For the 2nd Week Running, ABC's "Missing" is the #2 Most-Watched Show to "Idol" at 8pm

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

From 8-9pm opposite American Idol, ABC's Missing finished as the 2nd most-watched TV show for the 2nd week in a row, topping CBS' NCAA Basketball coverage by over 1.5 million viewers and more than doubling the audience (+142%) of NBC's original comedy block (Community/30 Rock). The ABC drama also ranked as the #2 regular program in the hour to Idol with Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54, while taking second overall with key Women (W18-49/W25-54). ABC's Missing qualified as Thursday's 2nd-most-watched scripted program, topping all 4 of NBC's comedies and the drama Awake at 10pm, and trailing only Fox's Idol-driven Touch premiere.

· Missing delivered strong retention of its week-ago debut in Total Viewers (82%), Adults 25-54 (86%), Men 18-49 (92%) and Men 25-54 (100%).

· The new drama improved its time period year to year by double digits, drawing 18% more viewers than original programming on the same night last year.

During the 9 o'clock hour, ABC's repeat Grey's Anatomy outdrew NBC's original comedies (30 Rock/Up All Night) by 1.4 million viewers.

· Grey's generated its largest repeat audience this season, surging 15% over its last replay.

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's repeat Private Practice was up sharply over last encore airing in viewers (+26%) and young adults (+13%).

Quick Take for Thursday, March 22, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Continuing to Improve its Time Slot Opposite "Idol" from 8-9pm, ABC's "Missing" Finishes as the 2nd-Most-Watched TV Show for the 2nd Week in a Row in its Hour

Generating its Most-Watched Repeat this Season, ABC's "Grey's" Outdraws NBC's Original Comedies by 1.4 Million Viewers During the 9 O'clock Hour

ABC's "Private Practice" Posts Sharp Increases Over its Most Recent Repeat

"Missing" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

From 8:00-9:00 p.m., opposite Fox's "American Idol," ABC's "Missing" (8.7 million) finished as the 2nd-most-watched TV show for the 2nd week in a row, topping CBS' NCAA Basketball coverage by over 1.5 million viewers (preliminary time period-based 7.0 million) and more than doubling the audience (+142%) of NBC's original comedy block ("Community"/"30 Rock" = 3.6 million). The ABC drama also ranked as the No. 2 regular program in the hour to "Idol" with Adults 18-49 (1.6/5-tie) and Adults 25-54 (2.5/7), while taking second overall with key Women (W18-49/W25-54). In fact, ABC's "Missing" qualified as Thursday's 2nd-most-watched scripted program, topping all 4 of NBC's comedies and the drama "Awake" at 10:00 p.m., trailing only Fox's "Idol"-driven "Touch" premiere.

· "Missing" delivered strong retention of its week-ago debut in Total Viewers (82%), Adults 25-54 (86%), Men 18-49 (92%) and Men 25-54 (100%).

· The new drama improved its time period year to year by double digits, drawing 18% more viewers than original programming on the same night last year ("Wipeout" on 3/24/11 = 7.4 million).

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

During the 9 o'clock hour, ABC's repeat "Grey's Anatomy" outdrew NBC's original comedies ("30 Rock"/"Up All Night") by 1.4 million viewers (4.7 million vs. 3.3 million).

· "Grey's" generated its largest repeat audience this season, surging 15% over its last replay.

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

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's repeat "Private Practice" was up sharply over the last encore airing in viewers (+26% - 3.4 million vs. 2.7 million) and young adults (+13% - 0.9/2 vs. 0.8/2).

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 43% currently, from 40% at the same point in 2011. 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), 03/22/12.