Although Survivor: Fiji was the least watched premiere in the history of the series (even the Cook Islands’ premiere boasted one million more viewers), the reality TV franchise finished first in its time slot last Thursday. 16.7 million viewers sat down to watch the castaways build a shelter, compete for that shelter and send someone to Exile Island.

Of course, the series has some competition in its current time slot. It’s up against ABC’s Ugly Betty and NBC’s comedies My Name is Earl and The Office. Survivor bested America Ferrara’s series by 8% and the NBC shows by 33%.

The series put forth its biggest numbers since September 28, 2006. The premiere helped CBS win the night.