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[05/23/14 - 08:34 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: NBC Opens Summer on Top with Return of "Last Comic Standing"
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

Primetime Preliminary Fast National Nielsen Data
(includes all DVR playback through 3:00 am)

Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (5/22/14):

NBC (4.890 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) kicked off the summer on top with a new "Hollywood Game Night" (3.896 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T6) and the two-hour season premiere of "Last Comic Standing" (5.387 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #2).

CBS (5.762 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) then claimed the silver with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (8.944 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.2, #1), "The Millers" (6.035 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3), "Two and a Half Men" (5.728 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #5), "Bad Teacher" (4.449 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T6) and "Elementary" (4.708 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T8).

Next up was FOX (3.600 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3) with a new "Hell's Kitchen" (4.214 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3) followed by the debut of "Gang Related" (2.987 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T8).

Meanwhile, ABC (3.050 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.7, #4) served up encores of "The Bachelorette" (2.687 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #12) and "Modern Family" (2.793 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10) alongside a new "Black Box" (3.722 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10).

And finally, "Labyrinth, Part 1" (1.334 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13) closed out the evening on The CW (1.334 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), the film posted a 0.3 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - Hollywood Game Night
-11.76% - Hell's Kitchen
-21.43% - Bad Teacher
-27.27% - Black Box

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Last Comic Standing (vs. Various)
+60.00% - Labyrinth, Part 1 (vs. The Vampire Diaries (Repeat)/Beauty and the Beast (Repeat))
+57.14% - Hollywood Game Night (vs. Save Me)
-8.33% - Bad Teacher (vs. Person of Interest (Repeat))
-28.57% - Hell's Kitchen
-30.77% - Gang Related (vs. Does Someone Have to Go?)
-33.33% - Black Box (vs. Rookie Blue)

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

TBA


Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/23/13):

FOX (4.277 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) opened the summer as the top demo draw with the return of "Hell's Kitchen" (5.478 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.1, #2) and the debut of "Does Someone Have to Go?" (3.076 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4).

CBS (6.630 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.4, #2) then claimed the silver despite an all-repeat lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (8.838 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.2, #1), "Two and a Half Men" (7.624 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #3), "Person of Interest" (6.838 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5) and "Elementary" (4.821 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.9, #10).

Next up was ABC (5.346 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3) with new episodes of "Wipeout" (4.120 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5) and "Motive" (5.941 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5) followed by the season opener to "Rookie Blue" (5.978 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T5).

Meanwhile, NBC (2.615 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4) offered up the premiere of "Save Me" (3.208 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11), a second "Save Me" (3.001 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11) plus repeats of "The Office" (2.123 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11), "Parks & Recreation" (1.877 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11) and a new "Hannibal" (2.740 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #9).

And finally, repeats of "The Vampire Diaries" (0.864 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #15) and "Beauty and the Beast" (0.735 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.2, #16) closed out the evening over on The CW (0.799 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" delivered a 0.3 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Beast" a 0.3 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+23.53% - Hell's Kitchen (vs. 5/13/13)
+20.00% - Wipeout
0.00% - Hannibal
-14.29% - Motive (vs. 5/20/13)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+11.11% - Hannibal (vs. Awake)
0.00% - Save Me - 8:00 (vs. The Office (Repeat))
0.00% - Save Me - 8:30 (vs. The Office (Repeat))
-12.50% - Hell's Kitchen (vs. So You Think You Can Dance)
-14.29% - Rookie Blue
-29.41% - Wipeout (vs. Duets)
-29.41% - Motive (vs. Duets)
-45.83% - Does Someone Have to Go? (vs. So You Think You Can Dance)

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

TBA

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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