Hey...Rate This!

NBC scored a ratings victory last week with its Saturday coverage of the NFL playoffs. The most-watched primetime broadcast of the week was the Jacksonville Jaguars' opening-round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, with 25.74 million viewers.

ABC's Desperate Housewives was the only non-sports program to enter the Nielsen's top five. Nearly 20 million people watched the follow-up to the show's tornado cliffhanger, which for now stands as the final episode of the season, unless the writers' strike is resolved in the near future.

NBC had a solid week of premieres, led by the return of Law & Order last Wednesday night. The first episode of the drama's 18th season was seen by 13.46 million viewers. Twelve million people toughed out the Sunday-night debut of American Gladiators, while DONALD TRUMP's Celebrity Apprentice welcomed 11 million viewers into the boardroom last Thursday.

NBC won the primetime ratings race for the week, followed by CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW, MyNetworkTV, and ION Television.

Here are the top 10 primetime programs for the week of December 31st-January 6th, according to Nielsen Media Research:

1. NFL Playoff Game 2: Jacksonville at Pittsburgh, NBC, 25.74 million viewers.

2. NFL Playoff Pre-Kick, NBC, 23.87 million viewers.

3. NFL Playoff Bridge, NBC, 23.48 million viewers.

4. AFC Wildcard Post Game, CBS, 21.37 million viewers.

5. Desperate Housewives, ABC, 19.78 million viewers.

6. 60 Minutes, CBS, 18.25 million viewers.

7. Law & Order, NBC, 13.46 million viewers.

8. Deal or No Deal (Thursday), NBC, 13.41 million viewers.

9. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 13.25 million viewers.

10. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, ABC, 12.6 million viewers

Ratings Rant

The Boston Red Sox carried Fox to a ratings victory last week. Each win in the team's four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the World Series entered the Nielsen's top 15. Boston's championship-clinching victory Sunday night was seen by nearly 21 million viewers, trailing only last week's edition of Dancing with the Stars.

NBC, on the other hand, is still in a ratings slump. CRISS ANGEL's new reality series, Phenomenon, didn't live up to its title, ranking 45th in the Nielsens. And Bionic Woman continues to prove it's not bulletproof -- last week's episode was only viewed by 7.81 million people, six million less than its premiere show.

Fox was first in the ratings race last week, followed by ABC, CBS, NBC, the CW, MyNetworkTV and ION Television.

Here are the top 10 primetime programs for the week of October 22nd-28th, according to Nielsen Media Research:
1. Dancing with the Stars (Monday), ABC, 21.37 million viewers.
2. World Series, Boston at Colorado (Game 4), Fox, 20.95 million viewers.
3. Desperate Housewives, ABC, 18.28 million viewers.
4. Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 18.18 million viewers.
5. House, Fox, 18.11 million viewers.
6. Dancing with the Stars (Tuesday), ABC, 18.06 million viewers.
7. NCIS, CBS, 17.26 million viewers.
8. World Series, Colorado at Boston (Game 2), Fox, 16.95 million viewers.
9. World Series, Colorado at Boston (Game 1), Fox, 16.90 million viewers.
10. CSI: Miami, CBS, 15.67 million viewers.

*Gee..no one was watching Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday? Can't believe that!