Nielsens

`Halo effect' lets ABC extend its winning ways

23-Mar-2000 Thursday

Another winning Nielsens week for ABC provided a clear example of what TV people call the "halo effect," with "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" boosting the audience for some of the shows around it.

"Dharma & Greg" had been a rather successful comedy on its own, but since airing regularly after Tuesday's edition of "Millionaire," it's often a top 10 show -- and finished No. 9 last week.

ABC's Thursday edition of "20/20" drew 18.2 million viewers -- the best performance for an ABC newsmagazine in its time slot since 1994 -- airing directly after "Millionaire" and opposite a repeat episode of NBC's "ER."

Sunday's episode of "The Practice" had 17.3 million viewers. What's remarkable is that it was a repeat episode airing for the third time, and had an audience 60 percent bigger than when the episode was first shown.

Guess which program was on right before "The Practice"?

The three "Millionaire" episodes were easily the three most watched programs in prime time last week, with each drawing more than 26 million viewers.

One ABC show able to stand tall on its own was Barbara Walters' "20/20" interview Friday with the parents of JonBenet Ramsey. Although Walters was criticized by Colorado's governor for hurling softball questions at the Ramseys, viewers made it the season's most-watched "20/20."

With viewership levels falling off due to repeats and approaching spring weather, ABC averaged 13.9 million people watching in prime time (9.4 rating, 16 share). It was the network's 12th win in a row.

NBC edged CBS for second by 50,000 viewers. Both had 11.1 million viewers (7.9 ratings, 13 shares). Fox had 8.6 million viewers (5.7, 9), UPN had 3.8 million viewers (2.6, 4), the WB had 2.9 million viewers (2.2, 4) and Pax TV had 1.2 million viewers (0.9, 1).

NBC's "Nightly News" won the evening news ratings race with 10.7 million viewers (7.9 rating, 16 share). ABC's "World News Tonight" had 10.3 million viewers (7.8, 16), and the "CBS Evening News" had 7.8 million viewers (6.1, 13).

A rating point represents 1,008,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 100.8 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.

Here are the prime-time ratings as compiled by Nielsen Media Research

for March 13-19:

1. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," ABC.
2. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," ABC.
3. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," ABC.
4. "20/20" (Friday), ABC.
5. "20/20 -- Downtown," ABC.
6. "Friends," NBC.
7. "Touched by an Angel," CBS.
8. "CBS Sunday Movie: Color of Love: Jacey's Story."
9. "60 Minutes," CBS.
9. "Dharma & Greg," ABC.
9. "The Practice," ABC.
12. "Law and Order," NBC.
13. "NYPD Blue," ABC.
13. "Providence," NBC.
15. "Frasier," NBC.
16. "Everybody Loves Raymond," CBS.
17. "ER," NBC.
18. "60 Minutes II," CBS.
18. "Jesse," NBC.
18. "Malcolm in the Middle," Fox.
21. "Becker," CBS.
22. "King of Queens," CBS.
23. "Dateline NBC" (Wednesday).
24. "The West Wing," NBC.
25. "Stark Raving Mad," NBC.
26. "Dateline NBC" (Friday).
26. "Judging Amy," CBS.
28. "The Simpsons," Fox.
29. "Drew Carey Show," ABC.
30. "Dateline NBC" (Sunday).
30. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?," ABC.
32. "Dateline NBC" (Tuesday).
33. "JAG," CBS.
34. "Sports Night," ABC.
35. "20/20" (Wednesday), ABC.
35. "Spin City," ABC.
37. "Once and Again," ABC.
38. "ABC Monday Night Movie: Satan's School for Girls."
39. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," NBC.
39. "The X-Files," Fox.
41. "Just Shoot Me," NBC.
42. "ABC Big Picture Show: The Flintstones."
42. "Grapevine," CBS.
42. "Twenty One," NBC.
45. "Will & Grace," NBC.
46. "Family Law," CBS.
46. "NBC Sunday Night Movie: The Ghost and the Darkness."
46. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?," ABC.
49. "CBS NCAA College Basketball Championship-Event."
50. "AMW: America Fights Back," Fox.
50. "CBS NCAA Post Gun Saturday," CBS.
50. "COPS 2: Indianapolis," Fox.
50. "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," ABC.
50. "Third Watch," NBC.
50. "Walker, Texas Ranger," CBS.
56. "CBS Wednesday Movie: Vegas Vacation."
57. "Norm," ABC.
58. "City of Angels," CBS.
59. "Malcolm in the Middle," Fox.
59. "Two Guys and a Girl," ABC.
61. "CBS NCAA College Basketball Championship-Event."
61. "Greed," Fox.
63. "Ally McBeal," Fox.
63. "CBS NCAA College Basketball Championship-Event."
63. "That '70s Show," Fox.
66. "3rd Rock From the Sun," NBC.
67. "The Hughleys," ABC.
68. "CBS NCAA College Basketball Championship-Event."
68. "COPS: Fort Worth," Fox.
70. "Fox Thursday Night Movie: Tombstone."
70. "The Pretender," NBC.
70. "Profiler," NBC.
73. "Boy Meets World," ABC.
73. "CBS NCAA College Basketball Championship-Event."
75. "King of the Hill," Fox.
75. "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," ABC.
77. "That '70s Show 2," Fox.
78. "The Others," NBC.
79. "ABC Saturday Night Movie: White Squall."
80. "World's Wildest Police Videos," Fox.
80. "WWF Smackdown!" UPN.
82. "Beverly Hills, 90210," Fox.
83. "Family Guy," Fox.
83. "Freaks and Geeks," NBC.
83. "God, the Devil and Bob," NBC.
86. "Futurama," Fox.
87. "7th Heaven," WB.
87. "Star Trek: Voyager," UPN.
89. "Get Real," Fox.
89. "Party of Five," Fox.
91. "Charmed," WB.
92. "Dawson's Creek," WB.
93. "The Jamie Foxx Show," WB.
93. "The Parkers," UPN.
93. "The Steve Harvey Show," WB.
96. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," WB.
96. "Popular," WB.
98. "7 Days," UPN.
98. "Angel," WB.
98. "Moesha," UPN.
101. "Grown Ups," UPN.
101. "Roswell," WB.
103. "The Jamie Foxx Show," WB.
103. "Malcolm & Eddie," UPN.
103. "Popular," WB.
106. "7th Heaven Beginnings," WB.
106. "I Dare You!" UPN.
106. "Jack & Jill," WB.
109. "For Your Love," WB.
110. "Blockbuster Cinema: Hell Swarm," UPN.
110. "Diagnosis Murder," Pax.
112. "Felicity," WB.
113. "Diagnosis Murder," Pax.
113. "Secret Agent Man," UPN.
113. "Touched by an Angel," Pax.
116. "Touched by an Angel," Pax.
117. "Diagnosis Murder," Pax.
117. "Diagnosis Murder," Pax.
117. "Touched by an Angel," Pax.
117. "Touched by an Angel," Pax.
121. "Diagnosis Murder," Pax.
122. "It's a Miracle," Pax.
123. "It's a Miracle," Pax.
123. "Pax TV Sunday Mystery Movie: Diagnosis Murder: Sycamore."
123. "Touched by an Angel," Pax.
126. "It's a Miracle," Pax.
127. "He Touched Me: Elvis Presley," Pax.
127. "Hope Island," Pax.
127. "Totally Animals 1," Pax.
127. "Touched by an Angel," Pax.
127. "Twice in a Lifetime," Pax.
132. "Chicken Soup for the Soul," Pax.
132. "Pax TV Three-Hanky Movie: Promise."

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