Duets rocked ABC’s Thursday

Based on Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings: In head-to-head competition from 8-10pm, ABC’s Duets outdrew back-to-back series debuts on Fox (Take Me Out/The Choice) by 1.4 million viewers, leading its unscripted competition in all 4 half-hours.  Gaining audience throughout its broadcast, Duets grew by 8% in viewers and by 18% in young adults from its first hour to its second hour. In fact from 9-10pm, the ABC singing competition towered over the series debut of NBC’s Saving Hope with Total Viewers (+74%) and Adults 18-49 (+86%).

From 10-11pm, ABC’s Rookie Blue finished as the 2nd-most-watched TV series overall and ranked as the #1 series with key Women (W18-49/W25-54). In the hour, the ABC drama beat out NBC’s time-period premiere of Rock Center with Brian Williams by 2.2 million viewers, by 60% in Adults 25-54 and by 86% in Adults 18-49. Rookie Blue matched a season high in Adults 18-34 and grew to a new season best with Women 18-34. The ABC drama equaled its highest Women 18-34 number since last July – since 7/28/11.

At 8 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of “The Office” averaged a 0.6/2 in 18-49 and 2.1 million viewers overall, and at 8:30, a rebroadcast of “Parks and Recreation” delivered a 0.6/2 in 18-49 and 1.8 million viewers overall.

At 9 p.m. ET, the debut of “Saving Hope” (0.7/2 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in by a tenth of a rating point in adults 18-49 and by 73 percent or 1.3 million persons in total viewers.  Versus NBC’s total-viewer average in the time period last summer, “Saving Hope” is up 34 percent (3.124 million vs. 2.331 million, L+SD non-sports).

At 10 p.m. ET, “Rock Center”  reported a 0.7/2 in 18-49 and 3.2 million viewers overall.  “Rock Center” maintained its 18-49 lead-in and was up 1 percent versus lead-in in total viewers.  Compared with NBC’s total-viewer average in the time period last summer, “Rock Center” is up 23 percent (3.164 million vs. 2.579 million, L+SD non-sports).

In Late-Night Metered Markets Wednesday night: In Nielsen’s 56 metered markets, household results were: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” 2.6/6; CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman,” 2.2/6; and ABC’s combo of “Nightline,” 3.1/7; and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” 1.5/4.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” 0.8/4; “Late Show,” 0.6/3; “Nightline,” 0.9/4; and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” (1.1/4 with an encore).  In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, “Late Night” (0.5/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped “Late Late Show” (0.3/2 with an encore).

At 1:35 a.m., “Last Call with Carson Daly” averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

NOTE: All ratings are “live plus same day” from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated.

(source: ABC)