‘SURVIVOR” was welcomed back with a bang Thursday night on CBS.

“Survivor 5,” which is unfolding on an island off Thailand, scored solid numbers in its premiere – easily winning its 8 to 9 p.m. timeslot against a repeat of last season’s “Friends” cliffhanger season finale.

“S5” averaged 23 million viewers and topped the premiere of last year’s “Survivor: Marquesas” in key demos (adults 18-49 and 18-34), according to preliminary Nielsen data.

“S5” was up 22 percent in adults 18-34 from the “S4” premiere and grew significantly in its second half-hour – up 5 percent in households while adding another 2 million viewers from 8:30 to 9 p.m.-