'Law & Order: UK' puts an old show in a new place (AP)

NEW YORK â€" Where scripted shows on U.S. networks are concerned, viewers know it's all about them.

They know certain shows have been imported for them and specially tailored for U.S. tastes. British comedies spawned "All in the Family" and "Sanford and Son" in the early 1970s. More recently, "Ugly Betty" was adapted from a Colombian telenovela. And NBC's "The Office" was a domestic reimagining of the British original.

Meanwhile, it's no surprise that American series are sold around the world, dubbed or subtitled for each local audience.

Even so, who knew "Married ... With Children" had been shot from scratch in a Spanish production â€" or that "The Nanny" inspired homespun productions in countries including Poland and Turkey?

U.S. viewers can get a dandy look at such a foreign transplant thanks to cable's BBC America, which is bringing 26 episodes of "Law & Order: UK" back to the land where the "Law & Order" TV empire was born.

Premiering Sunday at 10:30 p.m. EDT, with subsequent episodes airing Fridays at 9 p.m. EDT, "Law & Order: UK" is unmistakably kin to the "L&O" family.

While the classic Mike Post licks have been swapped out for a different theme, each episode begins with the sonorously voiced "In the criminal justice system ..." rap. (Though here, it's "the crown prosecutors" who prosecute offenders.) And â€" never fear â€" location cards remain part of the format, along with the accompanying "cha-CHUNG" sound effect.

New York City plays an integral role in "Law & Order," but its British offshoot is set in London, where people say "mate" and threaten to "put him in the dock"; where they wear funny wigs in court and drive on the other side of the road.

Each episode has been adapted from the original series, seen on NBC from 1990 through last season. The first "L&O: UK" hour is based on the script for "Cradle to Grave," where a baby is found dead, possibly the victim of tenant harassment. It first aired on "Law & Order" in 1992.

The regulars of "L&O: UK" are solid but likely to be unknowns to most American viewers: Jamie Bamber ("Outcasts," "Battlestar Galactica") as Detective Sergeant Matt Devlin, Bradley Walsh ("The Old Curiosity Shop") as Detective Sergeant Ronnie Brooks, Ben Daniels ("The Passion," "The State Within") as Senior Crown Prosecutor James Steel and Freema Agyeman ("Doctor Who," "Little Dorritt") as Junior Crown Prosecutor Alesha Phillips.

Not exactly household names. But the cast's makeup and relationships will feel instantly familiar to any "L&O" fan.

This would include fans in Britain, where (along with dozens of other countries) the imported "Law & Order" already had been airing when "Law & Order: UK" premiered last year on the ITV network. That show has since proved a big success, averaging about a one-quarter share of the viewing audience.

"After 'Law & Order' was broadcast there, we made an English version and it turned into a hit, and, lo and behold, it's coming back to the U.S.," said "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf. "This is getting pretty close to a perpetual motion machine."

Other global ventures for the "L&O" franchise include French and Russian productions of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and a Russian version of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Maybe in the future: "Law & Order" customized for the Middle East, Asia and Sweden.

"There's an endless fascination with crime," Wolf said, "and I'm delighted that there is."

But Yanks captioned or dubbed aren't enough anymore, said Michael Edelstein, NBC Universal International's London-based president for international TV production, who hopes to seed the world with homegrown versions of "Law & Order" and other NBCU properties.

"U.S. television is remarkable for how it's consumed ravenously around the world," Edelstein said. "But it's not the only game in town. Most television is created locally, and viewers are more comfortable seeing people speak their own language, with their own cities represented.

"I think studios have woken up and realized there is money to be made by serving markets around the world on a local level."

Phil Rosenthal went local far from his home when he helped transform his U.S. family comedy, "Everybody Loves Raymond," for Russian television.

"I have to believe that what we did in the original 'Raymond' was universal," he said. The Barones, of course, were a squabbling family on New York's Long Island, "but I learned that the more specific you get, the more universal you become. If you're very specific, this seems to reach across cultures."

Rosenthal spent weeks in Moscow as a culture-bridging adviser for the comedy christened "Vse Lubyat Kostya."

"But there were many times when the Russians didn't seem to care about my advice," he declared.

His creative adventure is captured in a feature-length documentary, "Exporting Raymond," which is winning applause on the festival circuit and will likely be distributed nationally next year.

Rosenthal's film recalls an unforgettably funny scene in the CBS sitcom pilot 16 years ago. It sprang from Raymond giving his parents a Fruit of the Month Club subscription. But the Russian producers clipped that scene from their own script.

"They said, 'We don't have Fruit of the Month.' So they changed it to Water of the Week," Rosenthal reported with bemusement. "To my mind, fruit is funnier than water."

But who can argue with the locals?

___

Online:

http://www.bbcamerica.com

http://www.itv.com/drama/copsandcrime/lawandorder

___

EDITOR'S NOTE â€" Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore(at)ap.org

(This version CORRECTS rank of show's detective characters to Detective Sergeant instead of Detective Superintendent.)

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Coroner: Actor Tony Curtis dies at Las Vegas home (AP)

LAS VEGAS â€" The Clark County coroner says actor Tony Curtis has died.

Coroner Mike Murphy says Curtis died at 9:25 p.m. MDT Wednesday at his Las Vegas area home of a cardiac arrest.

Curtis, who had heart bypass surgery in 1994, began his acting career as a 1950s heartthrob but became a respected actor with such films as "The Defiant Ones" and "Sweet Smell of Success.

"The Defiant Ones" brought him an Oscar nomination in 1958 for his portrayal of a racist escaped convict handcuffed to a black escapee, Sidney Poitier. The following year, he co-starred in one of the most acclaimed film comedies ever, Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot."

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U.S. television getting more gay friendly (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) â€" "The Good Wife" is getting a gay brother; new teen TV show "Hellcats" features a lesbian cheerleader; and as for "True Blood" -- TV watchers now need two hands to count the vampires who will suck the blood of either gender.

The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) characters on prime time U.S. television is growing, with 58 regular LGBT roles on network and cable shows this season, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) said in a report on Wednesday.

GLAAD said that 23 LGBT characters account for 3.9 percent of regular characters in scripted network shows like Emmy-winning comedies "Modern Family" and "Glee" in the 2010-2011 TV season, which started last week.

On mainstream cable networks, the number of regulars jumped to 35 from 25 last year, with HBO's surreal vampire drama "True Blood" taking the crown as the most inclusive program on TV with six recurring characters who are either gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

There are an additional 32 recurring roles on broadcast and cable TV shows, but GLAAD lamented the fact that there were no black LGBT characters on network comedies and dramas.

GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios said the increase in gay and lesbian characters on TV reflects "the shift in American culture toward greater awareness and understanding of our community."

"The recent critical and commercial success of shows like 'Modern Family' and 'Glee' clearly indicate that mainstream audiences embrace gay characters and want to see well-crafted stories about our lives," Barrios added.

ABC's mockumentary-style "Modern Family" won the Emmy for best comedy series, and earned another Emmy for the actor who portrays one-half of a gay couple raising an adopted baby. Popular Fox musical comedy "Glee" won a best directing Emmy and features an eclectic cast, including a gay teen and a high school singer raised by two men.

GLAAD welcomed the addition of gay characters this year to high-rated shows like CBS lawyer drama "The Good Wife", whose bisexual, Indian investigator will be joined by a gay brother for lead actress Julianna Margulies.

New ABC shows "The Whole Truth" and comedy "Happy Endings" both have gay characters, while the new CW show "Hellcats" features gay cheerleader Patty Wedgerman and NBC's new lawyer show "Outlaw" has bisexual Lucinda Pearl.

On cable networks, AMC's spy thriller "Rubicon" features a gay lead character with past romantic entanglements, while Showtime programs feature seven characters who are gay, lesbian or bisexual, including dark comedy "Nurse Jackie".

Wednesday's report is the 15th annual "Where We Are on TV" study by GLAAD, which campaigns for the inclusive and accurate portrayal of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people and events in the U.S. media.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Atlantic City considers street name for Nucky (AP)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. â€" Real-life political and rackets boss â€" and current posthumous TV star â€" Enoch "Nucky" Johnson may finally get a street named after him.

The subject of the hit HBO series "Boardwalk Empire," Johnson ruled Atlantic City during Prohibition, ensuring that vice flourished here, and the cash was spread around freely.

City Councilman Dennis Mason told The Press of Atlantic City he'll introduce a measure to rename a one-block section of Belmont Avenue â€" near a hotel where Johnson used to live â€" as "Nucky's Way."

Mason is not put off by Johnson's eventual conviction and imprisonment on tax charges.

"It was just tax evasion," Mason told the newspaper. "He didn't actually murder anyone."

Belmont Avenue runs alongside the Ritz, a high-rise condominium building that was once the Ritz-Carlton, a luxury hotel where Johnson lived and rented out the entire ninth floor.

Other high-profile visitors to the hotel included U.S. Presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge, and gangster Al Capone, a close pal of Nucky's.

Mason acknowledged the move is a ploy to generate more interest in Atlantic City among tourists. He said he hopes to organize an event in November in which people will don 1920s clothing and red carnations, a trademark of Johnson and the HBO character based on him, played by Steve Buscemi.

The ethical bar to getting a street named after someone in Atlantic City is not all that high. The city has already named streets for Louis Kuehnle, a city political boss in the early 20th century convicted of accepting kickbacks, and Don King, the boxing promoter who was convicted of second-degree murder before getting it downgraded to manslaughter.

Mason said Nucky held no monopoly on corruption in Atlantic City, noting a slew of recent arrests and prison terms of City Council members.

"I mean, if everybody gets real, I'm sure there are a lot more people that did something (illegal)," he said. "We have bad people in this government now."

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Colbert sparks debate about 'expert' celebrities (AP)

WASHINGTON â€" There are congressional hearings and there are comedy shows, and the twain rarely meet.

So when a House panel on immigration combined them on purpose last week with testimony from Stephen Colbert (kohl-BEHR') and his "truthy" alter ego, debate broke out on the proper roles of the many celebrities â€" from Angelina Jolie to Bono to Elmo â€" who advocate in Washington.

In Colbert's appearance, there was profit to be made from the public, taxpayer-funded forum on one of the nation's weightiest issues, the plight of migrant workers. Immigrant advocates won national news coverage; Colbert helped generate material for his show; politicians scored live coverage of themselves during a brutal election year; and the media bagged a widely viewed story.

Witness Carol Swain, the law school professor who testified before Colbert, was ticked at being overshadowed by a fictional talk show host. But she scored, too. Before the hearing was over, Swain's Twitter and Facebook followings soared. People e-mailed her at Vanderbilt University Law School. A guy recognized her the next day in the grocery store.

"It's increased my visibility in a number of ways," Swain said Monday. "I don't think it would have gotten that much attention had he not been on the panel."

United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez, who also joined Colbert at the witness table on Friday, said he, too, has seen an increase in e-mails and Facebook followers. Inquiries to the United Farm Workers "Take Our Jobs" website also jumped, he said.

"The last big media attention we had like that is really going back to when Cesar passed away in 1993," Rodriguez said, referring to UFW founder and farm worker Cesar Chavez.

Celebrities frequently beat a path to Capitol Hill to raise awareness of issues and bills that otherwise stand little chance of news coverage. Lawmakers crowd into the shot when Jolie advocates for refugees. They hang out publicly with rock stars Bono and Jon Bon Jovi when they're in Washington on official business. Even Sesame Street's Elmo, a fuzzy red puppet, has received coverage for his "testimony" â€" in 2002 about the benefits of music education.

Likewise, this news story will be more widely read because it mentions the Twitter partnership between Lady Gaga and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on behalf of the effort to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

Colbert's celebrity is a commodity that California Democrat Zoe Lofgren, who chaired the subcommittee hearing, and the other witnesses that day sought to leverage. Lofgren joked at one point that the last time the hearing room was so crammed with audience members and cameras was for President Bill Clinton's impeachment hearings a dozen years ago.

But for all of the attention Colbert might have brought to immigration reform, his testimony also chafed lawmakers of both parties who are engaged in a brutal campaign season.

Republicans, not all of whom apparently were familiar with the character, did not appreciate being satirized on their own turf. And some Democrats cringed at "testimony" from a comedian's alter ego on an issue that for so many is a matter of life and death.

Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., asked Colbert to leave because he had no experience with farm labor issues or immigration policy. Lofgren urged him to stay. He stayed.

Outside the hearing room, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had not yet heard or seen Colbert's testimony, said she had no objection to it.

But House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Sunday called Colbert's appearance "inappropriate" and "an embarrassment." A spokeswoman on Monday said the Maryland Democrat still believes celebrity endorsements generally can be a good thing.

Swain said she agreed with that, if not Colbert's testimony or the Democrats' approach to the plight of migrant workers.

"I have testified before," Swain said. But this time, because she spoke before Colbert and people had to sit through her remarks to hear his, "people heard my testimony."

___

Associated Press writer Suzanne Gamboa contributed to this report.

___

Online:

Take Our Jobs: http://tinyurl.com/32kn58v

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Comedies off to strong start as TV season begins (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) â€" If the opening of the fall TV season has proved one thing so far, it's that comedy has reclaimed the broadcast throne.

After the genre made promising gains last season with the launch of game-changers "Modern Family" and "Glee," this year's first couple of weeks of premieres are forming a pattern: popular comedies are returning to steady or better ratings than last year, and top dramas are coming back to lower numbers -- sometimes, a lot lower.

Of the seven highest-rated premieres so far, five were comedies. There was Fox's "Glee" (5.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, up 60%; each ratings point in that demo equals about 1.3 million viewers), ABC's "Modern Family" (5.1, up 21%), NBC's "The Office" (4.4, up 7%), "CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" (4.9, up 4%) and "Two and a Half Men" (4.9, up 10%).

Of the two other top premieres, one was a drama (ABC's "Grey's Anatomy"; 5.4, down 21%) and the other was a reality show (ABC's "Dancing With the Stars"; 5.1, up 24%).

The "Grey's" slump was not without company. Part of the issue is the oft-reported observation that many of TV's dramas are a bit long in the tooth. Veteran series "House" (4.2) was down 37%, "CSI" (3.4) -- despite a guest appearance by Justin Bieber -- fell 17%, and "NCIS" (4.0) was down 17%.

Ratings for new shows followed a predictable bell-curve pattern of a couple delivering truly impressive opens, several performing solidly and a handful that blew up at the starting gate.

"Everybody has something to feel good about," CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl said.

Especially CBS, which is off to a great start. On Monday, "Hawaii Five-0" (3.9) didn't create quite the splash that many expected, though its rating is formidable, and freshman "Mike & Molly" (3.9) managed to be the second-highest-rated comedy in the network's block. Tuesday legal drama "The Defenders" (2.9) wasn't spectacular but didn't embarrass either. Thursday's "$#*! My Dad Says" (4.0) opened terrific. And on Friday, despite rumors of a troubled production, "Blue Bloods" (2.2) performed solidly in a tough time period and even won the night.

"All our new shows so far have at least gotten off the ground and look to have every opportunity to succeed," Kahl said.

Much has been made of CBS' bold scheduling shakeup for fall. And although at least one move clearly has paid off -- "Survivor" (4.0) is rocking its new Wednesday time period -- the jury is still out on the others. The network's comedies went big on Thursday for their first week, though whether the critically panned "$#*!" will maintain its numbers is a question. "Hawaii" was below "CSI: Miami" in its time period, and on Friday, "CSI: NY" drew a tad less than "Medium" at the post last year.

NBC has enjoyed a couple positive headlines. Monday's mystery thriller "The Event" (3.6) had a head-turning opening for the network in a competitive time period, and insiders hope audiences stick around for the next couple episodes, which critics say improve creatively on the pilot. At 10 p.m., action-thriller "Chase" (2.3) wasn't able to catch up with competitors. New spy dramedy "Undercovers" (2.1) underwhelmed, and Friday's Jimmy Smits legal drama "Outlaw" (1.1) looks DOA against "Blue Bloods."

"It's still the top of the first inning, but I'm happy with our start," NBC scheduling head Mitch Metcalf said. "We've set out what we planned to do, and that's to patiently hour-by-hour lay the foundation for a long-term turnaround.

Many expected NBC's "Community" (2.2) to get crushed by "Big Bang" on Thursdays, but the comedy delivered a typical number.

"They're different types of comedies," Metcalf said. "It's not an election where the winner takes all."

Thursday's new comedy "Outsourced" (3.6) was impressive. But the return to a civilian version of "The Apprentice" (1.4) is not doing the network any favors on the night.

With "Glee," Fox is able to tout last week's highest-rated show. The rest of the network's news is mixed. Critically well-liked comedy "Raising Hope" (3.1) launched fine, though there was a worrisome step down to "Running Wilde" (2.4). The network's freshman tentpole "Lone Star" (1.3) had such as spectacularly dismal premiere that it spawned a slew of stories debating its fate and prompted creator Kyle Killen to write an open letter to fans to rally support.

"We've seen several episodes of 'Raising Hope' and we think we have a show there," Fox's scheduling chief Preston Beckman said.

ABC is pacing to land in second place for the week but had a couple misfires. Arguably its best bet, "No Ordinary Family," doesn't bow until Tuesday. "Dancing" and "Modern Family" dominated their respective nights, with the network's Wednesday comedy block generating solid numbers. "The Middle" (2.7) showed particular spunk leading off the night and represents another comedy that returned to improved ratings. The debut of "Better With You" (2.5) was very OK.

There might be trouble among the network's other new shows, though. Tuesday's "Detroit 1-8-7" (2.3) underperformed, but the cop show looks towering when stacked next to Wednesday's legal drama "The Whole Truth" (1.5) and Thursday's "My Generation" (1.6), which join "Lone Star" and "Outlaw" on the shortlist of insta-bubble shows.

"More than ever, you have a lot of time periods where you have two (or) three shows actually doing well," ABC's scheduling chief Jeff Bader said. "Some shows launching are not getting sampled because there's so much going on."

Neither of the CW's freshman shows is blowing viewers' skirts up like last year's "The Vampire Diaries" (1.6), which continued to perform strongly. Wednesday's "Hellcats" (1.0) and Thursday's "Nikita" (1.1) are slipping from their lead-ins, though "Nikita" ranks as the network's second-most-watched show among total viewers. More urgently worrisome is the return of low-show-on-the-totem "Life Unexpected" (0.7). One bright spot: Friday's premieres of the final season of "Smallville" (1.3) and "Supernatural" (1.3) landed the network a rare bronze medal for the night.

All of the networks had a win or two to call their own, through broadcast overall continues to erode as DVR penetration increased 15% over last fall. Through the first four days of the season, the five broadcast networks were once again down a collective average of 9%. As DVR data come into play during the next few weeks, there's sure to be more headlines about record-setting numbers that demonstrate how many viewers didn't watch these shows the same night they aired.

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Comedies off to strong start as TV season begins (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) â€" If the opening of the fall TV season has proved one thing so far, it's that comedy has reclaimed the broadcast throne.

After the genre made promising gains last season with the launch of game-changers "Modern Family" and "Glee," this year's first couple of weeks of premieres are forming a pattern: popular comedies are returning to steady or better ratings than last year, and top dramas are coming back to lower numbers -- sometimes, a lot lower.

Of the seven highest-rated premieres so far, five were comedies. There was Fox's "Glee" (5.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, up 60%; each ratings point in that demo equals about 1.3 million viewers), ABC's "Modern Family" (5.1, up 21%), NBC's "The Office" (4.4, up 7%), "CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" (4.9, up 4%) and "Two and a Half Men" (4.9, up 10%).

Of the two other top premieres, one was a drama (ABC's "Grey's Anatomy"; 5.4, down 21%) and the other was a reality show (ABC's "Dancing With the Stars"; 5.1, up 24%).

The "Grey's" slump was not without company. Part of the issue is the oft-reported observation that many of TV's dramas are a bit long in the tooth. Veteran series "House" (4.2) was down 37%, "CSI" (3.4) -- despite a guest appearance by Justin Bieber -- fell 17%, and "NCIS" (4.0) was down 17%.

Ratings for new shows followed a predictable bell-curve pattern of a couple delivering truly impressive opens, several performing solidly and a handful that blew up at the starting gate.

"Everybody has something to feel good about," CBS scheduling chief Kelly Kahl said.

Especially CBS, which is off to a great start. On Monday, "Hawaii Five-0" (3.9) didn't create quite the splash that many expected, though its rating is formidable, and freshman "Mike & Molly" (3.9) managed to be the second-highest-rated comedy in the network's block. Tuesday legal drama "The Defenders" (2.9) wasn't spectacular but didn't embarrass either. Thursday's "$#*! My Dad Says" (4.0) opened terrific. And on Friday, despite rumors of a troubled production, "Blue Bloods" (2.2) performed solidly in a tough time period and even won the night.

"All our new shows so far have at least gotten off the ground and look to have every opportunity to succeed," Kahl said.

Much has been made of CBS' bold scheduling shakeup for fall. And although at least one move clearly has paid off -- "Survivor" (4.0) is rocking its new Wednesday time period -- the jury is still out on the others. The network's comedies went big on Thursday for their first week, though whether the critically panned "$#*!" will maintain its numbers is a question. "Hawaii" was below "CSI: Miami" in its time period, and on Friday, "CSI: NY" drew a tad less than "Medium" at the post last year.

NBC has enjoyed a couple positive headlines. Monday's mystery thriller "The Event" (3.6) had a head-turning opening for the network in a competitive time period, and insiders hope audiences stick around for the next couple episodes, which critics say improve creatively on the pilot. At 10 p.m., action-thriller "Chase" (2.3) wasn't able to catch up with competitors. New spy dramedy "Undercovers" (2.1) underwhelmed, and Friday's Jimmy Smits legal drama "Outlaw" (1.1) looks DOA against "Blue Bloods."

"It's still the top of the first inning, but I'm happy with our start," NBC scheduling head Mitch Metcalf said. "We've set out what we planned to do, and that's to patiently hour-by-hour lay the foundation for a long-term turnaround.

Many expected NBC's "Community" (2.2) to get crushed by "Big Bang" on Thursdays, but the comedy delivered a typical number.

"They're different types of comedies," Metcalf said. "It's not an election where the winner takes all."

Thursday's new comedy "Outsourced" (3.6) was impressive. But the return to a civilian version of "The Apprentice" (1.4) is not doing the network any favors on the night.

With "Glee," Fox is able to tout last week's highest-rated show. The rest of the network's news is mixed. Critically well-liked comedy "Raising Hope" (3.1) launched fine, though there was a worrisome step down to "Running Wilde" (2.4). The network's freshman tentpole "Lone Star" (1.3) had such as spectacularly dismal premiere that it spawned a slew of stories debating its fate and prompted creator Kyle Killen to write an open letter to fans to rally support.

"We've seen several episodes of 'Raising Hope' and we think we have a show there," Fox's scheduling chief Preston Beckman said.

ABC is pacing to land in second place for the week but had a couple misfires. Arguably its best bet, "No Ordinary Family," doesn't bow until Tuesday. "Dancing" and "Modern Family" dominated their respective nights, with the network's Wednesday comedy block generating solid numbers. "The Middle" (2.7) showed particular spunk leading off the night and represents another comedy that returned to improved ratings. The debut of "Better With You" (2.5) was very OK.

There might be trouble among the network's other new shows, though. Tuesday's "Detroit 1-8-7" (2.3) underperformed, but the cop show looks towering when stacked next to Wednesday's legal drama "The Whole Truth" (1.5) and Thursday's "My Generation" (1.6), which join "Lone Star" and "Outlaw" on the shortlist of insta-bubble shows.

"More than ever, you have a lot of time periods where you have two (or) three shows actually doing well," ABC's scheduling chief Jeff Bader said. "Some shows launching are not getting sampled because there's so much going on."

Neither of the CW's freshman shows is blowing viewers' skirts up like last year's "The Vampire Diaries" (1.6), which continued to perform strongly. Wednesday's "Hellcats" (1.0) and Thursday's "Nikita" (1.1) are slipping from their lead-ins, though "Nikita" ranks as the network's second-most-watched show among total viewers. More urgently worrisome is the return of low-show-on-the-totem "Life Unexpected" (0.7). One bright spot: Friday's premieres of the final season of "Smallville" (1.3) and "Supernatural" (1.3) landed the network a rare bronze medal for the night.

All of the networks had a win or two to call their own, through broadcast overall continues to erode as DVR penetration increased 15% over last fall. Through the first four days of the season, the five broadcast networks were once again down a collective average of 9%. As DVR data come into play during the next few weeks, there's sure to be more headlines about record-setting numbers that demonstrate how many viewers didn't watch these shows the same night they aired.

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