ABC shows fire on Tuesday

Some good news for ABC Tuesday night -- its new comedy lineup, led by 8
Simple Rules
, and NYPD Blue won the key demographics ratings races among adults 18 through 49 and
25 through 54.

ABC and NBC tied for first among adults 18 through 34.

CBS won the household battle with dramas JAG, The Guardian and
Judging Amy.

For NBC, the news was mixed. A double dose of its new In-Laws sitcom
was soundly beaten by the ABC combination of 8 Simple Rules and
According to Jim .

At 8 p.m., In-Laws managed only a tie for second
among adults 18 through 49 with the normally older-skewing JAG.

At 8:30 p.m.,
the second In-Laws episode finished second in the demo but well behind
According to Jim
on ABC.

At 9 p.m., Frasier settled down after drawing a huge premiere-week audience,
but it still won its time period in adults 18 through 49 by two share points over
the premiere of ABC's new comedy, Life with Bonnie .

Frasier also
won the household race (and adults 25 through 54), but by just one share point
over CBS' The Guardian.

At 9:30 p.m., Hidden Hills on NBC was first in the key demos, while the
premiere of ABC's new Less than Perfect was a competitive second, just a
share point behind Hills among both adults 18 through 49 and 25 through
54.

At 10 p.m., NYPD Blue on ABC won adults 18 through 49 and 25 through 54,
while CBS' Judging Amy was second in the demos and first in households and
viewers.

Dateline on NBC was third in households and the
key adult demos.

Fox aired a first-round Major League Baseball playoff game and finished fourth in households
but first in the key male demos.

The Nielsen fast affiliate household ratings for the night: CBS 10.0/16,
ABC 8.0/13, NBC 7.8/12 and Fox 6.2/10.

In the battle of the weblets, Tuesday went to The WB
Television Network, according to the Nielsen metered-market overnight
ratings.

At 8 p.m., Gilmore Girls averaged a
5.7/9 versus a 4.0/6 for Buffy the Vampire Slayer on UPN.
Smallville built on its lead-in at 9 p.m., averaging a 6.6/10 versus a 2.3/4
for Buffy lead-out Haunted.