'Anatomy' leads Alphabet to easy win

Fast National ratings for Sunday, March 19, 2006

"Desperate Housewives" was a repeat Sunday, but the other networks couldn't take advantage of it and ABC powered its way to a ratings win.

ABC posted a 9.4 rating/15 share for the night, beating CBS' 8.0/12 (the CBS numbers include live basketball in much of the country and therefore may change some). NBC, 6.6/10, came in third. FOX took fourth with a 3.8/6, and The WB trailed with a 1.3/2.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, ABC's 6.0 rating was tops by a fairly wide margin. CBS and FOX tied for second at 3.3, with NBC in fourth a 2.7. The WB came in at 0.8.

CBS won the 7 p.m. hour with the conclusion of its NCAA tournament coverage, 8.9/15, and "60 Minutes," 8.5/14. "Dateline" scored a better-than-usual 7.0/11 to put NBC in second, ahead of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on ABC. "Malcolm in the Middle," 2.9/5, and "King of the Hill," 3.5/6, were fourth for FOX. The WB aired a "JammX Kids Dance Special."

The back half of "60 Minutes," 10.4/16, and "Cold Case," 10.1/15, kept CBS atop the household rankings at 8 p.m., although hour two of "EM: Home Edition" (9.6/15) brought in more total viewers for ABC. "The West Wing" was third for NBC. "The Simpsons," 5.2/8, and "The War at Home," 4.0/6, kept FOX in fourth. A "Charmed" rerun, 1.5/2, brought up the rear for The WB.

ABC took the lead at 9 p.m. with its "Desperate Housewives" rerun, 8.9/13. CBS dropped to second with the conclusion of "Cold Case," 8.6/13, and the beginning of the movie "Time Bomb," 7.1/11. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" posted a 7.6/11 for NBC. FOX aired a "Family Guy" rerun, 4.4/6, and "Free Ride," 3.2/5. The WB held steady with a second "Charmed."

"Grey's Anatomy," 13.2/22, scored the night's biggest audience for ABC at 10 p.m. "Crossing Jordan" averaged 6.9/11 for NBC, and CBS movie dipped to a 5.4/8.

Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change, especially in the case of live telecasts.