Finale beats out CBS' NCAA coverage to win night

Fast National ratings for Thursday, March 27, 2008

With "Lost" in reruns and CBS' NCAA tournament coverage drawing OK-but-not-great numbers, NBC and "The Celebrity Apprentice" were able to take the night's ratings crown.

NBC averaged a 7.4 rating/12 share in primetime. CBS took second with a 6.3/10, with those numbers subject to change because of the live sports broadcast. FOX, 5.2/8, came in third, while ABC took fourth with a 4.0/7. The CW drew a 2.1/3.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, NBC's 4.0 rating edged CBS' 3.8 for the top spot. FOX, 2.8, finished third, followed by ABC, 1.9, and The CW, 1.4.

"Deal or No Deal," 7.0/12, put NBC on top at 8 p.m. CBS' March Madness coverage earned a 6.1/10 (and led the hour in adults 18-49). "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" came in third for FOX, topping the 4.0/7 for two episodes of "Miss Guided" on ABC. "Smallville" drew a 2.4/4 for The CW.

CBS took the lead at 9 p.m. as the basketball games improved to 7.5/12. "The Celebrity Apprentice," 7.2/11, was second for NBC. "Don't Forget the Lyrics" scored a 5.3/8 for FOX. A "Lost" rerun on ABC came in fourth, and "Reaper" pulled down a 1.8/3 on The CW.

Hour two of "The Celebrity Apprentice" posted an 8.2/14 for NBC at 10 p.m. Basketball on CBS fell to 5.5/9, though that was still good enough to beat "Eli Stone," 4.4/7, 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, especially in the case of live telecasts.