"Charlie's Angeles" Scores Big Gains for ABC/"Grey's" Hits Best Number Since March

Some early info on ABC's season premiere Thursday, ahead of the regular press release.

Up against stiff competition on the opening Thursday of the season, ABC marked its strongest performance on the night with regular programming in nearly 9 months among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 - since 1/6/11.

Opposite much greater competition in the 8 o'clock hour year to year, with the entry of Fox's The X Factor into the slot and back-to-back telecasts of CBS' The Big Bang Theory, the series debut of Charlie's Angels scored big gains for ABC over the year-ago season-premiere Thursday with viewers (+67%) and young adults (+31%). From 8-9pm, the new ABC drama more than doubled the overall audience of NBC's established comedies (Community/Parks and Recreation), while pulling in 11% more Adults 18-49.

· In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, Charlie's Angels qualified as ABC's highest-rated scripted series telecast in the hour since Fall 2009 - since FlashForward on 10/29/09 and 11/19/09, respectively.

Building sharply on its lead-in (+95%) against the second hour of The X Factor, the 8th-season premiere of ABC's Grey's Anatomy (9-11pm) finished as Thursday's dominant #1 drama in Adults 18-49, topping CBS' series debut of Person of Interest (9-10pm) by 32%, CBS' season premiere of The Mentalist (10-11pm) by 46% and NBC's series debut of Prime Suspect (10-11pm) by 128%. Building audience from its first hour to its second hour, The ABC drama ran a strong #1 during the 10 o'clock hour, leading its nearest competition (CBS' The Mentalist) by wide margins with Adults 18-49 (+50%) and Adults 25-54 (+23%).

· Grey's Anatomy surged by 14% among Adults 18-49 over where it finished out last season in its May finale, hitting the series' best number since March - since 3/31/11.

· Grey's produced ABC's highest Adult 18-49 number with scripted programming in the 2-hour time period in 1 year - since 9/23/10.

DVR Playback Note: Grey's Anatomy stood as TV's 2nd-biggest gainer via time-shifted viewing last season among Adults 18-49 (behind only Modern Family), jumping by 2.9 million viewers and 1.4 rating points among young adults (+34%) from Live + Same Day to the finalized Live + 7 Day numbers.

Quick Take for Thursday, September 22, 2011 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Posts its Strongest Thursday with Regular Programming in Nearly 9 Months

Scoring Big Year-Over-Year Gains for ABC in Thursday's 8 O'clock Hour, "Charlie's Angels" Opens as ABC's Top Scripted Telecast in the Slot Since Fall �09

Thursday's Dominant No. 1 Drama in Adults 18-49, "Grey's Anatomy" Premiere Is Up by 14% Over its Season Finale with the Series Best Number Since March

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

Up against stiff competition on the opening Thursday of the season, ABC marked its strongest performance on the night with regular programming in nearly 9 months among Total Viewers (9.8 million) and Adults 18-49 (3.4/9) - since 1/6/11. ABC finished No. 1 on the night with key Women (W18-34/W18-49).

"Charlie's Angels" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

Opposite much greater competition in the 8 o'clock hour year to year, with the entry of Fox's "The X Factor" into the slot and back-to-back telecasts of CBS' "The Big Bang Theory," the series debut of "Charlie's Angels" scored big gains for ABC over the year-ago season-premiere Thursday with viewers (+67% - 8.7 million vs. 5.2 million) and young adults (+31% - 2.1/6 vs. 1.6/5). Despite the competition, "Charlie's Angels" gained young adult audience from its first half-hour to its second half hour (2.1/6 vs. 2.2/6).

· From 8:00-9:00 p.m., the new ABC drama more than doubled the overall audience of NBC's established comedies ("Community"/"Parks and Recreation" = 4.0 million and 1.9/5), while pulling in 11% more Adults 18-49.

· In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, "Charlie's Angels" qualified as ABC's highest-rated scripted series telecast in the hour since Fall 2009 - since "FlashForward" on 10/29/09 and 11/19/09, respectively.

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

Building sharply on its lead-in (+95%) against the second hour of "The X Factor," the 8th-season premiere of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (9:00-11:00 p.m.) finished as Thursday's dominant No. 1 drama in Adults 18-49 (4.1/10), topping CBS' series debut of "Person of Interest" (9:00-10:00 p.m. = 3.1/8) by 32%, CBS' season premiere of "The Mentalist" (10:00-11:00 p.m. = 2.8/7) by 46% and NBC's series debut of "Prime Suspect" (10:00-11:00 p.m. = 1.8/5) by 128%. Building audience from its first hour to its second hour, the ABC drama ran a strong No. 1 during the 10 o'clock hour, leading its nearest competition (CBS' "The Mentalist") by wide margins with Adults 18-49 (+50% - 4.2/11 vs. 2.8/7) and Adults 25-54 (+23% - 4.8/11 vs. 3.9/9).

· "Grey's Anatomy" surged by 14% among Adults 18-49 over where it finished out last season in its May finale (3.6/9 on 5/19/11), hitting the series' best number since March - since 3/31/11.

· "Grey's" produced ABC's highest Adult 18-49 number with scripted programming in the 2-hour time period in 1 year - since 9/23/10.

DVR Playback Note: "Grey's Anatomy" stood as TV's 2nd-biggest gainer via time-shifted viewing last season among Adults 18-49 (behind only "Modern Family"), jumping by 2.9 million viewers and 1.4 rating points among young adults (+34%) from Live + Same Day to the finalized Live + 7 Day numbers.

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 42% currently, from 38% at the same point in 2010. 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), 9/22/11.