Ratings: Bali Ha'i, Barramundi, B-ball

Thanks to a batch of promising sitcom premieres and a rehashed Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, the Alphabet Network ended the weekly ratings race deadlocked with CBS--which boasted its own revived runs from Survivor and men's college hoops, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Hot off its Oscar hangover, ABC landed in the top 10 with its Monday Night Movie version of South Pacific, this one starring Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jr. The musical overwhelmed CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond and NBC's latest Crocodile Hunter special to pull in 15.8 million viewers--the network's biggest Monday movie audience in nearly a year.

Also showing promise were two of ABC's latest midseason entries, What About Joan, starring quirky actress Joan Cusack, and the latest Wayans brother vehicle, My Wife and Kids, starring Damon Wayans. Despite mixed reviews, What About Joan premiered Tuesday in front of 14.9 million viewers for a 10.1 rating and 16 share--up 8 percent from Dharma & Greg's lead-in performance and ABC's best midseason debut in three years.

Meanwhile, My Wife and Kids (described by some as "The Hughleys--without D.L. Hughley") debuted just as strong Wednesday night, nabbing 13.7 million viewers (8.8 rating/14 share) and giving the network its best numbers of the night.

Over on CBS, the network scored big, thanks to the help of two Blue Devils: One being NCAA basketball champs Duke University and the other being Jerri Manthey, the conniving, blue-bikini-clad spawn of Satan from Survivor: The Australian Outback.

After temporarily moving to Wednesdays to accommodate NCAA coverage and losing steam a week ago during a special "outtakes" edition, Survivor returned to Thursdays in first place for the week, luring 28.1 million viewers for a 16.6 rating and 26 share.

Meanwhile, over on the hardwood, Saturday's Duke-versus-Maryland hoops semifinal drew 18.3 million viewers (11.6 rating/21 share), pushing the comeback victory into seventh place for the week.

Technically speaking, ABC edged CBS by about 10,000 viewers for the week ended April 1. But since we like to round off, call it a virtual tie: Both nets averaged 12.7 million viewers apiece and an 8.7 rating and 14 share. NBC dropped into third place with 10 million viewers (6.9 rating/11 share). (Not to beat a comatose horse, but NBC's XFL coverage once again sank below its own record-low numbers Saturday, drawing a pathetic 1.5 rating/3 share.)

A ratings point represents 1,022,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 102.2 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of turned-on TVs tuned to a particular show.

Fox, meanwhile, rallied on the strength of its new reality hit, Boot Camp, to land in first place for the week among adults 18-49, the demographic advertisers drool over. Boot Camp, which puts a group of regular folks through the rigors (and demoralizing brow-beatings) of Marine basic training for a shot at $500,000, landed in seventh place among young viewers and lured 15.8 million viewers overall.

Presumably, they are all hoping a Full Metal Jacket-style meltdown will ensue.

Among the junior nets, UPN averaged 3.3 million viewers (2.1 rating/3 share) to top the WB's three million (2.0 rating/3 share). This comes despite the Frog Network's best efforts to beat us over the head with its warped new animated series, The Oblongs. The series aired (count 'em) three different times Sunday night--but it seems that folks went out of their way to avoid the freakish cartoon, as viewership dipped every time it appeared.

Here's a rundown of the week's top 10 among households:

1. Survivor: The Australian Outback, CBS, 16.6 rating, 26 share
2. ER, NBC, 16.3 rating, 27 share
3. C.S.I., CBS, 13.8 rating, 21 share
4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Tuesday), ABC, 12.9 rating, 20 share
5. Friends, NBC, 12.1 rating, 19 share
6. Millionaire (Sunday), ABC, 11.8 rating, 18 share
7. NCAA Basketball Semifinal (Duke vs. Maryland), CBS, 11.6 rating, 21 share
8. Millionaire (Thursday), ABC, 12.1 rating, 20 share
8. The Practice, ABC, 11.3 rating, 18 share
10. ABC Monday Night Movie: South Pacific, ABC, 11.2 rating, 17 share
10. Law & Order, NBC, 11.2 rating, 19 share