The Nielsen Rating's Top 20 TV Shows for October 12 - 18. The first number is the ranking, the second number is the season average, then the show name and network. The last number represents the number of viewers in millions. An asterisk * indicates a tie.| Rank | | Show name | Network | Viewers in millions | Season-to-date average |
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| 1. | | NCIS | CBS | 21.0 | 21.9 |
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| 2. | | Bears/Falcons | NBC | 18.2 | 19.6 |
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| 3. | | Dancing with the Stars | ABC | 16.8 | 17.4 |
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| 4. | | CSI | CBS | 15.4 | 16.7 |
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| * | | NCIS: Los Angeles | CBS | 15.4 | 17.8 |
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| 6. | | The Mentalist | CBS | 15.1 | 16.6 |
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| 7. | | 60 Minutes | CBS | 14.3 | 14.4 |
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| 8. | | Two and a Half Men | CBS | 14.2 | 14.6 |
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| 9. | | Dancing Results | ABC | 14.0 | 13.3 |
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| 10. | | Criminal Minds | CBS | 13.9 | 15.5 |
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| 11. | | Grey's Anatomy | ABC | 13.8 | 17.3 |
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| 12. | | Desperate Housewives | ABC | 13.7 | 14.6 |
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| 13. | | House | Fox | 13.5 | 17.0 |
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| 14. | | CSI: NY | CBS | 13.4 | 14.2 |
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| 15. | CSI: Miami | CBS | 13.3 | 14.6 | |
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| 16. | | Big Bang Theory | CBS | 13.1 | 13.8 |
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| 17. | | The Good Wife | CBS | 13.0 | 14.4 |
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| 18. | | Survivor | CBS | 11.8 | 12.2 |
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| 19. | | Amazing Race | CBS | 10.9 | 10.9 |
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| 20. | | Private Practice | ABC | 10.4 | 11.1 |
