CBS lineup clears the boards
NEW YORK -- CBS's strong Thursday night lineup and the NCAA men's basketball tournament helped the network dominate the prime-time ratings competition last week.
Led by ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," all three of CBS's Thursday shows were among the most-watched programs of the week, according to
The basketball semifinals Saturday also finished among Nielsen's top 12. Saturday night is normally a light night of viewing.
The ABC medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy" cracked Nielsen's top 10 for its second episode Sunday, helped by its plum time slot following the sensation ''Desperate Housewives."
NBC's remake of ''The Office" ranked a disappointing No. 74, with fewer than 6 million viewers, in its premiere. Fox's new ''Life on a Stick" did much better on the surface, with 9.5 million people watching last Wednesday, but that was less than half the audience of its ''American Idol" lead-in.
For the week, CBS averaged 13.4 million viewers; ABC had 9.6 million; NBC 9.3 million; Fox 9.1 million; UPN 3.4 million; and the WB 2.7 million
NBC's ''Nightly News" won the evening news ratings race, averaging 10 million viewers.
Sela Ward to join 'House' cast
Two-time Emmy winner Sela Ward is joining the cast of Fox's drama ''House," playing a character who might give insight into Dr. Greg House's character.
The former ''Once and Again" star will appear in the show's final two episodes this season and will have a recurring part next season, Fox says. She will play a lawyer who used to work at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and has a ''complicated past" with House (Hugh Laurie).
''House" has become a big success for Fox since it was paired with ''American Idol" on Tuesday nights. After struggling in its early episodes last fall, the show has set ratings highs almost every week for the past couple of months, and topped out at more than 18 million viewers on March 29.
Ward won an Emmy in 2000 for playing Lily Manning Sammler on ABC's ''Once and Again." She also won in 1994 for her role on NBC's ''Sisters." Her other credits include ''The Fugitive," ''54" and ''The Day After Tomorrow."
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Globe on NECN
Here's what's happening on ''Around the Globe" today:
12:30 p.m.: ''Globe at Home" -- Film critic Wesley Morris on ''Fever Pitch" and other flicks to check out at the movies this week.
4 p.m.: ''Around the Globe"
6:30 p.m.: ''New England Business Day"
8:30 p.m.: ''NewsNight"
Schedule is subject to change.
On Boston.com
Noon: Miss Conduct Robin Abrahams chats about the proper response to a stranger's sneeze.
Talk of the dial
8 a.m. WBIX-AM (1060) -- ''Stu Taylor on Business." Guests: John LeBoutillier; Myron Ebell, Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Other radio highlights
9 a.m. WCRB-FM (102.5) -- Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27; Schumann's Scenes From Childhood; Vanhal's Violin Concerto in B.
Noon WUMB-FM (91.9) -- ''Live at Noon." Guest: Clare Burson, singer-songwriter.
