Ratings Upset? Charlie Brown Tops Lady Gaga

Winner, and still Undisputed Classic Prime-Time Holiday Special Champion...Charlie "The Bald Bull" Brown.

Lady Gaga had hype in her favor coming into her debut 90-minute ABC special "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving" - she even released a surprise EP the day before featuring three of the show's taped performances - but America was down with the Brown.

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" aired drew 5.8 million viewers and a 1.8 adult demographic rating, while Gaga pulled 5.4 million pairs of eyeballs and a 1.6 rating.

Though not exactly a "special," one contemporary spanked both like a couple bad babies: CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" brought 11.2 million viewers to the table and a 3.6 rating. win the night.

Elsewhere on Turkey Day, NBC's 85th Anniversary Thanksgiving Day Parade earned 3.7 million viewers and a 1.1 ratings of its own. FOX's tie-in "Ice Age: Mammoth Christmas" earned 7.1 million viewers and got a 2.3 rating.

Still, since that's technically a Christmas special, I don't count that as beating "Charlie Brown." It's like a champion fighter taking a fight outside his weight-class and accordingly, his title not being on the line.

Gaga deserves a little credit, though: EW.com said of her special "'A Very Gaga Thanksgiving' was disarmingly direct, sincere, and unpretentious. It was a lot more engaging than that disappointingly limp new Fox cartoon 'Happiness Is A Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown.' Turns out happiness is a warm Gaga."