Final Thursday ratings: Oh, it's on

Well, we finally have the closest thing this season to a new breakout hit: Ladies and gentlemen, meet Betty, who brought more viewers to the 8 p.m. Thursday time period than any scripted ABC show since Matlock in April 1995. Matlock!

What Ugly Betty didn't do, though was take a huge bite out of Survivor on CBS (it looks like NBC's comedies My Name Is Earl and The Office were affected more). What that means, probably, is that ABC and CBS are now joined in a long and serious battle for Thursday supremacy.

Last night was more what most professional TV watchers figured would happen last week, when Grey's Anatomy rode some big preseason momentum to a win over CSI. Which is to say, CBS keeping its hold on the overall crown and ABC taking the 18-49 title.

Selected Thursday numbers:

• Ugly Betty: 16.3 million viewers -- making it the most-watched new show thus far this fall -- and a 5.0 adults 18-49 rating. Beat Survivor among women viewers, too.
• Survivor: Cook Islands: 16.85 million viewers, 5.9 in 18-49. Pretty good hold of last week's 17.43 million and 6.5.
• CSI: reclaimed the most-watched mantle with 23.77 million viewers, 8.0 in 18-49.
• Grey's Anatomy: The return of McSteamy slipped behind CSI in viewers (23.48 million) but still won the hour among adults 18-49 with a 9.5.

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