RATINGS RECAP: 4/7/11

ABC
8:00 Wipeout (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Grey's Anatomy (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Private Practice (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 CSI
Viewers: 13.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 15.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0

NBC
8:00 Community (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:30 Perfect Couples
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 The Office (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:30 Parks and Recreation (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 30 Rock (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:30 Outsourced
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 21.5 million, 18-49 demo: 6.4
9:00 Bones
Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2

ABC was in repeats on Thursday night and very low, particularly Private Practice which doesn't repeat well at all. CBS was all new. At 8pm, The Big Bang Theory was down half a million viewers but even in the demo. The viewer total is a season low as the show has been slipping against American Idol after dominating the time period in the fall. At 8:30pm, Rules of Engagement was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo, posting better retention this week. This is not a bad showing at all against the second half hour of an Idol results show. At 9pm, CSI was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo while at 10pm, The Mentalist was up nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. 15 million viewers and a 3 in the demo is pretty not bad in general these days, but at 10pm, it's really impressive.

NBC was only new at 8:30pm and 10:30pm with their two lowest rated comedies in the low-rated blow. The last scheduled episode of Perfect Couples was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo with last week. There's no way it's coming back but will NBC burn off the remaining episodes this summer? At 10:30pm, Outsourced was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from its last new airing two weeks ago. The viewer total is a series low and this show's chances are looking slim to none at this point. Next week, the lineup will be all new including Will Ferrell guest starring on The Office and the series premiere of The Paul Reiser Show.

FOX was all new. At 8pm, the shocking results edition of American Idol was down 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the demo from last week. (Side note: the judges shouldn't have been so dismayed and angry at Pia's exit after they foolishly used their save on the mediocre Casey Abrams). At 9pm, Bones was down a million viewers and a tenth in the demo from its last new airing three weeks ago despite a better lead-in than that week and no real competition from ABC and NBC. There really just isn't anything that can have strong retention from Idol.