Weekend Ratings (2/24-25/08)

The Academy Awards telecast helped ABC win Sunday night with its highest ratings this season. But the show was 25% off over the previous year. And it was one of the lowest rated Oscar telecasts ever. Meanwhile, was NBC's counter-programming of "Law & Order: CI" marathon successful?

SATURDAY:


ABC:
8:00pm Forrest Gump (R) (4.67 million)

CBS:
8:00pm Shark (R) (4.95 million)
9:00pm 48 Hours Mystery (5.82 million)

NBC:
8:00pm My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad (R) (2.67 million)
9:00pm Knight Rider (R) (4.79 million)

Fox:
8:00pm Cops (6.27 million)
9:00pm America's Most Wanted (5.98 million)


SUNDAY:


ABC:
7:00pm Barbara Walters Oscars Special (16.49 million)
8:00pm Oscars Red Carpet 2008 (26.93 million)
8:30pm 80th Annual Academy Awards (29.16 million)

CBS:
7:00pm 60 Minutes (10.51 million)
8:00pm Big Brother 9 (5.72 million)
9:00pm Cold Case (R) (6.90 million)
10:00pm Dexter (R) (6.47 million)

NBC:
7:00pm Law & Order: CI (R) (4.73 million)

Fox:
7:00pm NASCAR Racing: Sprint Cup in Fontana Overrun (10.70 million)
9:00pm Simpsons (R) (7.33 million)

CW:
7:00pm CW Now (634,000)
7:30pm Everybody Hates Chris (R) (1.10 million)
8:30pm Aliens in America (R) (1.12 million)
9:00pm Girlfriends (R) (980,000)
9:30pm The Game (R) (964,000)

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Entertainment Exposed

Ellen Pompeo, Hayden Panettiere, Nicolette Sheridan at Academy Awards

It may not have been their night, but the stars of the hottest shows on television were giving fellow big screen actors a run for their money at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in Hollywood last night.

Take a look at Ellen Pompeo of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (with fiance Chris Ivery), teenage Hayden Panettiere of NBC's breakout smash "Heroes" and Desperate Housewife Nicolette Sheridan with on-and-off fiance Michael Bolton.

Check more Academy Awards Fashion Highlights

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2007 Academy Awards Fashion Highlights

Oh the glitz! Oh the glamor! Hollywood stars arrived on the red carpet at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday making bold fashion choices with Jennifer Hudson in her brown ruched gown with a metallic python bolero by Oscar de la Renta generally considered one of the worst dressed and Cate Blanchett in a stunning one-shoulder Swarovski crystal mesh gown by Giorgio Armani Prive one of the best. Here they are now for your viewing pleasure in all of their multi-million-dollar glory.

Gwyneth Paltrow made a strong fashion statement in Zac Posen's apricot spider-web tulle-and-chiffon gown, and Nicole Kidman made a bold color choice with her bright red Balenciaga halter gown with an oversized bow at the neck.

Reese Witherspoon's strapless Nina Ricci with a tiered bottom was a deep purple, and Jada Pinkett Smith wore a corset-style strapless gown in gold lame by Carolina Herrera.

Penelope Cruz's strapless Versace was a blush color with an intricately swirled tight bodice that exploded into an exaggerated skirt.

Jennifer Lopez's lilac Marchesa gown had an antique jeweled neckline that created a chain-link effect.

Beyonce's Armani gown also had an interesting neckline. It was basically a light green strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline, but there was a strand of stones over one shoulder.

Giorgio Armani attended the ceremony, presumably in his own design. "It's very important to be elegant and simple rather than be flashy," he said.

Many top male celebrities chose classic tuxedos by Armani, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese.

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"The Departed" Wins Best Picture at Academy Awards

Martin Scorsese directed mob saga "The Departed" won the Best Picture Award at Sunday's Academy Awards in Hollywood, while the director himself won following five previous losses.

Forrest Whitaker won the Best Actor award for his flamboyant portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland".

Helen Mirren won the Best Actress award for "The Queen" where she played the British monarch Elizabeth II facing abating loyalty after the death of Princess Diana.

Alan Arkin won the Best Supporting Actor award for playing a foul-mouthed grandpa with a taste for heroin in the road comedy "Little Miss Sunshine".

American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson won Best Supporting Actress for her first movie "Dreamgirls" playing a powerhouse vocalist who falls on hard times after she is booted from a 1960s girl group.

The nonfiction hit "An Inconvenient Truth," a chronicle of Al Gore's campaign to warn the world about global warming, was picked as best documentary.

And here are other winners at Sunday night's ceremony:

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: William Monahan (The Departed)

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Pan's Labyrinth
FILM EDITING: The Departed
VISUAL EFFECTS: Pirates of the Carribean

ORIGINAL SCORE: Babel
ORIGINAL SONG: I Need To Wake Up (Melissa Etheridge, An Inconvenient Truth)

SOUND EDITING: Letters From Iwo Jima
SOUND MIXING: Dreamgirls

MAKE-UP: Pan's Labyrinth
COSTUME DESIGN: Marie Antoinette

ANIMATED FEATURE: Happy Feet
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: The Lives of Others (Germany)

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Beyonce Rehearses For Tonight's Oscars Telecast

The countdown to the most suspenseful best-picture race we've seen in 11 years has begun. "Letters From Iwo Jima," "The Queen," "Babel," "The Departed" and "Little Miss Sunshine" will battle it out for the most coveted prize in the entertainment industry tonight at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on the ABC television network.

Ratings for the glossy Hollywood extravaganza have been on the decline in recent years after 55 million people tuned in to see the mega-blockbuster "Titanic" being crowned the best picture in 1998. The telecast has averaged about 40 million viewers in the past 5 years.

The telecast lost its luster due to generally lower viewing levels, as well as smaller movies dominating key Oscar categories. Fewer visitors at the box office normally translates into fewer Nielsen families zapping over to the live broadcast on ABC.

This year, however, the show is expected to generate stronger ratings as there are two $100 million movies in the mix, and the other 3 movies have received a lot of heat in recent award shows.

Singer Beyonce Knowles, who will be performing a number from her highly successful film "Dreamgirls" which surprisingly failed to receive best picture nomination, is seen in the image above rehearsing for the ceremony at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on Friday.


Last night the singer took part in a Gorgio Armani pre-Oscars event.

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