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    NBC has had a big hit with its new show "Heroes" on Monday nights. The series, about a bunch of people with super powers, appears to be appealing to the same group of young people that have flocked to movies based on comic books during the past few years.

    Through mid-October, "Heroes" has pulled in about 13.5 million viewers a week. While that's only good enough to make the show the 27th most watched overall, the numbers are significantly better with 18-49 year-olds. "Heroes" ranks 11th with that demographic. NBC has already announced that it has picked up "Heroes" for the full season.

    The other new NBC show on Monday nights has not been as successful though. The heavily hyped "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," the "dramedy" by "West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin about what goes on behind the scenes at a late-night comedy show, debuted to strong ratings but has since slipped in the rankings.

    Although the show is loved by many critics, some think that the subject matter of "Studio 60" may be too narrowly focused to appeal to a wide audience.

    "What we're seeing with 'Studio 60', the audience is thinking that it's too insider-ish. That's a common complaint. It's probably affecting the viewership," said Michael Coristine, a sports and entertainment analyst for Brandimensions, a market research firm that looks at consumer opinion based on Internet chatter from blogs and message boards.

    But NBC also has a "new" hit show on its hands with "Sunday Night Football." NFL games are averaging 17.7 million viewers so far, making the prime-time football telecasts the sixth most-watched show. (Sunday night games used to air on ESPN last year.)

    One media buyer said football has also helped NBC because it can use time during those telecasts to tout shows airing on the network later in the week.

    "Football has really done NBC well. You can't go wrong with using that as a promotional platform," said Shari Anne Brill, vice president and director of programming with Carat USA. To that end, even some older NBC shows such as "E.R." and "Law and Order: SVU" have seen a bump in ratings so far this season.

    The ratings turnaround is good news for NBC parent company General Electric (Charts). GE reported Friday that thanks to some of its new hits, the NBC Universal division, which also includes cable networks Bravo and USA and a movie studio, should report an increase in profits during the fourth quarter. Earnings for the unit fell 10 percent during the third quarter.

    "NBC Universal is making good progress in finishing the year on the upswing with positive momentum from the new prime-time line-up," said GE CEO Jeff Immelt in a statement Friday.

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