ElimiDate was tops among a pack of new rookie strips that made their debuts on the national ratings chart for the week ending Sept. 23.
Amid tough news competition - this is the week right after the terrorist attacks - ElimiDate scored a 1.0. That was good enough to beat rival dating strip Rendez-View (0.8) and new game show Card Sharks (0.8). Also, Just Shoot Me, one of this season's highest profile sitcoms, made its national debut with a 2.3. Those marks put it in 5th place between Drew Carey (2.5) and 3rd Rock from the Sun (2.1). Behind Just Shoot Me, were rookies Steve Harvey (1.1) and Mad TV (0.7).
Elsewhere, Seinfeld skyrocketed in the charts, jumping 39% over last period (abbreviated to just one day because of the attacks) to a 5.7. This is the first time Seinfeld has beaten Friends (5.2, down 5%) in recent memory. Seinfeld's jump was triggered by the double run option stations were able to activate that week.
At last January's NATPE, stations first found out that they'd be getting a double run of Seinfeld, without an extra license fee, for at least one year (B&C Jan. 23).
Back to the rookies, Crossing Over with John Edward (1.7, flat) landed in a three-way tie for 7th place among talk shows, with Jenny Jones (1.7, down 6%) and Ricki (1.7, up 21%). The Ananda Lewis Show (1.3, up 8%), Iyanla (1.2, up 20%), The Other Half (1.0, flat) and Shipmates (0.8, down 11%) trailed.
Nielsen is re-processing figures on rookie Talk or Walk, so it's ratings were unavailable for this period.
- Susanne Ault
