TV briefs: Britney Spears helps CBS win in ratings

Britney Spears’ seemingly sane star turn on Monday’s “How I Met Your Mother” helped CBS win the night in the key 18-to-49 demographic.

Spears’ guest appearance as a dorky receptionist gave the sitcom its highest rating ever in that all-important age group.

Overall, “How I Met Your Mother” drew 10.6 million total viewers for the night. It usually averages 7.78 million.

That boost combined with other CBS offerings – “The Big Bang Theory,” “Two and a Half Men,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and the first new post-strike episode of “CSI: Miami” – to deliver a slim margin of victory to CBS in the 18-to-49 age group.

Still, ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” ran away with the night in total viewers, bringing in an audience of 20.3 million for its two-hour episode.

‘Jezebel’ jettisoned

Fox’s “The Return of Jezebel James” will in fact not return.

The network has canceled the low-rated comedy from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino after two airings.

The series, which starred Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose as sisters, had its final broadcast Friday and will be replaced by repeats of “Bones.”