It’s far from Must See TV, but NBC’s Thursday lineup showed renewed life last night with the return to its old four-sitcom, one-drama format that helped the network dominate Thursdays during the 1980s and ‘90s.

For the night, NBC finished No. 2 to ABC with an average 4.7 rating in adults 18-49, according to Nielsen overnights, seven percent above its season average of 4.4 on the night. It didn’t hurt that CBS, the night’s usual No. 2, was in reruns for much of the night, helping the season debut of “Scrubs” and second Thursday outing of “30 Rock” to solid numbers.

That combined with season-best numbers from “My Name is Earl” and “The Office,” along with a dominant performance from “ER” at 10 p.m., helped NBC to its best Thursday night since Nov. 2.

“Scrubs” and “Rock” replaced the Thursday edition of “Deal or No Deal” as part of the network’s midseason overhaul.

“Scrubs” averaged a 3.9 rating at 9 p.m., 22 percent above last season’s 3.2 average. At 9:30, “Rock” averaged a 3.0. Though it lost a considerable 23 percent from its lead-in, the show hit a series high and was up 25 percent over its 2.4 season-to-date average.

The 9 p.m. comedies were helped by two things, their lead-ins and CBS airing a “CSI” repeat in the slot. At 8:30 p.m., “Office” hit a season high, averaging a 4.6, 10 percent above its 4.2 average. It built on “Earl’s” season-best 4.3.

Meanwhile, “CSI” averaged a 5.0 in the 9 p.m. slot, down a third from its season-to-date average of 7.5.

“CSI’s” repeat also helped boost ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” which posted its highest rating in several weeks at 9 p.m., a 9.6. But new lead-out “Men in Trees” lost more than half that audience, averaging a 4.0, equal to benched timeslot occupant “Six Degrees’” season average.

Still, ABC finished first for the night quite comfortably with a 5.9 average rating and a 15 share. NBC was second at 4.7/12, CBS third at 4.4/11, Fox fourth at 1.8/4, Univision fifth at 1.6/4, and CW sixth at 1.1/3.
 
CBS began the night in the lead among 18-49s with a 5.3 rating during the 8 p.m. hour for “Survivor.” NBC was second with a 4.5 average for “My Name is Earl” (4.3) and “The Office” (4.6), ABC third with a 4.1 for “Ugly Betty” and Fox and Univision tied for fourth at 2.0, Fox for an hour of “Til Death” and Univision for “La Fea Mas Bella.” That left the CW sixth with a 1.2 for a repeat of “Smallville.”
 
At 9 p.m., ABC jumped into the lead with a 9.6 for “Grey’s,” easily the night’s top-rated show among 18-49s. CBS was second with a 5.0 for a repeat of “CSI,” NBC third with a 3.5 average for “Scrubs” (3.9) and “Rock” (3.0), and Fox fourth with a 1.6 for “The O.C.” Univision came in fifth that hour with a 1.5 for “Mundo de Fieras” and CW sixth with a 1.0 for “Supernatural.”
 
The 10 p.m. hour was NBC’s turn to lead with a 6.0 for “ER.” ABC was second with a 4.0 for “Trees,” CBS third with a 2.8 for a repeat of “Shark” and Univision fourth with a 1.2 for “Aqui y Ahora.”
 
ABC also finished first for the night among households, with a 10.8 average rating and a 17 share. CBS was second at 8.6/13, NBC third at 6.5/10, Fox fourth at 2.7/4, Univision fifth at 2.0/3 and CW sixth at 1.8/3.