FOX scores a narrow win over CBS reruns

Fast National ratings for Thursday, May 21, 2009

TV's summer season officially started Thursday with FOX and "So You Think You Can Dance" taking the night.

CBS led the night in households with a 5.5 rating/10 share, but FOX (5.3/9) had the most total viewers, drawing 8.78 million people to CBS' 8.17 million. ABC, 3.7/7, finished third. NBC took fourth with a 2.8/5, and The CW trailed at 1.0/2.

FOX easily won the adults 18-49 demographic; its 3.4 rating was double that of second-place CBS, 1.7. ABC averaged 1.6, followed by NBC, 1.5, and The CW, 0.5.

The "So You Think You Can Dance" premiere drew a 5.1/9 for FOX at 8 p.m., tying an "NCIS" rerun on CBS in households but leading the total-viewer count by about a million people. The "Ugly Betty" season finale on ABC drew a 4.1/7. Repeats of "My Name Is Earl" and "30 Rock" averaged 2.1/4 for NBC. The CW went with a "Smallville" repeat.

CBS took the lead at 9 p.m. with a "CSI" repeat, 6.6/11. Hour two of "So You Think You Can Dance" improved to 5.5/9 on FOX. "Ugly Betty" finished with a 4.2/7, keeping ABC in front of NBC's encores of "The Office" and "30 Rock," which averaged 2.2/4. "Supernatural" closed out the night for The CW.

A "Flashpoint" rerun, 5.0/9, kept CBS on top at 10. The season finale of "Southland" delivered a 4.2/8 for NBC, and a "Grey's Anatomy" rerun on ABC came in at 2.6/5.

Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.