TV Ratings: 'Dancing With the Stars' wins the week

The battle for TV's top show of the week is typically a contest between CBS and ABC, with CBS's CSI usually taking top billing. But last week, Nov. 17-23, there was a switch! ABC's Dancing With the Stars, likely fueled by the run up to its season finale (which airs tonight), took the week's top spot with 19.6 million viewers. Of course, CSI rolled in at second place, with 18.4 million viewers.

The week also marked the end of November sweeps (Oct. 30-Nov. 26), which CBS is projected to win handily. Through Nov. 23, CBS was well ahead of the rest of the competitive broadcast networks in total viewers for the period:

CBS: 11.8 million
ABC: 10.5 million
NBC: 7.8 million
Fox: 7.0 million

The rest of the Top 20 for the week was — as has become normal so far this television season — dominated by CBS procedurals: No. 3 NCIS (18 million), No. 5 Criminal Minds (16.3 million), No. 7 The Mentalist (15.8 million), No. 8 CSI: Miami (15.5 million), No. 12 CSI: NY (14.1 million), No. 16 Cold Case (12.1 million), and No. 18 Without a Trace (11.9 million).

In addition to usual appearances from Dancing and Grey's Anatomy, ABC popped up with its broadcast of the American Music Awards (No. 15 with 12.1 million), which aired instead of Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters on Sunday night. NBC showed up with No. 9 Sunday Night Football (15.2 million), while Fox added its 24 prequel, No. 16 Redemption (12.1 million) and No. 13 House (13.3 million). The full Top 20 for the week is after the jump.

1. Dancing With the Stars | ABC | 19.6 million
2. CSI | CBS | 18.4 million
3. NCIS | CBS | 18.0 million
4. Dancing with the Stars | ABC | 17.6 million
5. Criminal Minds | CBS | 16.3 million
6. Grey's Anatomy | ABC | 15.9 million
7. The Mentalist | CBS | 15.8 million
8. CSI: Miami | CBS | 15.5 million
9. Two and a Half Men | CBS | 15.2 million
    Sunday Night Football | NBC | 15.2 million
11. 60 Minutes | CBS | 14.9 million
12. CSI: NY | CBS | 14.1 million
13. House | Fox | 13.3 million
14. Survivor: Gabon | CBS | 12.5 million
15. American Music Awards | ABC | 12.2 million
16. Cold Case | CBS | 12.1 million
      24: Redemption | Fox | 12.1 million
18. Without a Trace | CBS | 11.9 million
19. Dancing with the Stars Recap | ABC | 11.6 million
20. The Mentalist (R) | CBS | 11.5 million

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