ABC's "Grey's" Dominates at 9pm and "Scandal" Earns Series Highs at 10pm

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

During the 8 o'clock hour, opposite Fox's American Idol and CBS' comedies (The Big Bang Theory/Rules of Engagement), ABC's Missing drew 97% more viewers than NBC's original comedy block (Community/30 Rock). The new ABC drama also beat out the established NBC comedies with Adults 25-54 (+7%) and Women 18-49 (+7%).

· Missing improved its hour year to year by 31% in Total Viewers over original programming on the same night last year.

Nearly tripling its lead-in at 9pm in Adults 18-49 (+191%), ABC's Grey's Anatomy finished as the highest-rated series in its hour for the 4th week in a row to once again register as Thursday's #1 drama. Winning the 9 o'clock hour by wide margins, ABC's Grey's Anatomy defeated CBS' Person of Interest by 28%, Fox's Idol-inflated Touch by 52% and NBC's comedy block by 60% (The Office/Parks and Recreation). Additionally, Grey's qualified as Thursday's top-rated TV series with Women 18-49 and Women 18-34 (5th straight week).

· Grey's retained 100% of its week-ago "Fast Affiliate" Adult 18-49 rating and grew with Women 18-34 (+5%) to equal its best number in nearly 3 months - since 2/9/12.

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC freshman Scandal took second to CBS' veteran The Mentalist in Total Viewers and key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54). Also in the hour, ABC's Scandal crushed its freshman drama competition, outdelivering NBC's Awake by best-yet margins in Total Viewers (+224%), Adults 25-54 (+238%) and Adults 18-49 (+200%). In addition, Scandal paced well ahead of The Mentalist with Adults 18-34 (+27%) and ranked #1 in its slot for the 5th straight week with key Women (W18-49/W25-54).

· The freshman ABC drama rose 5% over the prior week in Adults 18-49, hitting a series high. Scandal also matched series-best ratings with Adults 18-34 and Adults 25-54.

Quick Take for Thursday, May 3, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

From 8-9pm, ABC Freshman "Missing" Draws 97% More Viewers than NBC's Established Comedies and Improves its Hour by 31% Year to Year

Thursday's Top-Rated Drama, ABC's "Grey's" Nearly Triples its Lead-in to Rank as the No. 1 Series in its Hour for the 4th Straight Week in Adults 18-49

ABC's "Scandal" Hits Series Highs Across All Key Adult Demographics

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

During the 8 o'clock hour, opposite Fox's "American Idol" and CBS' original comedies ("The Big Bang Theory"/"Rules of Engagement"), ABC's "Missing" (6.3 million) drew 97% more viewers than NBC's original comedy block ("Community"/"30 Rock" = 3.2 million). The new ABC drama also beat out the established NBC comedies with Adults 25-54 (+7%) and Women 18-49 (+7%).

· "Missing" improved its hour year to year by 31% in Total Viewers over original programming on the same night last year ("Wipeout" on 5/5/11 = 4.8 million).

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

Nearly tripling its lead-in at 9:00 p.m. in Adults 18-49 (+191%), ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" finished as the highest-rated series in its hour for the 4th week in a row to once again register as Thursday's No. 1 drama. Winning the 9 o'clock hour by wide margins, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (3.2/9) defeated CBS' "Person of Interest" by 28% (2.5/7), Fox's "Idol"-inflated "Touch" by 52% (2.1/6) and NBC's comedy block by 60% ("The Office"/"Parks and Recreation" = 2.0/6). Additionally, "Grey's" qualified as Thursday's top-rated TV series with Women 18-49 and Women 18-34 (5th straight week).

· "Grey's Anatomy" retained 100% of its week-ago "Fast Affiliate" Adult 18-49 rating and grew with Women 18-34 (+5%) to equal its best number in nearly 3 months - since 2/9/12.

"Scandal" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC freshman "Scandal" took second to CBS' veteran "The Mentalist" in Total Viewers and key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54). Also in the hour, ABC's "Scandal" crushed its freshman drama competition, outdelivering NBC's "Awake" by best-yet margins in Total Viewers (+224% - 6.8 million vs. 2.1 million), Adults 25-54 (+238% - 2.7/7 vs. 0.8/2) and Adults 18-49 (+200% - 2.1/6 vs. 0.7/2). In addition, "Scandal" paced well ahead of "The Mentalist" with Adults 18-34 (+27% - 1.4/5 vs. 1.1/4) and ranked No. 1 in its slot for the 5th straight week with key Women (W18-49/W25-54).

· The freshman ABC drama rose 5% over the prior week in Adults 18-49, hitting a series high. "Scandal" also matched series-best ratings with Adults 18-34 and Adults 25-54.

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 44% currently, from 41% 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), 05/03/12.