Fast National ratings for Monday, March 24, 2008

ABC grabbed Monday's overall ratings title, but Britney Spears' appearance on "How I Met Your Mother" and the return of "CSI: Miami" helped CBS score a demographic victory.

ABC averaged a 10.5 rating/16 share in primetime, beating CBS' 7.8/12. NBC came in third with a 4.8/8. FOX, 4.4/7, took fourth, while The CW could muster only a meager 0.9/1.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, CBS' 4.4 rating beat ABC's 4.2 for the top spot. FOX and NBC tied for third at 2.4. The CW recorded a 0.6.

"Dancing with the Stars," 12.7/20, dominated the 8 p.m. hour for ABC. CBS took second with "The Big Bang Theory," 5.3/9, and "How I Met Your Mother," 6.3/10, which got a bit of a ratings bump from the heavily hyped Spears guest spot. A "House" repeat on FOX drew a 4.8/8. "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad" drew a paltry 2.7/4 for NBC, but it still finished well clear of The CW's "Gossip Girl" repeat.

ABC held the lead at 9 p.m. as the second hour of "Dancing with the Stars" ticked up to 13.2/20. CBS stayed in second with "Two and a Half Men," 8.7/13, and "Old Christine," 6.3/9. "Deal or No Deal" scored a 6.1/10 for NBC. FOX's "New Amsterdam" was fourth at 3.9/6, while The CW went with "The Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious."

The return of "CSI: Miami" delivered a 10.2/16 for CBS at 10 p.m. NBC's "Medium" earned a 5.7/9, edging the 5.5/9 for "The Bachelor: London Calling" on ABC.

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