Sergei Bachlakov/The CW Fringe or The Mentalist? Gossip Girl or Supernatural? Hot dishes or occasionally hot-headed Atlanta housewives? Which shows were the bigger hits last week?
The answers, and other highlights from the latest weekly ratings standings:
• CBS' The Mentalist (15.8 million) was TV's most watched freshman, but Fox's Fringe (9.2 million) made its mark as the No. 1 new show among the coveted 18-49 demo.
• Gossip Girl (2.9 million) might be the CW's signature show, but America's Next Top Model (4.8 million), Smallville (4.2 million) and Supernatural (3.3 million) signed off on bigger audiences.
• The Monday edition of ABC's Dancing With the Stars (19.6 million) was TV's most watched show. The network also scored TV's biggest hit among the 18-49 set with Grey's Anatomy (15.9 million overall).
• The season finale of The Real Housewives of Atlanta scored a season high 2.2 million. Overall, the show put up the best first-season numbers for a Bravo series since the game-changing Queer Eye, the network said.
• Top Chef remained Bravo's top show (2.6 million). TLC's Jon & Kate Plus (3.4 million) was cable's top reality show.
• CBS' CSI (18.4 million) drew 4.3 million more total viewers than Fox's House (13.3 million). But House drew almost 1 million more 18-49 viewers than CSI.
• NBC's The Office (8.3 million) ranked 37th overall. It ranked ninth in the 18-49 demo.
• CBS' growing How I Met Your Mother (10 million) ranked even higher in the demo than The Office—eighth.
• NBC's 30 Rock (7.1 million) is nearly as big now as ABC's Private Practice (7.2 million). Or maybe it's Private Practice is nearly as small as…
• Fox's 24 prequel (12.1 million) managed a top 20 finish in total viewers, and a top 15 showing in adults 18-49.
• NBC's Heroes (7.6 million) climbed to 20th place in the demo, up from 23rd.
• If NBC had canceled all of its shows that drew fewer than 6.5 million viewers, as ABC did, then the network would have said goodbye to: Life (5.4 million), Kath & Kim (5.3 million), Knight Rider (5.2 million) and Lipstick Jungle (3.4 million). So far, only Lipstick Jungle doesn't have a time slot for the new year.
• Wizards of Waverly Place (4.647 million) sqeaked past Hannah Montana (4.64 million) as Disney Channel's—and cable's—most watched series.
• MTV's The Hills (2.8 million) outdrew the CW's One Tree Hill (2.7 million).
• FX's Sons of Anarchy (2.5 million) was cable's top drama series, not including NCIS and House reruns, of course.
• On Comedy Central, Stephen Colbert's Christmas special, A Colbert Christmas, did well (2.3 million). A rerun of that show with that guy you've never heard of, Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special, did even better (3 million).