Idol Garners Fox Highest Ratings Ever

[DudeAsInCool]

'Idol' Gives Fox New High

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Signed, sealed, delivered -- the Tuesday night win belonged to Fox once again as a two-hour edition of "American Idol" gave the network its most-watched Tuesday ever.

The 8-10 p.m. edition of "American Idol," featuring the start of competition among the show's 12 finalists, delivered an average of 26.7 million viewers and an 11.3 rating/28 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. That was strong enough to top anything else, sporting events included, that Fox has served up on a Tuesday since the network began programming the night in January 1993.

Moreover, this year's edition of "Idol" is beating the show's own lofty standard from last year. Tuesday's episode was up 9% in the adults 18-49 demo compared with the comparable episode in 2003 and up 20% in total viewers.

Viewership of Tuesday's episode, which featured the combatants belting out such R&B favorites as Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" and Otis Redding's "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay," peaked in the 8:30-9 p.m. half-hour with an average of 27.4 million viewers.

"Idol" pretty much mowed down everything in its path. CBS' midseason drama "Century City" had only a so-so debut at 9 p.m. with an average of 8.9 million viewers and a 2.1/5 in adults 18-49.

The futuristic legal drama was second to "Idol" in viewers thanks to its "Navy NCIS" (13.3 million, 3.1/8) lead-in, but was fifth in adults 18-49, behind even UPN's "America's Next Top Model" (5.7 million, 2.7/7). "Century City" fared better in adults 25-54 (3.1/7).

For the night, CBS was No. 2 to Fox in total viewers (11.3 million), while ABC's 8-10 p.m. comedy block and "NYPD Blue" allowed the network to narrowly top NBC for second place in adults 18-49 (ABC's 3.1/8 to NBC's 2.9/7).

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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