CBS Is Out of the Gate First

Round 1 of the new TV season has gone to CBS, as a double dose of “Everybody Loves Raymond” and two editions of “CSI”--including record tune-in for the original--helped lift the network past NBC, based on viewing estimates issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

NBC did hold a solid advantage among key young-adult demographics thanks to strong performances from “Friends,” “Frasier,” “The West Wing,” “ER” (off 5% from its 2001 opener), and its new Sunday-drama lineup of “American Dreams,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Boomtown.”

“Criminal Intent,” in fact, looks to be a third hit under the “Law & Order” umbrella, drawing its biggest Sunday audience yet against formidable competition from ABC’s “Alias” and HBO’s “The Sopranos,” which drew almost 11 million viewers despite being received by only about a third of U.S. homes.

“The Practice” won its time slot, though viewing was down more than 20% versus last year’s premiere. “My Wife & Kids” was among ABC’s few other standouts, easily surpassing Fox’s “The Bernie Mac Show” on Wednesday.

In addition to “CSI: Miami” and NBC’s Sunday shows, new series generating solid sampling generally drafted off existing hits, such as “Good Morning Miami” and “Hidden Hills,” which followed “Will & Grace” and “Frasier,” respectively. Results were mixed for CBS on Friday, as “Hack” showed promise--siphoning viewers away from Fox’s “John Doe”--while “Robbery Homicide Division” lost over a third of that audience.

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National Nielsen Viewership

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