CBS’ shows dominate ratings list

“The Big Bang Theory” and “The Good Wife” both reached series highs and Sunday’s “Survivor” finale drew its largest audience since 2007, helping CBS become the most-watched network for the 12th time in the season’s 13 weeks.

With much of its competition consisting of reruns while it mainly aired first-run programming, CBS averaged 11.49 million viewers for its prime-time programming between Dec. 14 and Sunday, according to figures released Tuesday by the Nielsen Co.

CBS had 16 of the week’s 19 most-watched prime-time programs on the five major broadcast networks, with NBC’s pro football coverage accounting for the other three.

The third-season comedy “The Big Bang Theory” was sixth for the week with 15.58 million viewers, topping its previous best of 14.38 million viewers set a week earlier.

The first-year legal drama “The Good Wife” drew 14.17 million viewers, beating its previous high of 13.71 million for its premiere Sept. 22.

CBS also had the week’s most-watched program, “NCIS,” which averaged 20.68 million viewers, and registered season-highs for “Two and a Half Men,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Gary Unmarried” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine.”

Viewers preferred an episode of NBC’s “The Jay Leno Show” over a drama rerun each weeknight. Its weekly average of 5.22 million viewers was the program’s second highest over the last eight weeks.

The ESPN “Monday Night Football” game between Arizona and San Francisco was the week’s most-watched cable program, averaging 13.08 million viewers, which would have put it 13th on the broadcast network list.