RATINGS RAT RACE: CW Now A Force On Thursday As ABC, NBC & Fox Struggle At 8
Last week, the CW’s The Vampire Diaries for the first time topped an original The X Factor in adults 18-49 (1.3 vs. 1.2), also finishing way ahead of ABC’s Once Upon A Time In Wonderland (0.9) in the hour. Last night, the CW (1.3) topped both ABC (0.9) and NBC (1.2) in the 8 PM hour for the second time this fall and is currently running a tenth behind Fox (1.4) – a deficit it could erase by the end of the day if it is adjusted up in the finals like it did last week. With ABC’s Wonderland a non-starter, NBC’s Thursday comedy block in a state of collapse and Fox’s The X Factor getting there with its big ratings erosion this season — all while the CW’s Vampire Diaries is going strong — the 8 PM hour has a new dynamic this season. There is still the CBS dominance, fueled by The Big Bang Theory, plus what now is a four-way race for second place in adults 18-49 among ABC, NBC, Fox and yes, the CW. (Univision also factors in that race on the Spanish-language side). Vampire Diaries, which has benefited from the series’ recent exposure on Netflix the way Breaking Bad grew stronger on AMC after viewers discovered it on the streaming service, is holding up well against the biggest comedy series on television much like the WB’s Gilmore Girls did against Friends years ago. There was also an encouraging sign for the CW’s newbie Reign last night. After logging a 0.6 for the past three weeks, the drama went up to a 0.7 and posted its second consecutive rise in total viewers.
Wonderland‘s 0.9 last night was flat. Grey’s Anatomy (2.6) was down a tenth, while Scandal (2.9) rebounded from last week’s season low, up 7% from its fast national last Thursday. X Factor (1.4) ticked up from last Thursday’s all-time low 1.2, which featured repeat performances because of the voting glitch on Wednesday night. Glee (1.5) was flat and tied a series low.
NBC’s 8 PM hour featured the return of Parks And Recreation after a two-week break, with two back-to-back episodes down a tenth from the comedy’s most recent original. Without a Voice lead-in, Sean Saves The World (1.0) fell 29% to tie its all-time low. The Michael J. Fox Show (1.0) was flat and also tied a series low. Parenthood (1.3) was on par with last Thursday and NBC’s highest-rated program of the night. CBS’ Big Bang (5.1) was up 6% from its fast national last Thursday. The Millers (2.7) and The Crazy Ones (2.1) matched their fast nationals from last week, while Two And A Half Men (2.1) was up a tenth from its series low last week. Elementary (1.6) was down 11%. CBS won the night in 18-49 (2.5) and total viewers (10.6 million).
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