Overnight Ratings: Idol's British Invasion Is a Smashing Success
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/21/2007 12:45:00 PM
It was American Idol and then it was everybody else Tuesday night, and even everybody else combined didn't add up to three-quarters of Idol's rating/share in the key 18-49 Nielsen demo.
Idol's theme was British Invasion night, and the invasion was a complete success, with Fox notching an 11.6 rating/30 share in the demo in the 8-10 slot, compared to an 8.4/22 for the other three major networks and The CW combined.
CBS won the only available non-Idol hour—10-11—with a 2.9/8, but that was actually its lowest-rated show of the night. It did better with NCIS, which was the second-highest-rated show after Idol at a 3.7/10.
NBC was third with a 2.1/5. Its top show was a repeat of Law & Order: SVU with a 2.5/7 at 10.
ABC wasn't able to crack a 2 rating, averaging a 1.9/5 and led by Boston Legal at a 2.5/7 to tie for second at 10 p.m.
The CW averaged a 1.1/3 on the night, thanks to a 1.4/3 for reality competition Pussycat Dolls up against that other singing competition and despite a weak repeat Gilmore Girls lead-in (.8/2).
