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[03/22/12 - 08:58 AM]
Wednesday's Broadcast Ratings: "Bent" Opens as NBC's Lowest Rated Comedy Premiere Ever
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, march 21, 2012)

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

FOX (16.55 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.9, #1) eclipsed the competition once again with a new two-hour "American Idol" (16.55 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.9, #1) on Wednesday.

CBS (11.11 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) then claimed the silver with new episodes of "Survivor: One World" (10.20 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3) - the show's lowest original rating ever (excluding clip shows), "Criminal Minds" (11.90 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.2, #2) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (11.22 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.5, #4) - matching its season low.

Next up was ABC (4.86 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3) with encores of "The Middle" (4.91 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.2, #11), "Suburgatory" (4.43 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9) and "Modern Family" (5.64 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #5) followed by a new "Happy Endings" (4.12 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.8, #6) - a season low - and a rebroadcast of "Missing" (5.03 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T9).

Meanwhile, NBC (3.16 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) offered up new episodes of "Whitney" (4.22 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.6, #7) and "Are You There, Chelsea?" (3.49 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.4, #8) plus the premiere of "Bent" (2.82 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #12) - the Peacock's lowest rated in-season comedy debut ever (since "The Paul Reiser Show" - 1.1 on 4/14/11), a second episode of "Bent" (2.42 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #13) and a new "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (2.99 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T14).

And finally, new episodes of "One Tree Hill" (1.45 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T14) and "America's Next Top Model" (1.28 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #16) rounded out the night on The CW (1.36 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.6, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Hill" delivered a 1.2 rating while "Top Model" posted a 0.9 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+40.00% - Are You There, Chelsea?
+20.00% - America's Next Top Model
+16.67% - Rock Center With Brian Williams
+14.29% - Criminal Minds
+14.29% - Whitney
0.00% - One Tree Hill
-6.90% - Survivor: One World
-7.41% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
-7.55% - American Idol
-25.00% - Happy Endings

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+52.38% - Criminal Minds (vs. Criminal Minds (Repeat))
+50.00% - America's Next Top Model (vs. Shedding for the Wedding)
+33.33% - Whitney (vs. Minute to Win It)
+16.67% - Are You There, Chelsea? (vs. Minute to Win It)
+13.64% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior)
-9.09% - Bent - 9:00 (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
-10.00% - Survivor: One World
-18.18% - Happy Endings (vs. Mr. Sunshine)
-18.18% - Bent - 9:30 (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
-30.00% - One Tree Hill (vs. America's Next Top Model)
-36.36% - American Idol
-73.08% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)

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," 2.7/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.6/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/7; 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," 0.7/3; "Late Show," 0.6/3; "Nightline," 0.8/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market household) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-4) 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 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters


Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/23/11):

FOX (23.47 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.7, #1) sailed to another victory on Wednesday with a two-hour "American Idol" (23.47 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.7, #1).

CBS (9.44 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #2) then claimed the silver with a new "Survivor: Redemption Island" (10.75 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.0, #3) - a series low, a repeat of "Criminal Minds" (8.70 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #7) and a new "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" (8.86 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5).

Next up was ABC (6.46 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #3) with its mix of "The Middle" (7.26 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #8) - a season low, a repeat of "The Middle" (5.81 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9), "Modern Family" (10.80 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.3, #2), "Mr. Sunshine" (5.91 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T5) and "Off the Map" (4.49 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #10).

NBC (5.63 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) then was out of the hunt with a new "Minute to Win It" (4.21 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.2, #11), a repeat of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.99 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #12) and a new "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (8.68 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4).

And finally, fresh installments of "America's Next Top Model" (2.15 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.0, #13) and "Shedding for the Wedding" (0.97 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.4, #14) on The CW (1.56 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Minute to Win It (33.30%), America's Next Top Model (25.00%), Mr. Sunshine (22.20%), Off the Map (7.10%), Modern Family (4.90% vs. 3/2/11), American Idol (4.10%), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (4.00% vs. 2/23/11), Shedding for the Wedding (0.00%), Survivor: Redemption Island (-3.20%), The Middle (-13.00% vs. 3/2/11), Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (-15.40%).

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," 3.4/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.5/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.4/8; 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," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 1.1/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4/2.

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" (1.3/5 with an encore). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/3 with an encore).

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.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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