Fox had no trouble winning the night thanks to a powerful start with "Idol," which brought in 26.6 million viewers and an 11.2 rating/29 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. The debut of the third incarnation of "Simple Life" held on to a respectable chunk of its demo lead-in, finishing out with an average of 13.3 million viewers and 6.2/14 in the key demo. At 9 p.m., "Alias" (11.7 million, 4.8/11) built noticeably on that lead-in, but ABC's momentum slipped at 10 p.m. with a repeat of "Wife Swap" (6.8 million, 2.9/8).

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