ABC Posts Big Year-to-Year Gains on Tuesday Night

Preliminary highlights for ABC's Tuesday, ahead of the regular press release:

Tuesday Prime: With its new Tuesday line up ABC posted substantial year-to-year gains for the 2nd consecutive week, jumping over the year-ago night (10/6/09) by 2.8 million viewers (11.2 million vs. 8.4 million) and by 25% in Adults 18-49 (2.5/7 vs. 2.0/5).

No Ordinary Family: In Tuesday's 8 o'clock hour, arguably one of the most competitive time periods on TV this season (opposite Fox's Glee, CBS' NCIS and NBC's The Biggest Loser), ABC's No Ordinary Family exhibited solid retention of its week-earlier premiere, while continuing to grow its audience throughout its broadcast and deliver big year-over-year time period growth for ABC.

· In the opening hour of the evening, ABC freshman No Ordinary Family (8.9 million and 2.6/8) beat out NBC's time-period established The Biggest Loser (6.5 million and 2.3/7) by 2.4 million viewers and by 13% in Adults 18-49. Building audience throughout its telecast, No Ordinary Family picked up 9% in Total Viewers (8.5 million to 9.3 million) and 17% in Adults 18-49 (2.4/7 to 2.8/8) from its first half-hour to its second half-hour.

· No Ordinary Family dramatically improved the time period for ABC over the year-ago night, boosting the hour by +71% in Total Viewers and by +73% in Adults 18-49 (5.2 million and 1.5/4 w/an original Shark Tank).

DWTS: The Results: Increasing from its lead-in and building audience throughout its telecast against stiff competition (CBS' NCIS: LA, NBC's second hour of The Biggest Loser and Fox's Glee-fueled comedies Raising Hope/Running Wilde), ABC's Dancing with the Stars: The Results stood as the most-watched TV show the 9 o'clock hour for the 3rd week in a row. DWTS: The Results (16.4 million and 3.2/9) overshadowed its unscripted competition in the time period, besting The Biggest Loser (7.1 million and 2.7/7) by 9.3 million viewers and by 19% in Adults 18-49. Comedian Margaret Cho was the third celebrity to leave the dance competition this season. The ABC dancing results show surged over its year-ago performance by 4.0 million viewers and by 23% in Adults 18-49 (12.4 million and 2.6/7)

Detroit 1-8-7: Opposite CBS' sophomore The Good Wife, ABC's Detroit 1-8-7 stood as the 2nd-most-watched TV show in the 10 o'clock hour, outdrawing NBC's sophomore drama Parenthood for the 3rd consecutive week (+63% advantage - 8.3 million vs. 5.1 million). The new ABC drama also finished #2 in the hour for the 3rd week running with Adults 25-54, defeating NBC's Parenthood by 18%.

· Detroit 1-8-7 once again attracted more viewers to ABC in the 10pm hour over the year-ago night, growing the time slot year to year by 9% (8.3 million vs. 7.6 million for The Forgotten).

Quick Take for Tuesday, October 5, 2010 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Continues to See Big Year-to-Year Tuesday Gains in Viewers and Young Adults

"No Ordinary Family" Once Again Delivers for ABC Against Stiff Competition, Building Throughout its Telecast and Bringing Big Year-to-Year Slot Improvement

"DWTS: The Results" is No. 1 in the 9 O'clock Hour for the 3rd Week In a Row, Rising by 4.0 Million Viewers Over its Year-Ago Broadcast

"Detroit 1-8-7" Beats NBC's "Parenthood" in Viewers and Adults 25-54 for the 3rd Week Running, Drawing a Larger Audience to the Hour for ABC Year to Year

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

With its new Tuesday lineup, ABC posted substantial year-to-year gains for the 2nd consecutive week, jumping over the year-ago night (10/6/09) by 2.8 million viewers (11.2 million vs. 8.4 million) and by 25% in Adults 18-49 (2.5/7 vs. 2.0/5).

"No Ordinary Family" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

In Tuesday's 8 o'clock hour, arguably one of the most competitive time periods on TV this season (opposite Fox's "Glee," CBS' "NCIS" and NBC's "The Biggest Loser"), ABC's "No Ordinary Family" exhibited solid retention of its week-earlier premiere, while continuing to grow its audience throughout its broadcast and deliver big year-over-year time period growth for ABC.

· In the opening hour of the evening, ABC freshman "No Ordinary Family" (8.9 million and 2.6/8) beat out NBC's time-period established "The Biggest Loser" (6.5 million and 2.3/7) by 2.4 million viewers and by 13% in Adults 18-49. Building audience throughout its telecast, "No Ordinary Family" picked up 9% in Total Viewers (8.5 million to 9.3 million) and 17% in Adults 18-49 (2.4/7 to 2.8/8) from its first half-hour to its second half-hour.

· "No Ordinary Family" dramatically improved the time period for ABC over the year-ago night, boosting the hour by +71% in Total Viewers and by +73% in Adults 18-49 (5.2 million and 1.5/4 with an original "Shark Tank").

"Dancing with the Stars: The Results" (9:00-10:00 p.m.) Inc

reasing from its lead-in and building audience throughout its telecast against stiff competition (CBS' "NCIS: LA," NBC's second hour of "The Biggest Loser" and Fox's "Glee"-driven comedies "Raising Hope"/"Running Wilde"), ABC's "Dancing with the Stars: The Results" stood as the most-watched TV show in the 9 o'clock hour for the 3rd week in a row. "DWTS: The Results" (16.4 million and 3.2/9) overshadowed its unscripted competition in the time period, besting "The Biggest Loser" (7.1 million and 2.7/7) by 9.3 million viewers and by 19% in Adults 18-49. Comedian Margaret Cho was the third celebrity to leave the dance competition this season.

· The ABC dancing results show surged over its year-ago performance by 4.0 million viewers and by 23% in Adults 18-49 (12.4 million and 2.6/7)

"Detroit 1-8-7" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

Opposite CBS' sophomore drama "The Good Wife," ABC's "Detroit 1-8-7" qualified as the 2nd-most-watched TV show in the 10 o'clock hour, outdrawing NBC's sophomore drama "Parenthood" for the 3rd consecutive week (+63% advantage - 8.3 million vs. 5.1 million). The new ABC drama also finished No. 2 in the hour for the 3rd week running with Adults 25-54, defeating NBC's Parenthood by 18% (2.6/7 vs. 2.2/6).

· "Detroit 1-8-7" once again attracted more viewers to ABC in the 10:00 p.m. hour over the year-ago night, growing the time slot year to year by 9% (8.3 million vs. 7.6 million for "The Forgotten").

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 38% currently, from 32% at the same point in 2009. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: The Nielsen Company (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 10/5/10.