CBS the winner in November sweeps

The television world is topsy-turvy this fall – and not just because “Desperate Housewives” temptress Nicolette Sheridan shed her towel during “Monday Night Football.”

CBS, for time immemorial the TV resting place for the Depends and dentures crowd, won the November “sweep” ratings period among adults aged 18 to 49 – the demographic group most prized by advertisers – as well as total viewers.

When did the network of “JAG” and “60 Minutes” last achieve this feat? The month Ronald Reagan was first elected president: November 1980, back in the “Dallas” days of “Who shot J.R.?”

Meanwhile, NBC, which has had a virtual airtight seal on young adults for 20 years, starting with “The Cosby Show” and continuing through “Cheers” and “Friends,” finished in a second-place tie for that demographic with – is it possible? – ABC.

Thanks in large part to the Sunday soap “Desperate Housewives,” ABC is having the last laugh on those who made the network the butt of industry jokes as recently as last summer.

November is one of four sweeps months during the TV season when Nielsen Media Research ratings are used to set local advertising rates.

Overall, CBS averaged 14.3 million viewers in prime time, to 10.74 million for NBC and 10.71 million for ABC.

“It’s been a monumental November sweep for CBS,” said Viacom co-chief operating officer Leslie Moonves, who oversees the network.

CBS historically has delivered an older, more rural audience than its rivals. But since Moonves took over in 1995, the network has gradually developed series that appeal to young, upscale viewers, such as the reality hit “Survivor” and the forensics drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

Several seasons back, Moonves made the risky decision to move both shows to Thursdays, opposite NBC’s then-invincible comedy lineup. The move has paid big dividends as both series have become among TV’s most-watched.

But Moonves emphasized that youth-oriented success won’t change the network’s strategy.

“The foundation of our success has been to program to all viewers,” he said. “We’re broadcasters at CBS, and it’s worked.”

NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly admitted his network had had a tough fall.

“We’re not where we want to be right now, but we are where we expected to be in the fall because of the loss of ‘Friends’ and ‘Frasier,’ ” he said. Both shows ended their runs in May.

Many of NBC’s remaining hits are aging, such as “ER,” while new shows such as “Father of the Pride,” “Hawaii” and “LAX” are already off the schedule.

But NBC still has the most upscale TV audience, Reilly said, with shows such as “West Wing,” “The Apprentice” and “Will & Grace” attracting plenty of affluent viewers.

Perhaps the biggest surprise has been ABC, which was given up for dead as recently as September but has been rejuvenated thanks to “Desperate Housewives” – the top show among young adults, and No. 2 overall behind “CSI” – as well as the desert-island drama “Lost” and the reality hit “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

A classic teaser episode – who’s going to be killed on Wisteria Lane? – led “Desperate Housewives” to a series-best 27.2 million viewers during its last airing on Nov. 28.