When it comes to holiday TV traditions, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" has it all over the Grinch, a Rockefeller Center tree lighting and women selling lingerie.
The annual return of Rudolph, on CBS the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 6, was seen by 10.6 million people, the Nielsen Co. said. That beat "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on ABC by more than a million and a half viewers. "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" on NBC had 8.7 million viewers and the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show had 8 million on CBS.
With the broadcast network schedules clogged with specials and reruns, cable stepped up. ESPN's "Monday Night Football" clash between New Orleans and New England, with 21.4 million viewers, ranks as the second most-watched cable telecast of all time, the network said. Only Brett Favre's first competition with the Minnesota Vikings against his former team, the Green Bay Packers, earlier this year drew a bigger cable audience.
The finale of USA's "Monk" had 9.4 million viewers, giving it the biggest audience of any basic cable drama ever, Nielsen said.
For the week, network averages were: CBS, 8.8 million viewers (5.6 rating, 9 share); ABC, 7.9 million (4.9, 8); NBC, 7.6 million (4.7, 8); Fox, 7.6 million (4.6, 7); CW, 1.7 million (1.1, 2); ION, 1.1 million (0.7, 1).
In the evening news race: NBC "Nightly News," 9.6 million (6.4, 12); ABC "World News," 8.3 million (5.6, 10); "CBS Evening News," 6.6 million (4.4, 8).
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1 NFL Football: Minnesota at Arizona (NBC)
