"Idol" Rules

Hitler lost. American Idol won.

While humanity may be relieved, CBS likely is not.

The concluding part of its miniseries about the German tyrant's demographically desirable years, Hitler: The Rise of Evil, failed to topple Fox's American Idol. It didn't even come close.

Hitler, its final installment airing last Tuesday opposite the decisive sing-off between Idol's Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, went down with 12.2 million viewers. The miniseries, which attracted 13.6 million followers for its first part, ranked as the 17th most-watched show of the prime-time week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research.

A.I., meanwhile, ranked as the most-watched, second most-watched, third most-watched and eighth most-watched show of the week.

Let's hear Simon Cowell carp about that.

First among all Idols was last Wednesday's season finale. To Fox's delight, the two-hour coronation of Ruben Studdard was counted by Nielsen numbers-crunchers as two separate episodes. The 8 p.m. hour drew 30.4 million; the 9 p.m. nail-biter, 38.1 million. Overall, the show averaged 34.3 million for the night, making it the second most-watched entertainment program of the year, behind Fox's Joe Millionaire finale (40 million) and ahead of the Academy Awards (33 million).

Tuesday's competition episode attracted 25.7 million, with a Monday special-slash-time-slot-filler bringing in another 16.9 million diehards.

The second-season closer of 24, airing after Tuesday's A.I., kept 14.2 million viewers on the clock, for a strong 11th-place finish.

Idol's golden touch extended to Fox's underwhelming Mr. Personality, Airing after the Monday A.I. special, Personality closed out its five-episode run in respectable fashion--11.5 million viewers, 23rd place. (In the event there is a quiz: Single-gal Hayley hooked up with Will, the guy in the silver mask.)

Among other season enders: A 45-minute edition of CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond married off Robert (Brad Garrett) before 22.7 million guests (fourth place); NBC's never-ending Law & Order booked its 13th TV year (not to mention its 300th episode) with 19 million viewers (sixth place); ABC's NYPD Blue bolted on its 10th season with 12.5 million viewers (15th place).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer drove a stake in its seventh season--and its prime-time run--in 69th place, nearly stealing WWE Smackdown's title as the UPN's most-watched show. Alas, Smackdown bested Buffy, 5 million viewers to 4.9 million. To its credit, Buffy's bow improved on its seasonal average by more than 1 million viewers.

Specials doing especially well included NBC's Martha Stewart biopic, Martha, Inc. (14 million; 12th place); and CBS' 38th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which held its own with 12.1 million viewers (18th place), despite going head-to-hat with the Idol finale.

ABC milked one more week out The Bachelor, with a post-finale special dubbed After the Final Rose, to so-so results: 9.3 million viewers, 33rd place. NBC reran its Bob Hope birthday tribute, 100 Years of Hope & Humor, to even more so-so results: 7.8 million viewers, 47th place.

A three-hour ABC special celebrating its own 50th birthday proved a bit more popular than the Hope centennial: 11.4 million viewers, 25th place.

Last week's ratings race marked the final leg of the 2002-03 TV year, which ended last Wednesday.

Fox started the summer on a high note, claiming victory as the week's most-watched network (averaging 13.2 million) and as the most-watched network among prospective car buyers, aged 18 to 49.

CBS, the season's overall champ in eyeballs, ran second in total viewers, with 10.8 million. NBC trailed with 10.1 million; ABC really trailed with 7.6 million.

The WB edged UPN, 3.8 million viewers to 3.5 million. Both netlets used the start of the summer season to launch new shows--not that many viewers noticed.

The new UPN reality series, American's Next Top Model, tripped on the catwalk with 2.9 million viewers (82nd place). The new WB family sitcom, The O'Keefes with Judge Reinhold, moved in with just 2.6 million neighbors (85th place).

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

1. American Idol (9 p.m., Wednesday), Fox, 38.1 million viewers
2. American Idol (8 p.m., Wednesday), Fox, 30.4 million
3. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 25.7 million
4. Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS, 22.7 million
5. CSI: Miami, CBS, 19.3 million
6. Law & Order (10 p.m., Wednesday), NBC, 19 million
7. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 17.3 million
8. American Idol: The Final Two, Fox, 16.9 million
9. Law & Order (9 p.m., Wednesday), NBC, 16 million
10. Without a Trace, NBC, 15 million