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Paris' Big "Life"
Paris Hilton's internship is paying dividends for Fox.
The third-season premiere of The Simple Life got the show off to its strongest start ever--13.3 million viewers (20th place), per Nielsen Media Research.
The hourlong opener, setting Hilton and partner-in-ineptitude Nicole Richie loose as interns in a mechanics shop and an office mailroom, owed a big debt to American Idol. Nearly 27 million endured that show's off-key auditions on Wednesday, giving The Simple Life, airing at 9 p.m., a more than ample lead-in.
Idol's healing touch also continued to work wonders for House. The once flatlining medical drama improved to 12.4 million viewers (25th place) airing in the hour after Tuesday's Simon Cowell snarkfest (first place, 28.1 million).
Thanks to its monster Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Fox won the week among 18-to-49-year-old viewers, and improved to third among all viewers, averaging 10.4 million.
The Simple Life's big bang came as many 2005 taste-makers were writing off Hilton as so 2004. The downward-trending numbers for Life's second season, which aired last summer, only encouraged such thought.
But never count out a hotel heiress--or her ability to remain famous for being famous. Last month, Hilton generated headlines for allegedly stealing her own sex tape from a newsstand and for offending the sensibilities of Buena Vista Township, New Jersey, parents, who led a fight to ban her Fox series from filming new episodes at a school there.
Hilton is laughing all the way to the top of the Nielsens.
Elsewhere:
Monday's Late Show on CBS, featuring David Letterman's smart and funny tribute to mentor Johnny Carson, scored a rare victory over NBC's Tonight Show, per overnight estimates.CBS' CSI: NY, a solid, but unspectacular performer given its pedigree, finally made it back into the top 10 (albeit in a week replete with repeats)--sixth place, 17.6 million.
Demand for Medium (ninth place, 15.8 million) remains high, with NBC renewing the touched-by-a-psychic crime drama through 2005-06.
CBS' Numb3rs added up right in its new Friday home--11th place, 15.5 million.
Glow-in-the-dark-necklace magnate Brian fired himself in front of 15.4 million viewers and one stupefied Donald Trump on NBC's The Apprentice (12th place).
Viewers were slightly less desperate to watch Mrs. Huber get whacked in the head with a blender the second time around on a repeat of ABC's Desperate Housewives (21st place, 12.8 million).
The mere promise of a lesbian fling on Fox's The O.C. sexed up the Fox soap's ratings--54th place, 8.1 million.
The latest jump-the-shark moment for WB's 7th Heaven, i.e., the birth of Lucy's baby, hooked the drama's best ratings (57th place, 8 million) in two years.
The price you must pay for ABC's benching of Complete Savages: Back-to-back episodes of 8 Simple Rules on Friday nights. Last week, the first half-hour was braved by 7.9 million (59th place); the second, a repeat, by 7.7 million (62nd place).
Joseph and Katherine Jackson's pleas on behalf of their famed defendant son were heard by 6.5 million on CBS' 48 Hours Mystery (80th place)--not an insignificant number if you're trying to win over potential jurors; not a significant number if you're trying to win over a time slot.
Fox's Malcolm in the Middle has relocated to the bottom (84th place, 5.9 million); Point Pleasant (89th place, 4.5 million) has fallen off the map; Jonny Zero (102nd place, 3.3 million) has a title that makes it way too easy to make fun of.
Overall, CBS, led by a previously viewed CSI (third place, 21.8 million), won the week, followed by NBC (10.7 million), Fox and ABC (9.4 million).
The WB topped UPN, 3.6 million to 2.9 million.
Here's a rundown of the 10 most watched prime-time shows for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research:
1. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 28.1 million viewers
2. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 26.6 million viewers
3. CSI, CBS, 21.8 million viewers
4. ER, NBC, 19.8 million viewers
5. CBS Sunday Movie: The Magic of Ordinary Days, CBS, 18.7 million viewers
6. CSI: NY, CBS, 17.6 million viewers
7. Cold Case, CBS, 16.7 million viewers
8. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (8 p.m., Sunday), ABC, 16.2 million viewers
9. Medium, NBC, 15.8 million viewers
10. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (9 p.m., Sunday), ABC, 15.5 million viewers
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