Published: November 4, 2002
preview / download AMERICAN DREAMS GRABS ITS HIGHEST NUMBERS IN FOUR WEEKS, WITH BIG GAINS OVER YEAR-AGO SLOT RESULTS
IN PRELIM RESULTS, BOOMTOWN BLASTS 28 PERCENT BEYOND LAST WEEKS 18-49 RATING
LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT CHALLENGES FOXS PREMIERES FOR THE 9-10 P.M. 18-49 VICTORY AND WINS DECISIVELY AMONG ADULTS 25-54 AND TOTAL VIEWERS
BURBANK, Calif. — November 4, 2002 — NBCs Sunday lineup of great dramas turned in another week of impressive ratings results, as American Dreams grabbed its highest ratings in four weeks, Law & Order: Criminal Intent challenged Foxs season premieres for the 9-10 p.m. ET lead among adults 18-49 and Boomtown soared 28 percent beyond last weeks 18-49 average.
According to preliminary fast affiliate in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research, Dateline NBC (2.4 rating, 7 share among adults 18-49, 8.1 million viewers overall) opened the night at 7 p.m. ET with solid figures that put it within 0.2 of a rating point of CBS 60 Minutes among adults 18-49 and ahead of its CBS rival among adults 18-34 and women 18-34 and 18-49. From its first half-hour to its second, Dateline increased its 18-49 audience by a huge 45 percent, the biggest build for any major network in the hour.
At 8 p.m. ET, American Dreams (4.6/11 among adults 18-49, 12.3 million viewers overall) achieved its highest 18-49 rating since Oct. 6 and finished a strong No. 2 in the hour among adults 18-49. American Dreams finished 92 percent ahead of NBCs result in the time period on the same Sunday last year (versus game seven of the World Series) and 18 percent ahead of the networks result on last years night of Fox Sunday premieres, Nov. 11, 2001. From its first half-hour to its second last night, Dreams cut Foxs 18-49 advantage from 91 percent to 31 percent.
At 9 p.m. ET, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (4.8/10 among adults 18-49, 15.2 million viewers overall) beat its year-ago 18-49 rating versus Foxs season premieres by 14 percent (4.8/10 vs. 4.2/9). Last nights Criminal Intent finished a close second for its hour among broadcast networks in adults 18-49 and beat all broadcast competition among adults 25-54, households and total viewers. From its first half-hour to its second, Criminal Intent built its 18-49 rating by 11 percent, the best build for any major network in the hour and good enough to put the hit sophomore drama No. 1 from 9:30-10 p.m. ET.
At 10 p.m. ET, the critically acclaimed first-year drama Boomtown (3.7/9 among adults 18-49, 10.0 million viewers overall) generated impressive rates of growth over both the previous week and NBC results in the hour on last years first post-World Series Sunday. Pending Nielsen updates of these preliminary results, Boomtown was up 28 percent over its rating of the previous week (3.7/9 vs. 2.9/7) and up 23 percent over last years Nov. 11 time-period result (3.7/9 vs. 3.0/7).
Preliminary 18-49 averages for Sunday night are: Fox, 6.5/15; ABC, 4.1/10; NBC, 3.9/9; CBS, 2.9/7. Among total viewers, Nov. 3 averages are: Fox, 13.9 million; ABC, 12.2 million; NBC, 11.4 million; CBS, 10.6 million. Significant revisions are possible to these results when Nielsen updates them Tuesday morning, especially for live events such as Foxs football overrun.
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