RATINGS RECAP: 1/8/12

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
9:00 Desperate Housewives
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
10:00 Pan Am
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
7:00 NFL Playoffs Overrun
Viewers: 42.4 million, 18-49 demo: 15.3
8:18 60 Minutes
Viewers: 18.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.8
9:18 The Good Wife
Viewers: 11.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:18 CSI: Miami
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 The Firm
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
7:30 The Cleveland Show (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

CBS started off Sunday night with ridiculous numbers for the Steelers-Broncos overtime instant classic. It delivered the best NFL playoff ratings in over 20 years. It powered the rest of the night's lineup of 60 Minutes, The Good Wife, and CSI: Miami to season highs across the board in the demo. Wife was up just a tenth in viewers but half a demo point while Miami was up three tenths in viewers and also half a demo point. CBS is the big winner in many ways though because now they get another week of Tim Tebow in the playoffs and a sure massive rating.

NBC's first post-football Sunday did not go well. At 7pm, a two hour Dateline NBC did very little, particularly in the demo. The two hour series premiere of The Firm followed ahead of its regular Thursday night timeslot but the news was not good at all for NBC. Despite lots of promotion, The Firm delivered a paltry 1.4 demo rating, lower than the demo premieres for cancelled dramas The Playboy Club and Prime Suspect. It looks like this show is going nowhere fast and might even be a lower performer than Suspect on Thursdays. Another swing and miss for the peacock.

ABC was all new on Sunday night with its lineup fully in tact for the first time since December 4 and the results were mostly good. At 7pm, America's Funniest Home Videos was down 1.4 million viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last new airing. At 8pm, Once Upon a Time rebounded in a nice way as it was up 1.5 million viewers and a big eight tenths in the demo from its last new airing. The demo was the best performance since November 13 as the show reversed a recent downward trend. ABC did a nice job bringing the excitement back up for this show. At 9pm, Desperate Housewives was up six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from its last new airing but the news was not as good for Pan Am which was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low. This show is all but officially cancelled.

FOX's animated lineup was new from 8-10pm. At 8pm, The Simpsons may have been negatively affected by the competition in the first half of the episode from football as it was down 1.3 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo for a season low. The Cleveland Show followed and was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Family Guy helped the night perk up as it was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. American Dad! closed the evening down two tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo.