• by Wayne Friedman , April 1, 2014

It was a strong night for broadcast networks on the last March Monday, with CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother” posting strong series finale results against some big competition. The show's finale had its best ratings among 18-49 viewers and overall viewers ever.

“Mother” at 8 p.m. took in a Nielsen preliminary 5.3 rating/16 share among 18-49 viewers and 12.9 million viewers overall. The 18-49 results were up by 50% from the week before’s 3.5 rating.

“Mother” had some strong competition at 8 p.m. against NBC’s “The Voice,” which hit a season low among 18-49 viewers of a 3.4/9 and 12.1 million overall viewers.

ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” did battle at 8 p.m., where the major competition pushed down the reality dance show to its season low: a 2.2/6 among 18-49 viewers. That said, “Stars” boasted the best overall viewer results -- at 13.7 million overall viewers.

The strong "Mother" results helped CBS’ new comedy “Friends with Better Lives” at 9 p.m. get a good start -- a 2.7/7.  At 9:30 p.m. CBS’ “Mom” improved to a 2.2/6 higher than the 1.9 rating of the week before.

NBC’s 10 p.m. “The Blacklist” continued its winning ways -- at a 2.8/8 and 11.4 million viewers, virtually the same results as the week before. Also at 10 p.m., the season -- and perhaps series -- finale of CBS’ “Intelligence” posted a modest 1.2/4, up 10% from the previous week.

Fox’s best results came from “Bones” with a 1.5/4; with “The Following” at a 1.4/4.

Two CW rookie shows -- “Star-Crossed” saw a 0.4/1 and 1.10 million viewers and “The Tomorrow People” got 0.5/1 and 1.11 million viewers -- up versus the week before.

For the night among 18-49ers, NBC was at a 3.2/9; CBS, a 3.0/8; ABC, a 1.8/5; Fox, a 1.4/4; Univision, a 1.2/3; and CW, a 0.4/1 .