Despite a strong showing for a rerun of CBS' 'The Mentalist,' ABC won the households and adult demo numbers for the night

Fast National ratings for Friday, Sept. 26, 2008

It should be noted that due to the live nature of Friday night's Presidential debate, with a 6 pm pre-prime start time on the West Coast, the time-period based affiliate ratings are not truly accurate and will likely change dramatically as the numbers are finalized.

Although this marked the first Friday of the official 2008-09 TV season, the debate between Presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama threw the programming for a loop, landing ABC the ultimate win with its coverage.

ABC averaged a 5.6 rating/9 share in primetime to bring it to the top for the night. CBS came in second in households at 4.8/8, followed by NBC with a 4.1/7. FOX took fourth place with a 2.8/5, while The CW trailed with a 2.4/4.

Similarly, ABC took the prize with the 18-49 demographic with a solid 2.6, well ahead of tied rivals CBS and NBC with 2.0 apiece. Also tied were FOX and The CW with a 1.4 each.

CBS actually led at 8 p.m. with its rerun of the premiere of "The Mentalist" earning a strong 5.2/9, while ABC's special "20/20" featuring Part I of "Portrait of a President," in which Diane Sawyer delved into the early lives of Obama and McCain, drew a respectable 4.6/8. Third place went to FOX's "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" with a 3.3/6, followed by NBC's "America's Toughest Jobs," 2.9/5. The CW brought up the rear with its "Friday Night Smackdown!"

It was a different story in the 9 o'clock hour, however, when the debate began and viewers flocked to ABC, giving the network a 6.4/10. NBC, 4.9/8, barely edged CBS, 4.8/8, with its coverage. Meanwhile, The CW stayed consistent with a 2.5/4 for its un-presidential "Smackdown" second hour, beating FOX's debate coverage, 2.4/4.

At 10 p.m. for the second hour of the debate, ABC maintained its lead with a 5.6/9, while NBC, 4.5/8, pulled more ahead of CBS, 4.3/7.

Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.