'Old Christine' hits season high

CBS won the American TV ratings battle on Monday night with The New Adventures of Old Christine attaining a new season high.

The network was second in the opening hour, however, with The Class averaging 8m viewers and an 8% share in adults 18-49 from 8pm to 8:30. How I Met Your Mother pushed CBS's share of the 18-49 audience to 9% and averaged 9.4m viewers from 8:30 to 9. Leading the hour was NBC's Deal or No Deal with 13m viewers and a 10% share in 18-49; Prison Break on Fox was close behind, tying NBC in 18-49 share and averaging just under 9m viewers. ABC languished in fourth with Wife Swap's average of 7.7m viewers and 9% 18-49 share. 7th Heaven, despite the much-criticised cost-cutting this season, was up from its week-ago numbers with 4.3m viewers and a 4% 18-49 share.

CBS moved into the lead at 9pm, with Two and a Half Men averaging just under 16m viewers and a 13% 18-49 share in the hour's first half and The New Adventures of Old Christine hitting new season highs at 9:30 with 13.7m viewers and an 11% 18-49 share. NBC placed second with Heroes averaging 12.6m viewers and a 13% 18-49 share. ABC's two-hour Bachelor season premiere averaged just under 9m viewers and a 9% 18-49 share through the end of prime; meanwhile, Vanished on Fox built on last week's outing with 6.4m viewers and a 5% 18-49 share. Runaway on The CW was also up on last week's numbers with 2m viewers and a 2% 18-49 share.

At 10, CBS led with CSI: Miami's 17.4m viewers and 15% 18-49 share. NBC's Studio 60 looked shaky; for its latest airing, it managed 9.1m viewers and a 9% 18-49 share, down significantly week-on-week.