• by Wayne Friedman , August 7, 2010

MTV doesn't get too many big wins when it comes to its series competing head to head with the broadcast networks. Now it has two in a row.

"Jersey Shore" rang up another healthy score, with a Nielsen preliminary 2.5 rating on Thursday among 18-49 viewers. That bested a top-rated broadcast network show -- CBS' "Big Brother," which earned a 2.4 rating/8 share.

A week ago, "Shore" did a bit better in its premiere with a 2.6 rating -- this against the top-rated broadcast show, "Big Brother," which pulled in a 2.2/8 then. This was not "Shore"'s best effort.

In total viewers, however, "Shore" was still behind "Brother" and other broadcast shows. "Shore" got to 5 million viewers, good for seventh place on the night. (It earned 5.3 million viewers the week before.)

"The Mentalist" grabbed the biggest viewer numbers from a rerun, with 7.05 million; "Brother" had 7.02 million; ABC's "Rookie Blue" had 6.85 million; a repeat of ABC's "Wipeout" took in 6.5 million; a repeat of CBS' "CSI" had 5.97 million; and "So You Think You Can Dance" had 5.53 million.

"Big Brother," as the best-rated 18-49 network show, improved 10% from the week before. ABC's documentary-style series "Boston Med" also gained 8% from the previous week to a 1.3/4. ABC's "Rookie Blue" hit the same numbers, with a 1.8/6, as it did the week before.

Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" caught the same exact 1.8/6 number as "Blue" running against it in the 9 p.m. hour. "Dance was down a bit from the 1.9/6 number of the week before.

In Nielsen preliminary results, it was a three-way tie between Univision, ABC and CBS for the top spot among 18-49 viewers with a 1.6 rating/5 share. After the three-way race, Fox came next with a 1.4/5, followed by NBC at a 1.1/3 and CW with a 0.4/1.

Univision also led all broadcast networks among younger viewers 18-34 for the night, with a 1.7/6.