TV Ratings: 'Desperate Housewives' battles 'Survivor' on Finale Sunday

Jeff Probst of 'Survivor'

Credit: CBS

Fast National TV ratings for Sunday, May 17, 2009.

The two-hour finale for ABC's "Desperate Housewives" went head-to-head with the three-hour finale of CBS' "Survivor: Tocantins," as ABC and CBS forged a Sunday night tie, each claiming some ratings triumph.

Among adults 18-49, ABC averaged a 3.6 rating, nipping the 3.5 rating for CBS. FOX was third in the key demographic with a 2.4 rating, topping the 1.3 rating for NBC and The CW's 0.3 rating.

Overall, CBS and ABC both averaged a 6.7 rating/11 share, but CBS' average audience of 11.83 million beat the 10.76 million for ABC. NBC was a distant third with a 3.2/5, followed by the 2.9/5 for FOX and The CW's 0.8/1.

CBS started the night in first with a 6.3/12 for "60 Minutes." ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was second with a 3.8/7. NBC's "Dateline" was third with a 3.2/6, topping FOX's repeats of "King of the Hill" and "American Dad." The CW's "Jericho" repeat had a 0.5/1 for fifth.

The first hour of the "Survivor" finale had a 6.5/11 for CBS in the 9 p.m. hour, better than the 5.6/9 for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." NBC's "Dateline" improved in its second hour and beat the 3.2/5 for "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill" on FOX. The CW's Random Movie of the Night was "License to Kill," which finished fifth.

ABC moved into first at 9 p.m. with an 8.4/13 for "Desperate Housewives." CBS' "Survivor: Tocantins" had a 7.3/11 for second, though it beat ABC's soap in the 18-49 demo. FOX's "Family Guy" and "American Dad" had a 3.8/6 for third, bettering the 2.6/4 for NBC's "Saturday Night Live" special "Just the Shorts." The CW's movie trailed.

"Desperate Housewives" improved to a 9.0/15 in its second hour, while CBS' "Survivor" was down to a 6.6/11 for its results and the live reunion special. NBC's "SNL" showcase 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.

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