Fast Affiliate Ratings

Viewers: NBC: 21.60 million, CBS: 21.19, UPN: 4.77, Fox: 4.43, ABC: 4.36, WB: 2.57

Adults 18-49 Rating/Share: NBC: 10.1/26, CBS: 7.3/19, Fox: 1.9/ 5, UPN: 1.7/ 4, ABC: 1.4/ 4, WB: 0.8/ 2

 Yesterday’s Winners: Friends (NBC), Survivor: All-Stars (CBS), CSI (CBS), Will & Grace (NBC), ER (NBC)

 Honorable Mention: Without A Trace (CBS)

-Yesterday’s Losers: Tru Calling (Fox), Steve Harvey’s Big Time (WB), Steven King’s Kingdom Hospital (ABC), Jamie Kennedy Experiment (WB), Primetime Thursday (ABC)

 Survivor: All-Stars Update: Although it was obvious that only winning immunity would save Shii Ann last night, a better move for the remaining five would have been to either break-up the Amber/Boston Rob or Rupert/Jenna alliances. At this point, if either Amber or Rupert land in the final two, and not against each other, it’s their game.

 Ratings Breakdown: In another two-network Thursday race, not only did NBC and CBS dominate, the No. 2 Eye net actually beat the remaining four networks combined by 7 percent in the overnights, 5.06 million viewers and 26 percent among adults 18-49. Comparatively, NBC won the evening in all surveyed categories, outdelivering a healthy CBS overall by 13 percent in the overnights, 41,000 viewers and 38 percent among adults 18-49. Unless a miracle happens, expect NBC and CBS to maintain control of Thursday again next season.

The second-to-last episode of NBC’s Friends took top-rated honors of the evening with an 18.3/28 in the overnights, 23.80 million viewers and a 10.8/31 among adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. A repeat of Friends at 8:30 p.m. also dominated in the overnights (15.4/22) and adults 18-49 (8.7/23). Ratings for Friends last night proves that viewers en masse will be gathered next week to bid adieu to the gang of six. Note that a one-hour Friends clip show will kick off next Thursday followed by the one-hour series finale at 9 p.m. For more on Friends, don’t miss the Mr. Television column in the May 3 edition of Mediaweek.

On CBS, Survivor: All-Stars ranked a comfortable second with a 12.2/18 in the overnights, 20.23 million viewers and a 7.3/21 among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m.

In season (or series) finale news, a two-hour edition of Fox’s struggling Tru Calling lived up to that description, finishing a distant third in the overnights (3.6/ 5), viewers (4.43 million) and adults 18-49 (1.9/ 5) from 8-10 p.m. Even so, you have to give credit to Fox for introducing a new scripted hour opposite Friends and Survivor and sticking with it all season. That’s the way you program a network.

Elsewhere at 8 p.m., and there wasn’t much to say, a repeat of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition averaged a 4.1/ 6 in the overnights, with UPN’s WWE Smackdown! at a below-average 3.9/ 6 from 8-10 p.m. Last, and very least, were two episodes of Steve Harvey’s Big Time on the WB (original and repeat) at an average 2.7/ 4 in the overnights with 2.84 million viewers and a 0.9/ 2 among adults 18-49.

At 9 p.m., even the power of J.Lo (you know - Jennifer Lopez) could not stop CBS’ CSI with the forensics drama (18.0/26, Viewers: 26.25 million) beating a one-hour edition of the Will & Grace season finale (15.1/21, Viewers: 20.67 million) by 19 percent in the overnights and 5.58 million viewers. Will & Grace, however, did win the hour in adults 18-49 (9.9/24), outdelivering CSI (9.2/23) by 8 percent in the demo. Although Will & Grace closed on an obvious positive note, I personally wish the sitcom would develop the characters more instead of rolling out all the awkward guest stars.

On ABC, Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital reached yet a new low with a paltry 2.6/ 4 in the overnights, 3.26 million viewers and a 1.2/ 3 among adults 18-49 from 9-10 p.m. Even worse were two episodes of the WB’s on-the-fence Jamie Kennedy Experiment (avg. 2.0/ 3, Viewers: 2.29 million, A18-49: 0.8/ 2).

At 10 p.m., even a diluted ER remained victorious with the 10-year old medical drama (time flies!) at a 16.5/25 in the overnights with 22.36 million viewers and a 10.7/27 among adults 18-49. Comparatively, ER outdelivered the Eye net’s potent Without A Trace (12.8/19, Viewers: 17.08 million, A18-49: 5.6/14) by 29 percent in the overnights, 5.28 million viewers and 91 among adults 18-49. Had NBC not struck Thursday 9 p.m. gold with The Apprentice, I might have predicted Without A Trace would take control of the 10 p.m. hour in households and viewers next season.

Lost at 10 p.m. was ABC’s Primetime Thursday with a 4.3/ 7 in the overnights, 4.94 million viewers and a 1.6/ 4 among adults 18-49.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Final Wednesday Nationals: A Clean Sweep for Fox

When you see Fox on the forefront, and you do every Tuesday and Wednesday, think American Idol. This Wednesday, 22.26 million viewers were present at 8:30 p.m. to watch lanky John Stevens be put out of his misery. Also worth positive mention, and airing opposite each other, were ABC’s The Bachelor and Fox’s The O.C. The Bachelor took the 9 p.m. hour in households (7.9/12) and adults 18-49 (5.0/13), while soon-to-season conclude The O.C. was a close second in the demo with a 4.7/12. Although airing out of American Idol’s 9.3/26 among adults 18-49 certainly did not hurt, let’s give The O.C. the credit it deserves. It has resuscitated the serialized drama.

For more on The O.C., don’t miss the Mr. Television column in the May 3 edition of Mediaweek.

Elsewhere, although NBC’s Law & Order remains in the winner’s circle with a first-place 11.4/19 in households, 17.19 million viewers and a 5.7/15 among adults 18-49 at 10 p.m., ABC’s competing Extreme Makeover also deserves some accolades with a 4.9/13 in the demo. According to ABC, Extreme Makeover won its time period for the third consecutive week among adults 18-34, beating Law & Order by 9 percent this week. It also posted season high ratings in adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.

For more specific information on the nationals, log onto www.mediaweek.com/insider to sign up for Wednesday afternoon column The Programming Insider PM.

What follows are the final rating results for Wednesday, April 28:

 Households: Fox: 8.2/13, NBC: 8.0/13, ABC: 6.7/11, CBS: 6.1/10, WB: 2.7/ 4, UPN: 2.0/ 3

 Viewers: Fox: 13.26 million, NBC: 12.43, ABC: 9.78, CBS: 8.56, WB: 4.26, UPN: 2.92

 Adults 18-49: Fox: 5.9/16, ABC and NBC: 4.1/11 each, CBS: 2.6/ 7, WB: 1.9/ 5, UPN: 1.2/ 3

Source: Nielsen Media Research data