Saddam: Prime-Time Star

Move over Michael Jackson, here comes Saddam Hussein.

While the February sweeps were all about Jacko specials and Joe Millionaire, it looks as if the TV nation is starting to tune in like a nation nearing war.

Dan Rather's sit-down with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, as aired on 60 Minutes II opposite ABC's much-hyped Robert Blake interview, played to an audience of 17 million. The news-making newsmag, in which the Middle East leader professed his innocence to the CBS anchor, was the 12th most-watched show for the prime-time week ended Sunday.

The two-hour Blake interview, in which the Baretta star turned accused killer professed his innocence to 20/20's Barbara Walters, attracted 12.2 million rubberneckers (34th place).

Make no mistake, though, the preeminent prime-time star remains a guy named Joe. One, last Joe Millionaire installment, until the anticipated sequel, that is, which looked back at the just-concluded season, scored another top 10 finish, luring in 19.5 million.

The reality show, along with the still-towering American Idol, helped Fox, hot off a sweeps hot streak, remain the number one network among ad-friendly younger viewers, aged 18-49. Overall, CBS was the most-watched network of the week, its shows averaging 13.6 million viewers. Fox finished third among viewers, with 11 million, just behind NBC (11.5 million) and far ahead of ABC (8.7 million).

CBS owes its big, fat numbers, in part, to My Big Fat Greek Life. The sitcom spinoff of My Big Fat Greek Wedding kicked off its little-screen run, in the Monday time slot behind Everybody Loves Raymond (22.2 million; fourth place), with the highest-rated comedy series debut since NBC's Jesse first graced our airwaves all the way back in 1998. In the end, Greek Life's premiere was the second most watched show of the week, with--oopa!--22.87 million viewers.

Moving into its regular 8 p.m. Sunday time slot on, yes, Sunday, Greek Life proved itself a gyro again, finishing in 15th place, with 16.6 million viewers.

Elsewhere: Former Superman Christopher Reeve's guest-starring turn on a very special Smallville kept that WB series flying high--8.7 million viewers, 68th place. ABC's marathon Survivor-esque series, I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!, averaged just 7.8 million in its seven nightly installments. Still, the show, to declare the celeb king (or queen) of the rainforest on Wednesday, is eating up minutes, and drawing eyeballs, to time slots that were nothing more than black holes on the Alphabet's schedule. CBS' Star Search isn't looking as starry in its second run. The first tournament drew about 14 million as it neared the end of its competition in early February. The latest rounds, airing on Wednesday and Friday nights, averaged just under 12 million last week. NBC's Boomtown neither went boom, nor bust, in its return to the Peacock's Sunday night schedule. The Los Angeles crime series, starring old New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg as a detective, drew a so-so 11 million (45th place). CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation repeated as TV's most-watched series, with 22.88 million viewers, even if last Thursday's episode was, indeed, a repeat. CBS' 48 Hours Investigates profile on paroled killer Robert Chambers, he of the so-called "preppy murder case," finished third in last Wednesday's battle of the notorious interview subjects, behind Hussein and Blake. The Chambers interview was watched by 9.2 million (62nd place).

In the battle of the baby networks, meanwhile, the WB widened its lead over UPN, averaging 4.9 million to 3.5 million. UPN distinguished itself with the week's least watched major network show, a Tuesday edition of Half and Half stumbled upon by 1.8 million (115th place).

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, 22.88 million
2. My Big Fat Greek Life (9:31 p.m., Monday), CBS, 22.87 million
3. Survivor: Amazon, CBS, 22.4 million
4. Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS, 22.2 million
5. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 20 million
6. Law & Order, NBC, 19.6 million
7. Joe Millionaire: Aftermath, Fox, 19.5 million
8. CSI: Miami, CBS, 19.1 million
9. Without a Trace, CBS, 18.8 million
10. Friends, NBC, 17.5 million