The sixth season of the medical drama “House M.D.” premiered on Fox on Monday night and the viewers’ response was more than early estimates indicated, as 16.5 million people tuned in to see Dr. Gregory House in action, Variety informs. Even without his ever-reliable team, House managed to rise in the ratings’ charts, leaving “veteran” shows that made their debut on the same night far off behind.

Competition from NBC’s “Heroes” and the dance competition Dancing With the Stars meant almost nothing for “House,” which managed to establish itself as the biggest winner of the new season. Jay Leno’s show also took a hit from the critically acclaimed medical drama, pulling in only about a third of the numbers registered a week before, which, in turn, marked the lowest rating for the show so far.

“On the opening night of the television season, a huge ‘House’ lifted Fox to victory Monday while making life more difficult for new and returning shows on rival nets. CBS rookie comedy ‘Accidentally on Purpose’ bowed to nothing-special scores, and NBC’s ‘Heroes’ and ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ were among the veteran shows to fall off noticeably vs. last year. The night was also a tough one for NBC’s ‘The Jay Leno Show,’ which was saddled with a lower lead-in and predictably took a hit opposite tougher competition.” Variety says of the impressive ratings “House” scored.

“According to Nielsen nationals that include same-night DVR playback, Fox’s ‘House’ kicked off its sixth season with a dominant two-hour seg that averaged a 6.7 rating/16 share in adults 18-49 and 17.13 million viewers overall. This was up 18% from the show’s hourlong bow on a Tuesday a year ago and represents a monster 179% improvement in 18-49 (from 2.4/6) for Fox over last season’s premiere night tandem of ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ and ‘Prison Break.’ Fox won Monday in most key categories, marking its first 18-49 victory on the opening night of the season.” the movie-oriented publication further informs.

Useless to say, given its strong opening, estimates in the industry suggest “House” will continue to hold on to its position as leader of the pack in ratings, although a minor drop is to be expected in the following weeks.