Reality Shows Were Last Week’s Big Draw

NEW YORK (AP) — Nielsen says fresh reality fare remained a big draw last week in primetime, where otherwise reruns dominated.

A double whammy of “America’s Got Talent” gave NBC the week’s two most-watched shows, and three installments of CBS’s “Big Brother” rounded out the bottom of last week’s Top 10, according to Nielsen figures released Tuesday.

A special edition of ABC’s “20/20” focusing on the death of Robin Williams ranked sixth.

Meanwhile, CBS scored with new episodes of its scripted summer thriller “Under the Dome,” which ranked seventh, and its crime drama, “Unforgettable,” which ranked 11th.

CBS won for the week overall, followed by NBC, ABC, Univision and Fox.

In cable, Disney was the most-watched channel, followed by TNT and Discovery.

As usual, NBC’s “Nightly News” won the race among evening newscasts.

The Top 20

Primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Aug. 11-18. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.

1. “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday, 9 p.m.), NBC, 10.0 million.

2. “America’s Got Talent” (Tuesday), NBC, 9.7 million.

3. “NCIS,” CBS, 8.1 million.

4. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 7.9 million.

5. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 7.7 million.

6. “20/20: Robin Williams,” ABC, 7.4 million.

7. “Under the Dome,” CBS, 6.90 million.

8. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 6.8 million.

9. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 6.7 million.

10. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 6.4 million.

11. “Unforgettable,” CBS, 6.3 million.

12. NFL Preseason: Kansas City at Carolina, Fox, 6.22 million.

13. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 6.15 million.

14. “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 6.1 million.

15. “Mom,” CBS, 5.9 million.

16. “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday, 8 p.m.), NBC, 5.8 million.

17. “Extant,” CBS, 5.7 million.

18. “Dateline Friday,” NBC, 5.5 million.

19. “Masterchef,” Fox, 5.4 million.

20. “Bachelor in Paradise,” ABC, 5.3 million.