TV Ratings: 'NCIS' Tops, 'Mad Men' Sets Record
The return of fresh episodes of ‘NCIS’ vaulted CBS to the top of the ratings heap this week, but every network had something to cheer about. For the first time in who knows how long, each network had at least one show in the Top 7. You might guess that NBC’s top entry was ‘The Voice.’
FOX, of course, had two editions of ‘American Idol’ in the Top 5, and the return of ABC’s ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ while down from the last installment, was the Number 2 program for the week. Its performance propelled ‘Castle’ into the Top 10. Likewise, FOX’s Kiefer Sutherland drama ‘Touch’ eked out a spot in the Top 10, perhaps thanks to being paired with Wednesday night’s edition of ‘American Idol.’
Over on Cable, AMC’s ‘Mad Men’ returned after a 17-month hiatus. Creator and writer Matthew Weiner said he was nervous, but he apparently had no reason to worry: Absence makes the heart grow fonder, apparently. The show returned to 3.5 million viewers, the biggest audience in its history. Clearly, people have been catching up on DVD in the last year and a half.
Here’s a rundown of the Network Top 20:
| Rank | Show | Network | Day | Viewers |
| 1 | NCIS | CBS | TUE | 19,055,000 |
| 2 | DANCING WITH THE STARS | ABC | MON | 18,788,000 |
| 3 | AMERICAN IDOL - WED | FOX | WED | 17,209,000 |
| 4 | NCIS: LOS ANGELES | CBS | TUE | 16,174,000 |
| 5 | AMERICAN IDOL - THURS | FOX | THURS | 15,580,000 |
| 6 | CRIMINAL MINDS | CBS | WED | 12,088,000 |
| 7 | THE VOICE | NBC | MON | 11,950,000 |
| 8 | TOUCH | FOX | THURS | 11,810,000 |
| 9 | CASTLE | ABC | MON | 11,521,000 |
| 10 | TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | MON | 11,473,000 |
| 11 | CSI | CBS | WED | 11,380,000 |
| 12 | UNFORGETTABLE | CBS | TUE | 11,316,000 |
| 13 | 60 MINUTES | CBS | SUN | 11,235,000 |
| 14 | CBS NCAA BASKETBALL | CBS | SAT | 10,949,000 |
| 15 | SURVIVOR | CBS | WED | 10,469,000 |
| 16 | THE GOOD WIFE | CBS | SUN | 9,774,000 |
| 17 | MIKE & MOLLY | CBS | MON | 9,713,000 |
| 18 | 2 BROKE GIRLS | CBS | MON | 9,379,000 |
| 19 | AMAZING RACE | CBS | SUN | 9,348,000 |
| 20 | HAWAII FIVE-O | CBS | MON | 9,308,000 |
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