"Runway" Scandal Good for Business

The Bravo reality show recorded series and network highs with 3.4 million viewers for a much-anticipated episode featuring the expulsion of Michael.

Overall, a CSI: Miami repeat on CBS was the most-watched broadcast network show (11.2 million viewers); a new episode of The Closer on TNT was the most-watched cable show (6.9 million viewers), the latest Nielsen Media Research rankings showed Tuesday.

On Runway, Michael was cut after he was found to have a book of design patterns stashed under his bed--a serious no-no on the serious fashion show. For weeks, the Brooklyn-born clotheshorse was the subject of speculation that he was "the villain" host Heidi Klum had noted would distinguish the show's third season.

The latest cycle of Project Runway debuted in July, posting triple-digit audience increases. Later this month, it's up for an Emmy in the typically Amazing Race-dominated Best Reality Competition category.

Provided the Emmys doesn't have a rule against pattern books, too, Runway might have a shot.

Elsewhere in the TV week ended Sunday:

Football worked its magic for NBC, which broadcast its first Sunday night matchup under its new NFL pact, the Hall of Fame Game (third place, 10.6 million), and wound up tied with CBS for bragging rights in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic. Either the 2.6 million America's Got Talent fans who disappeared from Wednesday's show (fourth place, 10.5 million) to Thursday's show, featuring the vocal stylings of judge David Hasselhoff (16th place, 7.9 million) didn't know what they were missing--or, they did. Flavor Flav's renewed search for a soul mate captured the fancy of 3.3 million romantics for the second-season premiere of VH1's Flavor of Love 2. Carnie Wilson's renewed battle against cake mix, et. al, captured the fancy of 1.8 million calorie-counters for the fourth-season premiere of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club. CBS' Rock Star: Supernova hit a Wednesday high note with 5.8 million (46th place), the network said. All the spandex likely prevented the show from straining anything important. ABC reality show One Ocean View (91st place, 3.5 million) debuted to lousy numbers for broadcast TV; MTV reality show The Hills (2.3 million viewers) ended its first season with pretty good numbers for cable. NBC's bid to introduce its online talent search, Star Tomorrow, to the masses via a TV special worked, if 3.4 million viewers (93rd place) is what passes for the masses. Canceled after just three episodes last fall, the WB's Just Legal returned to prime time, and 957,000 (148th place) actually noticed.

In the battle of the networks, CBS emerged as the most-watched (7.4 million), followed by NBC (6.9 million), Fox (5.6 million) and ABC (5.3 million).

Here's a look at the 10 most-watched prime-time shows for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research:

1. CSI: Miami, CBS, 11.2 million
2. Without a Trace (Thursday), CBS, 10.7 million
3. NFL Hall of Fame Game (Oakland v. Philadelphia), NBC, 10.6 million
4. America's Got Talent (Wednesday), NBC, 10.5 million
5. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 10.1 million
6. NFL Hall of Fame Game Pre-Kickoff, NBC, 9.9 million
7. CSI, CBS, 9.8 million
8. So You Think You Can Dance (Wednesday), Fox, 9.4 million
9. Without a Trace (Sunday), CBS, 9.2 million
10. 60 Minutes, CBS, 9 million