TV Ratings: CBS lights up Friday night

Jennifer Love Hewitt of 'Ghost Whisperer'

Credit: CBS

Fast National ratings for Friday, Jan. 16, 2009.

The Canadian transplant "Flashpoint" improved in its second week of new Friday episodes, not that CBS really needed it to win the night.

Meanwhile, "Friday Night Lights" began its NBC season and drew numbers best described as "Lipstick Jungle"-esque.

CBS averaged a 2.4 rating in the key 18-49 demo, carrying Friday comfortably over the 1.7 rating for ABC and NBC's 1.6 demo rating. FOX was fourth with a 1.2 rating and The CW's 0.6 rating trailed.

Overall, CBS averaged an estimated 6.7 rating/12 share and 10.58 million viewers in primetime. ABC and NBC were a distant second with a 3.3/6. FOX finished fourth with a 3.2/5, while The CW's 0.9/2 was fifth.

CBS swept the primetime hours starting at 8 p.m. with the 6.8/12 for "Ghost Whisperer." NBC's "Howie Do It" and FOX's "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" were second with a 3.5/6, though the NBC show had an advantage in both total viewers and the 18-49 demo. ABC's "Wife Swap" was a close fourth, while The CW trailed with a 1.1/2 for "Everybody Hates Chris" and "The Game."

"Flashpoint" did a 6.6/11 in the 8 p.m. hour, doubling up the 2.9/5 for ABC's "Supernanny" and FOX's "Don't Forget the Lyrics." The network season premiere of "Friday Night Lights" on NBC did a 2.8/5, drawing 4.54 million viewers. The CW's encore of "13 - Fear Is Real" didn't make a ripple.

At 10 p.m. CBS got a 6.9/12 for "Numb3rs." ABC's "20/20" was second with a 4.0/7, edging NBC's "Dateline."

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