Up against Fox’s 2-hour American Idol, ABC’s mix of original and repeat programming was up over the year-ago Wednesday in Total Viewers (+3%) and Adults 18-49 (+6%), improving year to year for the 5th straight week on the evening. In fact, the Net was once again the only broadcaster to increase its overall Wednesday audience year over year. ABC outdelivered NBC’s mostly original line-up on the night by wide margins in viewers (+38%) and young adults (+42%).
At 8pm, ABC’s repeat The Middle outdrew NBC’s original Whitney by nearly 1.0 million viewers and nearly tied among Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of a ratings point and tied in audience share).
- The Middle was up over its year-ago repeat telecast in the half-hour by 7% in Adults 18-49.
At 8:30pm like its lead-in, ABC’s repeat Suburgatory drew a larger audience than its original NBC comedy competition, topping Are You There, Chelsea? by 24% in viewers and matching the NBC comedy in Adults 18-49.
- Suburgatory boosted its half-hour year over year for ABC, up by 7% in Adults 18-49 over the year-ago Wednesday with a repeat The Middle.
ABC’s repeat Modern Family at 9pm finished as Wednesday’s #1 scripted TV show in Adults 18-49, beating out CBS’ Criminal Minds encore by 60% in the half-hour.
- The Modern Family replay was up year to year among Adults 18-49 (+4%).
During the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC’s Happy Endings earned second place to the final half-hour of Fox’s 2-hour American Idol in Adults 18-49. In addition, the ABC sophomore comedy qualified as the #1 scripted show in its slot for its 17th consecutive first-run airing in Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34.
- Continuing to improve its slot year to year, ABC’s Happy Endings spiked by 11% in Adults 18-49 over Mr. Sunshine (also an original) in the half-hour on the year-ago night.
During the 10 o’clock hour, the debut of ABC’s Revenge for Real: Murder in The Hamptons earned second place in Total Viewers and key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54). In fact, the limited series from ABC News crushed NBC News’ time-period premiere of Rock Center with Brian Williams, leading by 42% in Total Viewers, by 46% in Adults 25-54 and by 40% in Adults 18-49.
- ABC’s Revenge for Real improved Wednesday’s 10 o’clock hour year to year by double digits in Total Viewers (+19%), Adults 25-54 (+12%) and Adults 18-34 (+19%), outdelivering first-run programming on the same night last year.
(Source: ABC)
