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[04/22/16 - 08:43 AM]
Thursday's Broadcast Ratings: CBS Claims Top Spot with "Big Bang Theory" Return
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 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (4/21/16):

CBS (7.852 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) pulled into the top spot on Thursday with its original lineup of "The Big Bang Theory" (13.834 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1), "The Odd Couple" (8.639 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #5), "Mom" (8.405 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T3), "2 Broke Girls" (6.934 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T3) and "Rush Hour" (4.650 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.0, #8).

ABC (6.079 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #2) then claimed the silver with its trio of "Grey's Anatomy" (7.618 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2), "Scandal" (6.000 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.5, #6) and "The Catch" (4.619 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.9, #9).

Next up was NBC (4.458 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #3) and its combination of "STRONG" (3.027 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10), "The Blacklist" (6.847 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.3, #7) and "Game of Silence" (3.501 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T12).

Meanwhile, FOX (3.267 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4) offered up fresh installments of "Bones" (4.276 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T10) and "American Grit" (2.259 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T12).

And finally, new episodes of "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" (1.849 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T12) and "The 100" (1.184 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #15) on The CW (1.516 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) closed out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+20.00% - Mom
+20.00% - 2 Broke Girls
+13.33% - The Odd Couple
+11.11% - Rush Hour
+3.33% - The Big Bang Theory (vs. 4/7/16)
0.00% - The Blacklist
0.00% - STRONG
0.00% - DC's Legends of Tomorrow
0.00% - The 100
-9.09% - Grey's Anatomy
-10.00% - The Catch
-11.11% - Bones
-11.76% - Scandal (vs. 4/7/16)
-12.50% - Game of Silence
-12.50% - American Grit

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+60.00% - STRONG (vs. The Blacklist (Repeat))
+33.33% - The 100 (vs. Reign)
+16.67% - DC's Legends of Tomorrow (vs. The Vampire Diaries)
+5.88% - 2 Broke Girls (vs. The Big Bang Theory (Repeat))
0.00% - The Catch (vs. American Crime)
-5.26% - Mom
-7.14% - The Blacklist
-11.43% - The Big Bang Theory
-12.50% - American Grit (vs. Backstrom)
-15.00% - The Odd Couple
-20.00% - Bones
-22.22% - Game of Silence (vs. Dateline NBC)
-23.08% - Rush Hour (vs. Elementary)
-28.57% - Grey's Anatomy
-34.78% - Scandal

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

· In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 2.0/5 with an encore telecast; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 2.1/5; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.0/5.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 0.6/3 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.4/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.5/5 in metered-market households and a 0.5/3 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (1.1/4 in metered-market households with an encore) tied CBS's first-run "Late Late Show" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/2 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.7/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.2/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.


Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (4/23/15):

CBS (9.405 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T1) kicked off May sweeps as the most-watched network thanks to new episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" (14.403 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1), "The Odd Couple" (9.471 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #4), "Mom" (9.042 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #5), a repeat "The Big Bang Theory" (8.258 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.7, #6) and a new "Elementary" (7.629 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.3, #8).

ABC (7.115 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T1) however shared in the demo honors with fresh installments from "Grey's Anatomy" (9.432 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2), "Scandal" (7.770 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) and "American Crime" (4.141 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10).

Next up was NBC (5.480 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3) with a repeat "The Blacklist" (3.439 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #14) followed by originals from "The Blacklist" (7.232 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #7) and "Dateline NBC" (5.770 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T10).

Meanwhile, FOX (3.781 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3) served up new episodes of "Bones" (4.557 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #9) and "Backstrom" (3.004 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12).

And finally, new episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" (1.390 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.6, #13) and "Reign" (0.841 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.3, #15) on The CW (1.116 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), the former delivered a 0.8 rating at 8:00/7:00c and the latter a 0.4 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Grey's Anatomy
+14.29% - Backstrom
0.00% - Bones
0.00% - The Vampire Diaries
-4.17% - Scandal
-5.41% - The Big Bang Theory
-7.14% - Elementary
-9.09% - The Odd Couple
-12.50% - The Blacklist (vs. 4/2/15)
-13.64% - Mom
-18.18% - Dateline NBC
-18.18% - American Crime
-25.00% - Reign

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+366.67% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Jimmy Kimmel Live: Behind the Scandalabra)
+40.00% - The Blacklist (vs. Saturday Night Live Presents SNL Shorts)
0.00% - Scandal (vs. Grey's Anatomy)
-10.00% - Dateline NBC (vs. Saturday Night Live Presents SNL Shorts)
-14.29% - The Vampire Diaries
-18.60% - The Big Bang Theory
-18.75% - Elementary
-20.00% - The Odd Couple (vs. The Millers)
-24.00% - Mom (vs. Black Box)
-40.00% - American Crime (vs. Black Box)
-40.00% - Reign
-41.18% - Bones (vs. Hell's Kitchen)
-42.86% - Backstrom (vs. American Idol/Surviving Jack)

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

· In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 2.7/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.2/6; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.1/5.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 0.4/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.4/5 in metered-market households and a 0.5/3 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (1.4/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with James Corden" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/2).

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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