Monday: At 9pm versus the second hour of NBC’s The Voice and CBS’ original comedies (2 Broke Girls/Mike & Molly), part 2 of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition paced ahead of Fox’s Mob Doctor by 1.3 million viewers and by 25% in Adults 18-49. Part 2 of EM: HE built on part 1 by 10% in Total Viewers and by 11% in Adults 18-49. At 10pm ABC’s Castle shot up from its lead-in by 3.9 million Total Viewers and by 70% in Adults 18-49. The ABC drama improved on its year-ago telecast by 5% in Total Viewers.
Tuesday: During the 8 o’clock hour against NBC’s The Voice and CBS’ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, ABC’s special Christmas-themed Shark Tank beat out Fox’s comedies by wide margins (Raising Hope/Ben & Kate), leading by 3.8 million viewers and by 38% in Adults 18-49. Despite facing The Voice in the hour, ABC’s Shark Tank attracted its 2nd-largest audience. Returning to the 9pm half-hour after the prior week’s preemption, ABC’s Happy Endings jumped 18% in Adults 18-49 and 22% in Adults 18-34 over its 2-week-ago telecast. In fact the ABC comedy equaled its best Adult 18-49 rating since its season premiere – since 10/23/12. In the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC’s Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 spiked over its most-recent airing by 33% in Adults 18-49 and by 100% in Adults 18-34, marking best-since-premiere numbers on both counts – since 10/23/12. Building its overall audience (+5%) for its 2nd straight airing in Tuesday’s 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s Private Practice generated its most-watched telecast in 6 weeks – since 10/23/12.
Wednesday: With its Wednesday lineup, including a repeat Modern Family, ABC beat out NBC’s all-original schedule on the night by wide margins in Total Viewers (+19%) and Adults 18-49 (+38%). On its first telecast in 3 weeks after preemptions for holiday programming, ABC’s The Middle returned to dominate NBC’s Whitney in the 8pm half-hour, leading by 4.1 million viewers and by 77% in Adults 18-49. In addition, it was the 2nd-most-watched TV show in the slot, outdrawing Fox’s The X Factor. At 8:30pm in its first airing in 3 weeks, ABC’s The Neighbors towered over its freshman comedy competition, outdelivering NBC’s Guys with Kids by 78% in Total Viewers and by 36% in Adults 18-49. The ABC freshman comedy held all of its Adult 18-49 delivery from 3 weeks ago and spiked in Adults 18-34 (+17%) and Men 18-34 (+43%). At 9pm, ABC’s Modern Family scored its 3rd-highest-rated-ever repeat telecast in Adults 18-49, tying for the lead in its half-hour against original competition on CBS, NBC and Fox. In the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC’s Suburgatory beat out NBC’s original L&O: SVU by 29% in Adults 18-49. In addition among Adults 18-34, the ABC comedy defeated CBS’ Criminal Minds by 6% and L&O: SVU by 42%. During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s winter finale of Nashville topped CBS’ Grammy Nomination Concert by double digits in Total Viewers (+11%) and Adults 18-49 (+27%). In addition, the ABC drama led its CBS and NBC competition in Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49). Nashville continues to post huge increases from its L+SD to L+7 numbers, spiking 62% in Adults 18-49 (+1.3 rating) and 45% in Total Viewers (+3.04 million), making it the biggest percentage young adult gainer for any new show this season, ahead of NBC’s Revolution. Building week to week in Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 18-49 (+6%), Nashville marked its strongest results since the beginning of November – since 11/7/12.
Thursday: Gaining week to week in viewers (+4%) and young adults (+5%), ABC marked its strongest Thursday since October with regular programming on the night – since 10/18/12 and 10/4/12, respectively. The Net was up over the year-ago Thursday, with an all original lineup, by double digits in Total Viewers (+22%) and Adults 18-49 (+35%). Soaring over its lead-in at 9pm, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy ranked #1 in its hour and stood as Thursday’s #1 drama for its 8th telecast in a row this season. During the 9’clock hour among young adults, Grey’s beat out CBS’ Person of Interest by 3%, Fox’s Glee by 36% and NBC’s comedies by 67% (The Office/Parks and Recreation). In addition, the ABC drama won the hour with Adults 18-34 and across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Posting its best-ever young adult lead-in retention out of an original Grey’s (83%), ABC’s Scandal beat CBS’ Elementary for the first time in Adults 18-49 (+19%) to stand as the #1 series in the 10 o’clock hour for the 2nd week running. The two shows tied the prior week. Additionally, Scandal once again led by double to triple digits over Elementary with Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54), winning the hour for its 4th straight telecast with W18-49 and W25-54. Building for the 2nd consecutive telecast in viewers (+12%) and young adults (+14%), Scandal scored series highs among Total Viewers, all key Adult (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54) and Women demographics (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).
Friday: From 8-9pm, ABC’s compatible comedy combination of Last Man Standing and Malibu Country took second place in the hour in Total Viewers and delivered 92% audience retention from the first half-hour to the second half-hour. Last Man Standing and Malibu Country boosted the 8pm hour for ABC by 40% in Total Viewers and by 40% in Adults 18-49 over the year-ago night with original programming. During the 9 o’clock hour, ABC’s repeat Shark Tank tied CBS’ original CSI: NY in Adults 18-49, while defeating Fox’s first-run Fringe by 67%. In viewers and young adults, Shark Tank marked its 2nd-strongest-ever repeat numbers. During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s 20/20 ran in a near tie with CBS’ Blue Bloods in Adults 18-49 (pacing within 2-tenths of a rating point and tied in audience share). ABC’s 20/20 built over the same night last year in the Adult 25-54 news demo (+6%) for its 7th consecutive telecast.
Sunday: From 8-9pm, ABC’s back-to-back encore telecast of Disney Prep & Landing and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice surged over their year-ago paring (on 12/22/11) by 30% in Total Viewers, by 27% in Adults 18-49 and by 28% in Kids 2-11. The Disney animated holiday specials generated ABC’s highest Kids 2-11 number in the hour more than 9 months – since 2/26/12 with the Academy Awards. Up against all-original competition from 9-11pm, including NBC’s Sunday Night Football (Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers) and CBS’ season finale of The Amazing Race XXI into the fall finale of The Mentalist, ABC’s Hallmark Hall of Fame: Christmas with Holly built sharply on its lead-in and gained audience from its first to second hour. During its second hour from 10-11pm, ABC’s Hallmark Hall of Fame movie beat out CBS’ Amazing Race-fueled The Mentalist in both Total Viewers (+4%) and Adults 18-49 (+19%). In fact in the 10pm hour, the movie generated ABC’s 2nd-largest audience this season, behind only the AMA’s telecast in November. Christmas with Holly was up from the last Hallmark Hall of Fame movie (Firelight on 4/22/12) in Total Viewers (+1%) and Adults 18-49 (+13%), standing as ABC’s best performance yet with the movie franchise on both Nielsen measures. Each of ABC’s Hallmark Hall of Fame movies has grown over the previous telecast in viewers and young adults.
