RATINGS RECAP: 2/2/11

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
9:30 Cougar Town
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Off the Map
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

CBS
8:00 Live to Dance
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Minute to Win It
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 25.1 million, 18-49 demo: 9.0
9:00 Human Target
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

On the final night before February sweeps, ABC was partially in repeats. Repeats of The Middle were slightly below last week's repeat numbers but without American Idol to compete with and against a Criminal Minds repeat, Modern Family delivered its best repeat numbers ever. Those numbers are as good or better than repeat numbers that CBS shows get which is great news for a show that didn't repeat as well last year. The last new Cougar Town until April aired at 9:30pm and was up 1.5 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo. Though the jump is nice with no Idol competition, it still lost a significant number of viewers from a repeat lead-in. At 10pm, Week 4 of Off the Map was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. After a couple weeks of drops, it appears it has stabilized for now. It has done better than recent Weds 10pm entries for ABC but those are still disappointing numbers. ABC's sitcom block is all new next week including the series premiere of the Matthew Perry comedy Mr. Sunshine.

CBS had a mix of new and repeats as well. At 8pm, Live to Dance was up two tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo for a series low. This show just can't compete with American Idol and has allowed Weds 8pm to be a problem area again for CBS. That will change when Survivor returns in a few weeks though. A Criminal Minds repeat was solid at 9pm while a new Blue Bloods was down eight tenths in viewers and half a demo point. It was clearly hurt by a new Law & Order: SVU on NBC and also clearly belongs on Fridays because it is too old-skewing to be a success during the week.

NBC had a decent night. A two hour edition of Minute to Win It was up a nice 2.7 million viewers and a full demo point from last week. What the numbers don't show too is that it soared even higher at 9pm and was close to 10 million viewers without the American Idol competition. Maybe NBC should throw Chase to the wolves at 8pm and give Minute to Win It a 9pm try because it seems to have a spot there. Either that or NBC may decide that Minute to Win It should be two hours every week and officially bring the ax down on the low-rated Chase. Law & Order: SVU returned at 10pm and was up a strong 1.8 million viewers and six tenths in the demo from the last new episode two weeks ago. It does well against Blue Bloods and Off the Map but how will it fare against Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior in a few weeks?

Finally, FOX was killing it as usual in the 8pm hour with American Idol which was down just two tenths in viewers and the demo. It's clear the new judging panel has gained acceptance from Idol fans for now at least. At 9pm was a new Human Target which was not surprisingly up 2.7 million viewers and nine tenths in the demo from its last new Wednesday airing a month ago. These are easy season highs but not too impressive numbers given the extremely powerful lead-in. The on-the-bubble Target will have its season finale next week.