"How to Live with Your Parents" Opens Strong - "Modern" Is Night's #1 TV Show by 37% Over "Idol"

Gaining in each half-hour week to week in Adults 18-49 and up 21% overall for the night, ABC delivered its top-rated Wednesday since mid-January - since 1/23/13. Wednesday's #1 TV show, ABC's Modern Family outdelivered Fox's American Idol on the night by a best-ever 37% in Adults 18-49 (+1.1 rating point advantage), now beating or tying Idol on each of its last 3 originals. Debuting with strong lead-in retention out of Modern (best in over 2 years for any regular telecast - since 2/9/11) and with a 5-month time-period high, ABC's How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) opened just 1-tenth behind Idol in Adults 18-49, topping original competition on the night on CBS and NBC, including Survivor, Criminal Minds, CSI and Chicago Fire. It was TV's top comedy debut during the official 2012-13 season, going back to NBC's The Voice-led debut of Go On in early September (on 9/11/12).

At 8pm, ABC's The Middle was up 11% in Adults 18-49 over the prior week to post its best number since February - since 2/27/13.

Boosting the 8:30pm half-hour week to week in Adults 18-49 (+20%), Suburgatory moved into the slot with a 6-week high for ABC - since 2/20/13.

Building sharply on its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm (+128%), ABC's Modern Family won its half-hour by 28% over American Idol and beat its nearest scripted competition in the slot by 52% (CBS' Criminal Minds). Spiking over the prior week in Adults 18-49 (+28%), Modern Family delivered its strongest number since January 23, 2013.

The #1 scripted show in the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC's series debut of How to Live with Your Parents improved its slot by 53% in Adults 18-49 week to week, posting the Net's highest rating in the time period in 5 months - since 11/7/12.

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's Nashville beat NBC's Chicago Fire in Adults 18-49, growing week to week by 13% with its best rating in nearly 2 months - since 2/13/13. Please note, based on Live + 3 Day ratings for last week's telecast, Nashville's Adult 18-49 rating shot up 60% (going from a 1.5 in L+SD to a 2.4 rating after just 3 days of playback), making it the biggest percentage gainer for any broadcast show on that night.

Quick Take for Wednesday, April 3, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Up in Each Half-Hour, ABC Delivers its Strongest Wednesday Since Mid-January

ABC's "The Middle" Gains 11% for its Best Adult 18-49 Number Since February

At 8:30pm, "Suburgatory" Boosts its New Slot to a 6-Week High in Adults 18-49

Wednesday's No. 1 TV Show in Adults 18-49, "Modern" Earns its Top Number Since January and Outdelivers Fox's "Idol" on the Night by a Best-Ever 37% in Adults 18-49

ABC's "How to Live With Your Parents" Opens as the Official 2012-13 Season's No. 1 Comedy Debut in Adults 18-49 and Posts a 5-Month High in its Time Period

"Nashville" Surges 13% in Adults 18-49 for its Strongest Number in Nearly 2 Months

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

Gaining in each half-hour week to week in Adults 18-49 and up 21% overall for the night, ABC (2.3/7) delivered its top-rated Wednesday since mid-January - since 1/23/13. Wednesday's No. 1 TV show, ABC's "Modern Family" outdelivered Fox's "American Idol" on the night by a best-ever 37% in Adults 18-49 (+1.1 rating point advantage - 4.1/11 vs. 3.0/9), now beating or tying "Idol" on each of its last 3 originals. Debuting with strong lead-in retention out of "Modern" (best in over 2 years for any regular telecast - since 2/9/11) and with a 5-month time-period high, ABC's "How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)" opened just 1-tenth behind "Idol" in Adults 18-49 on the evening.

"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "The Middle" was up 11% in Adults 18-49 (2.0/6) over the prior week to post its best number since February - since 2/27/13.

"Suburgatory" (8:30-9:00 p.m.)

Boosting the 8:30 p.m. half-hour week to week in Adults 18-49 (+20%), "Suburgatory" (1.8/5) moved into the slot with a 6-week high for ABC - since 2/20/13.

"Modern Family" (9:00-9:30 p.m.)

Building sharply on its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9:00 p.m. (+128%), ABC's "Modern Family" (4.1/11) won its half-hour by 28% over "American Idol" (3.2/9) and beat its nearest scripted competition in the slot by 52% (CBS' "Criminal Minds" - 2.7/7).

· Spiking over the prior week in Adults 18-49 (+28%), "Modern Family" delivered its strongest number since January 23, 2013.

"How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)" (9:30 -10:00 p.m.)

The No. 1 scripted show in the 9:30 pm half-hour, ABC's series debut of "How to Live with Your Parents" (2.9/7) improved its slot by 53% in Adults 18-49 week to week, posting the Net's highest rating in the time period since early November - since 11/7/12.

· "How to Live with Your Parents" stood as TV's highest-rated comedy debut of the official 2012-13 season, going back to NBC's "The Voice"-led debut of "Go On" in early September (on 9/11/12).

"Nashville" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "Nashville" beat NBC's "Chicago Fire" in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5 vs. 1.6/4), growing week to week by 13% with its best rating in nearly 2 months - since 2/13/13.

· Based on Live + 3 Day ratings for last week's telecast (3/27/13), "Nashville's" Adult 18-49 rating shot up 60% (going from a 1.5 in L+SD to a 2.4 rating after just 3 days of playback), making it the biggest percentage gainer for any broadcast show on that night.

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 47% currently, from 43% at the same point in 2012. 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), 04/03/13.