John P. Johnson/HBO

Fringe or The Mentalist? Gossip Girl or Supernatural? Twilight or True Blood? Which shows were the bigger hits last week?

The answers, and other highlights from the latest weekly ratings standings:

• CBS' The Mentalist (15.8 million) was TV's most-watched freshman, but Fox's Fringe (9.2 million) made its mark as the No. 1 new show among the coveted 18-49 demo.

• Gossip Girl (2.9 million) might be the CW's signature show, but America's Next Top Model (4.8 million), Smallville (4.2 million) and Supernatural (3.3 million) signed off on bigger audiences.

• Okay, Twilight's not a TV show. But it was a hit. Just like HBO's True Blood, which took a bite out of 2.4 million in its season finale. How much did its audience grow from September premiere to Sunday? A whopping 71 percent.

• The Monday edition of ABC's Dancing With the Stars (19.6 million) was TV's most-watched show. The network also scored TV's biggest hit among  the 18-49 set with Grey's Anatomy (15.9 million overall).

• The season finale of The Real Housewives of Atlanta scored a season-high 2.2 million. Overall, the show put up the best first-season numbers for a Bravo series since the game-changing Queer Eye, the network said.

• Top Chef remained Bravo's top show (2.6 million). TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8 (3.4 million) was cable's top reality show.

• CBS' CSI (18.4 million) drew 4.3 million more total viewers than Fox's House (13.3 million). But House drew almost 1 million more 18-49 viewers than CSI.

• NBC's The Office (8.3 million) ranked 37th overall. It ranked ninth in the 18-49 demo.

• CBS' growing How I Met Your Mother (10 million) ranked even higher in the demo than The Office—eighth.

• NBC's 30 Rock (7.1 million) is nearly as big now as ABC's Private Practice (7.2 million). Or maybe it's Private Practice is nearly as small as…

• Fox's 24 prequel (12.1 million) managed a top 20 finish in total viewers, and a top 15 showing in adults 18-49.

• NBC's Heroes (7.6 million) climbed to 20th place in the demo, up from 23rd. 

• If NBC had canceled all of its shows that drew fewer than 6.5 million viewers, as ABC did, then the network would have said goodbye to: Life (5.4 million), Kath & Kim (5.3 million), Knight Rider (5.2 million) and Lipstick Jungle (3.4 million). So far, only Lipstick Jungle doesn't have a time slot for the new year.

• Wizards of Waverly Place (4.647 million) squeaked past Hannah Montana (4.64 million) as Disney Channel's—and cable's—most-watched series. 

• MTV's The Hills (2.8 million) outdrew the CW's One Tree Hill (2.7 million).

• FX's Sons of Anarchy (2.5 million) was cable's top drama series, not including NCIS and House reruns, of course.

• On Comedy Central, Stephen Colbert's Christmas special, A Colbert Christmas, did well (2.3 million). A rerun of that show with that guy you've never heard of, Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special, did even better (3 million).