The Sked: WEDNESDAY RATINGS February 1

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>The last night before the February sweep begins.  FOX wins yet again by programming originals, although American Idol is now pacing 34% behind last year’s ratings.  Tonight original episodes will fill each network’s schedule as the February sweep begins.

             Nightly Adult 18-49 Rating
Wednesday    FOX    CBS    ABC    NBC
02.01.2012   4.4    1.9    1.5    1.5
02.02.2011   5.4    3.1    3.1    2.3

FOX’s American Idol drifted down again, this week to a preliminary 5.9 rating with Adults 18-49.  Compared to the same episode last year, Idol is down 34% in one year.  At 9 pm, a special episode of Howie Mandel’s reality comedy Mobbed scored a 2.9.  Last year on this night, FOX averaged a 5.8 for the night, with a 9.0 for American Idol at 8 pm followed by a 2.6 for Human Target.      

CBS averaged a 1.9 rating for the night.  At 8 pm, Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials scored a 2.1, followed by repeats of the 9 and 10 pm dramas.  Last year on this night: Live to Dance (0.9), Criminal Minds (2.3) and Blue Bloods (1.6).  

NBC’s “Happy Hour” of female comedy bounced back a bit (both Whitney and Are You There, Chelsea? scoring a 1.7 — remember those were original episodes not repeats, however).  A special SVU repeat at 9 pm rated only a 1.1, while the regularly scheduled 10 pm SVU repeated at a 1.6 rating.  Last year on this night NBC stunted its way to a 2.6 rating from 8-11 pm: Minute to Win It (2.4) from 8-10 pm and an original Law & Order SVU (2.9).         

ABC tied for third place with NBC with a 1.5 rating for a night of repeats.  Last year on this night, ABC averaged a 2.2 rating: The Middle (1.7), The Middle (1.8), Modern Family (3.5), Cougar Town (2.7) and Off the Map (1.9).   

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