Primetime Ratings: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Propels ABC

All-Reality Lineup Leads to Sunday-Night Victory

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/24/2008 2:03:00 PM

ABC won the primetime ratings race in the 18-49 demo Sunday night with an all-reality lineup led by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

ABC averaged a 3.1 rating/9 share in the demo, led by Makeover's 3.9/11 from 8 p.m.-9 p.m., with an assist from Oprah's Big Give at a 3.4/9 from 9 p.m.-10 p.m. Both won their time periods, as did Here Come the Newlyweds (2.9/8) from 10 p.m.-11 p.m.

The only hour of primetime ABC didn't win was 7 p.m.-8 p.m. thanks to a CBS NCAA basketball overrun (3.5/12 according to preliminary time-period numbers), but ABC was airing a repeat of America’s Funniest Home Videos.

CBS was second with a 2.5/7 in the demo, led by its basketball overrun.

NBC was third with a 1.7/5. Its best showing was from a repeat of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit with a 2.3/6 from 10 p.m.-11 p.m. NBC didn't do so well with its sports overrun -- a 1.2/4 from 7 p.m.-7:30 p.m. for the last half-hour of the rain-delayed-and-interrupted World Golf Championship tournament, although as with CBS' numbers for basketball, those could change when the final numbers come in.

Fox averaged a 1.6/5 for a new Unhitched (1.5/4) and repeats of its animated lineup. Its top show was a repeat of The Simpsons with a 2.4/7.

The CW was fifth with a 0.5/1, led by The Game (0.6/1).