TV Ratings: Monday viewers favor 'House,' 'Big Bang Theory'

Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki of 'The Big Bang Theory'

Credit: CBS

Fast National ratings for Monday, Sept. 28, 2009.

"Dancing with the Stars" may have drawn the most viewers on Monday night, but in the demographic that the television networks salivate over, "House" and "The Big Bang Theory" were the big winners. 

Meanwhile, the night's only two premieres, FOX's "Lie to Me" and NBC's "Trauma," were both lackluster.

Among adults 18-49, FOX won the night with a 4.3 rating, just nipping the 4.1 rating for CBS. ABC's 3.2 rating took third in the coveted demographic, with NBC's 2.2 rating in fourth. The CW trailed with a 1.2 rating.

Overall, though, ABC won the night with an estimated 14.3 million viewers and a 9.4 rating/15 share. CBS' 7.4/11 was second, with FOX's 6.6/10 taking third. NBC was a distant fourth with a 3.9/6. The CW's 1.6/2 was fifth.

In the 8 p.m. hour, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" averaged a 10.8/17 for first. FOX's "House" had an 8.4/13 for second overall and won the hour in the key demographic with a 5.7 rating. CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" and "Accidentally on Purpose" slipped only slightly from last week, doing a 5.3/8 between them. NBC's "Heroes" had a 3.6/5 and only did a 2.5 rating in the key demographic. The CW's "One Tree Hill" was steady.

"Dancing with the Stars" basically replicated its 8 p.m. totals to win the 9 p.m. hour for ABC. CBS' "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory" averaged an 8.0/12, with "Men" holding the advantage in viewers (13.64 million to 13 million) and "Big Bang Theory" holding the advantage in the key demo (5.1 rating to a 4.7 rating). FOX's "Lie to Me" lost nearly half of its "House" lead-in with a 4.8/7 in its premiere. The series premiere of NBC's "Trauma" improved on its lead-in with a 4.4/7, but dropped to a 2.3 in the key demo. The CW's "Gossip Girl" was up from last week with a 1.6/2.

CBS moved into first in the 10 p.m. hour with an 8.8/15 for "CSI: Miami," which also won the hour in the key demo. ABC's "Castle" had a 6.4/11 for second, doing a 2.3 rating in the demo ("Castle" skews weirdly old). NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" just rolled along in third.

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