CBS Can Take Stock in These Numbers

In these troubled times -- presidential race rancor, tanking economy -- viewers clung to their CBS procedural crime dramas, contributing mightily to the network's second consecutive win of the new TV season.

Here's a look at the week's hits and misses:

WINNERS

"CSI." The debut of Season 9 attracted television's largest prime-time audience of the season to date, 23.5 million viewers. It ranked No. 1 for the week and beat an original "Grey's Anatomy" among young viewers for the first time.

"Saturday Night Live." First of three prime-time election specials, featuring a presidential-debate spoof, logged nearly 11 million viewers, besting all regular "SNL" telecasts since January '01.

Presidential debate. Held on a Tuesday and in the midst of a nerve-rattling Wall Street free fall, the second John McCain-Barack Obama match drew about 66 million viewers, up 11 million from the first.

Fox News Channel. The second presidential debate and a collapsing Wall Street drove 3.4 million to FNC's prime time, making it the most-watched cable network for the second week this year. Other cable news networks also benefited: CNN was No. 5 for the week among cable nets, averaging 2.4 million (beating CW) and its debate coverage was the week's second-most-watched cable program. MSNBC finished the week No. 9 in cable prime time, with 1.6 million viewers.

"Life on Mars." ABC's time-travel series launch attracted 11.3 million people, neck and neck with CBS's new "Eleventh Hour" though that enjoyed a lead-in crowd nearly 10 million stronger. "Mars" is the season's top-rated drama launch among the 18-to-49-year-olds advertisers pay premiums to reach.

"Kath and Kim." New NBC sitcom triumphed over lousy press to win its time slot among 18-to-34-year-olds -- the new 18-to-49ers -- and logged 7.5 million viewers overall -- 350,000 more than its "My Name Is Earl" lead-in.

"The Daily Show." With guest Michelle Obama, Jon Stewart's Comedy Central series notched its biggest audience ever, nearly 3 million viewers. After which "The Colbert Report" brought in 2 million, its biggest haul yet.

"South Park" copped 3.7 million viewers in the Comedy Central cartoon's best fall-debut performance in nearly a decade.

"Gossip Girl." CW buys two more episodes, for a total of 24.