TV Still Loves Reality Shows

By Stephen M. Silverman

08/19/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Reality is still working on TV, with the July 17-23 Nielsen results showing strong viewership for CBS's "Survivor" and that by-now old reliable, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." ABC's "The Practice" was the highest rated non-reality show, and a special one-night "Will & Grace" marathon paid off handsomely for the NBC sitcom -- with two of the episodes tying for ninth place with "Dharma & Greg." (A rating point represents 1,008,000 households, or 1% of the nation's estimated 99.4 million TV homes.) Last week's Top 10:

1. "Survivor," CBS, 15.9, 16.02 million homes

2. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Sunday," ABC, 14.1, 14.24 million homes

3. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Tuesday," ABC, 13.9, 13.97 million homes

4. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Thursday," ABC, 13.8, 13.87 million homes

5. "The Practice," ABC, 9.5, 9.62 million homes

6. "60 Minutes," CBS, 9.1, 9.15 million homes

7. "20/20 - Wednesday," ABC, 8.9, 8.97 million homes

8. "20/20 - Downtown," ABC, 8.8, 8.91 million homes

9 (tie). "Dharma & Greg," ABC, 8.2, 8.27 million homes

9 (tie). "Will & Grace - 10 p.m.," NBC, 8.2, 8.29 million homes

9 (tie). "Will & Grace - 9:30 p.m.," NBC, 8.2, 8.22 million homes