Ratings 10/2/03

[Van_Smack]

A tight race for the top spot in Thursday's ratings went to CBS over NBC, although the Peacock led among the younger viewers it cares about most. Playoff baseball helped FOX to a better-than-usual night.

CBS averaged a 12.9 rating/20 share in primetime to finish slightly ahead of NBC's 12.5/19. FOX took third with a 5.9/9, beating ABC's 5.5/9. UPN averaged 2.8/4 and The WB 1.9/3.

NBC led the way among the appealing-to-advertisers adults 18-49 group, averaging an 8.8 rating for the night. CBS was second at 7.2, followed by FOX, 2.8; ABC, 2.7; UPN, 1.6; and The WB, 1.1.

"Friends," 14.7/23, and the season premiere of "Scrubs," 11.8/18, combined to win the 8 p.m. hour for NBC. "Survivor: Pearl Islands" scored an 11.8/18 for CBS. FOX's coverage of the American League playoffs came in third, ahead of "Threat Matrix," 5.0/8, on ABC. The first hour of "WWE Smackdown!" on UPN finished fifth. The WB averaged 2.1/3 with "Steve Harvey's Big Time" and "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment."

CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" got the night's highest rating, 16.4/25, at 9 p.m. NBC dropped one spot with "Will & Grace," 11.6/17, and "Coupling," 9.3/14. The baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees on FOX and ABC's "Extreme Makeover" tied for third at 5.9/9. "Smackdown!" stayed in fifth with a 2.8/4, and The WB again trailed with "What I Like About You" and "Run of the House."

"ER," 13.7/22, put NBC back on top at 10 p.m. "Without a Trace," 10.4/17, finished second for CBS. FOX's baseball coverage averaged 6.6/11 for the hour to beat ABC's "Primetime Thursday," 5.6/9.

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