Why That Gossip Girl Baby Better Survive

CW's least-watched drama could use the ratings boost—like the one the bootee-bound How I Met Your Mother's getting

So, things didn't go well for Chuck and Blair on last night's Gossip Girl, but if the show knows what's good for it, things will end well for the prospective parents.

Or to put it another way, the ratings could depend on the fate of that baby.

Certainly, none of the other stops Gossip Girl has pulled out have worked this season. The show is lagging behind as the CW's least-watched drama.

Last night's buzzed-about fall finale was more of the same: just 1.3 million viewers, per estimates, even with last week, but down nearly 40 percent from the same night last year.

Meanwhile, over on CBS, How I Met Your Mother is proving the power of a good pregnancy.

The comedy, back with its first new episode since the bombshell kicker that Cobie Smulders' Robin was in the family way, sucked in nearly 12 million viewers, its biggest audience in nearly three years, the network reported.

So, Gossip Girl, that baby—and that baby storyline—is going to be all right, right?

Elsewhere, here's a rundown of other notable performances from the latest Nielsen broadcast rankings:

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (fifth place): It totally owned Glee. And just about everything else. 

• Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (13th place): You'd think Americans, especially those blessed with Internet connections, would have gotten their fill of scantily clad models. You'd think wrong. This was the week's No. 1 non-sports show in the 18-49 demo.

• I Hate My Teenage Daughter (49th place): Considering it premiered against a rerun of Modern Family, the Fox newbie did OK.  

• Community (92nd place): For those keeping score at home, it scored its biggest audience since September. 

Here's a complete look at the TV week's top 10 most-watched broadcast shows:

1. The OT (football overrun), 19.4 million viewers
2. Sunday Night Football, 18.9 million viewers
3. Sunday Night Football pregame, 14.8 million viewers
4. NCIS (repeat), 13.4 million viewers
5. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 12.6 million viewers
6. 60 Minutes, 11.9 million viewers
7. Football Night in America, 11.2 million viewers
8. Blue Bloods, 11.1 million viewers
9. Survivor: South Pacific, 11.047 million viewers
10. The X Factor (Wednesday), 11.045 million viewers