Nellie Andreeva

This is a good way to kick off the holiday season. There is a lot of holiday cheer to go around this morning as most Monday shows posted ratings increases.

CBS led the gain train boosted by a The Big Bang Theory repeat (3.2/8 in adults 18-49, 9 million total viewers) in the 8:30 PM slot once occupied by cancelled new comedy Partners. With the best CBS rating in the time period by a mile this season, all series that followed hit season highs in 18-49 and total viewers: 2 Broke Girls (4.0/10 up 18%, 11.68 million), Mike & Molly (3.6/8 up 24%, 11.25 million), and Hawaii 5-0 (10.11 million, 2.3/6 up 5%). Even How I Met Your Mother (3.4/9, 8.8 million) at 8 PM was cooking, up 17% in 18-49 to post its best numbers since the season premiere. CBS logged its best Monday performance this fall.

Fox’s Bones (2.3/6, 7.9 million) too was up double-digits from last week, by 15% in 18-49 and 11% in total viewers to post its best numbers since September. Even struggling freshman Mob Doctor (1.2/3, 4 million) perked up, up 33% from last week in 18-49 (+29% in viewers) to also log its best numbers since September.

Similarly, NBC’s The Voice (4.2/10) was up 14% from last week, while the fall finale of Revolution (2.9/8) was up 12% to halt a string of ratings declines and end the first half of its freshman season on a relatively high note. Now we have to see how the serialized drama will weather the four-month hiatus until its March 25 return. NBC is poised to record another Monday win, though its lineup was pre-empted for NFL football in Charlotte, so the network’s ratings may be adjusted down in the final.

ABC’s Dancing With The Stars performance finale (2.6/7) was up 8% from last week to a season high. But compared with last fall’s performance finale, the all-star edition was down a steep 26%. The network didn’t get much traction with its back-to-back Extreme Makeover: Home Edition specials, which drew a 1.3/3 and a 1.2/3 at 9 PM and 10 PM, respectively. The 9 PM episode was down 28% from last November’s debut of You Deserve It in the time period.

The CW got some good ratings news too. 90210 (1.03 million, 0.6/2 in 18-34, 0.5/1 in 18-49) was up 32% week-to-week in total viewers, 50% in 18-34 and 25% in 18-49. Gossip Girl ( 0.6/2 in 18-34, 0.4/1 in 18-49) was steady, matching season highs in 18-34 and 18-49.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.