It's no great shocker that viewers have ignored the universal pans for "Providence," tuning in to the sappy ensemble drama in droves -- and reviving NBC's Friday-night lineup. Boosted by a media blitz (has any NBC viewer missed seeing spots for the show?), "Providence" has not only helped up the Peacock's ratings but -- and this is the surprise -- done so without hurting any of the net's competitors.

The numbers tell the story. Since premiering Jan. 8, "Providence" has averaged 16.9 million viewers, a 55 percent increase from what "Dateline NBC" was drawing in the Friday 8 p.m. slot. At the same time, CBS (with "Kids Say the Darndest Things" and "Candid Camera") and Fox (with the soon-to-disappear "Brimstone") have been up in viewers, while ABC's and UPN's shows are flat. In other words, an unserved audience -- primarily of women -- drawn by "Providence"'s prodigal-daughter premise has come back to the set and no rival show has suffered. Which means TV doesn't have to be a zero-sum game.

"Providence" has even served as a springboard for NBC's Friday lineup: "Dateline," which follows at 9 o'clock, is doing up to 72 percent better. And "Homicide," "Leno," and "Conan" have added viewers too. (A similar, smaller success story is UPN's "Dilbert" -- its 157 percent ratings improvement over the time slot's average has boosted that sagging net's fortunes without stinging the competition.)

Making "Providence"'s performance more impressive is the fact that its date-night slot is by no means cushy. "It starts the night off, a night not known for being strong historically," says NBC Entertainment prez Scott Sassa. "It underscores the networks' ability to bring in a new audience." And hey, it's not another newsmagazine.