ABC's 'George Lopez' May Be New Hit

By Stephen M. Silverman

04/03/2002 at 05:10 PM EST

In the world of TV ratings, ABC, coming off a rare high the previous week because of the Oscars, may have a new hit in "The George Lopez Show." With 10.4 million viewers, the premiere of the domestic sitcom starring the Latino comic (whose character's name shares his moniker) won its 8:30 Wednesday slot in the advertiser-coveted 18-49-year-old age group, notes the Hollywood Reporter, and it tiptoed past the second half-hour of NBC's "Ed." It is also within hailing distance of CBS's "60 Minutes II" (11 million viewers). Even so, NBC, powered by "Fear Factor," "Law & Order" and its Thursday "Must-See" lineup, racked up yet another win in the 18-49 group, beating CBS and ABC. So far this season, NBC is up 10 percent for all primetime shows in the 18-49 age bracket, compared with the same period a year ago, while CBS has dipped five percent, and ABC 20 percent. The Top 10 primetime programs according to the Nielsen ratings for the week of March 25-31:

1. "ER," NBC, 17.0 million homes
2. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 16.2 million homes
3. "Everybody Loves Raymond," CBS, 14.7 million homes
4. "Friends," NBC, 14.4 million homes
5. "Law and Order," NBC, 13.8 million homes
6. (tie) "CBS NCAA Basketball Championship: Maryland vs. Kansas," CBS, 12.0 million homes
6. (tie) "Survivor: Marquesas," CBS, 12.0 million homes
8. "The West Wing," NBC, 11.8 million homes
9. "Yes, Dear," CBS, 11.5 million homes
10. (tie) "JAG," CBS, 10.8 million homes
10. (tie) "Judging Amy," CBS, 11.0 million homes