Weekly Ratings: 12/8 – 12/10

Monday Ratings: Sweet Mother, Best Worst and (Another!) Biggest Bang

Just another manic Monday for the CBS sitcoms. Let's break it down:

8 pm/ET
Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother easily command the top spot, with the former notching yet another series' best — 11.42 million total viewers. Mother, meanwhile, gained nine percent to deliver its largest audience since Jan. 9, 2006. Chuck claimed runner-up status with 7.56 mil, up 630K week-to-week. Trailing ABC's Charlie Brown special, Sarah Connor's midseason finale scored 5.29 mil, up a hair from last week.

9 pm
Two and a Half Men surged 15 percent to flirt with 18 million viewers, its largest audience since May 16, 2005 (the night of the Everybody Loves Raymond series finale). In turn, Worst Week (12.12 mil) soared 14 percent to set an all-time high. Heroes held steady at 7.78 mil, as it bid the "Villains" adieu. Prison Break (5.73 mil) added 340 thou.

10 pm
CSI: Miami dominated with 14.46 million viewers (up 860K), its best numbers since Feb. 26, 2007. Worst Enemy inched up a hair, to 4.08 mil.

Sunday ratings addendum: Dexter's season finale gave Showtime 1.51 million viewers with its 9 pm airing, and two mil including the later rebroadcast. Californication nearly scored a million over two plays of its own season ender.

Tuesday Ratings: NCIS, Mentalist and Trace Cop Impressive Highs

This Tuesday, as Fox and the CW broke for the holidays early....

8 pm/ET
NCIS capitalized on House's "missed appointment" by surging 1.3 mil and securing its biggest audience ever — 19.86 million total viewers. It was Biggest Loser, however, that placed No. 1 in the demos. The reality series' cycle-ender averaged 11.65 mil over its two-hour run, up 26 percent week-to-week.

9 pm
Oh, how you love that Mentalist! The freshman drama gained 560K from its previous fresh outing/series high, hitting 19.33 million viewers. Placing fourth (behind Loser and a Fringe repeat), ABC's According to Jim two-pack (4.8 mil) dropped 400 thou week-to-week.

10 pm
Buoyed by its commanding lead-ins, Without a Trace scored a season-high 14.47 million viewers, up 19 percent from its previous new eppy. NBC's Momma's Boys debuted to 6.07 mil, while Eli Stone inched up the tiniest hair, to 4.98 mil.

All told, it was CBS' best Tuesday night since ... 1995.

Wednesday Ratings: Criminal Minds Still Killin' the Competition

This Wednesday, every regular broadcast series took a dive... except one. Can you guess who the lucky bird is?

8 pm/ET
NBC's Muppets Christmas special won the front half of the hour, earning 7.8 million total viewers to Old Christine's 7.47 mil (a 10 percent decrease from last week's season high). At 8:30, Gary Unmarried (7.55 mil, down 480K), rose to the top. By the way, Max Gail? He's killing me. Go, Wojo! Placing third, Fox's Secret Millionaire (6.65 mil) toppled 540K week-to-week. Pushing Daisies' perhaps-penultimate broadcast episode drew 4.82 mil, dipping 140K.

9 pm
Criminal Minds (15 mil, including J.J.'s cute wittle bitty baby-waby) enjoyed the night's only increase, adding 300K to last week's audience. In a distant second, Private Practice (6.65 mil) dropped 200K. Life (5.19 mil) slipped 280K.

10 pm
CSI: NY matched last week's audience of 13.26 mil, while Law & Order dipped 500K to fall shy of five mil. Dirty Sexy Money held steady at 5.18 mil.