CRIME TV PAYS

CRIME TV PAYS
The successful fall 2000 premiere of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" launched an unprecedented era of police procedurals, now numbering in the dozens. Viewers have made the crime-solving shows the most popular drama genre on broadcast television, evidenced by a tripling of procedurals in the Top 40. Here's a comparison of the 1999-2000 season, one year before "CSI," with the just-completed 2004-05 season, ranked by viewership.
1999-2000
15. "Law & amp; Order" (NBC)
18. "NYPD Blue" (ABC)
24. "JAG" (CBS)
37. "Law & amp; Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC)
2004-05
1. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS)
7. "CSI: Miami" (CBS)
7. "Without a Trace" (CBS)
16. "Cold Case" (CBS)
19. "Medium" (NBC)
21. "CSI: NY" (CBS)
21. "NCIS" (CBS)
23. "Law & amp; Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC)
24. "Law & amp; Order" (NBC)
30. "Law & amp; Order: Criminal Intent" (NBC)
33. "Crossing Jordan" (NBC)
37. "Numb3rs" (CBS)
39. "Law & amp; Order: Trial by Jury" (NBC)
Source: Nielsen Media Research