CBS steals NBC’s Thursday thunder

NBC sure could use some “Friends� now.

For years, the network counted on its sitcom lineup to blow away competitors on Thursdays. But that was before “Friends� ended its 10-year run in May. This week, fresh episodes of the CBS whodunits “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation� and “Without a Trace� returned to the lineup with dominating numbers. CBS ended up winning the night not just among total viewers -- usually its best category -- but also among adults ages 18 to 49, which is exactly the demographic NBC prides itself on delivering for advertisers.

“Without a Trace� (21.5 million viewers) became the first drama ever to beat a first-run episode of “ER� (19.7 million), according to figures from Nielsen Media Research, although “ER� still won easily among young adults.

The fifth-season premiere of “CSI� was the night’s most-watched show (30.6 million), nearly matching the series’ all-time high of 30.9 million in February and almost double the viewers for NBC’s reality show “The Apprentice� (15.9 million).

At 8 p.m., CBS’ “Survivor: Vanuatu� (19.1 million) made short work of NBC’s “Friends� spinoff “Joey� (14.9 million), whose ratings have declined in each of its three airings.

Jonathan Taylor