The Sked: WEDNESDAY RATINGS February 8

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>American Idol has finally stopped falling this season, while Modern Family had a good night for ABC.  Two news magazines joined the fray on Wednesday night, both pulling only a 1.1 rating.  The good news for CBS is that Person to Person was a special that they might never speak of again.  The bad news for NBC is Rock Center is a part of their regular schedule.

             Nightly Adult 18-49 Rating
Wednesday    FOX    ABC    CBS    NBC
02.08.2012   4.5    3.1    2.4    1.6
02.09.2011   5.4    2.9    2.2    2.0

FOX’s American Idol has finally plateaued at a 6.0 rating for the Wednesday edition.  The show has shifted to Hollywood and on-air promotion this week emphasized the contestant who collapsed, fell off the stage, and needed medical attention.  Oddly, all of that drama came after 9:00 pm so DVRs set to record Idol (at least DirecTV recorders like mine) missed those scenes.  With Idol running long, the live viewing ratings for Mobbed might have inflated its number, which is up two tenths over last week’s premiere in the preliminary numbers.  Last year on this night, FOX averaged a 5.4 for the night, with an 8.4 for American Idol at 8 pm followed by a 2.3 for Human Target.      

ABC moved back into second place for the night with a 3.1 rating from 8-11 pm.  Modern Family had a good night, while The Middle and Suburgatory were at or near season lows in the 8 pm hour.  Last year on this night, ABC averaged a 2.9 rating: The Middle (2.6), Better with You (2.1), Modern Family (5.1), Mr Sunshine (3.7) and Off the Map (1.9).   

CBS finally gets Survivor back in the 8 pm time period next week.  Until then another special filled the hour — this time CBS News laid a real egg by bringing back Person to Person as a special, a remake of legendary Edward R. Murrow’s show featuring softball questions from the New York studio to celebrities and newsmakers in their homes.  Last night, Charlie Rose and Lara Logan continued the slow-pitch interview technique with George Clooney, Warren Buffet and Jon Bon Jovi.  The show averaged a 1.1 rating with young adults.  If you like awkward television, this is for you.  The crime dramas at 9 and 10 pm got the network back on track, although both were near season lows.  Last year on this night: Live to Dance (0.9), Criminal Minds (3.6) and Blue Bloods (2.1).  

NBC’s new Wednesday schedule is now intact.  Rock Center moved into the 9 pm hour last night with a Meredith Veira interview of the former White House intern who had an 18-month affair with JFK.  Rock Center averaged a 1.1 (1.0 and 1.2 by half hour), and sadly it might be the high water mark for the news magazine in this time period, given all the attention the interview subject’s book has received.  Whitney and Are You There Chelsea? settled into a 1.5 rating, just above their lows, and the once mighty SVU doubled its news lead in but only to a third-place 2.2 in the hour.  Last year on this night: Minute to Win It (1.7) from 8-10 pm and Law & Order SVU (2.6).         

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