Primetime Ratings: CBS On Top With 'Rudolph', Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

CBS won a night filled with a bunch of specials and a reality show premiere.

Season classic Rudolph guided the network to a victory in the 18-49 demo, averaging a 4.2 rating/12 share to lead all shows for the night. CBS averaged a 3.4/9, also winning the 10-11 time period with the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (3.6/10).

The only hour CBS didn't win was 9-10. That was claimed by the second hour of Fox's new reality show, Secret Millionaire, in which real millionaires pose as poor folks to gauge who should get a cash windfall our of the millionaire's own wallet/pocketbook.

That show averaged a 2.3/6 in its first hour at 8-9, but grew to a 3/6 at 9-10. Fox was second on the night as a result, just edging out NBC in the demo with a 2.6/7 to NBC's 2.5/7.

The caveat is that these are overnight numbers that could change with the addition of time-shifted viewing.

NBC's top show was Law & Order with a .29/8 at 9-10.

ABC was fourth with a 1.9/5. Pushing Daisies was living up to its name, not registering much of a pulse at a 1.5/4 at 8-9, though up against Rudolph,Millionaire and NBC's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting spectacular.

The CW was fifth with a .5/1 for an all Stylista night of repeats and originals that ranged from a .4 to a .6.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.