TV Rating: 'Harper's Island' drops, but CBS wins Thursday

Laurence Fishburne of 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'

Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS

Fast National ratings for Thursday, April 16, 2009.

Thanks to a typically commanding 9 p.m. win for "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS rolled to an easy Thursday night ratings win, though a slip for "Harper's Island" didn't help matters.

Among adults 18-49, CBS' 3.2 rating only nipped the 3.0 ratings for NBC and FOX. ABC's 1.4 rating and the 0.7 rating for The CW followed in the key demo.

Overall, though, CBS averaged an estimated 11.74 million viewers and a 7.3 rating/12 share, far ahead of the 5.2/9 for second place FOX. NBC was a close third with a 4.7/8, beating the 3.3/6 for ABC. The CW's 1.2/2 was well back in fifth.

CBS won the 8 p.m. hour with a 6.9/12 for "Survivor: Tocantins." FOX's "Bones" did a 5.7/10 for second. NBC's "My Name Is Earl" (3.4/6) and "Parks & Recreation" (3.6/6) were third, though "P&R" was down in its second airing. ABC's "In the Motherhood" and "Samantha Who" were a close fourth, while The CW's "Smallville" repeat had a 1.3/2 for fifth.

At  9 p.m. CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" had a 9.7/16. FOX's "Hell's Kitchen" was a distant second with a 4.7/6, nipping the 4.6/7 averaged by "The Office" and "30 Rock" on NBC. ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" repeat and a "Supernatural" repeat on The CW trailed.

NBC grabbed the 10 p.m. hour with "Southland," which held onto most of its premiere audience with a 6.1/11. The same cannot be said for CBS' "Harper's Island," which plummeted to a 5.3/9. ABC's "Private Practice" was third for the night.

All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.

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