RATINGS RECAP: 10/23/11

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 12.9 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
9:00 Desperate Housewives
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
10:00 Pan Am
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 12.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 9.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 CSI: Miami
Viewers: 9.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

NBC
7:00 Football Night in America
Viewers; 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
8:00 NFL Pregame
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
8:30 Sunday Night Football
Viewers: 12.5 million, 18-49 demo: 5.2

FOX
7:00 NFL Overrun/The OT
Viewers: 24.3 million, 18-49 demo: 8.7
8:00 MLB World Series
Viewers: 15.2 million, 18-49 demo: 4.2

ABC had some really positive news on Sunday night as the series premiere of Once Upon a Time got off to a magical start. To start off the evening, America's Funniest Home Videos was up a tenth in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. At 8pm, Once delivered the best demo premiere for any new drama this season. While many think it will fall hard in the coming weeks, this is above most expectations and reaction has been mostly positive. ABC did a masterful job with promotion and their decision to hold off the premiere until the end of October looks genius. At 9pm, Desperate Housewives benefited from the better lead-in as it was up nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. To close out the night, Pan Am did not get any bump though it did level off as it was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. A demo below 2 is probably not going to cut it in the long run though there are rumors of a back 9 order.

CBS had mixed results on Sunday night though the entire lineup skews old when there is no football lead-in. At 7pm, 60 Minutes was up 1.6 million viewers and six tenths in the demo for a good showing with no football lead-in. At 8pm, The Amazing Race was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The Good Wife followed and was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo for a season low in both categories. Finally at 10pm, CSI: Miami was down eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo, also hitting a season low. Miami's numbers could be partly chalked up to the World Series but football was down and Pan Am was steady so this isn't a great showing. Nor is it a great showing for Wife. CBS may have to think about shaking things up if the demos start to skew much older.

With competition from the World Series and a massacre by the Saints over the Colts, Sunday Night Football hit easy season lows. It was actually beaten in the demo by both Two and a Half Men and Modern Family, which is a rare occurrence. Powered by a football lead-in, the World Series posted its best numbers of the series so far and outgunned football in total viewers though it was weaker in the demo.