Fox's Bones' has legs, but it was House that stood on network prime time's highest hill Tuesday night.
Fox won the night handily in the key 18-49 demo with a 4.8 rating/13 share and claiming the top two shows of the night.
The debut of procedural drama, Bones, won its 8 p.m. time period with a 3.8/11, while the second-season premiere of House blew the doors off the competition at 9 with a 5.7/15, building from a 5.3 rating in its first half hour to a 6.2 in its second. Best line of the night: Dr. House on a death-row inmate complaining of "stabbing" pains: "He should know.")
House, the top-rated show of the night (Bones was second) was up 111% from its 2004 debut (5.7/15 vs. 2.7/6).
Those rating/share numbers are based on Nielsen overnight returns, which could change slightly when the nationals come in. But Fox's ratings dominance on the night won't change. Bones was Fox's highest rated drama premiere since 24 four years ago.
It was a night of premieres.
In addition to Bones, The WB debued its new drama, Supernatural, which drew strong numbers with a 2.4/6 at 9-10, beating ABC's programming in the hour (a music awards show) and both ABC and NBC (Tommy Lee Goes to College) in its second half hour.
The netlet also debuted a new season of Gilmore Girls to a strong 2.7/8 at 8 p.m., beating repeats on both CBS and ABC and crushing repeats on UPN.
Also debuting was NBC's Biggest Loser 2, which recorded a 3.5/10 at 9-10 for second place in the time period and helped NBC to a distant second on the night, which averaged a 3/8 in the demo.
CBS barely edged out The WB for third in the demo with a 2.7/7 on the night. It did best with Big Brother 3.3/8, though that show came in third at 9 behind Biggest Loser and House. CBS also helped its average with Rock Star: INXS at 10 (2.9/8).
The WB was fourth at a 2.6/7 on the strength of its premieres, while ABC came in fifth with a 2.1/6 for sitcom repeats and the World Music Awards.
UPN was in sixth with a .9/2 for an all-repeat sitcom lineup.
