CBS' Game Show Marathon won its 8 p.m. time period Thursday night.
The CBS show won with a 2.1 rating/7 share in the 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen, which was up from a 1.8/7 and tied for last in the demo the week before.
But not a lot of people were watching any broadcast TV, with all six networks together not cracking double- digit ratings in 18-49's in the time period and only a total 11.1 average for the night, or a little over a third of the households watching TV Thursday night.
CBS tied Fox in rating for the nightly 18-49 crown with a 2.6, though Fox had a 9 share to its 8. Since the numbers are preliminary, let's just call it too close to call.
CBS' top show was a repeat of CSI at a 3/10, while Fox's best showing came from original reality show So You Think You Can Dance (OK, original in terms of airing, knock-off in terms of Dancing With the Stars or American Idol or other similar shows). Dance waltzed off with a 3.6/11 for honors as top-rated show of the night.
New young-targeted NBC drama Windfall windfell dramatically, recording a 2.3/7 at 10-11 compared to a 3.2/9 the week before. NBC wound up tied for third with ABC on the night with a 2.1/7. ABC's top show was Prime Time at 10 with a 2.4/7. Its goofy reality show Master of Champions--cheese-grating drift cars and pyrotechnic stilt jumpers--averaged a 2/7, just behind CBS' game show extravaganza at 8.
The netlets continued to limp toward their respective finish lines--in September--at a .9/3 (UPN) and .8/3 (WB).
