Finale ratings: 'Lost,' 'Lie to Me,' 'Top Model'

UPDATED: Fox won Wednesday night in the ratings with the first season finale of Lie to Me (8.5 million viewers, 2.6 national adults 18-49 rating) winning its hour, followed by a surging penultimate episode of the American Idol results show (24.7 million, 8.7). Lie maintained some of last week's ratings surge, though slipped a tenth overall.

ABC placed second with a Lost clip show (6.3 million, 2.5) leading into the thriller's two-hour closer. Lost (9.4 million, 4.4) won its hours against everything except Idol and marked its highest rating in 10 weeks.

Despite overall erosion compared to last year, Lost has done well this season (chart below), ranking as Wednesday's top scripted show in the adult demo for its past 15 episodes.

CBS opened the night with a special airing of Monday's midseason hit Rules of Engagement (6.3 million, 1.9) and demonstrated the power of a time period. The comedy, which typically shows great retention of its Two and a Half Men lead-in, pulled about half its usual number here. Bubble show The New Adventures of Old Christine (6.5 million, 2.0) improved slightly. Criminal Minds (13.4 million, 3.4) and CSI: NY (12.3 million, 3.2) roughly matched last week.

In fourth, NBC aired Law & Order: Criminal Intent (5.4 million, 1.1), a repeat and Law & Order (7.9 million, 2.2). The CW ran the finale of America's Next Top Model (4.3 million, 1.9), which was on par with recent episodes but marked the veteran show's lowest-rated CW closer.

Here's a full season chart for Lost (note: the final number increased a tenth in the nationals):