‘Farrah’s Story’ draws nearly 9 million viewers

Film was NBC's most-watched program in its Friday night time slot in a year

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updated 10:01 a.m. ET May 17, 2009

LOS ANGELES - A documentary that shows Farrah Fawcett's battle against cancer in wrenching detail drew an estimated 8.9 million viewers, NBC said.

"Farrah's Story" details the former "Charlie's Angels" star's treatment and hopes for recovery, following her through chemotherapy and other grueling treatment. Fawcett, 62, was diagnosed in 2006 with anal cancer that has spread to her liver.

The film was NBC's most-watched television program in its Friday night time slot in more than a year, excluding the Olympics, according to preliminary ratings released Saturday.

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It was edged out by CBS' airing of the season finale of the crime drama "Numb3rs," which drew an estimated 9.6 million viewers.

Fawcett's video diary was initially intended for private viewing by family and friends, but was shared with a wider audience after the actress realized her story could inspire others, said her close friend Alana Stewart, a producer on the film.

The actress maintains good humor during the film as she faces pain, setbacks and, as the treatments grow harsher, the loss of her trademark lush blond locks.

"I do not want to die of this disease. So I say to God, `It is seriously time for a miracle,'" Fawcett says.

Her longtime companion, actor Ryan O'Neal, said in an interview last week that the actress is in a "very rocky place."

O'Neal is shown in the documentary as a steady presence as the actress goes through highs and lows, although the two ended their long romantic relationship in the late 1990s.