No breakout hits so far, say ad buyers

According to this article in the New York Post, analysts working for companies that buy ads on network shows have reported that, despite the highest-quality batch of pilots in recent memory, no real breakout hits have emerged just yet. Of course, the definition of a "hit" is a bit different than in the "olden" days of the mid-'90s, when shows like ER and Friends used to get 40 percent of the audience, as the article mentions.

The only new shows cited as being even moderate hits were Ugly Betty, which attracted 14.4 million viewers last week, and Heroes, which has been averaging 13.5 million viewers. Realize, though, that's a far cry from the top two shows of last week, Grey's Anatomy and CSI, each of which drew over twenty million viewers.