Among new series, ratings winners so far include CBS's "The Education of Max Bickford" on Sunday, NBC's "Crossing Jordan" on Monday and CBS's "The Guardian" on Tuesday.
The Pittsburgh-set legal drama held onto 91 percent of its "JAG" lead-in, according to Mediaweek columnist Marc Berman. The show placed second to NBC's "Frasier" and ahead of ABC's "Spin City" in household ratings. "The Guardian" also held onto its audience for the entire hour.
Locally, "The Guardian" on KDKA-TV outperformed the national average and tied for first with "Frasier" on WPXI. Ratings for both shows rose in their second half-hours.
At 10 p.m. Tuesday, ABC's new Steven Bochco drama "Philly" ranked second nationally behind CBS's "Judging Amy."
Early ratings -- particularly high ratings -- are not necessarily a sign of a show's long-term success, but low ratings usually determine early casualties of the new season.
Monday's premiere of "The Ellen Show" on CBS was a ratings disappointment, as were two Tuesday premieres: NBC's "Emeril" and Fox's "Love Cruise: The Maiden Voyage."
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