• by Wayne Friedman , August 20, 2007

Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance?" reality dance show competition finale sashayed off with its highest rating of the year--but was 14% off last year's finale number.

Still, this was on par with how broadcast TV has gone this season--off by double-digit percent ratings increases for most shows. But it still benefits from a rip-roaring scatter ad market that is posting double-digit percent increases in program pricing.

Fox's "Dance" grabbed a 3.7/11 among 18-49 viewers--easily the highest-rated show of the evening. CBS' "Big Brother" was almost a full rating point back at a 2.8/9. The special two-hour "Dance" ran opposite "Brother" during the 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. hour.

Every other network show was in repeats, and the best of the lot were CBS' procedural crime dramas--"CSI" and "Without a Trace"--which grabbed respective 2.4/7 and 2.3/7 numbers.

This meant Fox won Thursday night--extending its long summer winning streak--with a 3.7/11. CBS was 32% below that at a 2.5/8.

NBC and ABC struggled for what little was left. NBC did a 1.5/5 with its highlight, a 1.8/5 from a rerun of "The Office." ABC did a 1.2/4, offering a rerun of "Grey's Anatomy" at a 1.3/4.

MyNetwork TV got the best of the CW--a rare win--with a repeat of "The Rundown" movie, which grabbed a 0.9/3. The CW, with "Smallville" and "Supernatural" repeats, took in an average 0.8/3 for the night.