The Spice Girls gave lip service to girl power; the Cheetah Girls mobilized it.
An estimated 6 out of every 10 females age 6-11 watching TV last Friday night watched the Disney Channel movie The Cheetah Girls 2, the network said.
Not that the Disney Channel had much competition for the Gymboree gang--it was pretty much either the Cheetahs or previously viewed battle scenes on The Unit.
Still, The Cheetah Girls 2's numbers were impressive. Overall, the made-for-TV musical was watched by 7.8 million--the most of any cable program last week, the most of any Disney Channel debuting movie ever (a subset that includes the vaunted High School Musical), and the most of any show--broadcast or cable--on Friday.
And if The Cheetah Girls 2 was included in the broadcast rankings, it would have finished 19th for the week ended Sunday, per Nielsen Media Research stats, outdrawing the likes of the Emmy preshow on NBC (20th place, 7.2 million).
In three airings over the weekend, the movie sunk its claws into a combined 17.4 million.
As its title indicates, The Cheetah Girls 2 is the sequel to 2003's The Cheetah Girls. Both movies bear Whitney Houston's name as executive producer; and both feature current That's So Raven headliner and former Cosby Show kid Raven-Symone as the leader of the feline-defined girl group.
Last week, the soundtrack to The Cheetah Girls 2 debuted at number five on the album charts.
The movie airs again Wednesday night, and, judging by the High School Musical precedent, sporadically throughout the rest of the century.
Elsewhere:
Why the Disney Channel keeps repeating and repeating and repeating High School Musical: Eight months after its premiere, a Thursday night repeat can still book 5 million viewers, and outdraw all but eight of 11,914 ranked cable shows. Captain Jack Sparrow best not be waiting for an invite to the Emmys--not after making things uncomfortable for the awards show (16.2 million viewers, first place) with a big showing opposite the Emmycast as ABC's repeat of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl sailed to a fifth-place finish with 9.99 million viewers. Fox's Prison Break (eighth place, 9.4 million) began its season in the Top 10; Vanished (11th place, 8.6 million) began its season almost in the Top 10. On the season finale of Bravo's Work Out, trainer Jackie broke up with girlfriend Mimi before 985,000 who were wondering what took so long. Some 3.3 million were helpless to intervene as they watched Jeffrey make Angela's mom cry on Bravo's Project Runway. Though still in reruns, ABC's Grey's Anatomy (18th place, 7.8 million) may be warming up to its new Thursday time slot, hitting a summer high for viewers. Also scoring seasonal bests: the Tuesday (17th place, 8 million) and Thursday (8.3 million, 14th place) editions of CBS' Big Brother. A team of so-called geniuses won the game on the season closer of NBC's Treasure Hunters (38th place, 6 million), but failed to do something really smart, like appear on ABC's higher rated Wife Swap (26th place, 6.7 million for the 9 p.m., Monday episode). Jimmy Kimmel doesn't get Leno or Letterman numbers, but he does get a fifth season--his late-night show just renewed by ABC. Jimmy Kimmel Live is averaging 1.6 million viewers this summer, the network said, up 17 percent from last summer.
Among the networks, CBS' crime-show reruns and summer reality shows again led the way, averaging 7.3 million viewers. NBC and ABC trailed with 6.8 million and 6.1 million, respectively. The getting-a-head-start-on-fall Fox lagged behind with 5.9 million.
Here's a look at the 10 most watched prime-time shows for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen Media Research:
1. 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, NBC, 16.2 million viewers
2. 60 Minutes, CBS, 11.9 million viewers
3. CSI, CBS, 11.6 million viewers
4. CSI: Miami, CBS, 10.6 million viewers
5. ABC Sunday Movie (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), ABC, 9.99 million viewers
6. Without a Trace, CBS, 9.95 million viewers
7. Law & Order: SVU, NBC, 9.6 million viewers
8. Prison Break, Fox, 9.4 million viewers
9. House, Fox, 9 million viewers
10. CSI: NY, CBS, 8.9 million viewers