RATINGS RECAP: 3/25/11

ABC
8:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 
9:00 Primetime: What Would You Do?
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 NCAA Basketball March Madness
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:27 NCAA Basketball Between Game Break
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:45 NCAA Basketball March Madness
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8

NBC
8:00 Who Do You Think You Are?
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

FOX
8:00 Kitchen Nightmares
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Fringe
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

ABC had a rough night despite Shark Tank airing in place of the now ended Supernanny. Shark Tank made its Friday debut but was up only slightly from Supernanny's usual numbers. I wonder what would have happened if ABC stuck to its original plan of Secret Millionaire and Body of Proof on Fridays. At 9pm, Primetime: What Would You Do? was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo despite a slightly better lead-in. At 10pm, 20/20 was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo but was easily beaten by Dateline NBC. CBS was up significantly from last Friday with another round of March Madness even though they were down year-to-year (thanks to spreading the games out over four networks). CBS will premiere Chaos when its regular Friday lineup returns next week.

NBC was all new with solid Friday numbers. At 8pm, Who Do You Think You Are? was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo from its last new airing three weeks ago. That led into Dateline NBC which was up a strong 1.2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. The viewer total is a season high as this show has enjoyed a renaissance (by Friday standards of course) this spring. 

FOX was all new as well. At 8pm, Kitchen Nightmares was up three tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo, tying a season low. Still a 1.5 demo for FOX on Fridays is far better than recent years. At 9pm, the just-renewed Fringe was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo from last week's lows. It's doing ok for a Friday but its vocal niche audience help seal its renewal.