'Apprentice' Can't Top 'CSI' Overnights

CSI Files

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Despite strong opposition from NBC's Friends and The Apprentice, back-to-back CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episodes enabled CBS to win the overnight ratings battle by two-tenths of a point last night.

According to Mediaweek's Programming Insider, "Butterflied", the new episode which aired at 9 p.m., earned a 20.1 rating/28 share. This means that last night, approximately 20.1\% of households in overnight markets with television sets were tuned to this week's episode, and 28\% of households watching television at the time had CSI onscreen.

Reality show The Apprentice finished first in the 8:30 p.m. half-hour against a rerun of CSI, bringing in a 14.0/20 versus CSI's 11.1/16, but fell to second place at 9 p.m. when the regularly scheduled Thursday night CSI episode aired.

ER won the 10 p.m. hour for NBC by a smaller margin, 15.2/23 versus 13.7/20 over CBS's Without A Trace.

The Apprentice saw its ratings increase from the first week, gaining three percentage points in the overnights.

Programming Insider <font color=yellow>Marc Berman</font> added that it was "particularly impressive" that the new reality show maintained its ratings when "Butterflied" began to air.

The original column with overnight ratings breakdown, which also contains a guess that the new CSI series may air Friday nights and the SAG nominations, is at Mediaweek. Full ratings will be available Monday.<center></center>
 
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