The Sked: WEDNESDAY RATINGS April 18

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>Don’t Trust the B- in Apt 23 had an okay second outing last night, while Revenge returned acceptably at best.  American Idol dropped again this week (after a brief bout of stability last Wednesday), but Idol remains comfortably ahead of this week’s The Voice in the weekly singing competition popularity contest. 

             Nightly Adult 18-49 Rating
Wednesday    FOX    CBS    ABC    NBC
04.18.2012   4.7    2.0    2.4    1.2    THIS WEEK
04.11.2012   5.0    2.7    2.4    1.2    LAST WEEK
04.20.2011   6.0    2.2    2.2    1.0    LAST YEAR 

FOX’s American Idol ticked back down this week to a 4.7 rating with Adults 18-49 in the fast nationals.  Idol will probably go up to a 4.8 in the official nationals, which would be down two tenths from last week and a new season low (but still over one full rating point ahead of this week’s The Voice performance show on NBC).  Last year on this night, American Idol aired 90 minutes (7.1) followed by Breaking In (2.5).        

ABC shook off a repeat of The Middle in the 8:00 half hour, as Suburgatory was able to almost duplicate last week’s rating despite the much lower lead in.  Modern Family is down two tenths from last week in the fast nationals, although that will probably change to down only one tenth when the official nationals arrive.  At a 4.0 rating (or 4.1 if it rounds up later), Modern Family will set a new season low, but keep in mind the comedy remains the second highest-rated show on the night and is ahead of its performance the same week last year.  Don’t Trust the B- in Apt 23 had a moderate second-week decline, down three tenths of a rating point from last week with a similar fall-off from its Modern Family lead in (down four tenths this week and down three tenths from the lead in for the premiere).  Not a runaway hit but not a disaster, either.  Finally, Revenge finally returned to the air with original episodes, winning the 10 pm hour with a 2.3 rating (beating a CSI repeat and an SVU original and hovering a few tenths above its season low).  All things considered this tough spring on network TV, not bad.  Last year on this night: The Middle (1.9), Better with You (1.6), Modern Family (3.8), Happy Endings (2.3), Happy Endings (1.8) and Happy Endings (1.6).   

CBS fell to third place Wednesday because the two dramas at 9 and 10 pm were repeats.  Survivor is currently a 2.7 rating in the fast nationals, although it will probably go up to a 2.8 in the official nationals, just above last week’s season low.  Last year on this night: Survivor (3.1), Criminal Minds repeat (1.9) and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior repeat (1.7).  

NBC Wednesday has found its level on Wednesday at a distant fourth place 1.2 rating for the evening.  Betty White’s Off Their Rockers remains the high point of the night (at a not so high 1.7 rating), while Best Friends Forever has taken the sub-1 rating from Bent rather seamlessly.  The night continues to bottom out with Rock Center with Brian Williams (a 0.7 rating last night, which is actually up from last week).  Law & Order SVU more than doubled its lead in but that took it only to a 1.5 rating, good enough for a tie for second with a CSI repeat but close to what a repeat SVU did in the time period a year ago.  Last year on this night: Minute to Win It (0.8), Minute to Win It repeat (0.8) and Law & Order SVU repeat (1.4).
         

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