'Survivor' outplays rivals as Thursday shows climb

Even with rivals returning to all-original lineups Thursday night, CBS' "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" continued to perform as the top-rated show, climbing this week to post its best number since this cycle's premiere.

"Survivor" (12.6 million viewers, 4.0 preliminary adults 18-49) was up 11%, one of several series to post gains following a slew of recent Thursday night season lows. The reality hit helped CBS win two of the three  primetime hours. "CSI" (13.5 million, 3.0) and "The Mentalist" (14.7 million, 3.2) were both up 7%, the latter ranking as the night's most-watched show. 

ABC's "FlashForward" (5.1 million, 1.5) was one of only two shows to decline, down 6%. "Grey's Anatomy" (10.3 million, 3.8) claiming 9 p.m. and climbed 9%, while "Private Practice" (7.8 million, 3.0) was up 15%.

NBC's "Community" (4.6 million, 2.0) was up 25%, "Parks & Recreation" (4.3 million, 2.0) was flat, "Office" (7.1 million, 3.6) was up 13% and "30 Rock" (5.7 million, 2.9) climbed 16%. At 10 p.m., "The Marriage Ref" (4.4 million, 2.0) came in last place in the hour, though was up a tenth from last week. 

The CW's "Vampire Diaries" (3.4 million, 1.6) was steady while "Supernatural" (2.4 million, 1.1) continued its yo-yo tendencies, this week down 21%.