. "The 4400" was also the top rated non-sports program of the week on basic cable.

"The Dead Zone" followed, earning a robust 3.2 in households, a 2.1 in P25-54, a 1.8 in P18-49 with almost 4 million viewers tuning in. This was the show's highest rated and most watched week of the season to date. Ratings increased by +45% in households, +23% in P18-49 and +31% in P25-54 vs. the season to date average.

On Friday night, "Monk" also saw a bump in ratings, notching a 3.7 in households, a 2.5 in P25-54, a 1.9 in P18-49 with 4.7 million viewers tuning in. Ratings increased by +5% P25-54 and +10% P18-49 vs. last week.