A new episode of  "House" on Fox led Monday night in the Nielsen ratings, earning a 4.8 in preliminary adults 18-49 rating, according to The Hollywood Reporter. At 9 p.m., "Lie to Me" managed a 2.7 for the network.

On CBS, reruns ruled, with "How I Met Your Mother" getting a 2.1, followed by "Accidentally on Purpose" at a 1.7. From at 9-11,  "Two and a Half Men" logged a 3.1, "Big Bang Theory" got a 3.3, and ""CSI: Miami" won at 10 with a 2.5.

ABC’s annual Christmas cartoons, "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Shrek the Halls" drew a 2.9 and 3.2, respectively, for the 8 o’clock hour. At 9 p.m., "Find My Family" delivered a 2.3, and a 10 p.m. rerun of "Castle" pulled a 1.9.

Despite new episodes, NBC’s "Heroes" scrounged up just a 2.5, while "Trauma" dropped to a 1.8.

All the ratings were impacted by the ESPN "Monday Night Football" game — New England Patriots vs. the New Orleans Saints — which was a big draw on cable.

— Allison J. Waldman