Quick Take for Thursday, September 24, 2009 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Wins the Opening Thursday of the Season in Viewers and Key Adults For the 2nd Straight Year and Marks its Best Results on the Night in 1 Year

"Grey's" and "FlashForward" Stand as Thursday's Top 2 TV Shows in Adults 18-49

"FlashForward" Opens at No. 1 at 8pm in Viewers and Young Adults, Marking ABC's Highest Series Performance in the Slot in 20 Months

Standing as the No. 1 TV Show of the Night and Towering Over its 2-Hour Time Slot, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" Turns in its Strongest Results in 1 Year

Thursday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC took first place on the opening Thursday of the season in viewers and all key Adults (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54), beating second-place CBS by 1.3 million viewers (15.3 million vs. 14.0 million) and by 57% in Adults 18-49 (5.8/16 vs. 3.7/10). In fact ABC won all 6 half-hours of the evening in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. It was ABC's 2nd straight year to lead the season-opening Thursday in viewers and all key adult demographics.

* In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, ABC's registered its strongest Thursday in 1-year - since 9/25/08.

"FlashForward" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

ABC's series debut of "FlashForward" won the 8 o'clock hour in viewers (12.4 million) and young adults (4.1/12), upsetting CBS' time-period veteran "Survivor: Samoa" by 11% in Adults 18-49 (3.7/11). It was the first-ever ABC series to open its season ahead of "Survivor." The new ABC drama gained viewers (12.1 million to 12.7 million) and young adult audience (3.8/12 to 4.3/12) throughout the course of its premiere telecast.

* Despite its early time period with lower overall TV usage levels, "FlashForward" finished as the No. 2 TV show of the night in Adults 18-49, topping both "CSI" and "The Mentalist," while trailing only "Grey's Anatomy."

* In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, "FlashForward" registered as the biggest drama premiere on any network in the 8 o'clock hour since January 2008 - since Fox's debut of "Sarah Connor Chronicles" on 1/13/08, which had the enormous advantage of airing after an ultra-high-rated NFL playoff game on that night (Cowboys-NY Giants).

* In viewers and young adults, the "FlashForward" opener produced ABC's best performance in the time period with regular programming in 20 months - since 1/31/08.

"Grey's Anatomy" (9:00-11:00 p.m.)

Thursday's No. 1 TV program in Total Viewers (16.8 million) and Adults 18-49 (6.6/17) on its sixth-season premiere, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" overshadowed its 2-hour time period. From 9:00-11:00 p.m., "Grey's Anatomy" topped CBS' "CSI"/"The Mentalist" combo (15.0 million and 3.7/10) by 1.8 million viewers and by 78% in Adults 18-49.

* In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, "Grey's Anatomy" turned in its strongest performance since its year-ago season premiere last September (9/25/08). Please note: On the same night last year, the "Grey's" season premiere had the added advantage of not airing against original drama programming on CBS.

Please note: Based on last season ('08-09), "Grey's Anatomy" is the most recorded and played back program on all of TV, as the show gained +2.5 million viewers and grew by +1.2 rating points in Adults 18-49 (+21%) from its first reported Live + Same Day number to its Live + 7 Day number. With current DVR penetration 33% this season, up from about 27% at the same point a year ago, "Grey's" will see substantial increases in viewership this season from the initially reported next-day overnight ratings to the final numbers including all DVR playback.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 9/24/09.