HDTV Ratings: March 12

Criminal Minds is challenging Desperate Housewives as Monday night’s most popular HD drama series.

Last night’s episode won the 8.30pm hour with TV One’s target audience, 25-54 year-olds (12.2% versus 11.0%), as well as with household shoppers (15.2% vs 14.1%).

It also rated strongly in the 18-49 demographic (9.7% vs 10.5%) and was only two points behind in the demo TV2 covets, 18-39 year-olds (8.4% vs 10.4%).

Meanwhile, TV3’s HD option, Homeland, is rating consistently well after a rocky start, with 6.8% of 25-54, 6.5% of 18-49, 5.8% of 18-39 and 7.0% of HHS.

Its lead-in, Modern Family, also is developing a loyal audience.

It’s out-rating stablemate Last Man Standing and is especially popular with 18-39 and 18-49 viewers, where its respective ratings of 8.9% and 7.8% puts it fewer than three points behind TV2’s The Amazing Race.

But TV One’s HD duo Piha Rescue and Rapid Response continues to dominate the 7.30pm hour while the 9.30pm hour belongs to TV2’s Revenge, although TV One’s Person of Interest has rebounded at the expense of TV3’s CSI.

For instance, CSI had a 25-54 average of only 4.2%, compared to Person’s 8.2% and Revenge’s 10.0%; the CSI–Person contest is closest in the 18-39 demo, where less than a point separates them.