‘Greek Life’ the good life for CBS

A double helping of “My Big Fat Greek Life” and a strong Thursday performance led CBS to a solid victory last week, based on viewing estimates issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

“CSI” carved up the competition, as a rerun ranked as the week’s most-watched program. That lead-in, and the absence of NBC’s “ER,” helped the CBS program that followed, “Without a Trace,” attract its biggest audience yet.

It also was a dazzling week for NBC’s “Law & Order” franchise, as the original weathered sweeps-ending interviews with Robert Blake and “Preppy Murderer” Robert Chambers on Wednesday, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” booked its highest rating yet on Sunday, and “Special Victims Unit” delivered its biggest rerun audience.

NBC’s “Boomtown” also returned after a monthlong layoff, closely trailing another Los Angeles-based crime drama, ABC’s “Dragnet,” in its time slot. Both scorched CBS’ “Salem Witch Trials,” continuing a run of disappointing results for made-for-TV movies and miniseries, and CBS’ Bruce Springsteen special also drew anemic ratings.

“Six Feet Under” began its third season Sunday with respectable ratings by HBO’s standards, averaging just more than 5 million viewers to rank behind TNN’s WWE wrestling among all cable fare. Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor” remains on a ratings roll, meanwhile, as four installments finished in cable’s top 25 last week, averaging 2.9 million viewers.