Fast National ratings for Thursday, March 13, 2008

Improved numbers from "Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites" Thursday helped CBS grab a ratings win for the night.

CBS averaged a 7.3 rating/12 share in primetime, beating FOX, 5.7/9, by a good margin. ABC came in third with a 5.3/9. NBC, 4.1/7, finished fourth, and The CW trailed with a 2.1/3.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, CBS' 3.2 rating was good enough to score the top spot. ABC, 3.0, and FOX, 2.9, were not far behind. NBC averaged 2.4 and The CW 1.4.

"Survivor: Micronesia" drew the night's biggest audience at 8 p.m., scoring a 7.9/13 and improving some on recent "American Idol"-affected performances. "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?," 5.9/10, came in second for FOX. A "Lost" rerun on ABC took third ahead of an hour of "My Name Is Earl," 3.0/5, on NBC. "Smallville" earned a 2.4/4 for The CW.

At 9 p.m., ABC's "Lost" and CBS' "CSI" each drew a 7.4/12 in households, but ABC had the edge in total viewers and adults 18-49. "Don't Forget the Lyrics" scored a 5.5/9 for FOX, narrowly beating "The Celebrity Apprentice" on NBC. A new "Reaper" delivered a 1.7/3 for The CW.

"Without a Trace," 6.6/11, moved CBS back into the lead at 10 p.m. "Eli Stone" posted a 4.8/8 for ABC, and "Lipstick Jungle" came in at 4.0/7 for NBC.

Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.