Ratings News - 13th April 2012 *Full Tables Added*

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Metered Market Thursday Ratings
Fox Wins; Scandal on ABC Holds Up in Week 2

Thursday 4/12/12
Metered Market Results

Household
Rating/Share
Fox 8.1/13
ABC 6.1/10
CBS 5.7/ 9
NBC 2.5/ 4
CW 0.7/ 1

-Percent Change from Year-Ago Evening – Thursday 4/14/11
ABC: +103, CBS: no change, NBC and Fox: -26 each, CW: -61

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-Winners:
The Big Bang Theory R (CBS), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

-Honorable Mention:
Scandal (ABC)

-Losers (excluding repeats):
Community (NBC), 30 Rock (NBC), The Office (NBC), Up All Night (NBC), Awake (NBC)

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-Ratings Breakdown:
With 83 percent of CBS’ line-up in repeats, Fox led this second Thursday in April in the metered markets. Second overall was ABC, which should be satisfied with week two of drama Scandal, followed by CBS, distant NBC and The CW. At this point, NBC needs to revamp the entire evening.

American Idol on Fox led the night, with a 10.8 rating/18 share. While that is more than worthy of being labeled a “winner,” it was down 24 percent year-to-year (14.3/23 on 4/14/11). In episode five news (and its fourth original telecast in the Thursday 9 p.m. hour), lead-out drama Touch with Kiefer Sutherland perked up a bit to a 5.4/ 9 (#3). Comparably, however, retention for Touch out of the 8:30 p.m. portion of American Idol (11.5/18) was weak at 47 percent. Anything under 50 percent is never good.

In week two news, drama Scandal on ABC won the 10 p.m. hour with a 5.6/10 in the overnights. While most new shows slip in the vicinity of 10 to 20 percent in their second telecast, Scandal was virtually on par from its week-ago debut (5.8/10 on April 5), and retention out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of Grey’s Anatomy (7.1/11) was adequate at 79 percent. Keep in mind, though, that Scandal faced a repeat of Person of Interest on CBS (and not an original installment of regularly scheduled The Mentalist). If recent time period occupant Private Practice scores out of Dancing With the Stars on Tuesday (and the lead-in support certainly will not hurt), Scandal could snag a second season.

Earlier in the evening on ABC, week five of Missing has clearly settled in at a 5.7/10 at 8 p.m., which tied the CBS comedies for second place in the overnights. The obstacle for Missing and other dramas like Scandal, of course, is the older skew. Foolishly, the broadcast networks have little interest in anyone over 50. Five-week overnight track for Missing: 7.8/13 – 6.3/10 – 5.7/ 9 – 5.3/ 9 – 5.7/10.

Next on ABC was aforementioned Grey’s Anatomy at a dominant 7.1/11 at 9 p.m. Comparatively, the veteran medical drama built from the 8:30 p.m. portion of Missing (5.8/ 9) by 22 percent.

CBS, no doubt, is testing the waters for a two-hour Thursday sitcom block next season. A repeat of The Big Bang Theory finished second at 8 p.m. with a still ample 6.4/11, followed by expected-to-be-canceled Rules of Engagement at a 5.2/ 8 (#3) at 8:30 p.m. A second encore installment of The Big Bang Theory at 9 p.m. (#2: 6.5/10) led into a repeat of 2 Broke Girls (#3: 4.9/ at 9:30 p.m. and a 10 p.m. encore of Person of Interest (#2: 5.4/ 9). As I always say, you can never adequately judge a show by a repeat. But considering the 2 Broke Girls second-run dipped by 25 percent from Big Bang, CBS may want to consider keeping it on Monday. Stay tuned.

Elsewhere, NBC is a complete shambles with the top-rated show of the evening (The Office: #4: 3.2/ 5 at 9 p.m.) down by 42 percent from one year earlier (5.5/ 9 on 4/14/11). At this point, NBC should let diluted The Office exit with some dignity. The Office led into the season (or series) finale of once promising Up All Night at 9:30 p.m. (#4: 2.5/ 4), followed by floundering drama Awake at a mere 2.3/ 4 (#3) at 10 p.m. Effective next week, Parks and Recreation (another low-rated comedy on NBC) returns at 9:30 p.m.

Earlier in the evening on the Peacock net was Community (#4:) 2.3/ 4) and 30 Rock (#4: 2.4/ 4). Comparatively, 30 Rock could not even top the series-premiere of short-lived The Paul Reiser Show on NBC one year earlier (2.5/ 4 on 4/11/11). In order to move forward, NBC needs to revamp Thursday and not renew an abundance of low-rated sitcoms.

The CW capped off the evening with encore telecasts of The Vampire Diaries (#5: 0.8/ 1) and The Secret Circle (#5: 0.6/ 1).

Source: Nielsen Media Research data

Source: Marc Berman@TVMediaInsights