Weekly Ratings: 3/15 – 3/20

Sunday Ratings: Did Kings Rule ... or Get Crowned?

8 pm/ET
The Amazing Race led the pack with an audience of 10.43 million total viewers, up 210K week-to-week. Extreme Makeover followed with 9.48 mil. The first hour of NBC's Kings premiered to 6.4 mil, which was enough to best Fox's The Simpsons (5.97 mil) and King of the Hill (5.38 mil).

9 pm
Desperate Housewives' girl-on-girl action drew the prurient interest of 14.43 million viewers, up 930K. Cold Case claimed the No. 2 spot with 12.92 mil, gaining 360 thou week-to-week. In its second hour, NBC's Kings (5.6 mil) unfortunately got crowned by Fox's Family Guy (7.2 mil) and American Dad (5.82 mil).

10 pm
The Unit surged 16 percent to command first place with an audience of 10.92 million viewers. Brothers & Sisters settled for second, with 10.58 mil. Celebrity Apprentice plunged another 12 percent, to 6.7 mil.

Monday Ratings: Once-Hot Gossip Remains Lukewarm

8 pm/ET
Dancing with the Stars dipped 6 percent from its season opener, yet of course dominated the night with an audience of 21.08 million total viewers. Placing second in the hour was House and its very cool "Death Cat," which warmed up to 12.8 million viewers (up 670K). In third, both CBS' Big Bang Theory (9.76 mil, +300K) and How I Met Your Mother (9.22 mil, up 9 percent) both enjoyed gains. Gossip Girl was welcomed back from its eternity-like absence by 2.24 mil, which was on par with its most recent (and near-season low) audience.

9 pm
CBS' Two and a Half Men (14.02 million viewers) and Rules of Engagement (11.4 mil, up 10 percent) placed second behind DWTS, while 24 held steady with 11.34 mil. One Tree Hill (2.27 mil) dropped 330 thou.

10 pm
CSI: Miami dipped 840K but still bested ABC's Castle, 13.35 million to 11.48 million viewers. Castle matched its premiere audience, but again suffered significant tune-out — minus 18 percent — over the course of the hour.

Tuesday Ratings: O'No! Many Faves Stumble on St. Patty's Day

Most every broadcast show was dealt a blow by the combo of St. Patrick's Day revelry, daylight savings time and warmer weather. Here are Tuesday's tallies:

8 pm/ET
American Idol's country croonfest was the night's most watched program, delivering 21.54 million total viewers — a 15 percent drop from last week's sing-off. NCIS placed second with a season-low 15.5 mil (down 13 percent from its last fresh outing). Nipping at the heels of the Dancing with the Stars recap, The Biggest Loser weighed in with 7.9 mil, shedding 15 percent of its previous audience. Reaper (1.88 mil) managed to rid itself of another 290K.

9 pm
Placing second behind Idol, The Mentalist slipped 15 percent to see its smallest audience ever — 15.4 mil. Dancing with the Stars first results show of the season drew 12.42 mil, a 28 percent plunge from the comparable outing a year ago.

10 pm
Without a Trace won the hour with nearly 12 mil, dipping just 215K from its last new episode. Law & Order: SVU scored second with 10.58 mil, dropping 460 thou.

Wednesday Ratings: All-Time Low Harshes Lost's Mellow

8 pm/ET
Fox's Lie to Me led the pack with an audience of 10.03 million total viewers, down 10 percent from its week-ago time-period premiere. CBS' sitcoms combined for second, though both Old Christine (7.37 mil, down 260K) and Gary (7.57 mil, down 140K) dipped a bit. Placing third was ABC's Scrubs (5.8 mil) and lead-out Better Off Ted (which premiered to 5.64 mil). Top Model (3.6 mil) tumbled 19 percent yet still bested NBC's rotting Chopping Block (3.46 mil).

9 pm
American Idol's results show delivered 23 million viewers, slipping 7 percent week-to-week. Criminal Minds followed with 13.5 mil, down a half mil. Lost's numbers weren't terribly groovy, dropping 14 percent to an all-time low of 9.08 mil. (Next week, Sawyer & Co. face an even tougher hurdle: Idol's Obama-cized, two-hour performance show!) Life also took a plunge, to 4.22 mil.

10 pm
CSI: NY won the hour with 12.7 million viewers (down 800K), followed by Law & Order (7.07 mil, down 530K). Life on Mars showed some life, surging 15 percent to 5.27 mil.

Thursday Ratings: Supernatural Grabs a Few More Viewers

8 pm/ET
With Survivor benched by basketball, Bones topped the hour with 10.2 million total viewers, a week-to-week gain of 650K. CBS' NCAA tourney coverage followed, averaging 9.42 mil across the night. In third, Ugly Betty inched up 360 thou, to deliver 7.56 mil. Trailing NBC's Earl (6.42 mil)/rehashed Office combo, Smallville hit some "Turbulence," dropping 12 percent to 3.29 mil. Next week: Zatanna hits town, played by my new BFF, Serinda Swan (Q&A to come).

9 pm
With CSI riding the pine, Grey's Anatomy rebounded from last week's so-so numbers to deliver 14.36 million viewers, up 810K. NBC's The Office (7.95 mil, +450K) and 30 Rock (7.02 mil, +620K) both enjoyed gains, as did Supernatural, which at 3.15 mil scared up 11 percent more viewers.

10 pm
Private Practice capitalized on Eleventh Hour's time-out to secure first with 10.03 million viewers, up 11 percent week-to-week. ER understandably slipped 12 percent from Clooney's visit, yet still bested basketball to place No. 2 with 9.46 mil.

Friday Ratings: How Many Went Along for Galactica's Final Trip?

8 pm/ET
CBS' NCAA tourney coverage averaged 8.36 million viewers across prime-time, which was good enough to top each hour yet off 18 percent from the Eye's usual scripted line-up. Wife Swap placed second at 8 pm with 4.85 mil, followed by Howie Do It (3.89 mil). Terminator targeted a 3 percent uptick, hitting 3.65 mil.

9 pm
Supernanny secured second with 5.38 million viewers, up 13 percent week-to-week. Dollhouse dipped a bit — though not as much as many predicted, given the "other" sci-fi fare over on SyFy Sci Fi — and in fact rose to third place this week with 4.13 mil. Friday Night Lights thus fell to fourth, scoring 3.84 mil (down 13 percent). Battlestar Galactica's big goodbye, according to early returns, was watched by 2.4 million people — a 56 percent surge from the Season 3 ender and the series' best numbers since the Season 2.5 premiere (Jan. 6, 2006). Of note, BSG typically tacks on 700K through DVR+7. Be sure to check out Erin Fox's recap and Ronald D. Moore's illuminating post-mortem.

10 pm
Basketball, 20/20 (6.63 mil), Dateline (6.07 mil).