Showing no signs of a ratings "hiccup" from the previous week's recap episode, last week's eleventh The Apprentice episode set new series ratings records and scored NBC's highest regular-program rating in the time period since September 2001.
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According to final ratings figures from Nielsen Media Research, the Thursday, March 25 episode of NBC's The Apprentice drew 22.8 million overall viewers and a 10.8 rating, 27 share in the Adults 18-49 demographic. The performance was the series' highest ratings ever in total viewers, Adults 18-49, and numerous other key ratings measures, including Adults, Men and Women 25-54 and 18-49.
Apprentice also scored NBC's highest Adults 18-49 rating in the time period with regular programming since September 27, 2001 and matched the highest rating for any show on any network in the hour in more than a year (since ABC's Michael Jackson special on February 6, 2003).
The Apprentice, the undisputed #1 new show of the 2003-2004 television season, soared 71% above NBC's Adults 18-49 average for the time period before Apprentice joined the schedule (with a 10.8 rating vs. a 6.3). The unscripted series trumped all competition, even beating CBS' NCAA basketball programming in all key adult male demographics.
Paced by The Apprentice, NBC swept all six of the night's half-hours in adults 18-49 and has now won 11 of the last 12 Thursdays in that crucial demographic.