CBS OPENS 2011 WITH ANOTHER WIN IN VIEWERS

Strong Monday and Thursday Performances Drive CBS to Viewer Win in First Week of New Year

"How I Met Your Mother," "Rules of Engagement" and "Two and a Half Men" Post Their Best Viewer Deliveries of the Season

CBS Delivers Its Largest Thursday Audience Since Premiere Week

"Two and a Half Men" and "Mike & Molly" Are the Top Two Comedies of the Week While "The Mentalist" and "CSI" are Tops Among Dramas

CBS started the new year with a weekly win in viewers, the network's 14th victory in 16 weeks in that measure, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending Jan. 9, week 16 of the 2010-2011 television season.

The Network's win was driven by big performances on Monday and Thursday. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT and TWO AND A HALF MEN's all posted their best deliveries of the season in viewers and adults 25-54. CBS also delivered its largest Thursday audience since Premiere Week in viewers led by the night's #1 program in viewers, THE MENTALIST, and its largest audience in key demos since November led by the #1 program in key demos, THE BIG BANG THEORY.

TWO AND A HALF MEN and THE BIG BANG THEORY were the week's top comedies. THE MENTALIST and CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION were the week's top dramas.

For the week in viewers: CBS (9.73m) beat NBC (9.58m), FOX (8.24m) and ABC (7.34m). Season-to-date, CBS (11.73m) is ahead of ABC (8.69m), NBC (8.18m) and FOX (7.56m).

For the week in households: CBS (6.1/10) was ahead of NBC (5.7/09), FOX (4.8/08) and ABC (4.6/07). Season-to-date, CBS (7.1/12) is ahead of ABC (5.4/09), NBC (5.0/08) and FOX (4.5/07).

For the week in key demographics, CBS averaged a 2.3/06 in adults 18-49 and 3.1/08 in adults 25-54. Season-to-date, CBS is first in both adults 25-54 (3.9/10) and adults 18-49 (3.0/08), and even in both adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 compared to last season.

CBS Weekly Highlights:

-- On Monday, CBS was first in households (7.0/11), viewers (11.64m), adults 25-54 (4.7/11) and adults 18-49 (3.6/09). CBS won every half-hour in viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49.

? HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER was first in households (6.1/09), viewers (10.15m), adults 25-54 (4.7/12), adults 18-49 (3.9/11) and adults 18-34 (3.2/10). HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER posted its best delivery in households since March 8, 2010, its best in both viewers and adults 25-54 since March 1, 2010, its best in adults 18-49 since Sept. 27, 2010, and its best in adults 18-34 since Nov. 22, 2010.

? RULES OF ENGAGEMENT was first in viewers (9.76m), adults 25-54 (4.4/10) and adults 18-49 (3.4/09) and second in households (5.8/09, -0.1 behind ABC). RULES OF ENGAGEMENT posted its best delivery in viewers and adults 25-54 since March 8, 2010, and its best in adults 18-49 since Nov. 1, 2010.

? TWO AND A HALF MEN was first in households (9.1/14), viewers (15.36m), adults 25-54 (6.2/14) and adults 18-49 (4.7/12). TWO AND A HALF MEN posted its best delivery in households, viewers and adults 25-54 since May 24, 2010, and its best in adults 18-49 since Sept. 27, 2010. TWO AND A HALF MEN was Monday's #1 program in households, viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49.

? MIKE & MOLLY was first in households (7.5/11), viewers (12.39m), adults 25-54 (4.9/11) and adults 18-49 (3.7/09). MIKE & MOLLY posted its best delivery in these measures since Nov. 22, 2010.

? HAWAII FIVE-0 was first in households (6.8/11), viewers (11.00m), adults 25-54 (3.8/10) and adults 18-49 (2.9/08). HAWAII FIVE-0 posted its best delivery in both viewers and adults 18-49 since Nov. 22, 2010.

-- On Tuesday, CBS was first in households (6.5/11) and viewers (10.26m); the network was second in both adults 25-54 (3.1/07) and adults 18-49 (2.2/06).

? LIVE TO DANCE SPECIAL (S) was first in households (6.3/10) and viewers (10.22m); it was second in adults 25-54 (3.2/08), adults 18-49 (2.4/06) and adults 18-34 (1.7/05).

? THE 37th ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS (S) was first in adults 18-34 (2.4/08), second in households (6.1/10) and viewers (9.52m), and tied for second in both adults 25-54 (3.2/08, with ABC) and adults 18-49 (2.7/08, with ABC).

-- On Thursday, CBS was first in households (8.3/14), viewers (13.83m), adults 25-54 (4.6/12) and second in adults 18-49 (3.4/09, -0.2 behind ABC). CBS posted the network's largest Thursday audience since Premiere Week and its best ratings in adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 since Nov. 4, 2010.

? THE BIG BANG THEORY was first in households (8.2/14), viewers (13.98m), adults 25-54 (5.7/15) and adults 18-49 (4.4/13). THE BIG BANG THEORY posted its best deliveries in these measures since Nov. 4, 2010. THE BIG BANG THEORY was the night's #1 program in adults 25-54 and adults 18-49.

? $#*! MY DAD SAYS was first in households (6.5/10) and second in viewers (10.79m), adults 25-54 (4.0/10) and adults 18-49 (2.9/08). Compared to the last first-run episode (on Dec.16, 2010), $#*! MY DAD SAYS was up +5% in households (from 6.2/10), even in adults 18-49 and added +490,000 viewers (from 10.30m, +5%).

? CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION was first in households (8.6/14) and viewers (14.22m); it was second in both adults 25-54 (4.5/11) and adults 18-49 (3.3/09). CSI posted its best households and adults 18-49 ratings since Nov. 4, 2010, and its best deliveries in both viewers and adults 25-54 since Oct. 28, 2010.

? THE MENTALIST was first in households (9.1/16), viewers (14.88m), adults 25-54 (4.3/11) and adults 18-49 (3.1/09). THE MENTALIST posted its best ratings in households and adults 18-49 ratings since Oct. 28, 2010, best adults 25-54 rating since Nov. 18, 2010 and largest audience since Oct. 14, 2010.

? CSI: MIAMI was first in households (7.4/11) and viewers (11.99m); it was second in adults 25-54 (3.5/08). Compared to last week's broadcast, CSI: MIAMI was up +10% in households (from 6.7/10), +13% in adults 25-54 (from 3.1/07), +14% in adults 18-49 (2.5/06 from 2.2/06) and added +1.07m viewers (from 10.92m, +10%).

? UNDERCOVER BOSS was second in households (6.8/10), viewers (11.75m) and adults 25-54 (4.1/09). Compared to last week, UNDERCOVER BOSS was up +2% in adults 25-54 (from 4.0/09) and even in adults 18-49 (3.0/07).

Top CBS programs of the week: #5 TWO AND A HALF MEN (an average of 15.36m viewers), #6 THE MENTALIST (14.88m), #7 CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (14.22m), #8 THE BIG BANG THEORY (13.98m), #11 MIKE & MOLLY (12.39m), #12 CSI: MIAMI (11.99m), #14 UNDERCOVER BOSS (11.75m), #17 HAWAII FIVE-0 (11.00m), #18 $#*! MY DAD SAYS (10.79m), #20 60 MINUTES (10.45m), #21 NCIS 10PM SPECIAL (R) (S) (10.34m), #22 LIVE TO DANCE (S) (10.22m), #23 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (10.15m), #25 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (9.76m), #27 THE 37th ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS (9.524m) and #28 CSI: NY (9.516m).