RATINGS RECAP: 4/13/11

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:30 Better With You
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9
9:30 Happy Endings
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
10:00 Happy Endings
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:30 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 13.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
10:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

NBC
8:00 Minute to Win It
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Minute to Win It (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 23.0 million, 18-49 demo: 7.3
9:30 Breaking In
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

ABC was new for most of the night on Wednesday for the first time in awhile but the night started off slow. At 8pm, The Middle was down a million viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last airing three weeks ago, hitting season lows. This show is struggling big time against American Idol this spring. At 8:30pm, Better With You returned to the lineup for the first time in six weeks but fell nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for series lows. This return probably sealed the show's fate as ABC seems to have already given up on it. At 9pm, Modern Family was down 1.3 million viewers and half a demo point from its last new airing. The viewer total is a season low. At 9:30pm was the series premiere of new comedy Happy Endings which had a decent sample overall, but it did not have to compete with Idol and still fell a bunch from its lead-in. The news was ok for the second episode in its regular timeslot at 10pm. If it could hold here, ABC would be happy but chances are it won't. A repeat of Modern Family closed out the night with the same demo that a new The Middle started with at 8pm (and this was at 10:30pm!)

CBS was all new with good results. At 8pm, Survivor was up two tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo from last week. CBS can't complain when a veteran show is getting a 3 in the demo against Idol. At 9pm, Criminal Minds was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo, but remained strong overall. At 10pm, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior was up seven tenths in viewers and half a demo point. This big jump could be due to Law & Order: SVU being in repeats but it was Suspect's best demo since the third episode. This improved showing might make CBS's renewal decisions a bit trickier.

As expected, NBC was barely competitive on Wednesday with Minute to Win It and repeats. A new Minute at 8pm was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo from last week. FOX started things off with the unstoppable American Idol train which was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. Who would have expected that Idol would be outperforming the previous season when Simon Cowell announced he was leaving? It shows no signs of slowing down. At 9:30pm was week two of new sitcom Breaking In which was down 2 million viewers and nine tenths in the demo. This is a pretty big drop for a show that had a mild debut anyway. It's probably not done dropping either and that does not bode well for its future.