TV Ratings: ‘Vampire Diaries’ among finale risers as ABC, CBS split Thursday

Fast National ratings for Thursday, May 14, 2015.

A trio of “Big Bang Theory” repeats kept CBS atop the Thursday ratings race overall, while finales for “Grey's Anatomy” and “Scandal” didn't get much of a boost for ABC, but still led the network to victory in the key demo. 

The “Scandal” finale rose 0.1 in the key demo, the same bump for finales of “The Blacklist,” “Elementary” and “Reign.”

Trying to carve out a niche against those ABC and NBC finales, FOX's “Wayward Pines” had a premiere that came in below the fall numbers for the launch of “Gracepoint,” though a truer test on this one will come with less competition next week. “Wayward Pines” did equal its “Bones” lead-in in the key demo, something “Gracepoint” couldn't say with a much stronger “Bones” lead-in performance.

Let's get to the numbers…

Among adults 18-49, ABC averaged a 1.8 rating for Thursday night, tops in the key demographic. CBS was a close second with a 1.6 key demo rating. There was a drop to NBC's 1.1 key demo rating and to the 1.0 key demo rating for FOX. The CW averaged a 0.5 key demo rating for Thursday.

Overall, though, CBS averaged an estimated 7.93 million viewers and a 5.0 rating/9 share for Thursday primetime, topping ABC's 6.89 million viewers and 4.8/8. NBC was third with 5.37 million viewers and a 3.6/6, followed by FOX's 2.7/5 and 4.23 million viewers. The CW averaged 1.16 million viewers and a 0.8/1 for the night.

8 p.m. – CBS won the 8 p.m. hour overall and finished second in the key demo with a “Big Bang Theory” repeat (9.57 million viewers and a 2.0 key demo) and the season finale for “The Odd Couple” (8.22 million and a 1.8 key demo). ABC's “Grey's Anatomy” finale was second with 8.25 million viewers and won the hour with a 2.2 rating among adults 18-49. FOX's “Bones” averaged 4.65 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo rating, topping the 3.795 million viewers and 0.8 key demo rating for NBC's “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” repeat. The CW's “The Vampire Diaries” finale averaged 1.45 million viewers and a 0.7 key demo rating.

9 p.m. – ABC moved into first in the 9 p.m. hour with 8.12 million viewers and a 2.3 rating among adults 18-49 for the “Scandal” finale. [Last season's “Scandal” finale, in April, neared 10.5 million viewers and did a 3.4 key demo rating in Fast Nationals.] NBC's “Blacklist” averaged 7.26 million viewers and a 1.5 key demo rating for its second finale. [Last year's “Blacklist” finale, boosted by “The Voice,” also averaged roughly 10.5 million viewers and did a 2.6 Fast Nationals key demo rating.] The premiere of “Wayward Pines” averaged 3.81 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo rating for FOX, improving on its “Bones” lead-in in the 18-34 demo. The CW's “Reign” finale averaged 866,000 viewers and a 0.4 key demo rating.

10 p.m. – CBS won the 10 p.m. hour with 6.93 million viewers and a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49 for the “Elementary” finale. NBC's “Dateline: The Real Blacklist” averaged 5.045 million viewers to top the 4.31 million for the “American Crime” finale on ABC, while both networks did a 1.0 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.

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