'Top Model' finale sports highest rating of the season

A sluggish season of the CW's "America's Next Top Model" concluded on a high note (4.6 million, 2.3/7) and tied Fox for second place in the 8 p.m. hour Wednesday night along with Fox's sitcoms.

The rest of the night's ratings, written by Paul J. Gough, after the jump.

The penultimate week of this season's "American Idol" overshadowed everything else in primetime Wednesday, leading Fox to another nightly win.

The "Idol" results show was the night's top show with 24.3 million viewers and a 9.0 rating/22 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates released Thursday by Nielsen Media Research. CBS' "Criminal Minds" (12.7 million, 3.0/7) was the next nearest rival at 9 p.m.

ABC won in adults 18-49 at 8 p.m. with "Wife Swap" (6.4 million, 2.5/7), while the CW's "America's Next Top Model" (4.6 million, 2.3/7) came in tied for second place along with the full hour of Fox's sitcoms, " 'Til Death" (5.9 million, 2.2/7) and "Back to You" (6.9 million, 2.5.7). Winning in viewers was the first hour of the two-hour "Deal or No Deal" (7.1 million, 1.8/5).

"America's Next Top Model" had its highest ratings in adults 18-49, women 18-49 and viewership so far this season. It also had the best ratings in female teenagers since its premiere.

The 10 p.m. winner was CBS' "CSI: NY" (11.6 million, 3.1/8), which came out ahead of both ABC's "Boston Legal" (7.7 million, 2.3/6) and NBC's "Law & Order" (8.6 million, 2.7/7).

For the night, Fox (15.3 million, 5.6/16) won the night in both measures over ABC (6.6 million, 2.4/6); CBS (10.5 million, 2.5/7); NBC (7.6 million, 2.1/6); and the CW (3.3 million, 1.6/4).