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[05/12/11 - 08:43 AM]
Wednesday's Broadcast Ratings: "Better With You" Ticks Up in Season Finale
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, may 11, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (18.69 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.8, #1) was the network to beat on Wednesday with new episodes of "American Idol" (22.37 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.9, #1) and the departing "Breaking In" (7.65 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5).

CBS (10.87 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then claimed the distant silver with fresh installments of "Survivor: Redemption Island" (10.44 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #4), "Criminal Minds" (13.08 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.3, #3) and "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (9.08 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8).

Next up was ABC (6.18 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) and its mix of "The Middle" (7.16 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #T8), the season finale of "Better With You" (5.96 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.9, #10), "Modern Family" (10.11 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.2, #2), "Cougar Town" (6.14 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5), "Happy Endings" (4.25 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.7, #11) and another "Happy Endings" (3.47 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.4, #12).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.85 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) offered up a new "Minute to Win It" (3.05 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15), a repeat of "Minute to Win It" (3.54 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) and a new "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (7.96 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T5).

And finally, an encore of last week's "America's Next Top Model" (1.23 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16) led into a new "America's Next Top Model" (1.97 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #14) on The CW (1.60 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Better With You (18.80%), America's Next Top Model (11.10%), Modern Family (10.50%), Cougar Town (9.10%), American Idol (7.80%), The Middle (5.00%), Criminal Minds (3.10%), Survivor: Redemption Island (0.00%), Happy Endings (10:00) (0.00%), Happy Endings (10:30) (0.00%), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (-4.00%), Breaking In (-4.00%), Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (-4.50%), Minute to Win It (-10.00%).

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 3.1/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 3.0/8; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.8/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.3/4.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 0.8/4; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.4/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/3).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.


Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/12/10):

FOX (12.12 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.9, #1) claimed top honors on Wednesday with a new "American Idol" (19.10 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.4, #1). Kicking off the night was a repeat of "Lie to Me" (5.14 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #14).

The silver then went to CBS (10.39 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2) with the season finale of "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (7.19 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.9, #10) followed by a repeat of "The Big Bang Theory" (6.65 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #9) and fresh installments of "Criminal Minds" (12.88 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #3) and "CSI: NY" (11.36 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T5).

Next up was ABC (5.97 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) with a repeat of "The Middle" (5.69 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.6, #13) and new episodes of "The Middle" (7.51 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #7), "Modern Family" (10.10 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.2, #2), "Cougar Town" (6.13 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.6, #T5) and "Happy Town" (3.21 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.2, #15).

Meanwhile, NBC (6.44 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #4) offered up a special "Minute to Win It" (6.72 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.2, #8), the season finale of "Mercy" (4.11 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.1, #16) and a new "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (8.51 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.8, #4).

And finally, a new "America's Next Top Model" (3.93 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.8, #11) lead into the season finale of "America's Next Top Model" (3.57 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.7, #12) on The CW (3.75 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #5).

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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