CBS’s new reality show “Armed & Famous” won its timeslot in its debut last night. But considering the unimpressive competition, that didn’t exactly mean too much.

“Famous” averaged a so-so 2.9 rating in adults 18-49, according to Nielsen overnights, matching last week’s average for an original “King of Queens” and repeat “Two and a Half Men” in the same 8 p.m. timeslot.

The 60-minute “Famous” also matched the timeslot average for sitcoms “Still Standing” and “Yes Dear” on the same night a year ago.

“Famous” finished ahead of ABC’s “According to Jim” and NBC’s “Friday Night Lights,” both of them struggling shows. It also faced a repeat of Fox’s “Bones,” which will likely draw better or at least equal ratings to “Famous” when new episodes return.

It was neither a good nor bad showing for the reality show, which was largely dismissed by critics as an absolute mess. The show follows a handful of has-been celebrities, including Erik Estrada and Jack Osbourne, as they train to become police officers in Muncie, Ind.

Most critics excoriated CBS for even allowing the show to be filmed. But a few, including Media Life’s Andrew Lyons, found the program amusing and even endearing.

“This show about five D-list celebrities who join the Muncie, Ind., police force is far more entertaining than it has any right to be,” Lyons wrote. “[The show] mostly works, due in large part to the enthusiasm of its stars and the truly outrageous situations they face while on patrol.”

Also last night, the Big Four networks carried President Bush’s speech about Iraq, which drew a combined 29.9 million total viewers from 9 to 9:25 p.m.

“Famous” helped CBS finished first on a slow night among 18-49s, averaging a 2.9 rating and an 8 share. NBC was second at 2.7/7, ABC third at 2.5/7, Fox fourth at 2.0/5, Univision fifth at 1.8/5 and CW sixth at 1.5/4.
 
At 8 p.m. CBS led with a 2.9 for “Famous.” ABC was second that hour with a 2.7 average for an hour of “According to Jim,” with NBC and Fox tied for third at 2.4, NBC for “Friday Night Lights” and Fox for a repeat of “Bones.” Univision came in fifth with a 2.3 for “La Fea Mas Bella” and CW was sixth with a 2.0 for “Beauty and the Geek,” which matched last week’s strong premiere.
 
The speech threw off the networks’ schedules for the remainder of the night. NBC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 3.2 average for the President Bush speech and a half-hour “Deal or No Deal” repeat. CBS was second with a 2.6 average for Bush and the first half of a repeat of “Criminal Minds,” ABC third with a 2.3 for Bush and “Knights of Prosperity,” and Univision and Fox tied for fourth at 1.7, Univision for Bush and the first half of “Mundo de Fieras” and Fox for Bush and a repeat "'Til Death." CW was sixth with a 1.0 for a “One Tree Hill” rerun.
 
At 10 p.m. CBS regained the lead with a 3.3 for the last half of “Criminal Minds” and the first half of a “CSI: NY” repeat. NBC was second with a 2.6 for a rerun of “Medium,” ABC third with a 2.4 for “In Case of Emergency” and the first half of “Primetime,” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 average for the end of “Mundo” and the first 30 minutes of “Don Francisco Presenta.”
 
Among households, CBS was first for the night with a 6.4 average rating and a 10 share. NBC was second at 5.4/9, ABC third at 4.6/7, Fox fourth at 3.7/6, Univision fifth at 2.2/3 and CW sixth at 2.1/3.