By David Bauder, Media Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Some of last week's most popular television programs are much older than most of the people who watched them.
ABC's showing of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was the most-watched of a handful of holiday specials that aired in primetime last week, reaching 5.3 million viewers, the Nielsen company said. It's a tradition in many households that was first on television in December 1965.
Two other old favorites, "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman," were both seen by more than 4 million people on CBS Saturday night. "Rudolph" dates to 1964, while "Frosty" made his debut in 1969.
Another venerable cartoon, Fox's "The Simpsons," impressively hit Nielsen's top 20 last week with 7.5 million viewers. It has been a regular fixture on Fox's schedule since 1989, with its origins in some animated shorts that ran two years earlier than that.
Dick Wolf, who prides himself on his consistency as a television producer, might appreciate the statistical oddity involving two of his NBC dramas last week. Nielsen estimated that "Chicago Med," which aired Wednesday at 8 p.m., reached 7.944 million viewers while "Chicago Fire," which directly followed it, was seen by 7.943 million.
CBS won the week in primetime, averaging 6.9 million viewers, edging NBC's 6.8 million. Fox averaged 5.9 million and won among the 18-to-49-year-old demographic it seeks. ABC had 3.6 million, Univision had 1.4 million, ION Television had 1.2 million, the CW had 1.1 million and Telemundo had 1.09 million.
ESPN was the week's most popular cable network, averaging 2.49 million viewers in prime time. Fox News Channel had 2.11 million, Hallmark had 2.02 million, MSNBC had 2 million and USA had 1.25 million.
ABC's "World News Tonight" topped the evening newscasts with an average of 8.9 million viewers. NBC's "Nightly News" was second with 8.6 million and the "CBS Evening News" had 6.3 million.
NFL football again topped the week's ratings, with the L.A. Rams/Chicago Bears game on NBC drawing 19.39 million viewers on Sunday night.
Below are primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Dec. 3-9. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.
1. NFL Football: L.A. Rams at Chicago, NBC, 19.39 million.
2. "NFL Sunday Post-Game," Fox, 19.23 million.
3. "NFL Pre-Game," NBC, 13.63 million.
4. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 12.53 million.
5. "NCIS," CBS, 12.05 million.
6. NFL Football: Washington at Philadelphia, ESPN, 11.38 million.
7. "Young Sheldon," CBS, 10.91 million.
8. NFL Football: Jacksonville at Tennessee, Fox, 10.79 million.
9. "FBI," CBS, 9.72 million.
10. "The Voice" (Monday), NBC, 9 million.
11. "The Voice" (Tuesday), NBC, 8.92 million.
12. "Blue Bloods," CBS, 8.895 million.
13. "60 Minutes," CBS, 8.889 million.
14. "Football Night in America," NBC, 8.64 million.
15. "NCIS: New Orleans," CBS, 8.33 million.
16. "Chicago Med," NBC, 7.944 million.
17. "Chicago Fire," NBC, 7.943 million.
18. "Mom," CBS, 7.93 million.
19. "Hawaii Five-0," CBS, 7.81 million.
20. "The Simpsons," Fox, 7.53 million.
ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.; CBS is a division of CBS Corp.; Fox is owned by 21st Century Fox; NBC is owned by NBC Universal.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More