For all the talk about so-called reality programming offering an alternative to summer repeats, reruns -- particularly of procedural crime shows -- dominated last week's ratings and occupied all Top 10 slots, based on viewing estimates issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.
Last week's results underscored why the networks have soured a bit on serialized dramas, which don't repeat well, as opposed to the "CSI" and "Law & Order" franchises, which viewers can watch at any time. Similarly, CBS' "Without a Trace" is thriving this summer, attracting almost twice the audience last week of time-period competitor "ER."
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday July 03, 2003 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 63 words Type of Material: Correction
"Everybody Loves Raymond" -- Brian Lowry's On TV column in Wednesday's Calendar stated that CBS Productions is among the production entities responsible for "Everybody Loves Raymond." Although CBS distributes the program's reruns and shares in those profits, it is not credited as a producer of the comedy, which falls under the aegis of David Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants Inc., and HBO Independent Productions.
Although many of the unscripted programs are drawing respectable ratings (and several more aren't), this summer has yet to produce the sort of clear-cut hit that past summer premieres "American Idol," "Survivor" and "Fear Factor" ultimately became.
Still, the networks are managing to hold serve, despite the competitors yapping at their heels. Last week's aggregate audience of 26.8 million viewers in prime time for ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox mirrored their total from the corresponding week a year ago, and overall viewing is up 3% since the traditional rerun season began in late May.
Among last week's cable fare, the BET Awards averaged an impressive 5.5 million viewers -- almost double those who tuned in for the AFI Awards tribute on USA -- while TNT's miniseries "Caesar" didn't exactly reign on Sunday, registering a so-so 3.6 million viewers.
Brian Lowry
*
Here are the rankings for national prime-time network television last week (June 23-29) as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. They are based on the average number of people who watched a program from start to finish. Nielsen estimates there are 272.04 million potential viewers in the U.S. age 2 and older. Viewership is listed in millions.
*--* Program Net- work View- ers Program Net- work View- ers
*--*
*--* 1 CSI CBS 13.80 2 Without a Trace CBS 12.37 3 CSI: Miami CBS 11.97 4 Law & Order NBC 11.49 5 Law & Order: SVU NBC 10.45
6 Law & Order: Criminal Intent NBC 10.43 7 Everybody Loves Raymond CBS 10.38 8 Law & Order (9 p.m.) NBC 9.97 9 King of Queens CBS 9.96 10 Friends NBC 9.12
11 60 Minutes CBS 8.92 12 For Love or Money NBC 8.70 13 Primetime Thursday ABC 8.63 14 Dateline: NBC (Tue.) NBC 8.56 15 American Juniors (Tue.) FOX 8.16
16 60 Minutes II CBS 8.13 17 Dateline: NBC (Sun.) NBC 8.06 18 Last Comic Standing NBC 8.02 19 According to Jim (Tue., 9 p.m.) ABC 7.92 20 Amazing Race: 4 CBS 7.86
