NBC PRIMETIME RESULTS FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 12-18

BURBANK, Calif. -- Dec. 20, 2005 -- NBC averaged a 2.8 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 8.3 million viewers for the week of Dec. 12-18, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

Primetime averages for the week of Dec. 12-18 in adults 18-49 were CBS (3.7/10), ABC and Fox (2.9/8), NBC (2.8/8), WB and UPN (1.4/4). In overall total viewers the weekly averages were CBS (12.2 million), ABC (8.7 million), NBC (8.3 million), Fox (6.7 million), UPN (3.5 million) and WB (3.4 million).

NBC highlights for the week of Dec. 12-18:

* Thursday's fourth-cycle finale of "The Apprentice" ranked #2 out of a total of 116 network programs for the week in the key demographic of adults 18-49. The live two-hour telecast delivered "Apprentice's" highest results of the current season in adults 18-49 and total viewers and ranked #1 for the time period in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and other key demographics.

* Also on Thursday, a special one-hour holiday episode of "Joey" delivered that show's highest 18-49 numbers of the season and ranked #1 for the time period in 18-49 from 8-9 p.m. ET.

* On Friday, a two-hour "Dateline NBC" matched NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the time period so far this season and delivered the network's largest total viewership for the slot. "Dateline" paced NBC to its second-highest Friday 18-49 rating of the season and to its "most-watched" Friday of the season in total viewers.

* On Sunday, an encore telecast of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" delivered NBC's highest 18-49 rating for a theatrical film in more than a year and the second highest 18-49 rating for any theatrical motion picture to air on any network this season.

Additional NBC highlights for the week of Dec. 12-18:

On Monday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. ET, the special "Elton John: The Red Piano" delivered a 2.4 rating, 7 share in adults 18-49 and 8.3 million viewers overall. At 9 p.m. ET, an encore "Las Vegas" averaged a 2.6/6 in adults 18-49 and 7.9 million viewers overall. And at 10 p.m. ET, a rebroadcast "Medium" (3.0/8 in 18-49, 9.2 million viewers overall) was up 43 percent in the demographic versus NBC's performance on the same night last year.

On Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 8-9:30 p.m. ET, a 90-minute "Fear Factor" (3.4/8 in 18-49, 8.4 million viewers overall) built steadily through its telecast, growing by 52 percent in 18-49 (to a 4.1 in its third half-hour from a 2.7 in its first) and increasing its total viewership by more than 2 million viewers (to 9.3 million from 7.2 million). At 9:30 p.m. ET, an encore "My Name is Earl" averaged a 3.0/7 in 18-49 and 7.0 million viewers overall and from 10-11 p.m. ET, a rebroadcast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" averaged a 3.6/9 in 18-49 and 11.2 million viewers overall.

On Thursday, Dec. 15, a special hour-long holiday-themed episode of "Joey" (3.4/9 in 18-49, 8.0 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) scored a season-high adults 18-49 rating to rank #1 in the key demographic.

Also on Thursday from 9-11 p.m. ET, the fourth-cycle finale of "The Apprentice" (5.7/15 in 18-49, 12.8 million viewers overall) won its two-hour time period in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and all key adult-male demographics. "The Apprentice" finale delivered season-high results in adults 18-49 and total viewers, and was within 10 percent of the 18-49 rating delivered by the last "Apprentice" finale (a 6.3/15 for the "Apprentice 3" finale on May 19). "The Apprentice" built steadily throughout the two-hour live telecast, growing by 33 percent in 18-49 from its first half-hour to its fourth (from a 4.8/12 to a 6.4/18) and increasing its total viewership by more than three million viewers (to 14.3 million from 11.3 million).

On Friday, Dec. 16 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (2.4/8 in 18-49, 8.8 million viewers overall) matched NBC's highest 18-49 rating and delivered the largest total viewership in the time period this season. "Dateline," which increased its 18-49 rating by 72 percent from its first to its final half-hour (to a 3.1/9 from a 1.8/6) paced NBC to a season-high Friday in total viewers and to its second-highest 18-49 rating on a Friday this season. At 10 p.m. ET, an encore "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (2.4/7 in 18-49, 8.2 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in 18-49 and #1 in adults, men and women 18-34.

On Sunday, Dec. 18, an encore telecast of the 1989 movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" from 9:21-11:21 p.m. ET (3.1/8 in 18-49, 8.0 million viewers overall) delivered NBC's highest 18-49 rating for a theatrical film in more than a year (since the "Christmas Vacation" telecast on Dec. 12, 2004) and the second-highest 18-49 rating for any feature film to air on any network this season. That night at 8 p.m. ET, the NBC News special "Tom Brokaw Reports: To War and Back" delivered a 1.5/4 in 18-49 and 6.1 million viewers overall.