Andy Wood

Paced by the series debut of Heroes, which posted the highest rating for any NBC drama premiere in five years, NBC won its second Monday night of the 2006-07 season in adults 18-49, according to preliminary “fast affiliate-based” “live plus same day” viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

At 9 p.m. ET, the debut of Heroes (5.9 rating, 14 share in 18-49, 14.3 million viewers overall) delivered NBC’s highest 18-49 for any fall drama premiere in five years (since Crossing Jordan on Monday, Sept. 24, 2001). Heroes soared above the time period competition in the key demographic of adults 18-49, with a 31 percent margin of victory over second place (5.9 vs. a 4.5 for CBS’ comedies). Pending updates, Heroes also won the hour in total viewers, adults, men and women 18-34 and other key measures.

Heroes was up 48 percent versus NBC’s 2005-06 season average in the time period, excluding sports (5.9 vs. 4.0). From its first half-hour to its second, Heroes grew by 13 percent (to a 6.3/15 from a 5.6/14) and by 1.1 million viewers overall.

Pending updates, Heroes is within one tenth of an 18-49 rating point of the highest rating so far this fall for any new series premiere, close behind Sunday’s debut of Brothers & Sisters on ABC. By comparison, “Brothers & Sisters” benefited from a 9.6 lead-in rating in 18-49 from Desperate Housewives, while Heroes had a 3.8 rating lead-in last night.

The powerful Heroes premiere will be rebroadcast on NBC tonight at 8 p.m. ET and on the SCI FI Channel this Friday, September 29, at 7 p.m. ET.

The DVD version of Brett Ratner’s installment in the X-Men franchise, X-Men: The Last Stand, is coming soon to a store near you. However, If you find yourself unable to wait for the scant week remaining, and you just must have some new X-action now, you can surf on over to Comics2Film (make sure you find the posts for September 25th) and check out five new extended/deleted scenes from the upcoming DVD release. It is nothing phenomenally mind blowing, and the DVD will certainly have tons more to offer, but it is new material with Marvel mutants in it, which has to be worth something for the X-Men fans out there.

Oddly, I don’t actually own the second X-Men film, and I’m not in a big hurry to go out and purchase part three, either. I enjoyed both of the flicks at least enough to merit an interest in DVD purchasing, but I’m wary of buying them before they launch in a fancy trilogy set which I know I’ll desire. Anyone want to place wagers on how long before the X-Men boxed set including all three movies and yet more “never before seen footage” appears on shelves everywhere?