TVSquad

CBS' new medical drama, 3 lbs, is looking for some ratings help from House. How is that possible since they're on different networks and are essentially the same show? It worked for ER. When ABC moved Grey's Anatomy to the 9 pm timeslot on Thursdays this fall, it unwittingly revived ER's ratings. Nielsen statistics show 32% of Grey's Anatomy viewers are switching over to NBC at 10 pm.

CBS is hoping for the same kind of success with 3 lbs, a drama about a rude-but-brilliant brain surgeon that is being called a rip-off of House (something that completely escaped me in my early review because I don't watch House). Even CBS admits 3 lbs is similar to House... but the network uses the word "compatible" to describe the similarities. CBS says it hopes The Unit provides a bunch of viewers, but it doesn't hurt that Fox's programming ends at ten, which is when 3 lbs begins.