Most-watched CBS will move “Blue Bloods,” “Rules of Engagement” and “The Defenders” to new time slots early next year. The changes focus on weak spots in the CBS lineup: 10 p.m. Wednesdays, 8:30 Thursdays and 8 Fridays.

The move of “Blue Bloods” will be for four weeks. The Tom Selleck drama will shift to 10 p.m. Wednesdays, starting Jan. 19. “Blue Bloods” goes back to its current time slot, 10 p.m. Fridays, on Feb. 11.

Starting Feb. 16, CBS will unveil the “Criminal Minds” spinoff in the 10 p.m. Wednesday slot right after the original series. “Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior” stars Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.

Is that too much “Criminal Minds” for you in one night? Well, CBS has had great success on Tuesday pairings “NCIS” with its Los Angeles spinoff.

“Survivor: Redemption Island” also debuts Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. Host Jeff Probst revealed in the “Survivor: Nicaragua” season finale Sunday that the new version gives ejected players another chance to win.

“The Defenders,” the Jim Belushi comedy-drama, vacates the 10 p.m. Wednesday slot for 8 p.m. Fridays, starting Feb. 4. “Medium,” which is in that time slot, has been canceled. Its series finale airs Jan. 21.

“Chaos,” a comedy-drama about rogue CIA spies, debuts in the 8 p.m. Friday slot on April 1. The show stars Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Close, Tim Blake Nelson, James Murray, Kurtwood Smith and Carmen Ejogo.

“Rules of Engagement” will move to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, starting Feb. 24. “Bleep My Dad Says,” with William Shatner, will have completed its first season by that time.

CBS will send in the romantic comedy “Mad Love” to fill the current “Rules” time slot, 8:30 p.m. Mondays, on Feb. 21. The show focuses on two New York couples and stars Jason Biggs, Sarah Chalke, Tyler Labine and Judy Greer.

The New England Patriots’ victory over the Green Bay Packers was the most-watched show Sunday night. The game posted a 15.2 household rating and put NBC on top in prime time, according to preliminary ratings.

We’ll have more accurate numbers Tuesday morning, and it should be a huge audience for NBC for the live sporting event. But the early ratings show these prime-time averages: NBC with  17.5 million viewers, CBS with 15.7 million, Disney-owned ABC with 6.2 million for two “Santa Clause” movies and Fox with 4.6 million for reruns.

Football was very good to CBS, too. A 19-minute football overrun in prime time meant 24.7 million viewers were watching in the 7 p.m. hour. (That number for a live sporting event could go up.) Those early numbers put the “60 Minutes” audience in the 18 million range; the show featured an amazing Lesley Stahl report about six people who can remember most days of their lives. The two-hour “Survivor” finale had roughly 13.4 million viewers. The “Survivor” reunion,” which ran beyond 11 p.m., drew 10 million fans.

In Orlando, the most-watched programs were “60 Minutes” with 260,200 viewers, “Sunday Night Football” with 224,000, the “Survivor” finale with 184,900 and the “Survivor” reunion with 149,100.

“Survivor” victor Jud “Fabio” Birza said he considered himself a favorite as he headed into the finale last night.

He told “The Early Show” this morning that he realized his fellow players, who were in a three-way alliance, “weren’t going to let me get close to the final three, dude. They’re going to look around and realize I haven’t made anybody mad.”

But he won the final three immunity challenges, made the final three and won the most jurors’ votes with his surfer-boy charm.

Fabio collected a $1 million check for winning the 21st season of the CBS reality contest.  At 21, he is the youngest winner in the franchise’s history.

Asked by CBS’ Jeff Glor what he would do with the money, Fabio said, “Dude, I’m going to have a lot of fun. Arts and crafts day every day. I’m going to travel the world. I’m going to hang out.”

The other players might have discounted Fabio as a nice guy and a dumb blond who didn’t strategize. He frequently seemed surprised by what happened at the tribal councils.   For viewers, however, Fabio came across as natural, sweet and funny.

Despite his astonishing run in winning the immunity challenges at the end, the final vote was close: 5-4, with Fabio beating Chase Rice.

“Dude, I was nervous for sure,” Fabio said before the winner was announced.

Continue reading ‘Survivor’: Fabio cleans up real well, dude »

“Survivor: Nicaragua” ended tonight with one of the most satisfying finales in the franchise’s history.

SPOILER ALERT: Nice guys do finish first.

The winner was the most likable player remaining: Jud “Fabio” Birza, a 21-year-old student, the youngest winner in the CBS series’ history.

Fabio won the last three immunity challenges to stay in the contest and received the most jurors’ votes to collect the $1 million grand prize. He will receive his check Monday morning on “The Early Show.”

Fabio beat Chase Rice, 24, on a 5-4 jury vote. But Chase, a pro race car jackman, had to be considered a winner, too.Host Jeff Probst let Chase, an aspiring country singer, perform on the cast reunion show.

The third-place finisher, real estate broker Matthew “Sash” Lenahan, received no votes. The jury called Sash on his double-dealing ways. Jane Bright, a hard-charging player from North Carolina, called Sash “a New York sewer rat.” Dan Lembo, a real estate executive, called Sash a liar, phony and spineless.

Jane won $100,000 as the viewers’ favorite, and Probst said it was a landslide.

Chase acknowledged he had been wishy-washy throughout the game. Dan blasted Chase as “the most paranoid player” and warned Chase, “Beauty fades. Dumb is forever.”

Fabio, a surfer-boy type from St. Louis, played an aboveboard game. He told the jury, “I don’t think I back-stabbed any of you.” When Fabio talked of his love for his family,  he voice cracked — a moment that had jurors wiping away tears.

NaOnka Mixon, one of the most outrageous players, explained why she quit: “I had enough.” The weather was a problem, too, she said. And she acknowledged that she had some trouble in her teaching job when parents saw how she acted on the show. Yet, she stressed, she still has the teaching job.  

Probst explained that the next time a player quits — NaOnka and Kelly Shinn both bailed in Nicaragua – the producers will have the option of doing what they want with that person. NaOnka and Kelly remained on the jury, which outraged many fans. Next time, the producers could send the quitter home or let that person stay on the jury. 

Football broadcaster Jimmy Johnson, the most famous player in the show’s history, credited with “Survivor” with saving his life. Years ago, a medical test for the show revealed blocked arteries. He got himself healthy so he could play. 

In the next “Survivor,” people ejected will be sent to Redemption Island, where they will fight for a chance to re-enter the game.

“It’s the biggest twist in ‘Survivor’ history,” Probst said. “Survivor: Redemption Island” starts Feb. 15.

It’s a big weekend for “Survivor” fans.

“Survivor: Nicaragua” finishes its run with three hours Sunday, starting at 8 p.m. This one started as the “Survivor” with Jimmy Johnson, but it quickly morphed into something else. This “Survivor” was known for its dramatic tribal councils and bizarre play. What was up with Naonka? Did Brenda understand how bad she came across? Do viewers feel sympathy for double-crossed Jane?

Five players remain: Sash, Chase, Holly, Dan and Fabio. Sash, Chase and Holly are in an alliance, which would seem to give them an advantage. Dan is hobbled. Could Fabio, the most likable player remaining, pull off a victory? He’s the reason to watch. A cast reunion follows at 10 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

Also this weekend:

***The newsmagazines offer fresh fare tonight. “Dateline NBC” looks at the Elizabeth Smart case at 9. Promos suggest the interviews with her parents should be fascinating.

***ABC’s “20/20” kicks off the network’s yearlong commitment to exploring global health issues. Diane Sawyer hosts “Be the Change: Save a Life” at 10 tonight. The program explains how viewers could help tackle six of the world’s biggest health problems. It’s the ultimate game of survivor.

***ABC’s “Supernanny” visits Central Florida at 8 tonight. Jo Frost helps a Kissimmee couple rein in their three unruly children.

***Ellen DeGeneres hosts “Christmas in Washington” at 8 tonight on TNT. The first family takes part, and the lineup of performers is impressive: Andrea Bocelli, Mariah Carey, Annie Lennox, Miranda Cosgrove, Maxwell and Matthew Morrison. The special repeats at 11 tonight.

***TNT’s “Leverage” offers its season finale from 9 to 11 p.m. Sunday. The guest stars are Goran Visnjic (“ER”) and actress-model Elisabetta Canalis.

***On “America’s Most Wanted,” John Walsh looks at his top 10 fugitives for the past year. The program airs at 9 p.m. Saturday on Fox.

“Criminal Minds” drew the most viewers Wednesday night, and “Survivor” had the most young adults. That combo along with “The Defenders” made CBS the most-watched network for the night and the favorite of young adults.

It helped, too, that ABC was in repeats with six sitcoms.

“Survivor” attracted 12.3 million viewers at 8 p.m. — its biggest audience since the season premiere. The show delivers its season finale at 8 p.m. Sunday; a cast reunion follows at 10. Weren’t there some despicable players this season?

SPOILER ALERT: How smart was it to drop Jane at this point? But she certainly made a dramatic exit.

Sash and Chase are two of the least likable players in the show’s history. I’m pulling for Fabio.

“Criminal Minds” pulled in 13.8 million viewers, and “The Defenders” drew 10.3 million, according to updated ratings released this afternoon.

The prime-time averages were CBS with 12.1 million, NBC with 7.9 million, Fox with 5.8 million, Disney-owned ABC with 4.7 million and The CW with 1.3 million for two “Vampire Diaries” reruns.

On NBC, “The Sing-Off” averaged 8.5 million viewers over two hours. NBC ended its night with a repeat of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” which attracted 6.7 million viewers. Fox offered a new ”Human Target” (5.8 million) and the season finale of “Hell’s Kitchen” (5.9 million).

The top programs in the Orlando market were the three CBS series: “Survivor” with 177,800 viewers, “Criminal Minds” with 140,700 and “The Defenders” with 124,400. Rounding out the top five were “Human Target” with 110,300 and “The Sing-Off” with 107,600. The top programs with the 25-to-54 age group were “Survivor,” a “Modern Family” repeat and “Hell’s Kitchen.”

CBS had the most viewers in prime time last week. But NBC had the top show, “Sunday Night Football,” and the most young adults. Over on ABC, Barbara Walters was still a big draw with two specials, one featuring Oprah Winfrey.

Here are the prime-time averages for the week ending Sunday: CBS with 10.5 million viewers, NBC with 8.8 million, Disney-owned ABC with 7 million, Fox with 5.7 million and The CW with 2.2 million. CBS placed second in the 18-to-49 age group. ABC and Fox tied for third.

The top programs were:

1. “Sunday Night Football,” NBC, 25.7 million

2. “Sunday Night Football” pregame show, NBC, 17.7 million

3. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 17.6 million

4. “Criminal Minds,” CBS, 14.2 million

5. (tie) “Two and a Half Men,” CBS, 13.4 million

“The Mentalist,” CBS, 13.4 million

7. Barbara Walters-Oprah Winfrey special, ABC, 13.3 million

8. “CSI,” CBS, 13.2 million

Continue reading ‘Sunday Night Football’ atop weekly ratings; CBS, NBC split wins »

All that whining on “Survivor” produced beautiful ratings music for CBS Wednesday night. “Survivor” drew 12.3 million viewers, the biggest audience in broadcasting, and posted the best rating of the night among the 18-to-49 age group.

SPOILER ALERT: In a move that angered “Survivor” host Jeff Probst, two players quit the show. They were the outspoken NaOnka Mixon, 27, of Los Angeles and Kelly Shinn, 20, of Mesa, Ariz. They complained they couldn’t go on, and their decision made for a dramatic tribal council when they both exited.

A Gramy nominations special, however, was a weak draw for CBS. It ran a distant second to “Law & Order Los Angeles,” which borrowed from the Tiger Woods saga to tell a fictional story.

Here are the prime-time averages, updated this afternoon: CBS with 8.8 million, NBC with 7.7 million, Fox with 5.8 million, Disney-owned ABC with 5.1 million and The CW with 2.6 million. CBS also won the 18-to-49 age group.

Continue reading Surprising ‘Survivor’ leads CBS to victory; Tiger Woods-inspired plot lifts ‘Law & Order: Los Angeles’ over Grammy special »

When it comes to reality series about survival, I prefer to watch CBS’ “Survivor” rather than VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab.”

“Survivor” is just a game while “Celebrity Rehab” is televised therapy presented as a fight for life. I have a hunch those fights work better when they’re private.

I hope the cameras help the celebrities, but the viewing is voyeuristic and awfully weird. I realize that’s the attraction for some viewers, but getting clean is too serious for the usual TV silliness.

As for the cast, when do relatives of celebrities qualify as celebrities? I’m baffled by the participation of bratty billionaire heir Jason Davis, grandson of Marvin Davis, and overbearing Frankie Lons, mother of  Keyshia Cole. The premiere saved the entrance of Rachel Uchitel, former mistress of Tiger Woods, to the end. “I’m famous for being infamous,” she said.

And being on “Celebrity Rehab” will help her overcome that image?

The others are true celebrities. Oscar nominee Eric Roberts wants to kick his marijuana addiction. Self-deprecating and charming, Roberts emerges as the nicest person in this group.

Former teen idol Leif Garrett says he threw away fame for drugs and has hit rock bottom. “Hills” performer Jason Wahler describes himself as an alcoholic. Actor Jeremy London is furious that his brother and mother don’t buy his story of being kidnapped. Former supermodel Dickinson describes herself as “damaged beauty” and says her behavior has become “unsoberlike because I’ve hit menopause.” 

There’s a lot of self-delusion here, too. But does Dickinson deserve to be picked on by Davis for her face lifts? That bullying detracts from serious issues in the program.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, who supplies the therapy, looks wiped out by the season-four celebrities. Eight one-hour episodes are coming our way. The celebrities undergo “detoxification and treatment” over 21 days at the Pasadena Recovery Center, according to the show. I’ll hope for the best for them, but I’m not too interested in watching.

“Survivor,” though: How about the latest developments on that show?

Here’s a reason to be thankful: ABC’s wonderful “Modern Family” has connected with viewers. The Emmy-winning sitcom had the most viewers Wednesday night, drawing 10.5 million.

ABC won the night in the 18-to-49 age group, thanks to “Modern Family,” “Cougar Town” and “The Middle.”

But CBS attracted the most viewers with a “Survivor” clip show and repeats of “Criminal Minds” and “The Defenders.”

Here are the prime-time averages: CBS with 8.2 million, ABC with 7.4 million, Fox with 5.3 million, NBC with 5.2 million and The CW with 1.4 million. Fox edged CBS for second in the 18-to-49 age group.

Here’s how the CBS lineup fared: “Survivor” with 8 million, “Criminal Minds” with 9.2 million and “The Defenders” with 7.3 million.

And here’s the rest of the ABC lineup: “The Middle” with 8.2 million, “Better With You” with 6.8 million, ”Cougar Town” with 6.7 million and a “Primetime” special on plastic surgery with 6 million.

Fox offered “Human Target” (5.6 million) and “Hell’s Kitchen” (5 million). NBC aired the specials “Merry Madagascar” (5.9 million), “Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special” (5.9 million) and a “Biggest Loser” update (4.9 million). The CW provided “America’s Next Top Model” (1.9 million) and “Hellcats” (1 million).

CBS easily won Wednesday night in total viewers and in the 18-to-49 age group. The standout show: “Criminal Minds.”

But Disney-owned ABC had reason to rejoice that “Modern Family” was the night’s most popular show with the 18-to-49 age group. And “Modern Family” was Central Florida’s favorite show.

CBS had the most viewers in every time period with “Survivor” (11.9 million), “Criminal Minds” (14.4 million) and “The Defenders” (9.4 million).  And wasn’t it fun to see snooty Brenda sent packing on “Survivor”?

Here are the prime-time averages, according to updated ratings released this afternoon: CBS with 11.9 million, NBC with 7.4 million, ABC with 7.3 million, Fox with 6.3 million and The CW with 2.3 million.

NBC offered a special “Dateline” (6.7 million), “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (7.7 million) and “Law & Order: Los Angeles” (7.8 million).

ABC aired “The Middle” (9.3 million), “Better With You” (7.1 million), “Modern Family” (12.1 million), “Cougar Town” (7.1 million) and a special about People’s sexiest men (4.1 million). And that rating wasn’t sexy.

“Human Target” returned to the Fox lineup and pulled in 6.6 million fans. “Hell’s Kitchen” diverted 5.9 million.

On The CW, “America’s Next Top Model” attracted 2.5 million and “Hellcats” had 2 million cheering.

In Central Florida, “Modern Family” was tops with 185,500 viewers. “Criminal Minds” was second with 176,800. Rounding out the top five were “Survivor” with 160,400, “Cougar Town” with 143,600 and “The Defenders” with 127,400.  “The Middle” was right behind with 126,800.

Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and ABC were the big winners Wednesday night. Disney-owned ABC was tops in the ratings with the CMA Awards, which averaged  16.5 million viewers, according to preliminary ratings released this morning.

Paisley was named entertainer of the year, and Lambert collected three prizes.

Here’s how the other networks fared in prime time, according to updated ratings released this afternoon:  CBS with 10.8 million, NBC with 6.4 million, Fox with 5.7 million for two hours of “Hell’s Kitchen” and The CW with 2.3 million. ABC easily won the 18-to-49 age group; CBS edged Fox for second.

Here’s how the CBS lineup fared: “Survivor” with 11.3 million, “Criminal Minds” with 12.6 million and “The Defenders” with 8.4 million.

NBC offered the canceled “Undercovers” (5.1 million), “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (7.2 million) and “Law & Order: Los Angeles” (6.8 million). The CW aired “America’s Next Top Model” (2.7 million) and “Hellcats” (1.9 million).

In the Orlando market, the CMA Awards were tops with 183,700 viewers. Then came the three CBS series: “Criminal Minds” with 131,800, “Survivor” with 124,600 and “The Defenders” with 95,600. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” rounded out the top five in total viewers wtih 85,100. The CMA Awards and “Survivor” were the top two shows with the 25-to-54 age group. No. 3 in that count was “Hell’s Kitchen.”

NBC’s spouses-as-spies drama “Undercovers” has not accomplished its mission.

The series from J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Alias”) is the latest newcomer to be dropped this season.  “Undercovers” averaged 5.9 million viewers last night in the 8 o’clock time slot. It was well behind CBS’ “Survivor” with 12.3 million viewers and ABC’s “Middle” with 9.4 million viewers.

“Undercovers” fared even worse in the 18-to-49 age group. It was behind “Survivor,” “The Middle” and a repeat of “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox. “Undercovers” could do no better than tie “America’s Next Top Model” on The CW.

In “Undercovers,” Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw played married caterers who returned to the spy business. The tepid show was a disappointment from the usually reliable Abrams. The stars didn’t have chemistry. The best moments came from TV veteran Gerald McRaney as their sarcastic colleague.

“Undercovers” joins this list of canceled freshman series: Fox’s “Lone Star,” ABC’s “My Generation” and “The Whole Truth” and NBC’s “Outlaw.” Other series in deep ratings trouble are Fox’s “Running Wilde” and NBC’s “School Pride.”

CBS had the most popular schedule nationally Wednesday night. The Eye Network had the most eyes, thanks to the mix of “Survivor,” “Criminal Minds” and “The Defenders.”

But in Orlando the top show was … ABC’s “Modern Family.” It had the most viewers, and it was by far the favorite of the 25-to-54 age group.

Here’s how the CBS lineup performed nationally: “Survivor” with 12.3 million viewers, “Criminal Minds” with 14.6 million and “The Defenders” with 9.9 million, according to updated ratings released this afternoon.

ABC placed second, thanks to its comedies: “The Middle” with 9.4 million, “Better With You” with 7.7 million, “Modern Family” with 12.2 million, “Cougar Town” with 7.4 million and “In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts” with 6.1 million. (“Modern Family” was the biggest show of the night in the 18-to-49 age group.)

NBC was second at 10 p.m. with “Law & Order: Los Angeles” pulling in 7.8 million. But NBC was third for the night with “Undercovers” (5.9 million) and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (8.1 million). Program update: It was revealed later today that NBC had pulled the plug on freshman drama “Undercovers.”

Fox offered a repeat of “Hell’s Kitchen” (3.2 million). The CW delivered new episodes of “America’s Next Top Model” (3 million) and “Hellcats” (1.9 million).

The prime-time averages: CBS with 12. 3 million, Disney-owned ABC with 8.2 million, NBC with 7.3 million, Fox with that 3.2 million and The CW with 2.5 million. CBS also won the 18-to-49 age group; ABC was second.

In Orlando, “Modern Family” averaged 188,000 viewers (100,600 of them were in the advertiser-desirable 25-to-54 age group). The other top shows locally were “Criminal Minds” with 176,600 viewers, “Survivor” with 174,100,  “Cougar Town” with 129,800, “The Middle” with 127,200, “Better With You” with 122,100, “The Defenders” with 115,300 and “The O’Reilly Factor” on Fox News Channel with 101,800.

Remember when the World Series was guaranteed to be the top show?

The San Francisco Giants’ victory over the Texas Rangers was the most popular program nationally Wednesday night, bringing 15 million viewers to Fox.

Locally, however, three regular series were bigger draws last night. ABC’s “Modern Family,” which offered an uproarious Halloween episode, was tops with 198,000 viewers. Then came two CBS series: “Survivor” with 169,200 viewers and “Criminal Minds” with 166,900. The World Series was the choice of roughly 140,400 viewers. It squeaked by ABC’s “The Middle,” with 134,800 fans.  CBS’ “The Defenders” drew 122,900 viewers, and ABC’s “Cougar Town” had 117,800 laughing.

Nationally, the prime-time averages were: Fox with 15.7 million, CBS with 11.9 millio, Disney-owned ABC with 7.9 million, NBC with 4.9 million and The CW with 2.4 million.

The CBS schedule ran second through the night: “Survivor” with 11.8 million, “Criminal Minds” with 13.9 million and “The Defenders” with 9.8 million.

The ABC schedule placed third with Halloween episodes of “The Middle” (9.5 million), “Better With You” (7.7 million), “Modern Family” (13.1 million) and “Cougar Town” (8.2 million). “The Whole Truth,” which is in jeopardy of cancellation, drew 4.4 million.

NBC ran fourth with “Undercovers” (5.4 million), “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (4.8 million for a rerun) and “Law & Order: Los Angeles” (4.5 million for a rerun).

The CW offered new installments of “America’s Next Top Model” (2.7 million) and “Hellcats” (2 million).

CBS had the most viewers Wednesday night with “Survivor,” “Criminal Minds” and “The Defenders” leading in preliminary ratings.

The prime-time averages, according to updated ratings released this afternoon, were: CBS with 12. 3 million, Fox with 9.3 for the National League Championship Series, NBC with 7.6 million, Disney-owned ABC with 7.3 million and The CW with 2.3 million. CBS also won the 18-to-49 age group.

Here’s the CBS lineup: “Survivor” with 12.3 million, “Criminal Minds” with 14.5 million and “The Defenders” with 10 million.

NBC offered “Undercovers” (5.9 million), “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (8.7 million) and “Law & Order: Los Angeles” (8.1 million).

ABC countered with “The Middle” (8.5 million), “Better With You” (6.8 million), “Modern Family” (12 million) “Cougar Town” (7.4 million) and “The Whole Truth” (4.5 million).

The CW aired “America’s Next Top Model” (3 million) and a rerun of “Hellcats” (1.5 million).

The top programs locally were “Survivor” with 150,400 viewers, “Criminal Minds” with 144,800, “Modern Family” with 144,800, “The Middle” with 144,200, “Cougar Town” with 123,300 and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” with 116,100. The National League Championship Series drew 86,400 viewers.

“Survivor” was the most-watched program in the Orlando market Wednesday night.

“Criminal Minds” was the most-watched program in the nation Wednesday night. (It ranked 5th here.)

Both shows helped lead CBS to ratings victory for the night in total viewers nationally. CBS also won the 18-to-49 age group, edging Fox, which aired two hours of “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Here are the prime-time averages for the night, updated this afternoon: CBS with 12.1 million, Disney-owned ABC with 7.6 million, NBC with 7.1 million, Fox with 6.8 million and The CW with 2.5 million.

Here’s the night by time slot:

At 8, “Survivor” brought 12.3 million to CBS. ABC placed second in the hour with “The Middle” (8 million) and “Better With You” (6.4 million). “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox was third for the hour. “Undercovers” on NBC intrigued just 5.9 million. “America’s Next Top Model” brought in 3 million for The CW.

At 9, “Criminal Minds” arrested 14 million for CBS. ABC “Modern Family” amused 11.5 million, then “Cougar Town” with Courteney Cox had 7.2 million laughing. (All those headlines about Cox’s marital split didn’t cause the audience to spike nationally.) “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” pulled 8.1 million to NBC. “Hell’s Kitchen” was fourth in viewers. “Hellcats” on The CW had 2 million cheering.

At 10, CBS remained in front with “The Defenders” delivering 9.9 million viewers. NBC’s new “Law & Order: Los Angeles” was the stop for 7.3 million. ABC’s special “20/20″ on the rescued Chilean miners drew 6.1 million viewers.

Locally, these were the top programs: “Survivor” with 139,900, “Modern Family” with 136,300, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” with 123,000, “The Defenders” with 119,100, “Criminal Minds” with 118,900, “Cougar Town” with 116,500 and “Law & Order: Los Angeles” with 109,600.

But there was an unusual wrinkle locally: “Cougar Town” was the No. 1 show with the 25-to-54 age group locally. There are a lot of Courteney Cox fans here.

Tonight, you get some of the best of Broadway without leaving your house.

1. Nathan Lane, one of the top Broadway performers, visits ABC’s “Modern Family.” The clips suggest that Lane gives the kind of flamboyant performance only he can give. And it has to be a lot more fun to see him here than in “The Addams Family,” currently on Broadway.  Cheaper, too. “Modern Family” starts at 9.

2. PBS’ “Great Performances” gives you the recent Broadway production of “Macbeth” with Patrick Stewart in stellar form. This interpretation takes us into a 20th century totalitarian land. Stewart reminds “Star Trek: The Next Generation” fans of his versatility. And thanks to PBS, you don’t have to pay Broadway prices.  “Macbeth” starts at 9.

3. “Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook” celebrates great standards, many of which have come from Broadway. The series will feature such familiar Broadway presences as David Hyde Pierce, Cheyenne Jackson and Marvin Hamlisch. The three-part series starts at 8 on PBS and continues the next two Wednesdays.

New episodes of everything from “Criminal Minds” to “Cougar Town” fill the schedule. Will a “Survivor” without Jimmy Johnson be worth following? You can find out at 8 tonight on CBS.

Did you think Jimmy Johnson was asking to be ejected on ”Survivor”?

Well, he wasn’t, he told reporters in a conference call today.

The Fox sportscaster acknowledged at Wednesday’s tribal council that he was one of the weaker players. Today, he stressed that he didn’t say he was the weakest player.

“I thought Daniel was the weakest player,” Johnson said.

Why didn’t he say that at tribal council? “I didn’t think I needed to do that,” Johnson said. “There was always concern about his knee. Around camp, he didn’t do a lot. I’m not trying to trash Daniel. I’m trying to be upfront.”

From day one, Johnson said, he wanted to keep the team strong for challenges. “I assumed everybody would be upfront,” he said. “The weak players would be Daniel and myself. I was being honest.”

He forgot the rule: It’s never wise to be too honest on “Survivor.” That honesty probably cost him.

“Had I known they considered me a threat, I would have formed an alliance,” Johnson said.

He was surprised to learn that Marty was scheming in the Wednesday show. “When I watched the episode, it was a complete surprise to me. I was shocked,” Johnson said. “I thought I had convinced him I wasn’t a threat … I didn’t do a very good job of convincing Marty I wasn’t a threat.”

Johnson, who is 67, said the lack of food, sleep and clean water probably had more effect on him than the younger players.

Johnson said he started “Survivor” at 200 pounds and was at 180 when he finished. He is now at 193. “Next time I need to lose weight, I’m not going on ‘Survivor,’ ” he added.

“Criminal Minds” drew 14.6 million viewers, the biggest audience Wednesday, and led CBS to victory, according to updated ratings released this afternoon.

“Minds” said farewell to A.J. Cook, who played J.J. But what will J.J.’s departure mean to the series in the long run?

There was some good news for NBC: The series premiere of “Law & Order: Los Angeles” drew 10.6 million viewers and won the hour. CBS’ “The Defenders,” a new drama with Jim Belushi, placed second with 10.4 million. ABC’s “Whole Truth” — which is in trouble — had just 4.6 million viewers.

At 8, CBS was way out in front with “Survivor” pulling in 12.3 million. Did Jeff Probst seem sad to say goodbye to Jimmy Johnson? “The Middle” on ABC entertained 8.4 million, then the audience drooped to nearly 7 million for the new “Better With You.” NBC’s new “Undercovers” was diverting for 7.2 million. Fox averaged 6.3 million for two hours of “Hell’s Kitchen.”  “America’s Next Top Model” on The CW drew 2.9 million.

At 9, ABC’s “Modern Family” attracted 11.9 million and ran second to “Criminal Minds.” The ABC audience fell to nearly 7 million for “Cougar Town.” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” arrested 9.5 million for NBC. “Hellcats” on The CW left 2.2 million cheering.

Here are the prime-time averages: CBS with 12.4 million, NBC with 9.1 million, Disney-owned ABC with 7.3 million, Fox with that 6.3 million for “Hell’s Kitchen” and The CW with 2.6 million. CBS easily won the 18-to-49 age group; Fox placed second. NBC edged ABC for third, but ABC had the most popular series with young adults: “Modern Family.”