Fox, ABC split Sunday ratings spoils

Fox spit the Sunday night ratings sweepstakes with ABC, as The X-Files battled ABC's Anne Frank mini-series for audience share.

The X-Files scored a 7.4 rating, 18 share among adults 18-49 in Nielsen fast national numbers and drew 13.2 million viewers. It was up against the opening hour of the first part of Anne Frank, which drew 14 million viewers overall with a 4.9/12. Combined with 14.5 million viewers for Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?, that gave ABC an average of 12.5 million viewers for the night, just edging Fox at 12.1 million. But Fox averaged a 6.3 rating among 18-49ers, easily outdistancing NBC at 4.0 and ABC at 3.8.

A doubleheader of The Simpsons scored a 5.2/16 for a repeat episode and a 6.9/20 for a new one, followed by Malcolm in the Middle, which hit a 6.9/18.
- Richard Tedesco