'THE OFFICE,' 'BIGGEST LOSER,' '30 ROCK,' 'ER' AND 'SVU' LEAD NBC'S PRIMETIME WEEK OF MARCH 16-22

'THE OFFICE,' 'BIGGEST LOSER,' '30 ROCK,' 'ER' AND 'SVU' LEAD NBC'S PRIMETIME WEEK OF MARCH 16-22

ON TUESDAY, 'THE BIGGEST LOSER' GAINS 50 PERCENT IN 18-49 AND 34 PERCENT IN TOTAL VIEWERS FROM ITS FIRST HALF-HOUR TO ITS FOURTH, DESPITE HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPETITION WITH A TWO-HOUR 'AMERICAN IDOL'

'THE BIGGEST LOSER: COUPLES' IS THE BIGGEST 'LOSER' CYCLE IN BOTH 18-49 AND TOTAL VIEWERS SINCE THE FIRST 'BIGGEST LOSER' IN 2004-05

'THE BIGGEST LOSER: COUPLES' GAINS 11 PERCENT IN ADULTS 18-49 AND 17 PERCENT IN TOTAL VIEWERS VERSUS LAST YEAR

'LAW & ORDER: SVU' ON TUESDAY WINS ITS HOUR IN ALL KEY DEMOGRAPHIC RATINGS CATEGORIES � ADULTS, MEN AND WOMEN 18-34, 18-49 AND 25-54

ON THURSDAY, 'MY NAME IS EARL' 'THE OFFICE' AND '30 ROCK' ALL POST WEEK-TO-WEEK GROWTH IN VIEWERSHIP

ON SUNDAY, 'CELEBRITY APPRENTICE' SURGES 52 PERCENT IN 18-49 FROM ITS FIRST HALF-HOUR TO ITS FOURTH, TO RANK #1 IN THE FINAL HOUR OF PRIMETIME IN ADULTS 18-49 AND OTHER KEY DEMOGRAPHICS

'THE OFFICE' RANKS #9 THIS WEEK IN ADULTS 18-49 AND #5 AMONG ALL PROGRAMS IN ADULTS 18-34

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. � March 24, 2009 � Led by another strong performance by "The Biggest Loser: Couples" versus "American Idol" competition, plus potent ratings from "The Office," "30 Rock," "ER" and "Law & Order: SVU," NBC averaged a 2.0 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49 and 5.7 million viewers overall for the week of March 16-22, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

"The Office" this week ranked #9 among all primetime programs in adults 18-49, despite competing head-to-head in its time period with another top 10 program � ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." Among adults 18-34, "The Office" ranked #5 among all programs for the week.

Primetime averages for the week of March 16-22 in adults 18-49 were Fox (3.8/11), CBS (3.4/10), ABC (2.7/8), NBC (2.0/6), Univision (1.6/5), CW (0.8/2) and Telemundo (0.4/1). In overall total viewers the weekly averages were CBS (11.5 million), Fox (10.3 million), ABC (9.2 million), NBC (5.7 million), Univision (4.0 million), CW (1.9 million) and Telemundo (1.0 million).

Through the first 26 weeks of the 2008-09 season, NBC is the only one of the major broadcast networks to decrease its median age versus the prior season. NBC is now the "second youngest" of the major broadcast networks, with a median age of 47.1 years (versus 47.7 years at this point last season), only 2.2 years "older" than Fox (44.9 years). By comparison, ABC's median age this season is 49.0 and CBS's median age is 53.9.

Season to date, NBC is running within 0.6 of a rating point of first place in primetime's key demographic of adults 18-49, versus a deficit of 1.4 points at this time last season.

NBC highlights for the week of March 16-22:

* On Tuesday, "The Biggest Loser: Couples" gained 50 percent in 18-49 rating and 34 percent or more than 2.3 million persons in total viewers from its first half-hour to its fourth, despite competition from "American Idol." In its second hour from 9-10 p.m., "Biggest Loser" ranked #2 in adults 18-49, behind only "Idol," topping ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" results show and CBS's first-run telecast of "The Mentalist."

* "The Biggest Loser: Couples" is up 11 percent in 18-49 and 17 percent in total viewers versus its year-ago cycle. Through 11 weeks, the current, seventh cycle of "The Biggest Loser" is the biggest "Loser" cycle in both adults 18-49 and total viewers since "The Biggest Loser 1" in the 2004-05 season.

* Also on Tuesday, "Law & Order: SVU" won its time period in every key demographic ratings category � adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.

* On Thursday, "The Office" was up 5 percent and "30 Rock" gained 11 percent in total viewers versus the prior week's telecasts, while "My Name is Earl" increased by 14 percent in adults 18-49 and 18 percent in total viewers versus its most recent first-run telecast two weeks earlier.

* On Friday, "Dateline NBC" reported the network's highest 18-49 and total-viewer results in the time period in seven weeks. "Dateline" was up 13 percent in 18-49 and 19 percent in total viewers versus the prior Friday.

* On Sunday, "The Celebrity Apprentice" delivered dramatic growth from its first half-hour to its fourth, gaining 52 percent in 18-49 rating and 38 percent or 2.3 million persons in total viewers. This steady growth lifted "Celebrity Apprentice" to a #1 finish in the final 10:30-11 p.m. half-hour of primetime Sunday in adults 18-34, adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and other key demos.

Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day."

Additional NBC highlights for the week of March 16-22:

On Monday, March 16 from 8-9 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of "Chuck" averaged a 1.3 rating, 4 share in adults 18-49 and 3.9 million viewers overall. From 9-10 p.m., a rebroadcast of "Heroes" averaged a 1.1/3 in 18-49 and 3.0 million viewers overall.

Monday from 10-11 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of "Medium" (1.4/4 in 18-49, 4.4 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in from the previous hour by 27 percent in 18-49 rating and 46 percent in total viewers.

On Tuesday, March 17 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser: Couples" (3.2/9 in 18-49, 8.0 million viewers overall) tied for #2 in its time period in adults 18-49 (with CBS's dramas) and was #2 outright in adults 18-34 and other key demographics, behind only "American Idol."

From its first half-hour to its fourth, "Loser" gained 50 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 3.9/10 from a 2.6/8) and 34 percent in total viewers (to 9.2 million from 6.9 million). In its second hour from 9-10 p.m., "Biggest Loser" ranked #2 in adults 18-49, behind only "Idol" and topping ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" results show and CBS's "The Mentalist."

"The Biggest Loser: Couples" is up versus its year-ago cycle by 11 percent in 18-49 (4.0 vs. 3.6, "most current") and 17 percent in total viewers (10.2million vs. 8.7 million) versus the same weeks last year, while the Tuesday edition of "Idol" is down 17 percent in 18-49 (10.1 vs. 12.2, "most current") and down 13 percent in total viewers (26.6 million vs. 30.7 million).

Through 11 weeks, the current, seventh cycle of "The Biggest Loser" is the biggest "Loser" cycle in both adults 18-49 (averaging a 4.0/10) and in total viewers (10.2 million) since "The Biggest Loser 1" in the 2004-05 season.

Tuesday from 10-11 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.5/10 in 18-49, 10.7 million viewers overall) won its time period in every key demographic ratings category � adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. In adults 18-49, the "SVU" margin of victory was 40 percent (3.5 vs. a 2.5 for CBS's "Without a Trace" in second place). It is worth noting that an "SVU" original has not lost this hour to regular competition in adults 18-49 in more than four years.

NBC ranked #2 on Tuesday night in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and other key demographics, behind only "Idol"-boosted Fox.

On Wednesday, March 18 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Chopping Block" averaged a 1.2/4 in 18-49 and 3.4 million viewers overall. "Chopping Block" increased from its first half-hour to its second by 8 percent in adults 18-49 (to a 1.3 from a 1.2), 11 percent in adults 18-34 (1.0 vs. 0.9) and 17 percent in women 18-34 (1.4 vs. 1.2). Week-to-week, "Chopping Block" gained 8 percent among women 18-34 (1.3 vs. 1.2).

Wednesday from 9-10 p.m. ET, "Life" (1.5/4 in 18-49, 4.3 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in from the previous hour by 25 percent in 18-49 rating and 27 percent in total viewers, despite intense competition in the hour from Fox's "American Idol," ABC's "Lost" and CBS's "Criminal Minds." It is worth noting that "Life" has been adding an average 23 percent in adults 18-49 when going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" results, one of the biggest increases for any show on the major networks.

Wednesday at 10 p.m., "Law & Order" (2.1/6 in 18-49, 7.1 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in from the previous hour by 40 percent 18-49 rating and 66 percent or more than 2.8 million persons in total viewers. "Law & Order" ranked #2 in adults 18-49, total viewers and most other key measures.

On Thursday, March 19 from 8-8:30 p.m. ET, "My Name is Earl" delivered a 2.5/8 in 18-49 and 6.4 million viewers overall). Versus its most recent original telecast on March 5, "Earl" was up 14 percent in 18-49 (2.5 vs. 2.2) and 18 percent in total viewers (6.4 million vs. 5.5 million). From 8:30-9 p.m., an encore telecast of "The Office" (2.1/6 in 18-49, 4.6 million viewers overall) delivered NBC's top 18-49 and total-viewer result in this half-hour in four weeks.

Thursday from 9-9:31 p.m. ET, "The Office" (4.0/10 in 18-49, 8.1 million viewers overall) finished within 2 shares of the time-period lead in adults 18-49, ranking #2 in that demo, tied with CBS's NCAA basketball coverage. Among adults 18-34, "The Office" ranked #1, tied with ABC's "Grey's Anatomy."

Versus the prior week, "The Office" gained 5 percent in total viewers (8.1 million vs. 7.7 million). "The Office" built on its lead-in from the encore telecast in the previous half-hour by 90 percent in 18-49 rating and by 76 percent or more than 3.4 million persons in total viewers.

Season-to-date, "The Office" is the #11-ranked primetime program in adults 18-49, despite airing in head-to-head competition with the #1 show on the CBS schedule ("CSI") and one of the two top shows on the ABC schedule ("Grey's Anatomy"). Among adults 18-34, "The Office" is primetime television's #4 show (averaging a 5.5/14 season-to-date in that demo), behind only "Grey's Anatomy" and the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "American Idol."

Thursday from 9:31-10 p.m. ET, "30 Rock" (3.2/8 in 18-49, 7.1 million viewers overall) this week was up 19 percent versus its average in this post-"Office" time period last season (3.2 vs. 2.7). This week, "30 Rock" retained 80 percent of its 18-49 lead-in from "The Office," ahead of its 76 percent average retention this quarter following "Office" originals.

"30 Rock" increased 11 percent in total viewers versus last week's telecast (7.1 million vs. 6.4 million).

Thursday from 10-11 p.m. ET, "ER" (3.2/9 in 18-49, 9.5 million viewers overall) finished within one share of the time-period lead in adults 18-49 and ranked #1 among adults 25-54 versus atypical competition in the hour from CBS's NCAA basketball coverage.

On Friday, March 20 from 8-8:29 p.m. ET, "Howie Do It" averaged a 1.0/4 in 18-49 and 4.0 million viewers overall. From 8:29-9 p.m., an encore telecast of "Howie Do It" (1.1/4, 3.8 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in from the first-run episode by 10 percent in 18-49.

Friday from 9-10 p.m. ET, "Friday Night Lights" (1.2/4 in 18-49, 3.9 million viewers overall) increased from its first half-hour to its second by 18 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 1.3 from a 1.1) and by 21 percent in adults 25-54 (to a 1.7 from a 1.4). It is worth noting that so far this season, "Friday Night Lights'" 18-49 rating has been increasing by an average of 22 percent when going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" results. The current third season of "Friday Night Lights" has previously run on DirecTV.

Friday at 10 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (1.7/5 in 18-49, 6.1 million viewers overall) reported NBC's highest 18-49 and total-viewer result in this time period in seven weeks (since January 30). Versus the prior week, "Dateline" increased by 13 percent in 18-49 (1.7 vs. 1.5) and by 19 percent in total viewers (6.1 million vs. 5.2 million). "Dateline" built on its lead-in from the previous hour by 42 percent in 18-49 rating and by 60 percent in total viewers.

On Saturday, March 21 from 8-10 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of "The Celebrity Apprentice" averaged a 0.8/3 in 18-49 and 2.7 million viewers overall. From its first half-hour to its fourth, the "Celebrity Apprentice" increased 120 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 1.1/3 from a 0.5/2) and 40 percent in overall viewership (to 3.3 million from 2.3 million).

Saturday at 10 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of "Law & Order" (1.3/4 in 18-49, 5.4 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in adults 18-49 and other key ratings categories. From its first half-hour to second, "Law & Order" grew 17 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 1.4/5 from a 1.2/4) and 22 percent or 1.1 million persons in total viewers (to 6.0 million from 4.9 million).

On Sunday, March 22 from 7-8 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (1.5/5 in 18-49, 6.7 million viewers overall) reported NBC's top 18-49 and total-viewer results in this time period since the NFL Pro Bowl on February 8. From its first half-hour to its second, "Dateline" increased by 21 percent in adults 18-49 (to a 1.7/5 from a 1.4/4) and by 13 percent in total viewers (to 7.1 million from 6.2 million).

Sunday from 8-10 p.m. ET, "Kings" averaged a 1.3/3 in 18-49 and 4.6 million viewers overall in a highly competitive time period that included the "60 Minutes" interview with President Obama. From its first half-hour to its second, "Kings" increased 8 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 1.3 from a 1.2).

Sunday from 9-11 p.m. ET, "The Celebrity Apprentice" (3.0/7 in 18-49, 7.4 million viewers overall) delivered dramatic growth from its first half-hour to its fourth, gaining 52 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 3.5/9 from a 2.3/5) and 38 percent or 2.3 million persons in total viewers (to 8.5 million from 6.1 million). This steady growth lifted "Celebrity Apprentice" to a #1 finish in the final 10:30-11 p.m. half-hour of primetime in adults 18-34, 18-49, 25-54 and all key adult-male demos.

Week-to-week, "Celebrity Apprentice" grew 7 percent in 18-49 (3.0 vs. 2.8) and 9 percent in total viewers (7.4 million vs. 6.8 million) versus the prior week's one-hour 10-11 p.m. edition. Comparing just the 10-11 p.m. hour, "Celebrity Apprentice" this week improved by 21 percent in 18-49 (3.4 vs. 2.8) and 21 percent in total viewers versus the previous week (8.2 million vs. 6.8 million). "Celebrity Apprentice" was up 30 percent in 18-49 rating versus NBC's non-sports average in the time period this season prior to "Apprentice's" debut (3.0 vs. 2.3, "live plus same day").