AFTERNOON UPDATE: Things actually got worse for AMERICAN IDOL in the adjusted numbers, falling 0.1 to 1.7, not just yet another new all-time low, but ignominiously keeping it in a tie with THE CRAZY ONES (which also fell 0.1), a show CBS may not even renew. THE MILLERS and ELEMENTARY also lost 0.1 each. Meanwhile, GREY’S ANATOMY and SCANDAL gained 0.1, as did THE BIG BANG THEORY and HELL’S KITCHEN.
THURSDAY CABLE: The night belonged to History Channel, albeit at lower levels than last week, with VIKINGS at 1.0 and PAWN STARS at 0.9/1.0 for its two half-hours–that was down 0.2 for VIKINGS and 0.3 for PAWN STARS. SUITS (USA) rose 0.1 to 0.8 for the season’s next-to-last episode, and SIRENS stayed at 0.5, a decent hold for the second consecutive week.
More season and series lows as the network season heads into its homestretch.
CBS: Of course, not all lows are equal: THE BIG BANG THEORY slid 0.1 from its last pre-NCAA airing 3 weeks ago to tie its season low, but at 4.8 it was still the biggest hit on network TV. THE MILLERS showed some strength, up half a point to 2.9 from its last new episode that same night despite the lower lead-in. 2 1/2 MEN was up 0.1 to 2.5, and THE CRAZY ONES also climbed 0.1 to 1.8. ELEMENTARY dipped 0.1 to 1.6. In late night, incidentally, David Letterman’s retirement announcement boosted LATE NIGHT to 3.2 in households, putting it above The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live (both at 2.4) for the first time since Fallon’s arrival. However, 18-49 year olds didn’t care nearly as much, as Letterman was at 0.6, well behind Fallon’s 1.0 and Kimmel’s 0.9.
ABC: The finale of ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND fell 0.1 to 0.9. GREY’S ANATOMY was steady at 2.6, but SCANDAL, facing scripted competition from CBS for the first time in 3 weeks, dropped 0.3 to 2.8, tying its season low.
FOX: No respite for AMERICAN IDOL, which hit a new low 1.8, down 0.1. Also down 0.1 was SURVIVING JACK, now at 1.2. The night started with 1.7 for HELL’S KITCHEN, a 0.2 decline.
NBC: Even an animated episode couldn’t help COMMUNITY against Big Bang Theory, down 0.2 to a new series low 0.9 with just 2 new episodes left this season. PARKS & RECREATION dropped 0.1 to 1.1. HOLLYWOOD GAME NIGHT found 0.1 to 1.1, but PARENTHOOD, also feeling the pinch of CBS returning to scripted fare, fell 0.2 to 1.2.
CW: Reruns at 0.3/0.3.
Tonight’s primetime features a return and a farewell: UNFORGETTABLE returns to plug the Friday 8PM gap for CBS, while RAISING HOPE airs back-to-back series finale episodes on FOX.
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