VIDEO: Anthony Edwards Gives 'ER' Ratings Booster Shot
ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" continues to dominate Thursday night
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/14/2008 6:30:00 AM
Check out a clip from Edwards' appearance on ER below.
In the battle of network medical dramas featuring the return of dead characters Thursday night, Grey's Anatomy had it all over ER.
NBC's medical drama averaged a 3.7 rating/10 share in the 18-49 demo, according to preliminary Nielsen overnight numbers, and 9.8 million viewers overall Thursday night, up from the 3.2/9 in the demo and 8.6 million viewers it averaged the previous week.
ABC's Grey's Anatomy drew a 5.9/14 at 9-10 p.m.
But NBC had plenty to brag about. The network said the ER audience was its biggest in over a year (since Oct. 18, 2007), and the best 18-49 number of any show in the time period in five weeks.
While ER got a bump from the return of Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), one of a number of former cast members expected to reprise their roles in the show's last season, Grey's continued to dominate the night with an episode featuring Izzie Stevens' (Katherine Heigl) former fiancee, Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who died of heart failure.
The Greene character had to appear in flashbacks--his character died of a brain tumor--while Denny has been appearing as a ghost seen, and now touched, only by Stevens.
Although NBC took the 10-11 hour with ER, the network came in third for the night behind CBS (4.1/10 in the demo) and ABC (3.9/10). CBS' top show was CSI with a 5.1/12 at 9-10. ABC had the top-rated show of the night with Grey's.
Fox was fourth with a 2.2/6, followed by The CW at a 1.6.
NBC's 'ER': Dr. Greene Returns from Broadcasting & Cable on Vimeo.
