Fast National ratings for Thursday, July 17, 2008

FOX and CBS waged a tight race in Thursday's ratings, with FOX's unscripted shows finishing just ahead of the Eye.

Both networks averaged a 4.9 rating/9 share in households, but FOX, with 7.78 million viewers, brought in a few more people than CBS (7.14 million). ABC came in third with a 3.1/6. NBC, 2.6/5, was fourth, and The CW trailed with a 1.1/2.

FOX had sole possession of first place among adults 18-49, drawing a 2.2 rating. CBS, 1.7, took second. NBC came in third with a 1.6, followed by ABC, 1.3, and The CW, 0.5.

"Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" drew a 4.6/8 for FOX at 8 p..m. CBS' "Greatest American Dog" drew the same household rating but not quite as many viewers as FOX. "Last Comic Standing" earned a 2.8/5 for NBC, topping the 2.4/5 for "Ugly Betty" on ABC. "Smallville" finished fifth for The CW.

CBS moved to the lead at 9 p.m. with "CSI," 5.8/10. "So You Think You Can Dance" posted a 5.1/9 for FOX. "Last Comic Standing" ticked up to 3.0/5 on NBC. A "Grey's Anatomy" rerun on ABC came in fourth, and "Supernatural" scored a 1.0/2 for The CW.

ABC's "Hopkins" led the 10 p.m. hour with a 4.3/8. "Swingtown" earned a 4.1/7 for CBS, and "Fear Itself" drew a 2.0/4 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.