The critically reviled Fear Factor rose to the top of the Nielsen ratings list last week with a show that featured contestants participating in a competition requiring them to eat boiled bull testicles. The show helped NBC tie ABC for first place in the overall ratings with a 5.6 rating and a 10 share and easily win the 18-49-year-old demo with a 3.3/11. ABC, which placed three episodes of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in the top ten, was second with the below-50 crowd, with a 2.6/8. CBS was third in the overall numbers with a 5.5/10, although fourth among viewers 18-49 with a 2.3/8. Fox had an overall rating of 3.6/7 but edged out CBS in the younger demos with a 2.5/8.
The top 10 shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:
1. Fear Factor, NBC, 9.6/17; 2. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Tuesday), ABC, 9.0/16; 3. Weakest Link, NBC, 8.7/14; 4. Dateline NBC (Monday), NBC, 8.3/14; 5. 60 Minutes, CBS, 8.2/17; 6. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 8.0/13; 7. Millionaire (Sunday), ABC, 7.9/13; 8. Millionaire (Thursday), ABC, 7.8/13; 9. Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS, 7.6/12; 10. Dateline NBC (Tuesday), NBC, 7.4/13; 10. Law and Order, NBC, 7.4/13.
