TV Ratings: 'ER' finale huge on Thursday

Eric La Salle and Noah Wyle of 'ER'

Credit: John Stenson/NBC

Fast National ratings for Thursday, April 2, 2009.

Ratings for "ER" have been down in recent seasons, but you sure wouldn't know it to look at the numbers drawn by NBC's three-hour "ER" finale event on Thursday night.

NBC won the night with ease in all key measures, as "ER" even topped a new "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

Among adults 18-49, NBC did a 5.2 rating, comfortably ahead of the 3.3 rating for CBS and FOX's 2.9 rating. The CW finished fourth in the key demographic with a 1.6 rating, topping the 1.4 rating for ABC. [Ouch for ABC.]

Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 14.34 million primetime viewers to go with a 9.2 rating/15 share. CBS was second with a 7.4/12, followed well back by the 4.9/8 for FOX. ABC's 3.1/5 and the 2.2/3 for The CW followed.

An hour-long "ER" retrospective won the 8 p.m. hour for NBC with a 7.0/11, topping the 6.6/11 for CBS' "Survivor: Tocantins," though "Survivor" carried the hour in the 18-49 demo. FOX was third with a 5.6/9 for "Bones." 

On ABC, "In the Motherhood" and "Samantha Who?" were down from last week, putting them in line with ABC's Wednesday comedies. The CW's "Smallville" had a 2.3/4 for fifth.

NBC won 9 p.m. with the first hour of the "ER" finale, which had a 9.6/15. CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" was a close second with a 9.0/14. FOX's "Hell's Kitchen" took third, beating the 3.4/5 for a "Grey's Anatomy" repeat on ABC. The CW's "Supernatural" had a 2.0/3.

At 10 p.m. "ER" improved to an 11.1/19. CBS' new "Eleventh Hour" was second with a 6.8/11. A "Private Practice" repeat on ABC trailed.

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