Ratings News - 21st February 2012 *Full Tables Added*

We'll have the full tables and updated Cancellation Chart online shortly. Check the Twitter feed for updates.



METERED MARKET MONDAY RATINGS
The Voice Leads NBC to Victory, but Smash Continues to Erode

Monday 2/20/12
Metered Market Results

Household
Rating/Share
NBC 7.7/12
CBS 7.2/11
ABC 6.3/10
Fox 4.4/ 6
CW 1.1/ 2

----------

-Percent Change from Year-Ago Evening – Monday 2/21/11
NBC: +97, CBS: + 6, ABC: -10, CW: -15, Fox: -28

----------

-Winners:
The Voice (NBC), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), Two and a Half Men (CBS), Mike & Molly (CBS), Castle (ABC)

-Ready to Retire:
House (Fox)

-Losers (excluding repeats):
Gossip Girl (CW), Alcatraz (Fox), Hart of Dixie (CW), Smash (NBC)

----------

-Ratings Breakdown:
NBC took center stage on Monday once again thanks to The Voice, which was the top-rated show of the evening at a 9.2 rating/14 share in the overnights from 8-10 p.m. Compared to the year-ago combination of Chuck (3.5/ 5 on 2/21/11) and short-lived drama The Cape (2.6/ 4), this was an increase of a mammoth 202 percent. One week earlier, The Voice scored a 9.8/15, and that translated into 16.28 million viewers and a 6.0 rating/15 share among adults 18-49. Here is the half-hour breakdown:

The Voice (NBC)
8:00 p.m.: 8.5/13 (#1)
8:30 p.m.: 9.0/13 (#1)
9:00 p.m.: 9.7/14 (#1)
9:30 p.m.: 9.8/15 (#1)

Personally, you can include me as one of the fans of this fresh and positive singing competition. Move over, American Idol. You too, Simon Cowell.

Unfortunately, not all the news on NBC was positive last night. Highly touted musical drama Smash dipped to a 4.7/ 8 in the overnights at 10 p.m., which placed it third behind ABC’s Castle (#1: 6.7/11) and Hawaii Five-O on CBS (#2: 6.6/11). Comparably, Smash dropped by 18 percent from week two (and 39 percent from its debut on Feb. 6), with retention out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of The Voice of only 48 percent. While Smash certainly is ambitious, the sad reality of the show itself were the bloated expectations. It is always better to debut under the radar rather than with the type of hype you just cannot live up to. Three-week overnight track for Smash: 7.7/13 – 5.7/10 – 4.7/ 8.

Opposite The Voice, CBS’ sitcom block finished second in each of the four half-hours with solid performances from How I Met Your Mother (6.7/10: + 6 percent from one year earlier), 2 Broke Girls (7.5/11: +42 percent from failed Mad Love), Two and a Half Men (8.6/13: +12 percent from a repeat) and Mike & Molly (7.1/11: - 5). 2 Broke Girls, which continues to push the envelope at 8:30 p.m., featured a guest appearance by the always outstanding Renee Taylor. Aforementioned Hawaii Five-O capped off the evening for the Eye net second in the overnights at 10 p.m. (6.6/11), with an expected first-place finish among adults 18-49. One year earlier, the revival scored a 7.0/11 on 2/21/11.

On ABC, ongoing interest in The Bachelor (6.1/ 9 from 8-10 p.m.: down 18 percent from one year earlier) proves that three successful shows can co-exist in a time period. But will returning Dancing With the Stars, which announces its spring cast on Good Morning America next Monday, take a hit opposite The Voice? Here is the half-hour breakdown for The Bachelor:

The Bachelor (ABC)
8:00 p.m.: 6.1/ 9 (#3)
8:30 p.m.: 5.9/ 9 (#3)
9:00 p.m.: 6.0/ 9 (#3)
9:30 p.m.: 6.2/ 9 (#3)

Aforementioned Castle at 10 p.m., which skews older, inched past Hawaii Five-O on CBS for first in the overnights with a 6.7/11. Compared to one year earlier (6.2/10 on 2/21/11), that was an increase of eight percent.

With The Voice on NBC now in the competitive mix, Alcatraz continues to dwindle. Week six of the Fox drama dipped to a series-low 4.1/ 6 at 9 p.m., which was down by 21 percent from failed year-ago occupant The Chicago Code (5.2/ 8 on 2/21/11). Earlier in the evening on Fox was soon-to-conclude House at a 4.7/ 7 (#4) at 8 p.m. -- 33 percent below one year earlier (7.0/10 on 2/21/11). Hugh Laurie and company were wise to call it quits.

The CW closed the night with its uneventful combination of Gossip Girl (#5: 1.1/ 2) and a freshman drama Hart of Dixie (1.2/ 2), which was equal to Gossip Girl on the year-ago evening. Compared to former Monday 8 p.m. anchor 90210 (1.4/ 2 on 2/21/11), Gossip Girl dropped by 21 percent. That said, shouldn’t the drama call it quits this spring?

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Source: Marc Berman@TVMediaInsights