Eliza Dushku

Primetime Thursday Ratings:

Score Another Victory for CBS

Thursday 4/21/05

 Winners:

Survivor: Palau (CBS), CSI (CBS), ER (NBC), Without A Trace R (CBS)

 Honorable Mention:

The Apprentice 3 (NBC)

 Losers:

Joey (NBC), Jake In Progress (ABC), Blue Collar TV (WB), Will & Grace (NBC), Tru Calling (Fox), Primetime Live (ABC)

 Survivor: Palau Update:

In a surprise twist, Janu has thrown in the towel, the supposed-to-be ousted Stephenie is still in, and dominant Tom could be packing next week if the four remaining women join forces (and he actually loses an immunity challenge). What seemed awfully monotonous just a few weeks ago has suddenly morphed into one of the best editions of the Survivor franchise. You go, Stephenie!

 Ratings Breakdown:

CBS remains the network to beat on Thursday courtesy of Survivor: Palau (Overnights: #1, 12.4/20; Viewers: #1, 18.66 million; A18-49: 6.4/19), CSI (Overnights: #1, 18.6/27; Viewers: #1, 26.67 million; A18-49: 9.1/24) and a repeat of Without A Trace (Overnights: #2, 11.7/18; Viewers: #1, 16.36 million; A18-49: #2, 4.9/13). Although an original episode of NBC’s ER at 10 p.m. (Overnights: #1, 13.0/20; Viewers: #2, 16.20 million; A18-49: #1, 7.6/20) managed to beat the Without A Trace repeat in households and adults 18-49, Without A Trace still had more viewers. The declining ER, which is renewed for another two seasons, averaged a considerably healthier 15.1/23 in the overnights on the year-ago evening (Thursday, April 22, 2004).

Earlier in the night, NBC sitcoms Joey (Overnights: #2, 6.2/10; Viewers: #2, 7.36 million; A18-49: #2, 2.9/ 9 at 8 p.m.) and Will & Grace (Overnights: #2, 6.4/10; Viewers: #2, 7.94 million; A18-49: #2t, 3.3/10 at 8:30 p.m.), which is about to get renewed, continue to sink further each week. Joey, in fact, only beat Fox’s competing The O.C. by one-tenth of a rating point among adults 18-49. Last year at this time, former 8 p.m. NBC occupant Friends opened with a 16.6/25 in the overnights.

At 9 p.m., the anything but addictive The Apprentice 3 on NBC (Overnights: 10.7/16; Viewers: 13.52 million; A18-49: 6.2/16) built from lead-in Will & Grace by a healthy 67 percent in the overnights, 5.58 million viewers and 88 percent among adults 18-49. Let’s hope that the next batch of contestants on The Apprentice is move lively in the fourth edition.

In the battle of the audience leftovers, two episodes of ABC’s Jake In Progress (including the season, or series, finale) averaged a typically bland 3.8/ 6 in the overnights (#4), 4.48 million viewers (#5), and a 1.5/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#5) from 8-9 p.m. Extreme Makeover on ABC followed with a less-than-extreme 3.8/ 6 in the overnights (#4), 4.48 million viewers (#5), and a 1.6/ 4 among adults 18-49 (#5) at 9 p.m., while Primetime Live (Overnights: #3, 5.6/ 9; Viewers: #3, 6.96 million; A18-49: #3, 2.2/ 6) did not benefit opposite CBS’ Without A Trace repeat at 10 p.m.

Although Fox’s The O.C. (Overnights: #3, 4.9/ 8; Viewers: #3, 6.45 million; A18-49: #3, 3.1/ 9) continues to garner modest interest at 8 p.m., lead-out Tru Calling (Overnights: #5, 3.3/ 5; Viewers: #5, 4.44 million (4.36 million last week); A18-49: #3t, 2.0/ 6) is waiting for the axe to swing.

UPN’s consistent WWE Smackdown! remained just that with a 3.7/ 6 in the overnights (#5), 5.10 million viewers (#5) and a 1.9/ 5 among adults 18-49 (#4) from 8-10 p.m., while four episodes of the WB’s Blue Collar TV (original followed by three repeats - Overnights: #6, 2.2/ 3; Viewers: #6, 2.66 million; A18-49: #6, 1.1/ 3) are obviously three too many.