>American Idol keeps falling and keeps opening the door for CBS to win Thursday night, but it seems like all hit shows are stumbling badly in this second half of the season. Meanwhile, Scandal premiered on ABC to unspectacular ratings.
Nightly Adult 18-49 Rating
Thursday FOX NBC CBS ABC
04.05.2012 3.1 1.1 2.9 2.1 THIS WEEK
03.29.2012 3.6 1.3 3.2 1.2 LAST WEEK
04.07.2011 4.8 1.3 3.0 1.2 LAST YEAR
And the network ratings just keep getting lower this spring. American Idol slid below a 4 rating last night in the Adult 18-49 fast nationals (3.8 rating). That number will go up in the official nationals to a 3.9 or possibly a 4.0, still a Thursday low very the signing contest. Touch continues a straight line down (shedding four to five tenths of a rating point a week), now a 2.3 rating. However, those two shows provided enough for FOX to win last night with a wobbly 3.1 rating from 8-10 pm. Last year on this night: American Idol (6.4) and Bones (3.2).
Season Past Six WeeksFOX Thu High Low 3.01 3.08 3.15 3.22 3.29 4.05
X Factor 4.3 2.8 American Idol 5.7 4.2 5.4 4.9 4.6 4.2 4.4 3.8*
Touch 2.2R 3.3 2.7 2.3*
Bones 3.3 2.4 The Finder 2.8 1.7 — 2.3
ABC premiered Scandal at 10 pm, after another Shonda Rhimes’ drama, Grey’s Anatomy. Scandal is not the next great ABC soap. Grey’s last night turned in a season-low 2.8 rating (not helped by the finale of Missing starring Ashley Judd at 8 pm, which only scored a 1.4 rating). Then Scandal opened with a 2.1 rating, second place in the 10 pm hour and about what Private Practice would have done after a weak Grey’s episode. Scandal is probably headed for around a 1.9 rating in the normal post-premiere fade. Last year on this night: Wipeout repeat (1.5), Grey’s Anatomy repeat (1.4) and Private Practice repeat (0.8).
Season Past Six Weeks
ABC Thu High Low 3.01 3.08 3.15 3.22 3.29 4.05
Charlie’s Ang 2.1 1.1
Wipeout 2.7 1.5 1.1R 1.3R
Missing 2.1 1.5 2.1 1.6 1.5 1.4*
Grey’s Anatomy 4.5 3.1 1.1R 1.1R 3.0 1.2R 1.2R 2.8*
Scandal 2.1*
Private Prac 2.8 2.1 — 2.1 0.8R 0.8R
CBS had the same all-original schedule last night that it had last week, but the night was down three tenths of a rating point from last Thursday. Big Bang Theory was down half a rating point (Stephen Hawking evidently is not stunt-casting ratings gold), but the comedy remains the highest-rated show on any network last night. Rules of Engagement was even with last week, while Person of Interest was down four tenths (though still #1 in the 9 pm hour narrowly) and The Mentalist slid three tenths of a rating point. The bar just keeps dropping everywhere. Last year on this night: Big Bang Theory (3.7), Rules of Engagement (2.6), CSI (2.9) and The Mentalist (3.0).
Season Past Six Weeks
CBS Thu High Low 3.01 3.08 3.15 3.22 3.29 4.05
Big Bang Theory 5.5 4.5 3.2R 5.1 4.7 4.2*
Rules Engagment 3.7 2.7 2.7 2.7*
Rob 4.1 2.9 2.6 —
Person Interest 3.4 2.6 1.8R 3.4 3.3 2.9*
Mentalist 3.0 2.5 1.7R 2.8 2.7 2.4*
But no full-service broadcast network has a lower bar than NBC. Community crashed to a 1.3 rating for an original episode that was actually promoted fairly heavily with 30-second spots. (The promos centered on “The Battle of Community”, a monumental pillow fight promoted in the style of Ken Burns’ “Civil War” documentary.) In my humble opinion, the Chevy Chase voicemail to show creator Dan Harmon was infinitely funnier than the promos or the episode. Now that’s comedy. Another Office repeat hurt the night’s overall potential, and allowed Up All Night and Awake to set new season lows, with Awake crashing below the 1-rating line of ignominy. Last year on this night: Community repeat (0.8), Perfect Couples (1.0), The Office repeat (1.7), Parks & Recreation repeat (1.4), 30 Rock repeat (1.3) and Outsourced (1.4).
Season Past Six Weeks
NBC Thu High Low 3.01 3.08 3.15 3.22 3.29 4.05
Community 1.8 1.4 2.2 1.7 1.7 1.3*
30 Rock 1.8 1.3 1.4 1.4 2.0 1.5 1.5 1.2*
Parks & Rec 2.1 1.7 1.7 1.8
The Office 3.9 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.4 1.2R 1.0R
Whitney 3.3 1.9
Up All Night 2.0 1.3 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.3 1.1*
Awake 1.9 1.0 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.2 1.0 0.9*
Prime Suspect 1.8 0.8
The Firm 1.0 0.8 —
###
