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George Takei gave nothing more than a mean, stern look at the end of the episode, but it was enough to keep viewers locked into the NBC hit series "Heroes," forcing it once again in an almost virtual tie with its Fox network competitor, "24."

"Heroes" pulled in an 8.3 rating/12 share, according to Fast Nationals compiled by Nielsen Media Research, forcing it to finish just behind "24," which earned an 8.5/12. However, when it came to adults between the ages of 18 to 49, "Heroes" was the winner, claiming a key advertising demographic.

"Heroes" is on a fractional audience slide, losing about two-tenths of a ratings point, but "24" had a similar audience erosion, down one-tenth from its previous week.

Both shows made easy work in the 9 p.m. ET time slot that included sitcom repeats by CBS of "Two and a Half Men" and "Old Christine," while "Supernanny" grabbed a 5.8/9 on ABC.

It was a mostly rerun night days before February sweeps start, but NBC was able to win Monday with a 7.8/12, finishing ahead of Fox, which had a 7.3/11. However, it was Fox who took the overall 18 to 49 crown with a 4.8 on the evening, just enough to slip past NBC's 4.6.

Fast nationals usually provide a snapshot of what Americans are watching by pulling numbers from the top urban markets. A rating point generally represents more than 1.1 million households while the share indicates the percentage of televisions turned on that was tuned to the specific program. These numbers typically shift when final ratings are issued.