VIEWERS WELCOME BACK ALL NEW EPISODES OF CBS'S MONDAY COMEDIES

"Two and a Half Men" is the Week's Top Scripted Program in Viewers and Adults 18-49

"How I Met Your Mother," "Two and a Half Men" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" Hit Season Highs in Key Demos

Opening Rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Gives CBS Nightly Wins on Thursday, Friday and Saturday

In a week that featured the return of original episodes of CBS's Monday comedies, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, TWO AND A HALF MEN and THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE hit season high ratings in key demographics, while the beginning of the NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP delivered nightly wins on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending March 23, week 26 of the 2007-2008 television season.

For the week in viewers: CBS (8.82m), FOX (10.07m), ABC (9.19m) and NBC (7.13m). Season-to-date, CBS is second in viewers (10.48m), behind FOX (11.48m) and ahead of ABC (9.25m) and NBC (8.50m).

For the week in key demographics, CBS was second in both adults 25-54 (3.5/09) and adults 18-49 (3.0/09). Season-to-date, CBS is second in adults 25-54 (3.8/09) and averaging a 3.0/08 in adults 18-49.

For the week in households: CBS (5.5/09), FOX (6.0/10), ABC (5.8/10) and NBC (4.8/08). Season-to-date, CBS is tied for first (6.7/11, with FOX) and +12% ahead of ABC (6.0/10) and +24% ahead of NBC (5.4/09).

CBS Weekly Highlights:

? BIG BANG THEORY (P) returned with first run episodes, finishing second in households (5.4/09), viewers (8.93m), adults 25-54 (4.3/11) and adults 18-49 (3.6/11) - all behind the "Dancing with the Stars" premiere.

? HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (P) was second in households (5.8/09), viewers (9.61m), adults 25-54 (5.0/12) and adults 18-49 (4.3/11) - all behind the "Dancing with the Stars" premiere. Compared to the program's live plus same day first-run season average, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER was up +12% in households (from 5.2/08), +32% in adults 25-54 (from 3.8/09), +34% in adults 18-49 (from 3.2/09) and added +1.47m viewers (from 8.14m, +18%). HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER posted season highs in households, viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49.

? TWO AND A HALF MEN was second in households (8.5/13), viewers (14.06m), adults 25-54 (6.8/15, -0.2 behind ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" premiere) and adults 18-49 (5.4/13, -0.2 behind ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" premiere). Compared to the program's live plus same day first-run season delivery, TWO AND A HALF MEN was up +11% in adults 25-54 (from 6.1/13), +13% in adults 18-49 (from 4.8/11) and added +210,000 viewers (from 13.85m, +1%). This is TWO AND A HALF MEN's best adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 delivery this season.

? THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE was first in adults 25-54 (5.5/12), adults 18-49 (4.3/11), second in households (7.1/11) and viewers (11.47m, -0.55m behind NBC). Compared to the program's live plus same day delivery this season, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE was up +16% in households (from 6.1/09), +34% in both adults 25-54 (from 4.1/09) and adults 18-49 (from 3.2/08) and added +2.15m viewers (from 9.32m, +23%). THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE scored season highs in households, viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49.

? SURVIVOR: MICRONESIA WEDNESDAY SPECIAL (S) (8:00-9:00 PM) was first in viewers (11.56m), adults 25-54 (4.8/12), second in households (6.7/11), adults 18-49 (3.8/11) and adults 18-34 (2.3/07).

-- Thursday, CBS was first in viewers (8.76m), adults 18-49 (3.4/10), adults 18-34 (3.2/11), men 25-54 (4.9/14), men 18-49 (4.6/15) and men 18-34 (4.4/16) and second in both households (5.6/10) and adults 25-54 (3.6/10, -0.1 behind ABC). CBS won every half-hour in men 25-54, men 18-49, men 18-34 and five of six half-hours in both adults 18-49 and adults 18-34.

? CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING THURSDAY 1 (S) (7:00 PM-9:43 PM) posted a 5.2/10 in households with 8.18m viewers. CBS scored a 3.3/10 in adults 25-54, 4.3/14 in men 25-54, 3.1/11 in adults 18-49, 4.1/15 in men 18-49, 2.9/11 in adults 18-34 and 3.8/16 in men 18-34. CBS was first in adults 25-54, men 25-54, adults 18-49, men 18-49, adults 18-34, men 18-34 and second in both households and viewers from 8:00-9:30 PM.

? CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING THURSDAY 2 (S) (9:43PM-12:00AM) scored a 5.1/09 in households with 7.63m viewers. CBS posted a 3.2/09 in adults 25-54, 4.4/13 in men 25-54, 3.1/09 in adults 18-49, 4.1/13 in men 18-49, 3.0/10 in adults 18-34 and 4.0/14 in men 18-34. CBS was first in adults 18-49, men 18-49, adults 18-34, men 18-34, men 25-54, second in viewers and adults 25-54 from 9:30-11:00 PM.

-- Friday, CBS was first in households (5.3/10), viewers (8.60m), adults 25-54 (3.6/11), men 25-54 (4.7/15), adults 18-49 (3.2/11), men 18-49 (4.2/15), adults 18-34 (3.0/12) and men 18-34 (4.0/16). CBS won every half-hour in households, viewers, adults 25-54, men 25-54, adults 18-49, men 18-49, adults 18-34 and men 18-34.

? CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING FRIDAY 1 (S) (7:00 PM-9:44 PM) posted a 5.0/10 in households with 7.67m viewers. CBS scored a 3.1/11 in adults 25-54, 4.2/15 in men 25-54, 2.8/11 in adults 18-49, 3.6/14 in men 18-49, 2.6/11 in adults 18-34 and 3.4/15 in men 18-34. CBS was first in all these measures from 8:00-9:30 PM. CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING FRIDAY 1 is the night's #2 program in viewers, adults 25-54, adults 18-49, adults 18-34, men 25-54, men 18-49 and men 18-34.

? CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING FRIDAY 2 (S) (9:44PM-12:25AM) scored a 5.1/10 in households with 8.21m viewers. CBS posted a 3.4/10 in adults 25-54, 4.6/14 in men 25-54, 3.3/11 in adults 18-49, 4.4/15 in men 18-49, 3.2/12 in adults 18-34 and 4.4/17 in men 18-34. CBS was first in all these measures from 9:30-11:00 PM. CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING FRIDAY 2 is the night's #1 program in viewers, adults 25-54, adults 18-49, adults 18-34, men 25-54, men 18-49 and men 18-34.

-- Saturday, CBS was first in households (5.7/11), viewers (9.59m), adults 25-54 (3.8/11), men 25-54 (5.2/15), adults 18-49 (3.6/12), men 18-49 (4.8/16), adults 18-34 (3.5/14) and men 18-34 (4.5/18). CBS was first in every half-hour in adults 25-54, men 25-54, adults 18-49, men 18-49, adults 18-34 and men 18-34.

? CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY 3 (S) (7:33PM-9:27PM) posted a 6.0/12 in households with 10.03m viewers. CBS scored a 4.1/13 in adults 25-54, 5.6/18 in men 25-54, 3.8/14 in adults 18-49, 5.1/18 in men 18-49, 3.5/15 in adults 18-34 and 4.6/19 in men 18-34. CBS was first in all these measures from 8:00-9:30 PM. CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY 3 was the night's #1 program in households, viewers, adults 25-54, adults 18-49, men 25-54, men 18-49, men 18-34 and tied with CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY 4 for first in adults 18-34.

? CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY 4 (S) (9:27PM-11:45PM) scored a 5.5/10 in households with 9.20m viewers. CBS posted a 3.6/10 in adults 25-54, 4.9/14 in men 25-54, 3.5/11 in adults 18-49, 4.7/15 in men 18-49, 3.5/13 in adults 18-34 and 4.5/18 in men 18-34. CBS was first in all these measures from 9:30-11:00 PM. CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY 4 was tied as the night's #1 program in adults 18-34 (with CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY 3) and the night's #2 program in viewers, adults 25-54, adults 18-49, men 25-54, men 18-49 and men 18-34.

? CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY 3's 41-minute prime run over posted a 7.2/15 with 11.91m viewers, 4.4/14 in adults 25-54 and 4.0/14 in adults 18-49. CBS led the 7:00-7:30 PM time period in households, viewers and key demographics. The 12-minute post game program posted a 6.1/12 with 10.03m viewers, 3.6/11 in adults 25-54 and 3.2/11 in adults 18-49.

CBS top programs of the week: #5 TWO AND A HALF MEN (an average of 14.06m viewers), #6 SURVIVOR: MICRONESIA WEDNESDAY SPECIAL (S) (11.56m), #7 60 MINUTES (11.54m), #8 THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (11.47m), #12 NCIS (R) (10.60m), #17 CBS NCAA POST GAME SUNDAY 1 (S) (10.027m), #18 CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY 3 (S) (10.026m), #20 CSI: MIAMI (R) (9.64m), #21 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (P) (9.61m), #23 CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY 4 (S) (9.20m), #24 THE BIG BANG THEORY (P) (8.93m), #29 CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING FRIDAY 2 (S) (8.21m) and #30 CBS NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENING THURSDAY 1 (S) (8.18m).