TV Ratings: ‘Community’ plummets, ‘Zero Hour’ fizzles and ‘Big Bang Theory’ leads CBS on slow Thursday

Fast National rating for Thursday, February 14, 2013.

 

With TV viewership levels down on Valentine’s Day, there was ample bad news to go around, with “Community” plunging, “Zero Hour” underperforming and “American Idol” continuing to slide. Even “The Big Bang Theory” dropped, though not so much that it didn’t lead CBS to comfortable Thursday wins.

 

With viewership levels returning to normal in late-evening, the only shows that weren’t down on Thursday were 10 p.m. dramas “Scandal” and “Elementary.” Of note, “Scandal” actually built on its “Grey’s Anatomy” lead-in among young viewers for the first time.

 

The figure to keep in mind was that overall 18-49 usage was down by 7 percent in the 8 p.m. hour and by 6 percent from 8 to 11 from last week. 

 

For the night, CBS averaged a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49, beating FOX’s 2.7 rating in the key demographic for Thursday primetime. ABC was third with a 2.3 key demo rating, toping NBC’s 1.5 key demo rating and the 0.8 key demo rating for The CW.

 

Overall, CBS averaged an estimated 13.79 million viewers and an 8.4 rating/14 share for Thursday night, with FOX’s 5.3/8 and 8.75 million viewers in second. ABC was third with 7.565 million viewers and a 5.0/8, well ahead of the 2.2/4 and 3.48 million viewers for NBC. The CW averaged a 1.2/2 and 1.86 million viewers on Thursday.

 

[Univision averaged 3.65 million viewers and a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49 for Thursday night.]

 

8 p.m. – CBS started the night in first with “The Big Bang Theory” (17.625 million viewers and a 5.4 key demo rating) and “Two and a Half Men” (13.74 million viewers and a 3.8 key demo rating). FOX’s “American Idol” averaged 12.33 million viewers and a 3.6 rating among adults 18-49, topping the 8:30 half-hour in the key demo. ABC’s “The Zero Hour” averaged 6.29 million viewers and a 1.3 key demo rating in its premiere. [ABC boasts it was the “2nd-most-watched regular series debut this year,” while other networks instead note that it was the lowest-rated scripted in-season premiere in ABC history, falling under the immortal “The Whole Truth” from 2010.] NBC’s “Community” (2.75 million and a 1.1 key demo) and “Parks and Recreation” (3.15 million and a 1.5 key demo) finished fourth. [“Community” was down by 42 percent in the key demo, while “Parks and Recreation” dropped only 25 percent.] The CW’s “The Vampire Diaries” averaged 2.305 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo rating.

 

9 p.m. – “Person of Interest” kept CBS in first for the 9 p.m. hour with 14.825 million viewers and a 3.0 rating among adults 18-49. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” was second with 8.37 million viewers and a 2.7 key demo rating. FOX’s “Glee” dwindled to 5.16 million viewers and a 1.7 key demo rating in third overall and fourth in the demo. NBC’s two episodes of “The Office” averaged 4.04 million viewers and a 2.0 key demo rating. On The CW, “Beauty and the Beast” averaged 1.41 million viewers and a 0.5 key demo rating.

 

10 p.m. – “Elementary” averaged 10.87 million viewers to win the 10 p.m. hour and finished second with a 2.2 rating among adults 18-49. ABC’s “Scandal” was second with 8.04 million viewers and won the hour with a 2.8 key demo rating. NBC’s repeat of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” averaged 3.445 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo rating, improving on last week’s numbers for “Do No Harm.”