"How to Live with Your Parents" Holds Strong/"Nashville" Continues to Grow

Wednesday's #1 TV show for the 2nd week in a row, ABC's Modern Family outperformed Fox's American Idol on the night by 19% in Adults 18-49, now beating or tying Idol on each of its last 4 originals. Out of Modern, How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) continued to deliver improved lead-in retention for ABC at 9:30pm and held a promising 86% of its week-ago debut rating.

At 8pm against Idol and Survivor, ABC's The Middle was up week to week in Total Viewers (+3%) and held 100% of its Adult 18-49 rating, drawing its biggest overall audience and matching its best young adult number since February 27, 2013. The Middle was also up over its year-ago telecast by 4% in viewers.

With solid retention of its lead-in at 8:30pm, ABC's Suburgatory held nearly all of its week-ago time-period premiere with Total Viewers (97%) and Adults 18-49 (94%). Suburgatory took second in its slot with Women 18-34, beating the second half-hour of CBS' Survivor.

Growing over its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm (+124%), ABC's Modern Family won its half-hour by 15% over American Idol and defeated its nearest scripted competition in the slot by 31% (CBS' Criminal Minds).

With improved lead-in retention over the Net's season averages in the 9:30pm half hour (original to original) in viewers (72% vs. 62%) and young adults (66% vs. 60%), ABC's How to Live with Your Parents held strong with its week-ago debut telecast in Total Viewers (87%), Adults 18-49 (86%), Men 18-34 (93%) and Men 18-49 (95%). On its second week, How to Live with Your Parents was up 6% over the series debut of Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23 on the same night last year in Total Viewers.

Posting its 2nd straight telecast of growth during the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's Nashville was up week to week in viewers (+9%) and young adults (+6%), hitting its best numbers since January - since 1/16/13 and 1/23/13, respectively. Delivering among the biggest increases in TV playback this season, Nashville's Adult 18-49 rating for originals spikes 63% on average (going from a 1.9 in L+SD to a 3.1 rating in L+7), making it one of the Top 10 biggest percentage gainers on broadcast television this season and ties Revolution as the top freshman gainer.

Quick Take for Wednesday, April 10, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Up Week to Week, "The Middle" Draws its Biggest Audience Since Mid-February

"Suburgatory" Retains More than 90% of its Week-Ago Time Period Premiere

Wednesday's No. 1 TV Show in Adults 18-49 for the 2nd Week in a Row,

ABC's "Modern Family" Tops Fox's "Idol" in Head-to-Head Competition

ABC's "How to Live With Your Parents" Holds Strong with its Week-Ago Debut Telecast and Continues to Deliver Improved Lead-in Retention in its Half-Hour

With its Best Numbers Since January, "Nashville" is Up for the 2nd Straight Week

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

Wednesday's No. 1 TV show for the 2nd week in a row, ABC's "Modern Family" outperformed Fox's "American Idol" on the night by 19% in Adults 18-49 (3.8/10 vs. 3.2/9), now beating or tying "Idol" on each of its last 4 originals. Out of "Modern," "How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)" continued to deliver improved lead-in retention for ABC at 9:30 p.m. and held a promising 86% of its week-ago debut rating.

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

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "The Middle" was up week to week in Total Viewers (+3% - 7.4 million vs. 7.2 million) and held 100% of its Adult 18-49 rating (2.0/6), drawing its biggest overall audience and matching its best young adult number since February 27, 2013. "The Middle" was also up over its year-ago telecast by 4% in viewers.

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

With solid retention of its lead-in at 8:30 p.m., ABC's "Suburgatory" held nearly all of its week-ago time-period premiere with Total Viewers (97% - 5.6 million vs. 5.8 million) and Adults 18-49 (94% - 1.7/5 vs. 1.8/5). "Suburgatory" took second in its slot with Women 18-34, beating the second half-hour of CBS' "Survivor."

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

Growing over its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9:00 p.m. (+124%), ABC's "Modern Family" (3.8/10) won its half-hour by 15% over "American Idol" (3.3/9) and defeated its nearest scripted competition in the slot by 31% (CBS' "Criminal Minds" = 2.9/8).

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

With greatly improved lead-in retention over the Net's season averages in the 9:30 p.m. half-hour (original to original) in viewers (72% vs. 58%) and young adults (66% vs. 53%), ABC's "How to Live with Your Parents" held strong with its week-ago debut telecast in Total Viewers (87% - 7.3 million vs. 8.4 million), Adults 18-49 (86% - 2.5/7 vs. 2.9/8), Men 18-34 (93%) and Men 18-49 (95%).

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

Posting its 2nd straight telecast of growth during the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "Nashville" was up week to week in viewers (+9% - 6.0 million vs. 5.5 million) and young adults (+6% - 1.8/5 vs. 1.7/5), hitting its best numbers since January - since 1/16/13 and 1/23/13, respectively. Delivering among the biggest increases in TV playback this season, "Nashville's" Adult 18-49 rating for originals spikes 63% on average (going from a 1.9 in L+SD to a 3.1 rating in L+7), making it one of the Top 10 biggest gainers on broadcast television this season and tying "Revolution" as the top freshman gainer.

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), 04/10/13.