NBC PRIMETIME RESULTS FOR THE WEEK OF OCT. 17-23

NBC PRIMETIME RESULTS FOR THE WEEK OF OCT. 17-23

BURBANK, Calif. - October 25, 2005 - NBC averaged a 3.3 rating, 9 share in adults 18-49 and 9.3 million viewers for the week of Oct. 17-23, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

Primetime averages for the week of Oct. 17-23 in adults 18-49 were CBS (4.1/11), ABC (3.9/11), Fox (3.5/10), NBC (3.3/9), WB (1.6/4) and UPN (1.5/4). In overall total viewers the weekly averages were CBS (13.1 million), Fox (10.6 million), ABC (10.5 million), NBC (9.3 million), WB (3.7 million) and UPN (3.5 million).

NBC highlights for the week of Oct. 17-23:

* "My Name is Earl" was the #1 comedy and #1 new series of the week in adults 18-49. On Tuesday, "Earl" was the top-rated show on television in adults 18-49 as NBC won its fourth consecutive Tuesday of the season in the demographic.

* Also on Tuesday, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" won its hour by all key ratings measures, "The Biggest Loser" matched NBC's highest 18-49 rating in its slot since last January and "The Office" achieved its best retention to-date of its "Earl" lead-in.

* On Friday, "Three Wishes" posted its highest numbers to-date in both adults 18-49 and total viewers, ranking #1 outright in its time period in both categories for the first time this season.

* On Thursday, "The Apprentice" hit season-high ratings in adults 18-49 and total viewers.

* Also on Thursday, "ER" matched a season-high in 18-49 to win its hour in the key demographic. "ER" was the #5-ranked program this week (out of a total 112 network programs) in adults 18-49.

* On Wednesday, "E-Ring" hit best-yet numbers to match NBC's strongest 18-49 result in the time period with regular programming in more than a year.

Additional NBC highlights for the week of Oct. 17-23

On Monday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. ET, "Surface" (3.0 rating, 8 share in 18-49, 9.6 million viewers overall) grew by 14 percent from its first half-hour to its second. At 9 p.m. ET, "Las Vegas" (4.5/11 in 18-49, 12.6 million viewers overall) was up 5 percent in 18-49 and 1.6 million viewers versus its performance on the same night last year. At 10 p.m. ET, "Medium" (4.7/11 in 18-49, 11.9 million viewers overall) more than doubled NBC's 18-49 rating in the time period on the same night last year (4.7 vs. 2.3 for "LAX").

On Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. ET, "My Name is Earl" (5.6/14 in 18-49, 12.2 million viewers overall) once again won its tough time period in adults 18-49, topping CBS' "Amazing Race" (4.3/10 in that half-hour), ABC's "Commander-in-Chief" (4.1/10 in that half-hour), and Fox's "House" encore (2.8/7 in that half-hour). Among adults 18-34, "Earl" achieved an 82 percent margin of victory in the time slot (5.1 for "Earl" vs. a 2.8 for "Amazing Race" and "Commander-in-Chief"). Versus NBC's 18-49 rating in this time period last season, "Earl" was up 56 percent (5.6 vs. 3.6). "Earl" is the season's #1 new series, #1 Tuesday series and #1 comedy in 18-49 and currently ranks #11 out of 131 total primetime series season-to-date in 18-49.

Also on Tuesday, at 8 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser" (3.6/10 in 18-49, 8.6 million viewers overall) equaled NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the time period since Jan. 11 (the night of the "Biggest Loser 1" finale). "Loser" was #2 for its time period in 18-49 and #1 in adults 18-34.

That night at 10 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (5.3/14 in 18-49, 14.4 million viewers overall) won the time period by all key measures, posting a winning margin of 56 percent in 18-49 (5.3 vs. 3.4 for ABC's "Boston Legal") and beating the ABC-CBS competition combined among adults 18-34. Season-to-date, "SVU" is Tuesday night's #1 drama series in adults 18-49.

From 9:30-10 p.m. ET Tuesday, "The Office" (4.1/10 in 18-49, 8.0 million viewers overall) was #1 among adults, men and women 18-34 and hit its highest 18-49 rating since premiere week. "The Office" retained 73 percent of its lead-in from "Earl," its best retention following "Earl" to-date.

On Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. ET, "E-Ring" (2.8/8 in 18-49, 9.5 million viewers overall) achieved new series highs in both adults 18-49 and total viewers, jumping 22 percent in the demographic and 12 percent in viewers versus the prior week. "E-Ring" matched NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the slot with regular programming since Sept. 1, 2004 and delivered NBC's largest total viewership in the hour with regulars since that same date. "E-Ring" was the #2 non-sports program in the hour.

Also on Wednesday, at 9 p.m. ET, "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" (2.6/6 in 18-49, 6.8 million viewers overall) matched its highest 18-49 rating to-date, and at 10 p.m. ET, "Law & Order" (4.1/10 in 18-49, 12.3 million viewers overall) was up 17 percent in 18-49 versus the prior week.

On Thursday, Oct. 20, at 9 p.m. ET, "The Apprentice" (4.9/12 in 18-49, 10.6 million viewers overall) scored its highest numbers of the current season in 18-49 and total viewers. "The Apprentice" tripled the 18-49 rating of the hour's third-place program (4.9 vs. 1.6 for ABC's "Night Stalker"), having built on its 18-49 lead-in by 44 percent.

Also on Thursday, at 10 p.m. ET, "ER" (6.6/17 in 18-49, 14.7 million viewers overall) built on its 18-49 lead-in by 35 percent to match its season-high rating and win the hour in the demographic. "ER" topped slot rival "Without a Trace" in 18-49 despite a 98 percent lead-in advantage for "Trace" from the previous hour (9.7 vs. 4.9 from 9-10 p.m.). "ER" was the #5-ranked program this week (out of a total of 112 network programs) in adults 18-49 and currently ranks #6 out of 131 network programs season-to-date in 18-49.

That night at 8 p.m. ET, "Joey" (2.9/8 in 18-49, 7.6 million viewers overall) was #2 in 18-49, outperforming WB's "Smallville" (2.7 for that half-hour), ABC's "Alias" (2.2 for that half-hour), UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" (2.1) and Fox's "Reunion" encore (1.1 for the half-hour). At 8:30 p.m. ET, "Will & Grace" (3.4/9 in 18-49, 7.9 million viewers overall) built on its 18-49 lead-in by 17 percent to rank #2.

On Friday, Oct. 21, at 9 p.m. ET, "Three Wishes" (2.6/8 in 18-49, 8.8 million viewers overall) achieved new series highs in both adults 18-49 and total viewers, ranking #1 in adults 18-49, 25-54, and total viewers. "Three Wishes" built on its lead-in by 30 percent in 18-49 and was up 18 percent in 18-49 versus a week earlier. During the 9 p.m. hour, when the other broadcast networks either remained flat or declined in 18-49 rating, "Three Wishes" grew by 17 percent from half-hour to half-hour. At 8 p.m. ET Friday, "Dateline NBC" (2.0/7 in 18-49, 8.3 million viewers overall) scored NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the hour since premiere week and ranked #2 in 18-49, 25-54 and total viewers.

On Sunday, Oct. 22, versus game two of the 2005 World Series, "Crossing Jordan" at 10 p.m. ET averaged a 3.6/8 in 18-49 and 12.1 million viewers overall, building on its 18-49 lead-in by 20 percent. At 9 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" averaged a 3.0/7 in 18-49 and 10.4 million viewers overall, for a 43 percent build on its 18-49 lead-in.