Overnight TV Ratings -- "Heroes" Tops "24"

First, I just got a press release about the Sunday ratings for "Battlestar: Galactica" and new SciFi series "The Dresden Files." It looks okay. On the most watched night of the week, "The Dresden Files" drew 1.7 million viewers and at 10 p.m. "BG" drew 1.8 million viewers. Of course, this is a big improvement in the night for SciFi because all they ever aired previously were reruns and old movies. Both shows had a 1.4 rating, well done for "BG" from its 2.0 rating of Season Two. But for a beachhead on a new night, this could be fine if the audience stays around. "BG" definitely needs good news or a fourth season and that straight to DVD movie (which seems like a waste to me) might be in danger. I'd say make a "cheap" feature film with a stand-alone story a la "Firefly" if you call it a day on the series.

Now on to Mondays. Yep, "Heroes" BEAT "24" head to head and they were both BEAT by the sitcom "Two and a Half Men" and all three of them were well within 400,000 viewers of each other on the hour. But no one lost. "24" got the same ratings it got last season at this time. So "Heroes" didn't hurt "24;" it brought new viewers to the table. And I'm sure both would jump mightily once you factored in the DVR+ 7 day ratings, since so many people like me tape both of them and watch one or the other later. The bad news is for "Studio 6" -- it dropped exactly 50%, which just isn't acceptable. Go to MediaWeek's Marc Berman for the complete ratings.

8 p.m.
1. Deal Or No Deal -- 17.56 million viewers
2. Prison Break -- 9.90 million
3. How I Met Your Mother -- 9.55 million/The Class -- 8.99 million
4. Wife Swap -- 8.84 million
5. Everybody Hates Chris -- 2.85 million/All Of Us -- 2.45 million

9 p.m.
1. Heroes -- 14.84 million
2. Two and a Half Men -- 16.06 million /Old Christine -- 13.01 million
3. 24 -- 14.44 million
4. Supernanny -- 9.08 million
5. Girlfriends -- 2.23 million/The Game -- 2.24 million

10 p.m.
1. CSI: Miami -- 18.67 million
2. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip -- 7.41 million
3. What About Brian -- 5.4 million