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December 22, 2011
 

The Sked: WEDNESDAY RATINGS December 21

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Written by: Mitch Metcalf
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>Last night FOX hit a 3 rating from 8-10 pm, tough to do in Christmas week and doubling the rating it received on the same night last year.  The other networks were in the low-1 rating range, within a tenth or two of last year’s delivery.

             Nightly Adult 18-49 Rating
Wednesday    FOX    ABC    CBS    NBC
12.21.2011   3.0    1.4    1.3    1.2
12.22.2010   1.5    1.3    1.1    1.3

FOX won the night going away with the penultimate episode of The X Factor.  While not the juggernaut that many, including Simon Cowell, had predicted, X Factor has provided a solid base — and many time period improvements — for FOX in what is usually a tough fall before American Idol arrives.  X Factor peaked last night between 9:00-9:30 at a 3.7 number, a number it might approach in tonight’s finale.  Last year on this night: Human Target repeat (1.4) and Million Dollar Drop (1.6).

              Season        Last  Six  Weeks
FOX Wed      High Low  1116 1123 1130 12.7 1214 1221
X Factor     4.4  2.5  3.9  2.5  3.7  3.4  3.4  3.3*
Hate Teenage 2.8  1.8            2.8  2.1  1.8  2.1*

ABC repeated its entire Wednesday lineup last night and managed a second-place 1.4 rating from 8-11 pm.  On this night last year (Wednesday, December 22, 2010), ABC averaged a 1.3 rating with three comedy repeats and a repeat special: The Middle (1.5), Better with You (1.5), Modern Family (1.9) and CMA Country Christmas (1.0). 

              Season        Last  Six  Weeks 
ABC Wed      High Low  1116 1123 1130 12.7 1214 1221
The Middle   3.2  2.5  3.0  2.5  1.8R 2.8  1.6R 1.4R
Suburgatory  3.4  2.5  2.9  2.5  1.7R 2.8  1.6R 1.5R
Modern Fami  6.1  4.5  5.6  4.5  2.6R 5.1  2.3R 2.2R
Happy Ending 3.5  2.7  3.2  2.7  2.1R 2.8  —   1.4R
Revenge      3.4  2.1  2.6  2.1  1.2R 2.4  —   0.9R

CBS had solid repeat performances from its 9 and 10 pm dramas, but the night was ruined by an old-fashioned Christmas special that is even too old-fashioned for CBS viewers: A Home for the Holidays with Martina McBride (0.8 rating).  The low-rated 8 pm hour pulled CBS down to a 1.3 rating for the night, just behind ABC.  On this date last year CBS averaged an even worse 1.1 rating: A Home for the Holidays (0.7), Criminal Minds (1.5) and The Defenders (1.1).

              Season        Last  Six  Weeks 
CBS Wed      High Low  1116 1123 1130 12.7 1214 1221
Survivor     3.6  3.1  3.3  1.9R 3.1  3.3  3.1  —
Criminal Min 4.1  3.4  3.7  1.8R 2.1R 3.4  3.4  1.5R
CSI          3.2  2.5  2.6  1.6R —   2.5  2.9  1.6R

NBC pulled into fourth place with a 1.2 rating for the night.  Although Who’s Still Standing? turned in a 1.7 at 8 pm, repeats of A Michael Buble Christmas and Law & Order SVU crashed (each a 1.0 rating).  The three-day track for Who’s Still Standing? (1.5…1.9…1.7) indicates the game show might be finding its level in the high-1 rating range.  Last year on this night: Undercovers (1.1), Law & Order SVU (1.2) and Law & Order SVU (1.7).       

              Season        Last  Six  Weeks 
NBC Wed      High Low  1116 1123 1130 12.7 1214 1221
Up All Night 2.4  1.5  1.9  1.5  —   1.9  1.1R —
Free Agents  1.3  1.0 

Harry’s Law  1.4  1.1  1.1  —  1.4  1.2  0.7R —

L&O SVU      2.4  1.9  1.9  —  2.2  1.9  1.1R 1.0R

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About the Author

Mitch Metcalf
MITCH METCALF has been tracking every US film release of over 500 screens (over 2300 movies and counting) since the storied weekend of May 20, 1994, when Maverick and Beverly Hills Cop 3 inspired countless aficionados to devote their lives to the art of cinema. Prior to that, he studied Politics and Economics at Princeton in order to prepare for his dream of working in television. He has been Head of West Coast Research at ABC, then moved to NBC in 2000 and became Head of Scheduling for 11 years.