Ratings News - 23rd September 2011 *Updated*

Metered Market Ratings Results – Thursday, Sept. 22
CBS Wins; All New Series Get Sampled

Thursday 9/22/11

Household
Rating/Share
CBS 8.9/14
Fox 8.3/13
ABC 7.2/11
NBC 4.2/ 7
CW 2.0/ 3

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening (Thursday 9/23/10):
Fox: +57, ABC: + 6, NBC: + 2, CBS: - 5, CW: -13

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-Winners:
The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Charlie’s Angels (ABC), The X Factor (Fox), Person of Interest (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), The Office (NBC), Whitney (NBC), The Mentalist (CBS)

-Losers (excluding repeats):
Community (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
CBS kicked-off this first Thursday of the 2011-12 season on a winning overnight note, beating second-place Fox by six-tenths of a rating point. But either ABC, which featured the series-premiere of Charlie’s Angels and two-hours of Grey’s Anatomy, and Fox, which housed another two-hours of The X Factor, are poised for victory among adults 18-49. Third overall in the overnights was ABC, followed by NBC and The CW.

There were four series premieres last night: aforementioned Charlie’s Angels on ABC, crime solver Person of Interest on CBS, and NBC’s combination of sitcom Whitney and crime related Prime Suspect from 9:30-11 p.m.

At 8 p.m., two episodes of CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, featuring Emmy winner Jim Parsons, won the hour with an average 9.6 rating/16 share. One year earlier, The Big Bang Theory opened with a similar 9.2/15 on 9/23/10. Next was the first half of a two-hour edition of The X Factor on Fox at an 8.1/14, which was 19 percent above year-ago occupant Bones (6.5/11 on 9/23/10). The X Factor’s advantage among adults 18-49 (and other young demos) will, no doubt, be greater, but this is not the breakout hit many were expecting.

Over at ABC was the revival of Charlie’s Angels, which debuted with a 6.1/10 in the overnights -- 56 percent above failed year-ago drama My Generation (3.9/ 6 on 9/23/10). Consider this is a good start for Charlie’s Angels, but will it hold up next week? Given the mundane pilot, anticipate double-digit losses.

Rounding off the 8 p.m. hour were the season premieres of low-rated NBC comedies Community (#4: 2.8/ 5) and Parks and Recreation (#4: 3.0/ 5), and The Vampire Diaries on The CW (#5: 2.2/ 3). Compared to its year-ago opener (3.6/ 6 on 9/23/10), Community dipped by 22 percent. Needless to say, NBC made a mistake keeping Community as the Thursday anchor. This is no way to start an evening.

At 9 p.m., top-rated overnight honors went to the series-premiere of drama Person of Interest on CBS, which scored an 8.6/13 (and held 90 percent of lead-in The Big Bang Theory). Compared to CSI on the year-ago evening (9.6/15 on 9/23/10), that was a loss of 10 percent. Next was the second half of The X Factor on Fox, which averaged an 8.5/13 and performed as follows in the four half-hours:

The X Factor (Fox)
8:00 p.m.: 7.4/12 (#2)
8:30 p.m.: 8.8/14 (#2)
9:00 p.m.: 8.2/12 (#2)
9:30 p.m.: 8.8/13 (#1)

Overall, the 8.3/13 for The X Factor from 8-10 p.m. outdelivered year-ago occupants Bones and Fringe by 57 percent. Again, as good as this is, The X Factor could have been stronger given the hype and expectations.

Over at ABC, the first hour of the two-hour Grey’s Anatomy season-premiere was on the map with a 7.7/12. But compared to the year-ago season-opener (10.0/15 on 9/23/10), that was a loss of 23 percent.
NBC’s Steve Carell-less The Office picked up steam, rising a hefty 80 percent from Parks and Recreation with a fourth-place 5.4/ 8 at 9 p.m. Comparably, that was right on par with the 5.6/ 9 from one year earlier. Given the expected solid demographic results, consider The Office a “winner.”

At 9:30 p.m. on NBC was the series-premiere of the dreadful sitcom Whitney at a very respectable 5.0/ 8. Comparably, that held 93 percent of The Office lead-in and is also expected to resonate among adults 18-49.

Capping off the 9 p.m. hour was week two of drama The Secret Circle on The CW at a 1.9/ 3 in the overnights. Compared to its week-ago debut (2.3/ 4 on 9/14/11), that was a loss of 17 percent. One year earlier, former occupant Nikita averaged a 2.1/ 3 on 9/23/10.

CBS remained in the overnight winner’s circle at 10 p.m. thanks to the season-premiere of The Mentalist, which scored an 8.6/15. But one year-earlier, The Mentalist was stronger at a 10.2/17 (on 9/23/10). Second was the concluding half of the two-hour edition of Grey’s Anatomy on ABC (7.8/13), followed by the series-premiere of Prime Suspect on NBC (4.6/ 8). While Prime Suspect is expected to skew older, comparably this was 44 percent above year-ago occupant The Apprentice in the overnights (3.2/ 5 on 9/23/10).

In a nutshell, the positive news last night was all four series debuts getting sampled. But since most debuts drop in the vicinity of 10-20 percent in week two, don’t be fooled. We’ll see what happens next week…and beyond.

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Source: Marc Berman@TVMediaInsights