TV Top Ten - America Escapes Reality Through Reality TV

American Idol's transition into the non-entertaining, popularity contest episodes didn't show a drop in ratings as both nights of America's most intelligence draining experience continued to draw over 25 million viewers each night of the show.

Meanwhile, Dancing With The Stars has begun to encroach on Idol's territory drawing almost 23 million viewers last week to be the third most popular show on broadcast TV. In a distant fourth place was CSI followed by the rest of CBS' top ten crime show run down and ABC's desperate dramas.

WWE Raw topped the cable networks with the Nickelodeon and Disney parades dominating most of the rest of the top ten chart. USA's syndication of NCIS made it into the chart four times out of five. The show can't catch a break in its regular broadcast slot, but the reruns are cable mainstays.

Overall television watching continues to trend higher than usual as America seems to be seeking an escape from all the political turmoil and the nation's financial woes. But ER, pimping left and right in the most desperate ratings stunts as it moves into its final episodes, can't seem to catch a break.

RANK PROGRAM NTWK RATING VIEWERS

NETWORK TELEVISION

1. AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX 14.6 25.767

2. AMERICAN IDOL - WEDNESDAY FOX 14.6 25.547

3. DANCING WITH THE STARS ABC 14.1 22.829

3. CSI CBS 10.3 17.132

5. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC 9.1 14.602

6. GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM ABC 9.1 13.642

7. CSI:MIAMI CBS 9 14.215

7. MENTALIST, THE CBS 9 14.322

9. CRIMINAL MINDS CBS 8.9 14.342

10. CSI:NY CBS 8.6 13.633

CABLE TELEVISION

1. WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW) USA 3.3 5.643

2. WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW) USA 3 5.165

3. HANNAH MONTANA DSNY 2.8 4.423

3. NCIS USA 2.8 4.228

5. NCIS USA 2.7 4.006

5. NCIS USA 2.7 3.98

5. SPONGEBOB NICK 2.7 4.249

5. WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE DSNY 2.7 4.164

9. SONNY WITH A CHANCE DSNY 2.6 3.993

9. SPONGEBOB NICK 2.6 3.981

9. ICARLY NICK 2.6 3.875

9. NCIS USA 2.6 3.847