February sweeps comes to an end.
NBC: The Peacock may have had a sweeps of historically awful proportions (as has been widely reported, this is the first time ever that a major English-language network has lost to Univision during a sweeps month–and it wasn’t close), but there was a tiny bit of good news last night. For the first time, a new episode of CHICAGO FIRE beat a new episode of CSI (albeit by the narrow margin of 1.9 to 1.8, and purely because CSI fell, not because Fire rose at all), making Dick Wolf’s drama the closest thing NBC has to a non-Voice related “hit.” Earlier in the evening, WHITNEY and GUYS WITH KIDS were both barely up, to 1.2 and 1.1, and SVU was steady at 1.6.
ABC: Another historical footnote, as MODERN FAMILY beat American Idol for the first time ever, 3.9 to 3.8 (even though Family was actually down 0.1 for the night). It should be noted that any or all of these races that are 0.1 apart could find their results changed when final numbers are released this afternoon. Elsewhere on the night, THE MIDDLE and THE NEIGHBORS were each down 0.2, to 2.1 and 1.7 respectively, and NASHVILLE fell 0.2 to a new-low 1.6, but SUBURGATORY rose 0.3 to 2.3.
FOX: Another bad night for AMERICAN IDOL, even though FOX easily won the night. Idol fell 0.3 to 3.8, and again had its lowest Wednesday since it was a summer show a decade ago.
CBS: The drop at Idol seemed to help Survivor, up 0.2 to a fairly robust 2.6. That tied CRIMINAL MINDS, which held at its series low. CSI plummeted half a ratings point after last week’s big episode about the break-up of Grissom and Sara’s marriage, hitting a series low 1.8.
CW: ARROW edged up a tick to 1.0, and SUPERNATURAL held even at 0.9.
With sweeps over, we’re back in rerun season. Apart from American Idol, the only new episodes tonight are for dead shows walking ZERO HOUR, COMMUNITY and 1600 PENN. ABC also repeats its JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE post-Oscar show at 10PM.
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