#1 scripted series, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy led Thursday’s 9 o’clock hour. ABC took second to an Idol-led Fox on Thursday among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, turning in its strongest performance on the night since the beginning of February – since 2/3/11 and 2/10/11, respectively.
From 8-9pm against American Idol, ABC’s Spring Wipeout drew the second largest audience in the hour, topping CBS’ NCAA Basketball and NBC’s original comedies (Community/Perfect Couples). In addition, Wipeout beat NBC’s comedy block by 29% among Adults 18-49.
Building week to week in viewers (+4%) and young adults (+5%), Wipeout generated the series’ strongest performance in 7 weeks – since 2/3/11.
Despite facing Idol in the time period this year, the ABC unscripted series generated double-digit year-to-year gains in the hour with Total Viewers (+21%) and Adults 18-49 (+22%), over an original episode of FlashForward on the year-ago evening (3/25/10).
Returning to original for the first time in 4 weeks (since 2/24/11) to stand as Thursday’s #1 scripted series, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy led Thursday’s 9 o’clock hour by 1.3 million viewers and by 24% in Adults 18-49 over its nearest competition. Grey’s registered as the #1 scripted series in the slot for its 17th straight original broadcast this season.
Grey’s was up by 10% in Total Viewers and by 6% in Adults 18-49 over its last original telecast, posting its best numbers since mid-February – since 2/17/11.
ABC’s Private Practice qualified as the most-watched TV show in the 10 o’clock hour. Against its regular time-period competition, Private Practice posted strong advantages over NBC’s original comedies (30 Rock/Outsourced), leading by 4.0 million viewers and by 59% in Adults 18-49. In addition, for its 16th consecutive first run telecast, the ABC drama registered as the #1 scripted TV show in the 10 o’clock hour with key Women (W18-34/W18-49).
Surging week to week by 2.0 million viewers and by 42% in Adults 18-49, Private Practice drew its biggest audience since mid-November and its highest Adult 18-49 rating since the beginning of December – since 11/18/10 and 12/2/10, respectively.
(source: ABC)
