CBS remained ahead of ABC last night, as the latter continued to see declines for its top Monday night shows, “Dancing with the Stars” and “Samantha Who?.”

CBS averaged a 4.0 adults 18-49 rating and 10 share on the evening, according to Nielsen overnights, while ABC posted a 3.5/9.

“Stars” was off 14 percent from its season-to-date 5.0 average for performance shows, averaging a 4.3 rating from 8 to 9:30 p.m. That led into a 2.9 for “Samantha,” which posted its lowest rating ever when airing behind “Stars.”

Those shows are hardly the only ones to see ratings declines lately, however. CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory,” which moved to a lower-HUT 8 p.m. timeslot last month after airing at 8:30 last fall, tied a series-low 2.9 last night.

Meanwhile, the CW’s “Gossip Girl” returned from strike hiatus with decent ratings. Combined with “One Tree Hill,” “Girl” helped the CW to its best-ever Monday among adults 18-34 and women 18-34.

“Girl” averaged a 1.9 in the network’s target 18-34s, its third-best showing ever, behind its pilot and a November episode that aired behind “America’s Next Top Model.”

For the night, NBC placed third among 18-49s at 2.8/7, Fox fourth at 2.6/7, Univision fifth at 1.7/4 and CW sixth at 1.3/3.
 
ABC started the night in the lead with a 4.0 rating at 8 p.m. for the first hour of “Stars,” with CBS second with a 3.3 average for “Bang” (2.9) and “How I Met Your Mother” (3.7). Fox was third with a 2.6 for “Bones,” NBC fourth with a 2.3 for “Deal or No Deal,” Univision fifth with a 1.8 for “Al Diablo con los Guapos” and CW sixth with a 1.3 for “Gossip Girl.”
 
At 9 p.m. CBS took the lead with a 4.5 average for “Two and a Half Men” (4.9) and “Rules of Engagement” (4.1), while ABC slid to second with a 3.8 for the last half hour of “Stars” (4.7) and an episode of “Samantha” (2.9). NBC was third with a 3.0 for another hour of “Deal,” Fox fourth with a 2.6 for a repeat of “House,” Univision fifth with a 1.8 for “Pasion” and CW sixth with a 1.4 for “One Tree Hill.”
 
CBS led again at 10 p.m. with a 4.3 for “CSI: Miami,” followed by NBC with a 3.0 for “Medium.” ABC was third with a 2.7 for “The Bachelor” and Univision fourth with a 1.4 for “Cristina.”
 
Among households, ABC led the night with an 8.8 average overnight rating and a 14 share. CBS was second at 7.3/11, NBC third at 6.3/10, Fox fourth at 5.3/8, Univision fifth at 2.1/3 and CW sixth at 1.7/3.