Sometimes it only seems like "American Idol" is the only show on television.

Like the week of March 10-16, for instance. Each of the show's two episodes had audiences more than twice the size of anything else on TV all week, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The Tuesday competition, featuring Beatles songs, had just under 30 million viewers. Wednesday's cut-down show had 27.1 million. No other program last week had more than the 13.2 million who watched "Survivor: Micronesia."

There were some positive signs this week for the networks. ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" returned Monday for a new season with 20.9 million viewers, Nielsen said.

The networks are also beginning to work in newly written episodes of scripted shows for the first time since the writers strike. CBS' Monday comedy block returned with new episodes and all four exceeded their season averages.

For the week, network averages were: Fox, 11.3 million viewers (6.8 rating, 11 share); CBS, 7.6 million (5.0, 8); NBC, 7.5 million (5.0, 8); ABC, 6.1 million (4.0,7); CW, 2.4 million (1.6, 3); My Network, 1.2 million (0.8, 1); ION, 520,000 (0.4, 1).

In the evening news race: NBC "Nightly News," 8.3 million (5.8, 12); ABC "World News," 8.1 million (5.6, 12); "CBS Evening News," 6.3 million (4.3, 9).

ASSOCIATED PRESS

1 American Idol (Tuesday) (Fox)

2 American Idol (Wednesday) (Fox)

3 Survivor: Micronesia (CBS)

4 Lost (ABC)

5 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

6 Law & Order (NBC)

7 Two and a Half Men (CBS)

8 Deal or No Deal (Monday) (NBC)

9 60 Minutes (CBS)

10 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS)

11 The Moment of Truth (Fox)

12 CSI: Miami (CBS)

13 Deal or No Deal (Wednesday) (NBC)

14 Without a Trace (CBS)

15 Oprah's Big Give (ABC)

16 The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)

17 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)

18 Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Fox)

19 Medium (NBC)

20 New Amsterdam (Fox)