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[03/28/06 - 12:00 AM]
Mid-Season Hits "The Unit" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and Ncaa College Basketball Lead CBS to a First Place Finish in Viewers
[via press release from CBS]

MID-SEASON HITS "THE UNIT" AND "THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE" AND NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL LEAD CBS TO A FIRST PLACE FINISH IN VIEWERS

"Christine" Posts Across-the-Board Growth Over Its Premiere

"The Unit" Remains the Season's Number One New Program With a Solid Showing Against an Extended "American Idol"

"Criminal Minds" Finishes In Its Closest Competitive Position to a First Run "Lost" in Viewers and Key Demographics

"CSI: NY" Dominates Its New Time Period Competition

"60 Minutes" Has Its Best Deliveries in Viewers and Demos Since January

CBS's mid-season hits THE UNIT and THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE, CRIMINAL MINDS, CSI: NY and 60 MINUTES, along with CBS Sports coverage of the NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT, paced the Network to first place finish in viewers and second in key demographics, according to Nielsen ratings for the week ending March 26, week 27 of the 2005-2006 television season.

For the week in viewers, CBS (11.98m) topped FOX (11.88m), ABC (9.68m) and NBC (9.48m). Season-to-date, CBS (12.66m) leads, followed by ABC (11.37m), NBC (9.97m) and FOX (9.76m).

For the week in households, CBS (7.8/13) was +8% ahead of FOX (7.2/11) and +26% ahead of both NBC and ABC (6.2/10, each). Season-to-date, CBS is first in households (8.2/13), outpacing ABC by +14% (7.2/12), NBC by +26% (6.5/10) and FOX by +37% (6.0/10).

For the week in key demographics, CBS was second in adults 25-54 (4.7/11) and adults 18-49 (3.8/10) even with time period winning dramas CSI, WITHOUT A TRACE, GHOST WHISPERER and NUM3BERS as well as SURVIVIOR being preempted on Thursday and Friday due to basketball.

� TWO AND A HALF MEN won its time period in households (10.5/15), viewers (16.72m), adults 25-54 (7.0/15) and second in adults 18-49 (5.4/13, -0.1 behind FOX).

� THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE was first in households (9.7/14), viewers (15.13m), adults 25-54 (6.6/14) and second in adults 18-49 (5.1/12, -0.3 behind FOX).

This is the time period's best delivery this season in viewers and adults 25-54 and matches the best adults 18-49 delivery.

-- Compared to last week's premiere, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE was up slightly in viewers (from 15.09m), +10% in adults 25-54 (from 6.0/13), +6% in adults 18-49 (from 4.8/11) and +3% in adults 18-34 (3.4/09 from 3.3/08). Of the three sitcoms in this time slot this season, this is the first series to improve in its second week.

� CSI: MIAMI won its time period in households (13.0/21), viewers (19.86m), adults 25-54 (8.2/20), adults 18-49 (6.6/17) and adults 18-34 (4.7/14). CSI: MIAMI beat NBC and ABC combined in viewers (vs. 14.78m, +34%), adults 18-34 (vs. 4.2/13, +12%), adults 18-49 (vs. 5.4/14, +22%) and adults 25-54 (vs. 6.5/16, +26%).

� NCIS (R) was second in households (7.5/11), viewers (11.48m), adults 25-54 (3.7/08) and adults 18-49 (2.6/07), all behind FOX's "American Idol" and against mostly first run programming on the competition.

� THE UNIT was second in households (9.8/14), viewers (15.50m), adults 25-54 (5.7/12) and adults 18-49 (4.2/09). Compared to last week, THE UNIT retained 89% of its households (from 11.0/16), 86% of both viewers (from 18.07m) and adults 18-49 (from 4.9/11) and 85% of adults 25-54 (from 6.7/14). Note: Last week's episode had a first run NCIS as a lead-in.

� THE AMAZING RACE 9 (6.0/10, 9.40m) was second in adults 25-54 (4.6/11), adults 18-49 (3.9/10) and adults 18-34 (3.0/09).

� CRIMINAL MINDS, against NBC's "Law & Order" (which just moved to the time period), topped the long running NBC drama by +24% in households (7.8/12 vs. 6.3/09), +35% in viewers (12.10m vs. 9.00m), +36% in adults 25-54 (4.5/09 vs. 3.3/07), +35% in adults 18-49 (3.5/08 vs. 2.6/06) and +16% in adults 18-34 (2.2/06 vs. 1.9/05).

� CRIMINAL MINDS finished in its best competitive position behind a first run "Lost" in viewers (-3.95m), adults 25-54 (-3.2), adults 18-49 (-3.1) and adults 18-34 (-3.3). This is the first time a first run CRIMINAL MINDS trailed a first run "Lost" by less than 4 million viewers. In their first head-to-head match up, CRIMINAL MINDS trailed "Lost" by -12.56m viewers.

� CSI: NY was first in households (9.1/15), viewers (13.93m), adults 25-54 (5.5/13), adults 18-49 (4.4/12) and adults 18-34 (3.0/09). CSI: NY dominated the series premiere of "Heist" in households (vs. 5.9/10, +54%), viewers (vs. 8.75m, +59%), adults 25-54 (vs. 3.7/09, +49%), adults 18-49 (vs. 3.0/08, +47%) and adults 18-34 (vs. 2.4/07, +25%). CSI: NY easily topped the premiere of "Evidence" in households (vs. 6.2/10, +47%), viewers (vs. 9.10m, +53%), adults 25-54 (vs. 4.1/10, +34%), adults 18-49 (vs. 3.4/09, +29%) and adults 18-34 (vs. 2.4/07, +25%).

� CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP THURSDAY 1 (S) (7:00PM-10:01PM) posted a 7.6/13 in households with 11.57m viewers. CBS scored a 4.4/12 in adults 25-54, 6.0/17 in men 25-54, 3.8/12 in adults 18-49, 5.1/17 in men 18-49, 3.6/13 in adults 18-34 and 4.8/18 in men 18-34. CBS was first in households, viewers and key men, adults 18-34 and tied for first in both adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 from 8:00-10:00PM. This is CBS's best delivery with the NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP in this window since March 21, 2002.

� CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP THURSDAY 2 (S) (10:01PM-12:30AM) scored a 7.1/13 in households with 10.45m viewers. CBS posted a 4.3/12 in adults 25-54, 6.2/18 in men 25-54, 3.9/12 in adults 18-49, 5.6/17 in men 18-49, 3.8/13 in adults 18-34 and 5.3/18 in men 18-34. CBS was first in men 25-54, men 18-49 and men 18-34.

� CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING FRIDAY 1 (S) (7:00PM-10:09PM) posted a 6.2/11 in households with 9.34m viewers. CBS scored a 3.6/11 in adults 25-54, 4.9/16 in men 25-54, 3.2/11 in adults 18-49, 4.2/16 in men 18-49, 2.7/11 in adults 18-34 and 3.5/16 in men 18-34. CBS was first in households, viewers, key adults and men demos from 8:00-10:00PM.

� CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING FRIDAY 2 (S) (10:09PM-12:58AM) scored a 6.5/13 in households with 9.79m viewers. CBS posted a 4.2/13 in adults 25-54, 5.8/18 in men 25-54, 3.9/13 in adults 18-49, 5.4/18 in men 18-49, 3.6/14 in adults 18-34 and 4.6/18 in men 18-34. CBS was first in households, viewers and key adults and men demos from 10:00-11:00PM.

� CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY 2 (S) (7:04-9:38PM) posted a 6.9/13 in households with 10.38m viewers. CBS scored a 4.2/13 in adults 25-54, 5.8/19 in men 25-54, 3.6/13 in adults 18-49, 5.0/18 in men 18-49, 3.2/14 in adults 18-34 and 4.1/18 in men 18-34. CBS was first from 8:00-9:30PM in households, viewers and key demos

� CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY 2 (S) from 7:00-7:31PM posted a 9.6/17 with 14.64m viewers.

� 60 MINUTES (7:39-8:39 PM) delivered a 11.0/17 with 17.09m viewers, 5.6/13 in adults 25-54 and 4.3/11 in adults 18-49. 60 MINUTES was first in households, viewers and key demos from 7:30-8:30PM. This is 60 MINUTES's best delivery in households, viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 since January 8, 2006.

CBS top programs of the week: #4 CSI: MIAMI (an average of 19.86m viewers), #5 60 MINUTES (17.09m), #7 TWO AND A HALF MEN (16.72m), #10 THE UNIT (15.50m), #11 THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (15.13m), #14 COLD CASE (14.64m), #15 CSI: NY (13.93m), #21 CBS NCAA POST GAME SUNDAY 2 (12.85m), #23 CRIMINAL MINDS (12.10m), #24 CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP THURSDAY 1 (S) (11.57m), #25 NCIS (R) (11.48m) and #30 THE KING OF QUEENS (10.75m).





  [march 2006]  
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· 60 MINUTES (CBS)
· AMAZING RACE, THE (CBS)
· AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)
· COLD CASE (CBS)
· CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)
· CSI: MIAMI (CBS)
· CSI: NEW YORK (CBS)
· EVIDENCE, THE (ABC)
· HEIST (NBC)
· KING OF QUEENS, THE (CBS)
· LAW & ORDER (NBC)
· LOST (ABC)
· NCIS (CBS)
· NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE, THE (CBS)
· TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS)
· UNIT, THE (CBS)




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