TV Ratings: ‘Smallville’ finale soars, while CBS wins Friday

Fast National ratings for Friday, May 13, 2011.

After 10 seasons, the series finale of “Smallville” aired on Friday to the show’s biggest overall audience in years, lifting The CW as high as second in the key demographic for the 9 p.m. hour and to a robust third for the night.

Overall, of course, The CW was no match for CBS, which handily won the night overall and eked out a slim demo win as well.

Among adults 18-49, CBS averaged a 1.5 rating for the night, tops in the key demographic. FOX was a close second with a 1.4 rating, with ABC and The CW taking third with a 1.3 rating. NBC was a respectable fifth with a 1.1 rating.

Overall, CBS averaged an estimated 9.71 million viewers to go with a 6.1 rating/11 share. NBC was a distant second with a 3.3/6 and 4.77 million viewers, holding off ABC’s 2.8/5 and 4.36 million. FOX was fourth with a 2.1/4 and 3.46, with The CW a close fifth with a 1.8/3 and 2.97 million.

[Yes, “Smallville” fans, you can take those nightly CW totals as the preliminary overall numbers for the two-hour finale: 2.97 million viewers and a 1.3 demo rating. It’s been a while since the series has seen numbers like that.]

8 p.m. – CBS started primetime in first with 7.51 million viewers for “Flashpoint,” up from last week and also improving with a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49. ABC was second with the 5 million viewers for the “Shark Tank” finale, which also did a 1.3 rating in the key demo. FOX’s “Kitchen Nightmares” was third overall with 3.69 million viewers and won the hour with a 1.5 demo rating. The first hour of The CW’s “Smallville” finale averaged 2.81 million viewers and a 1.2 demo rating for fourth. NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” was fifth with just under 2.8 million viewers and a 0.7 demo rating.

9 p.m. – “CSI: NY” averaged 10.22 million viewers and a 1.5 demo rating to top the 9 p.m. hour. NBC’s “Dateline” was a distant second with 5.26 million viewers and tied for last in the demo with a 1.2 rating. ABC’s “Primetime: What Would You Do?” averaged 3.71 million viewers in third. FOX’s repeat of “Kitchen Nightmares” averaged 3.23 million viewers and a 1.3 demo rating, slightly below last week’s “Fringe” finale in viewers and slightly above in the key demo. The CW’s “Smallville” rose to 3.14 million viewers in its second hour and took second in the demo with a 1.4 rating.

10 p.m. – CBS closed primetime with the night’s biggest numbers as “Blue Bloods” did 11.41 million viewers and a 1.7 demo rating. NBC’s “Dateline” was second with 6.26 million viewers and a 1.5 demo rating, beating the 4.375 million and 1.2 demo rating for ABC’s “20/20.”