NBC's "The Voice" grew slightly and took the night's top ratings slot on Monday, but CBS scored its second consecutive Monday night win thanks largely to its comedy slate, according to preliminary numbers. The finale of "Gossip Girl," meanwhile, gave the CW its most-watched Monday in nearly a year.
CBS took first place in ratings with a 3.1 rating/8 share in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and in total viewers with 9.8 million. A special one-hour "How I Met Your Mother" at 8 p.m. was up slightly from last week for a 3.4/9 and took 8.7 million total viewers, while "2 Broke Girls" at 9 inched down to a 3.5/9 and took 10.2 million total viewers. "Mike & Molly" ticked up from its last original two weeks ago to a 3.3/8, taking 10.8 million total viewers. "Hawaii 5-0" at 10 scored a 2.4/6 and took 10.3 million total viewers.
NBC came in second in ratings and total viewers with a 2.9/8 and 9.3 million. "The Voice" from 8 to 9:30 grew 8 percent for a 4.1/11 and also had the night's largest total viewership with 13.2 million. A preview of the network's new White House comedy "1600 Penn" followed, drawing a 2.3/6 with 7.2 million total viewers. The Howie Mandel game show "Take it All" at 10, which last Monday benefited from a "Voice" lead-in, fell 32 percent from that airing for a 1.5/4 and drew 4.5 million total viewers.
Univision scored third place in ratings and fifth in total viewers with a 1.4/4 and 3.6 million.
Fox came in fourth in ratings and fifth in total viewers with a 1.2/3 and 3.3 million. The special "Dragons: Gift of the Night of Fury" at 8:30 scored a 1.5/4 with 3.9 million total viewers, while "Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special" grew 36 percent from last year for a 1.5/4 and took 4 million total viewers. "Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown" at 9 scored a 0.9/2 with 2.7 million total viewers.
ABC drew fifth in ratings and third in total viewers with a 1.1/3 and 4.8 million. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" at 8 was down 9 percent for a 1.0/3 and drew 4.2 million total viewers, while a second episode the following hour ran even with last week for a 1.2/3 and drew 4.9 million total viewers. A "Castle" repeat aired at 10.
The CW, which averaged a 0.7/2 and 1.4 million, had its most-watched Monday night in nearly a year with the two-part, two-hour series finale of "Gossip Girl." The second hour of the finale at 9 also delivered the series' best performance in the 18-49 demo, a 0.8/2, since April 2011.