"90210" Can't Survive "Survivor"

Next time, maybe they should vote off Shannen Doherty for good.

A much-hyped Beverly Hills 90210 reunion Sunday on Fox was no match for the torch-extinguishing finale of CBS' Survivor: Amazon.

The 90210 sweeps special, bringing together much of the cast of the 1990-2000 prime-time soap, including the previously exiled Doherty, was watched by 7 million nostalgia buffs (71st place), per Nielsen Media Research. Compare that to the 22.3 million who witnessed 21-year-old Jenna Morasca outwit, outplay and outlast her fellow jungle dwellers on Survivor: Amazon (third place). (The 90210 special aired opposite the final hour of the two-hour Survivor.)

Proving that viewers are indeed in the mood for reunions, provided they involve people who do battle against real venomous spiders (and not just the metaphorical kind), a Survivor: Amazon tribal reunion, airing immediately following Morasca's crowning moment, was the week's 10th most-watched show, drawing 17.6 million eyeballs.

But wait, there's more: Survivor took up three spots in the top 10, with last Thursday's penultimate episode watched by about 19 million, good for eighth place.

Overall, the Survivor trifecta averaged 19.6 million viewers. That's almost as good as Fox's American Idol, which also knows something about the appeal of elimination rounds.

Wednesday's results show, in which Marine Joshua Gracin was discharged from the competition, leaving just three wannabe pop stars, was the week's second-most watched show, attracting 22.7 million Idol worshippers. Tuesday's competition show, which usually outdraws its Wednesday counterpart, finished fourth for the week, with 22.2 million listening to the kids belt the Bee Gees.

Thanks to Survivor and Idol, CBS and Fox did their respective things for the prime-time ratings week ended Sunday. CBS was the most-watched network, averaging 13.7 million viewers. Fox tied with NBC as the most-watched network among demographically desirable 18- to 49-year-olds, a key stat in a sweeps week.

NBC, led by the 200th episode of ER (fifth place, 21.9 million viewers), finished second in total viewers, with 11.2 million. Fox was third, with 9.5 million.

ABC was fourth, or last, among the big networks in both eyeballs (8.8 million) and young'uns. On the plus side, the Alphabet actually managed to crack the top 20, thanks to The Bachelor (17th place, 13.5 million).

It should come as little surprise that CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was the week's most-watched show (25.1 million). It may come as a minor surprise that 77-year-old Angela Lansbury is still hot. Lansbury's latest Murder, She Wrote TV movie, Celtic Riddle, airing Friday on CBS, entertained 10.7 million retirement-home residents and others, good for a 35th place finish.

Elsewhere, ABC's The Practice acquitted itself nicely in its two-hour season finale--38th place, 10.1 million viewers. Once thought to be headed for a closed court, the show's cast received word Monday that the series will return for an eighth season.

Likewise, last week's second-season closer of NBC's Crossing Jordan (39th place, 9.9 million) might have dissuaded the Peacock from bursting that bubble show. As announced Monday, Jordan will be back for a third season, albeit with a delayed midseason launch.

NBC's Watching Ellie hasn't aired its season finale yet, but it's all over for the Julia Louis-Dreyfus sitcom, pink-slipped by the Peacock on Monday. Last week's episode was watched by 8.3 million (56th place).

A Fox repeat broadcast of the original Matrix flick (60th place) mesmerized 7.9 million fans no doubt anxious for the sequel to open in theaters Thursday.

Fox might have been wise to air The Matrix as many times as possible, based on the performances of its flatlining Mr. Personality (76th place, 6 million) and its fun, if furry First Annual Miss Dog Beauty Pageant (80th place, 5.5 million).

In the battle of the netlets, the WB bested UPN, 4.3 million viewers to 3.3 million. Smallville (70th place, 7 million) represented for the Frog; WWE Smackdown (84th place, 4.9 million) carried the banner for the UPN.

A repeat broadcast of Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1996 flick Eraser, airing Friday on UPN, was the least-watched, non-Pax broadcast show--104th place, 1.9 million.

Here's a rundown of the 10 most-watched shows for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research:

1. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 25.1 million
2. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 22.7 million
3. Survivor: Amazon--Finale, CBS, 22.3 million
4. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 22.2 million
5. ER, NBC, 21.9 million
6. Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS, 19.59 million
7. Friends (8 p.m.), NBC, 19.55 million
8. Survivor: Amazon, CBS, 18.998 million
9. Friends (8:35 p.m.), NBC, 18.977 million
10. Survivor: Amazon--Reunion, CBS, 17.6 million