TV Ratings: 'The Mentalist' Reclaims 10pm hour

ABC and CBS were able to make out Thursday victory among themselves with CBS leading in total viewers and ABC dominating in the demo. FOX got sole third place in total viewers but a shared third place in adults 18-49 with NBC and The CW finished fifth and last in both age categories.

The Big Bang Theory won the 8pm hour with 14.01 million viewers and a 4.4 rating/13 share among adults 18-49. Anymore, the nerd comedy series was the highest rated program in the demo on Thursday. Second-placed Wipeout drew 11.59 million viewers and a 3.7/11 in adults 18-49 building 38 percent in total viewers and 19 percent in the demo opposite its season 3 premiere on June 1, 2010.

$#*! My Dad Says (10.86 million viewers; A18-49: 2.9/8) placed third keeping stable versus its previous first run on December 16, 2010, followed by Million Dollar Money Drop (4.61 million viewers; A18-49: 1.4/4), which broke its series low on Tuesday climbing 21 percent in total viewers and 8 percent in adults 18-49. Repeats of 30 Rock (3.19 million viewers; A18-49: 1.3/4), Community (3.04 million viewers; A18-49: 1.0/3) and The Vampire Diaries (1.42 million viewers; A18-49: 0.5/2) closed the 8pm hour after a fashion.

At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy scored demo victory with 11.66 million viewers and a 4.2/11 among adults 18-49 followed by CSI (14.22 million viewers; A18-49: 3.4/9), which rose by 8 percent in total viewers and 13 percent in the demo, in comparison with its first run performance on December 9, 2010. Reruns of The Office (3.98 million viewers; A18-49: 1.7/5) and Outsourced (3.16 million viewers; A18-49: 1.3/3) beat repeats of Bones (3.36 million viewers; A18-49: 1.0/3) and Nikita (1.40 million viewers; A18-49: 0.5/1).

Last but not least, The Mentalist edged out its competitors, Private Practice (7.78 million viewers; A18-49: 2.8/8) and back-to-back reruns of The Office (2.24 million viewers; A18-49: 1.1/3), with 14.81 million viewers and a 3.0/9 in adults 18-49. Compared to its previous first run on December 9, 2010, this was an increase of 10 percent in total viewers and 25 percent in the demo. Additonally, The Mentalist left Thursday as highest rated program in total viewers.