Ratings across Canada March 28 to April 3

CBC said goodbye to most of its regular series this week with several season (and one series) finales. NHL Stanley Cup playoffs begin April 13 on CBC–without the Leafs.
It was the return of a comedy that made the biggest noise this week: The Big Bang Theory. Chuck Lorre`s CBS laffer exploded Thursday, drawing over 3.2 million overnight, estimated viewers. The second highest-rated show of the week in Canada was that kooky musical episode of Grey`s Anatomy, dismissed as Hospital Rock by several critics.
Here`s how it all played out across Canada among viewers 2+ according to overnight estimates:

MONDAY
Dancing with the Stars continues to waltz off with the highest ratings of the night, scoring and overnight, estimated 2,666,000 viewers. The two hour reality import was followed by Castle, which also won its CTV timeslot with 1,774,000.
This left just 1,076,000 for a rerun of House on Global at 8, followed by the new police drama The Chicago Code (638,000) and a rerun of Hawaii FIVE-0 (818,000).
The season finale of Little Mosque managed 582,000 CBC viewers, followed by the series finale of 18 to Life (344,000). A Halifax Comedy Fest outing drew 297,000 at 9. Fancy at 9:30 had not-so-fancy numbers (137,000).
To make room for Dancing, CTV slid its entire Monday night comedy lineup over to /A and the results were nothing to laugh at. Mr Sunshine all but went dark at 163,000. Mad Love did 437,000, a rerun of Two and a Half Men 632,000 and Mike & Molly weighed in at 638,000. City had a decent night with How I Met Your Mother (546,000), The Event (426,000) and Harry’s Law (507,000).
Over at Showtime, Endgame saw its audience dip to 106,000 in week No. 3. Save the King!

TUESDAY
With Glee in reruns on Global, CTV won the night in total audience. It helped that Dancing with the Stars was again stretched over two hours, drawing 1,269,000 for a recap at 8 and then 2,047,000 for the results show at 9. Law & Order: SVU arrested 1,249,000 at 10 p.m.
Global started soft with that Glee rerun (848,000) then had solid hours out of NCIS: Los Angeles (1,730,000) and The Good Wife (close to 1.2 million).
The season finale of the Rick Mercer Report, featuring Mercer’s final election rant, did 1,236,000. There was the usual steep drop at 8:30 for InSecurity (362,000) followed by last week’s Air Farce tribute to the late, great Roger Abbott (638,000). The National at 10 nudged up near the 800,000 mark.
The new Dana Delany mid-season hospital drama Body of Proof showed signs of life on City with 651,000 viewers. The Biggest Loser at 8 gained 594,000.
The Leafs late season playoff surge netted 872,000 for a game against the Sabres on Sportsnet Ontario. American Pickers at 10 p.m. on History found 546,000 viewers. (Look for Canadian Pickers to bow April 12.)

WEDNESDAY
Another sweep for CTV, starting with a two hour American Idol at 8 (2,670,000). The 8 o’clock hour was a pretty competitive three way race, however, with Survivor: Redemption Island drawing close to 2.4 million on Global and the season finale of Dragon’s Den on CBC topping 1.7 million.
Republic of Doyle, which airs its season finale cliffhanger this Wednesday night (featuring Paul Gross), counted 730,000 viewers at 9 opposite a rerun of NCIS on Global (630,000) and a new Criminal Minds on /A (1,064,000). A Modern Family rerun picked up 343,000 viewers on City.
At 10, CTV’s Criminal Minds: SB (1.8M+) topped Global import Off the Map (1,069,000).
Two late season NHL games, featuring Montreal at 7 (493,000) and Calgary at 9:45 (522,000), were draws for TSN.

THURSDAY

Hey! Keep that singing down! We`re trying to operate!

Did it seem like weeks had gone by before a new episode of The Big Bang Theory? It was, and the series exploded with 3,216,000 viewers upon its return. Once again CTV won the entire night, with Hot in Cleveland following with 1,788,000 viewers. At 9, that musical episode of Grey’s Anatony hit a high note for CTV (3,178,000) followed by The Mentalist at 10 (2,215,000).
CTV’s only loss on the night was in early prime, where ill-fitting CSI: Miami (948,000) could not match CBC back-to-back import gamers Wheel of Fortune (1,018,000) and Jeopardy! (1,032,000), at least in total viewers.
The American Idol results show was back over on /A where 1,336,000 managed to find it. /A also scored at 9 with old reliable CSI (926,000).
Otherwise, CTV’s big night pretty much wiped out the competition, although Wipeout on Global at 8 drew 737,000. None of the comedies that followed, including three episodes of overplayed The Office, cracked more than 270,000 viewers.
Rules of Engagement (502,000) was the big draw over on City, where shows like Community (93,000) and Parks & Recreation (114,000) do no repeat well.
CBC held steady with two Royal Doc Zones (448,000 and 549,000).
Sports fans were all over at TSN for a late season Leafs/Bruins tilt (1,306,000).

FRIDAY
Play ball! The Toronto Blue Jays home opener was a home run for Sportsnet, scoring 1,085,000 overnight, estimated viewers.
Marketplace continues its strong season, taking the 8 p.m. timeslot with 869,000 viewers. That edged CTV’s relocated The Listener (851,000) and easily beat Global spy spoof pickup, Chaos (522,000). Global does have other shows on Fridays; Haven picked up 223,000 at 10.
CTV took the rest of the night with the usual strong outings from crime imports CSI: New York (1.9 million) and Blue Bloods (1,771,000). CBC’s fifth estate came within three thousand of the 700,000 mark.

SATURDAY
HNiC Game One 2,162,000; Game Two 1,192,000. Elton John helped Saturday Night Live to a hefty 522,000.

SUNDAY

Wipeout Canucks Esmer, Phillips, Torrens

Kind of a lazy Sunday, with CTV winning most of the night despite the lack of big guns. Undercover Boss (1,137,000) cruised at 7 now that CBC’s Heartland is done for the season. Nature of Things did 520,000 in its new Sunday slot.
No new Amazing Race, so CTV vamped with reruns of Big Bang (1,586,000) and Two and a Half Men (1,138,000). Desperate Housewives netted a shade under 1.5 million at 9. CBC threw a movie into the mix, with mixed results (339,000). Global’s Fox ‘toons went Simpsons (835,000), Family Guy (651,000).
Global took the 10 o’clock slot with Richard Hatch going from the boardroom back to the slammer on Celebrity Apprentice (1,388,000).
Toronto Maple Leafs beat Minnesota to the delight of 749,000 Sportsnet fans. The Bravo! premiere of The Borgias scored a heavenly 575,000, the biggest series audience in seven years for the CTV specialty channel. Wipeout Canada on TVTropolis splashed down with 510,000 viewers.