ABC Wins Thursday in Adults 18-49/Grey's is the #1 TV Show in Viewers and Young Adults

Some early info on ABC's Thursday, ahead of the regular press release.

ABC posted a strong first-place finish on Thursday night in Adults 18-49, leading runner-up NBC by 41%, matching its best number on the night since season-premiere Thursday 10 weeks ago (on 9/23/10).

· ABC was up from the same night last year (12/3/09), which included an all-original line up, in both Total Viewers (+4%) and Adults 18-49 (+11%).

ABC's special annual rebroadcast of Santa Claus is Comin' to Town posted a strong second place finish in the 8 o'clock hour among Adults 18-49, pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point of tying Fox's original Bones for #1. The ABC holiday special won the hour with Women 18-49 and Kids 2-11, standing as Thursday's #1 TV show in the latter measure.

· Santa Clause is Comin' to Town generated the Net's 2nd-largest audience in the hour this season, while achieving its highest Kids 2-11 number in the slot in more than 5 years (since 11/24/05).

Returning after a Thanksgiving holiday pre-emption the previous week, ABC's Grey's Anatomy towered over Thursday's 9 o'clock hour in Adults 18-49, registering as the #1 series in the slot for its 10th consecutive telecast this season. Grey's beat out its its nearest competition in the time period by 29% (NBC's original comedies - The Office/Outsourced). Grey's was the most-watched television show overall on Thursday. In addition, for its 2nd consecutive telecast, Grey's stood as Thursday's #1 TV show with Adults 18-49.

ABC's Private Practice topped the 10 o'clock hour by wide margins among Adults 18-49, leading CBS' replay The Mentalist by 71% and penultimate episode of the season for NBC's The Apprentice by 107%.

Quick Take for Thursday, December 2, 2010 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Up Over the Year-Ago Night, ABC Wins Thursday in Adults 18-49, Matching its Strongest Performance on the Evening in 10 Weeks

ABC's Replay of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" Leads with Women 18-49 and Kids 2-11, Marking the Net's Top Kids Number in the Hour in More Than 5 Years

Thursday's No. 1 TV Show in Viewers and Young Adults, ABC's "Grey's" Stands As the No. 1 Series in its Hour with Adults 18-49 for the 10th Straight Airing

ABC's "Private Practice" Tops the 10pm Hour by Wide Margins in Adults 18-49

Thursday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC posted a strong first-place finish on Thursday night in Adults 18-49 (3.1/8), leading runner-up NBC by 41% (2.2/6) and matching its best number on the night since season-premiere Thursday 10 weeks ago (on 9/23/10).

· ABC was up from the same night last year (12/3/09), which included an all-original lineup, in both Total Viewers (+4% - 8.8 million vs. 8.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (+11% - 3.1/8 vs. 2.8/8).

"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

ABC's special annual rebroadcast of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" posted a strong second-place finish in the 8 o'clock hour among Adults 18-49, pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point of tying Fox's original "Bones" for No. 1 (2.3/7 vs. 2.4/7). The ABC holiday special won the hour with Women 18-49 (2.9/8) and Kids 2-11 (3.8/12), standing as Thursday's No. 1 TV show in the latter measure.

· "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" generated the Net's 2nd-largest audience (7.3 million) in the hour this season, while marking its highest Kids 2-11 number in the slot in more than 5 years (since 11/24/05).

"Grey's Anatomy" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Returning after a Thanksgiving holiday pre-emption the previous week, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" towered over Thursday's 9 o'clock hour in Adults 18-49 (4.0/10), registering as the No. 1 series in the slot for its 10th consecutive telecast this season. "Grey's" beat out its nearest competition in the time period by 29% (NBC's original comedies - "The Office"/"Outsourced" - 3.1/8).

· Grey's was the most-watched television show overall on Thursday (10.9 million). In addition, for its 2nd consecutive telecast, Grey's stood as Thursday's top-rated TV show with Adults 18-49.

"Private Practice" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC's "Private Practice" topped its competition in the 10 o'clock hour by wide margins among Adults 18-49 (2.9/8), leading CBS' replay "The Mentalist" by 71% (1.7/5) and the penultimate episode of the season for NBC's "The Apprentice" by 107% (1.4/4).

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 38% currently, from 34% at the same point in 2009. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: The Nielsen Company (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 12/2/10.