CBS Wins 7th Week in a Row

CBS used a combination of drama, comedy and unscripted series to run its streak to seven straight weekly wins, according to information released Thursday by Nielsen Media Research.

While NBC offered reruns of its top shows, new episodes of CBS’ popular “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Survivor: Africa” finished 1-2-3 in the top 10; “Yes, Dear” was No. 5 and “King of Queens,” No. 6. “Survivor” topped a “Friends” repeat in the Thursday 8 p.m. time slot.

ABC reported that its “Monday Night Football” game between the St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints, which placed No. 4, drew its biggest audience of the season. ABC also offered a Saturday-night version of “MNF,” pairing the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans, that finished in the top 20.

ABC’s Steven Bochco entry of “NYPD Blue” and “Philly” on Tuesday night appears to be gaining momentum. “NYPD Blue” won its 9 p.m. time slot over CBS’ “The Guardian” by 1.3 million viewers, according to the network, and “Philly” delivered its best effort in 11 weeks among adult viewers 18 to 34.

Meanwhile, reruns of NBC’s “Law & Order” and “The West Wing” won their time slots. NBC, which closely trails No. 1 CBS in the season averages, has started heavy promotion of its Winter Olympics coverage in February, when it hopes to overtake CBS in the seasonal race.

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John Scheibe