RATINGS RECAP: 12/15/10

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Better With You (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:30 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Cougar Town (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:30 Cougar Town (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 12.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 13.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
10:00 The Defenders
Viewers: 10.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

NBC
8:00 The Sing Off
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

FOX
8:00 Human Target
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

ABC had a quiet night of sitcoms repeats which were highlighted by Modern Family's 2.1 demo at 9:30pm which is solid for a show that hasn't repeated that well to date despite its huge first-run numbers. CBS was all-new. Survivor was up two tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo which is disappointing considering there was less competition and it was the next to last episode of the season. The Nicaragua finale airs Sunday night. At 9pm, Criminal Minds was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo which is also disappointing considering the competition. Finally, The Defenders was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The retention was better this week for The Defenders but overall it was a down night for CBS. 

NBC continued its great run of The Sing Off as it was up nearly a million viewers and two tenths in the demo point from last Wednesday's airing. NBC announced that it will expand The Sing Off to 10:30pm for Monday's finale and air a sneak preview of midseason sitcom Perfect Couples at 10:30. This has been a nice December success for a network that needs some good news. A repeat of Law & Order: SVU continued to show signs that its 10pm move was a successful one. We'll see when new episodes resume.

FOX aired a new Human Target at 8pm which was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It was followed by the season finale of Hell's Kitchen which was up six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. It was a successful and cheap option for FOX on Wednesday nights this fall. They have not announced when the ninth edition will air but the summer seems likely unless something flops at midseason and they rush it to air.