Fast National ratings for Friday, December 9, 2011.
CBS’ latest airing of the seasonal classic “Frosty the Snowman” drew Friday night’s biggest audience and best numbers among young viewers, but “Grimm” and “Dateline” helped NBC grab a small share of Friday victory.
Oh and “Chuck” had its best night of the season, which either is or isn’t saying much, depending on your perspective.
For the night, both CBS and NBC averaged a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49, tying for the top spot in the key demographic. ABC was close behind with a 1.3 rating. There was a big drop to FOX’s 0.7 rating and for the 0.4 rating for The CW.
Overall, though, CBS averaged an estimated 6.415 million viewers along with a 3.6 rating/6 share in primetime, beating ABC’s 3.3/6 and 4.97 million viewers and NBC’s 3.1/5 and 4.94 million viewers. FOX was a distant fourth with 2.17 million viewers and a 1.4/2, beating the 0.6/1 and 1.15 million viewers for The CW.
8 p.m. – CBS started primetime in first with “Frosty the Snowman” (7.3 million viewers and a 1.9 key demo) and “Frosty Returns” (6.45 million viewers and a 1.7 key demo). ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” averaged 4.77 million viewers and a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49 for second. NBC’s “Chuck” averaged 3.66 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo rating, the show’s biggest audience of the season and highest demo performance since its Friday premiere. FOX’s “Kitchen Nightmares” repeat drew 2.78 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo. On The CW, a “Nikita” repeat averaged 1.32 million viewers (high enough to suggest preemptions of some sort) and a 0.3 key demo rating.
9 p.m. – CBS’ “Yes, Virginia” and “The Elf on the Shelf” averaged 5.435 million viewers to win the competitive 9 p.m. hour overall, coming in third among adults 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. NBC’s “Grimm” averaged 5.415 million viewers and won the hour with a 1.6 key demo rating. Close behind was ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” with 5.39 million viewers and a 1.5 key demo rating. FOX’s “Fringe” repeat averaged 1.56 million viewers and a 0.4 key demo rating. On The CW, a “Supernatural” repeat also drew a 0.4 key demo rating along with 987,000 viewers.
10 p.m. – A “Blue Bloods” repeat closed out CBS’ overall sweep with 6.93 million viewers, but finished third for the 10 p.m. hour with a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49. NBC’s “Dateline” was second overall with 5.73 million viewers and won the hour with a 1.6 key demo rating. ABC’s “20/20” averaged 4.75 million viewers and a 1.3 key demo rating.
All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.