PILOT REVIEW: Do No Harm

DO NO HARM

Starring: Steven Pasquale, Alana De La Garca, Michael Esper, Ruta Gedmintas, and Phylicia Rashad

Created by David Schulner
Written by David Schulner, Directed by Michael Mayer

Do No Harm is a new medical drama on NBC with a Jekyll and Hyde twist. Smart and successful neurosurgeon Dr. Jason Cole (Steven Pasquale) becomes the evil Ian Price at 8:25pm every night and he stays that way until 8:25am the next morning. Rounding out the main cast are co-workers of Cole including his boss Dr. Young (Phylicia Rashad) as well as a potential love interest, Dr. Lena Solis (Alana De La Garza), and a woman from his past, Olivia Flynn (Ruta Gedmintas).

THE GOOD: Do No Harm seemed to get better as it went along in the pilot which gives me a little bit of hope for future episodes. The "Hyde" side (Ian Price) was far more entertaining as Pasquale seemed to relish that side of his role and the character was much more interesting. The show seems like it might have some interesting stories to tell and I think the cast is good but I'm skeptical if they have the vision to make things work.

THE BAD: The problem was that this show was really boring for a good part of the episode. The show seemed to just be flipping between the two sides and yet they wouldn't even show the "Hyde" part right away, just the aftermath. Some shows get too deep into the back story in the pilot but I actually felt like this show needed a little more. I was a little confused and pretty bored during the first 15 minutes. They needed to show more of the evil side sooner and it wouldn't have hurt to connect some of the back story a little bit more. Finally, when you  have a talent like Phylicia Rashad, why use her so sparingly and in a seemingly inconsequential role.

BOTTOM LINE: The main thing from this show was I felt it just wasn't living up to its potential by any means. The storytelling and structure were weak even with an interesting idea. They seemed to get bogged down with the medical side of things too which isn't what this show should be about. I remember when pilot season was happening, it came down to this and Jason Katims' County for a pickup. I was disappointed at the time that this won out and I'm disappointed now.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/30/13

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 The Neighbors
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Nashville (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 Whitney
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Guys with Kids
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 15.8 million, 18-49 demo: 5.5 

On Wednesday night, American Idol towered over the competition as it was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Over on NBC, their shows wilted against American Idol as Whitney was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo while Guys with Kids was down 1.1 million viewers and two tenths in the demo to tie a series low. Law & Order: SVU was down a rough 2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. Chicago Fire held up the best though it was against repeats and not Idol. It was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. The real test for this growing show is next week when both CSI and Nashville are new.

Meanwhile, ABC aired repeats of their anchor shows which led to lows for the shows at the half hour. The Neighbors fell 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the demo while Suburgatory dropped 1.4 million viewers and also four tenths in the demo. These last couple weeks have actually made The Neighbors look like a stronger show than Suburgatory because it's getting higher viewer totals and a similar demo with a much lower lead-in.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/29/13

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Happy Endings
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 Happy Endings
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 22.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 17.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
10:00 Vegas
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

NBC
8:00 Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Go On
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:30 The New Normal
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 

FOX8:00 Raising Hope
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 Raising Hope
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:30 The Mindy Project
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

On Tuesday night, CBS's dramas came back with gusto after a week off as CBS completely dominates this night with The Voice gone. At 8pm, NCIS was down eight tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo but still stronger than it was for most of the fall. At 9pm, NCIS: Los Angeles was down three tenths in viewers but up four tenths in the demo for its best demo performance since the second episode of the season. At 10pm, Vegas was down a tenth in viewers and up three tenths in the demo, posting its best demo since October 9. It was still somewhat low though and the competition was very limited at 10pm so it could still be doing better. However, the uptick is a good sign as this show still might be able to snag a Friday slot next season.

Over on ABC, week two of The Taste fell a million viewers and a rough half a demo point from its decent series premiere last week. This is more what I was expecting even though last week surprised me. At 9pm, a double airing of Happy Endings continued to flop. The 9pm episode tied a series low but the 9:30pm episode grew from the lead-in and did better than the cancelled Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. NBC started with Betty White's Off Their Rockers and both episodes were down from last week. The worst news came at 9pm where the comedies continued to struggle in a big way. Go On was dead even with last week while The New Normal was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a series low. I know NBC wants this show to work but it's lower than numbers 30 Rock, 1600 Penn, and Up All Night are/were getting on Thursdays not to mention the low-rated Wednesday comedies. Might be time to try to salvage Go On and can this one.

Finally on FOX, they aired an hour of Raising Hope to replace the cancelled Ben and Kate. The 8pm episode was on par with last week while the 8:30pm episode was slightly down from the lead-in but up substantially from Ben and Kate's numbers. That seemed to propel New Girl as it was up six tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo for its best demo since October 23. This is no doubt what FOX was hoping for by giving it a better lead-in. At 9:30pm, The Mindy Project was up a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best demo since October 9. Isn't it sad that a 1.7 is the show's best demo since early October?

RATINGS RECAP: 1/28/13

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:30 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:30 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Deception
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 

FOX
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3 

Monday night was a huge night for FOX as they seem to finally have something going for them. At 8pm, Bones was up eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for a season high. At 9pm, week two of The Following was down three tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo. This was the first new drama all season to grow in week two which is huge. FOX is sure to put marketing muscle in overdrive on this show now because it's clearly connecting with viewers. Over on NBC, The Biggest Loser was up a tenth in viewers and down a tenth in the demo as was Deception with the latter show continuing to fall. The Bachelor was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo for ABC.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/27/13

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:00 Once Upon a Time (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Movie: The Makeover
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 11.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

NBC
7:00 Pro Bowl Pregame
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
7:30 NFL Pro Bowl
Viewers: 12.2 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
7:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
9:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2 

It was quiet Sunday night where the NFL Pro Bowl posted good but not great numbers for NBC and a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie bombed on ABC. CBS and FOX had regular programming. CBS started with 60 Minutes featuring a joint interview with President Obama and Hillary Clinton. It was up from its last airing without an NFL lead-in. At 9pm though, The Good Wife fell six tenths in viewers and a rough four tenths in the demo for a series low. I've been defensive of this show but this is too low and CBS has too many successful dramas. Will this be its last year even with all the accolades? At 10pm, The Mentalist was down a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo. FOX's animated lineup was down across the board from its last new airing two weeks ago.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/26/13

ABC
8:00 The Taste (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 48 Hours (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 US Figure Skating Championships
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

FOX
8:00 UFC Fight Night
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

RATINGS RECAP: 1/25/13

ABC  
8:00 Last Man Standing (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:30 Malibu Country (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 CSI: NY (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Betty White's Off Their Rockers (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 Betty White's Off Their Rockers (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX 
8:00 Kitchen Nightmares
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 The Following (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: January 26, 2013

GOOD WEEK: "THE FOLLOWING"
FOX has had a real rough fall especially with its new shows - The Mob Doctor and Ben and Kate have been cancelled while The Mindy Project has been a huge disappointment. FOX has very little on the bench so its last best hope is The Following. So far, so good after a strong Monday premiere that gave FOX some hope for the future. Now of course the 3.1 demo premiere is similar to last year's failed Terra Nova and Alcatraz, but the show has had real positive feedback. The best sign to me is that it held up well over the hour which means it didn't turn off viewers with the gore and spookiness. FOX is running it for 15 weeks straight and the competition isn't any tougher until The Voice and Dancing with the Stars return in late March. 

BAD WEEK: TUESDAY COMEDIES
Heading into the season, there was a lot of talk about how much comedy there was on Tuesday night including a logjam at 9pm. Now several months in, the results are not good. ABC's adult 9pm block has tanked with Happy Endings struggling and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 yanked this week. NBC was doing well until The Voice ended and now Go On and The New Normal have been in freefall, plunging to new lows. FOX's sitcom block has struggled mightily with Ben and Kate cancelled and New Girl being the only show that can break a 2.0 demo. Tuesdays seem like a wasteland for broadcast TV out of the NCIS twins on CBS and it looks like comedy is not the answer.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/24/13

ABC
8:00 Last Resort
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
10:00 Scandal (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CBS 
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
8:30 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Person of Interest (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 30 Rock
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:30 1600 Penn
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 15.7 million, 18-49 demo: 5.2
9:00 Glee
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

On Thursday night, FOX started things off with American Idol which was down six tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo from last week's two hour episode. This isn't a bad week two drop for the show especially since it lost the higher rated hour. At 9pm, Glee benefited a bit from the lead-in as it was up 1.5 million viewers and six tenths in the demo. Still, it was a far cry from the numbers it used to get after American Idol as its ceiling is awfully low now. Over on ABC, the series finale of the cancelled Last Resort was up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. 

NBC had yet another low Thursday night. At 8pm, 30 Rock was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo ahead of next week's series finale. It will be interesting to see how much it can gain for the final night. At 8:30pm, Parks and Recreation was even in viewers and down two tenths in the demo. At 9pm, The Office was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. Only The Office and The Biggest Loser cracked a 2.0 demo for NBC this week, yikes. At 9:30pm, 1600 Penn was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, reversing the downward trend a bit. At 10pm, Rock Center was down seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/23/13

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
8:30 The Neighbors
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 4.2
9:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

CBS
8:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

NBC
8:00 Whitney (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:30 Guys with Kids (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Chicago Fire (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
 8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 16.1 million, 18-49 demo: 5.5 

On Wednesday night, week two of American Idol was down 1.8 million viewers and half a demo point from last week's premiere. It wasn't a terrible drop but it remains down significantly year-to-year. Over on CBS, Criminal Minds was down eight tenths in viewers but up two tenths in the demo. At 10pm, CSI was up four tenths in viewers and a good three tenths in the demo, tying a season high. It will be interesting to see how it does when Chicago Fire is new again. 

On ABC, The Middle started the night off up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best demo since November 14. The Neighbors followed and was up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo as it seems to be holding up ok against American Idol. At 9pm, Modern Family was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo despite the lead-ins being up. At 9:30pm, Suburgatory was even in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. One of the biggest disappointments of the season has been how poorly this show has done in a dream position after Modern Family. At 10pm, Nashville reversed some of its momentum as it was down a million viewers and three tenths in the demo. 

RATINGS RECAP: 1/22/13

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Private Practice
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Vegas (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:30 Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Go On
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:30 The New Normal
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

FOX
8:00 Raising Hope
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 Ben and Kate
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:30 The Mindy Project
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

Tuesday night was a night of beginnings and endings for ABC. At 8pm was the series premiere of new reality cooking series The Taste. The show had a very respectable sampling and outperformed many predictions with a 2.1 demo premiere. It's nothing amazing but a solid start. At 10pm was the series finale of Private Practice which ended after six seasons. It was up 1.2 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for the series finale. This show lost a ton of momentum when it moved away from the Grey's Anatomy lead-in it had for many years and disappeared relatively quietly less than a year later.

NBC had a rough night as nothing cracked a 2 in the demo. At 8pm, Betty White's Off Their Rockers was up a tenth in the demo while the 8:30pm airing was even. The hope of a rebound from the 9pm comedies last week was shattered when Go On and The New Normal plummeted to series lows as Go On was down half a million viewers and a rough four tenths in the demo while The New Normal was even in viewers but down two tenths in the demo. These comedies have completely fallen apart. How far down will they go before The Voice comes back? At 10pm, the season finale of Parenthood dropped a tenth in viewers and the demo. While the ratings were down for the finale, I'd be shocked if this show was not renewed for a fifth season after it won its timeslot most weeks.

Finally on FOX, Raising Hope was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Considering everything with this lineup, it's not doing horrible. At 8:30pm, Ben and Kate was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo but that was not enough to get it yanked from the lineup as FOX announced Wednesday. At 9pm, New Girl rebounded from its series low as it was up four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for its best demo since November. Finally at 9:30pm, The Mindy Project was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo.

CANCELLATION ALERT: Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Ben and Kate

Two Tuesday night sitcoms were yanked from their lineups this week and while the networks have yet to officially cancel them, they are dead enough for me to consider them cancelled.

First up, ABC's second year sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 was yanked this week in favor of a double helping of Happy Endings. The show had a solid debut late last spring airing behind Modern Family but it fell on its face this fall airing in an adult comedy block with Endings as it couldn't even beat disappointing competing comedies The Mindy Project and The New Normal. Apartment still has several unaired episodes which could get burned off in the summer but it's incredibly unlikely that we'll see it again during the season. Endings will get to finish off its season and it's heading into the all-important season four but its numbers are awfully low too so who knows what will happen.

Also yanked was FOX's Tuesday newbie Ben and Kate. The show has been the weakest link in FOX's weak sitcom lineup. Despite horrible numbers since the premiere, FOX ordered additional episodes of the show and professed its faith in the show. But it appears their patience has run out and it's quite possible that they think it's bringing down New Girl in the lineup. They will double pump Raising Hope most weeks until March 12 when the whole first hour of the comedy block will be replaced by a new season of Hell's Kitchen.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/21/13

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
8:30 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Deception
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2

On Monday night, it was a promising start for FOX's new thriller The Following. First off though, Bones was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best demo performance since September. Then at 9pm, The Following had a very good debut. It was slightly below last year's premiere of the failed Alcatraz but the good news was it stayed steady across the hour which means people weren't too scared by it. Reaction has been very positive so it'll be interesting to see where it goes from here. It's FOX's last best hope for a new hit this season.

Over on ABC, The Bachelor was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. For those keeping score at home, The Bachelor is outperforming most weeks of Dancing with the Stars in the same slot in the fall. That's great for The Bachelor but it's supposed to be the interim show. At 10pm, Castle was down three tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo for its best demo performance since November 19. On NBC, The Biggest Loser was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo while Deception continued its plummet as it was down half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo. While NBC will probably let it run its course, this was probably the final nail in the coffin for this disappointing show.

Finally on CBS, How I Met Your Mother started off the night down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's season high. After a repeat of The Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls was down nine tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo. Girls should be getting a better demo than Mother, not the same demo. At 9:30pm, Mike & Molly was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Finally at 10pm, Hawaii Five-0 was up three tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. Looks like the extra exposure on Sunday night did nothing which proves CBS did not make the wisest choice.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/20/13

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 Revenge
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CBS
7:00 NFL AFC Championship Game
Viewers: 47.7 million, 18-49 demo: 16.8
9:53 NFL Postgame
Viewers: 26.0 million, 18-49 demo: 9.1
10:16 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 13.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5

NBC
7:00 The Biggest Loser (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 The Biggest Loser (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
7:30 The Cleveland Show (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:30 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Family Guy (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

Sunday night was all about football as CBS's broadcast of the AFC Championship Game dominated all ratings. It was significantly below last year's championship game numbers on FOX though but still towering above everything on TV. It was followed by Hawaii Five-0, which posted its best numbers since the last time it followed a Championship Game in 2011. However, it wasn't overly strong and it seemed like a curious choice for CBS when they could have given the slot to one of their upstart shows such as Person of Interest or 2 Broke Girls or even the series premiere of Golden Boy. The upside to Hawaii seems awfully limited at this point.

ABC's dramas got slaughtered against the competition from the playoffs. First up though, America's Funniest Home Videos was actually up a tenth in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. Then Once Upon a Time and Revenge both plunged to series lows - Time was down half a million viewers and four tenths in the demo while Revenge was down four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. For whatever reason, ABC dramas are taking next week off even though competition is limited and then bringing them back on Feb 13 just in time to compete with the Grammys which could result in more series lows.

PILOT REVIEW: The Following

THE FOLLOWING

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Jeananne Goossen, Natalie Zea, Shawn Ashmore, Valorie Curry, Nico Tortorella, Adan Canto, Kyle Catlett, Maggie Grace, and James Purefoy

Created by Kevin Williamson
Written by Kevin Williamson, Directed by Marcos Siega

The Following is a new dark and psychological thriller from Kevin Williamson, writer of many horror films including Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. The show is also notable for being the first TV vehicle for popular film star Kevin Bacon. In the show, Bacon plays former FBI agent Ryan Hardy who is brought back when the serial killer he captured, Dr. Joseph Carroll (James Purefoy), escapes from prison and resumes his killing spree with the help of his many cult followers. Rounding out the cast is other FBI agents and people from Carroll's past including his ex-wife (and Ryan's ex-lover as well) Claire (Natalie Zea).

THE GOOD: This might be my favorite pilot of the season. The dark and chilling feel permeates throughout the whole episode and this show really succeeds where so many other horror shows (such as The River) failed. If every episode is like the pilot, it will be a harrowing experience to watch every Monday night because there were more jumpy moments than I've experienced in a long time. Kevin Bacon is a real coup for this show and his presence, plus the whole Silence of the Lambs feel to the show, makes it feel like a movie. James Purefoy may not be Hannibal Lecter but he's pretty fascinating as the professor turned killer. There are many flashbacks used in the pilot but unlike Deception, they serve a real purpose in creating the mythology and back story.

THE BAD: Honestly, I don't really have anything to say here. At first, I was worried that they were going to have too narrow a storyline and run into trouble down the road. However, the ending of the pilot showed me that they know exactly where they are going and there are tons of stories to tell. Plus, Kevin Bacon has only committed to 15 episodes a season which should help keep the show fresh. So basically I have no complaints.

BOTTOM LINE: The Following really pushes the limits for broadcast TV but that's a good thing in an era where network TV seems timid and bland compared to cable for most people. This show is certainly not for everyone but I hope subsequent episodes live up to the spookiness and heart stopping moments of the pilot. I'm really excited to see where this show goes and I'll be sad if it disappoints!

RATINGS RECAP: 1/19/13

ABC 
8:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Movie: Blades of Glory
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 Deception (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 Chicago Fire (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

FOX
8:00 Cops
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 Cops (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 

RATINGS RECAP: 1/18/13

ABC 
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Malibu Country
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS 
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 CSI: NY
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 Betty White's Off Their Rockers (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:30 Betty White's Off Their Rockers (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 Fringe
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 

Friday night marked the end of Fringe's run on FOX after five years and 100 episodes. The finale was up nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo but was still very low overall. The last two years have seen abysmal ratings for this show but it managed to last partly so FOX could prove it can stick with a genre show. Fringe didn't make much of a mark in the ratings beyond its first year but it had a very loyal following. Elsewhere, CBS's Friday lineup seems to be stronger lately. Undercover Boss was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, CSI: NY was even in viewers and the demo, and Blue Bloods was up four tenths in viewers and down a tenth in the demo.

Over on ABC, the 8pm comedies hit series lows as Last Man Standing was down three tenths in viewers and the demo while Malibu Country was down two tenths in viewers and the demo. A 1.2 demo is too low but this show seems to swing up and down. A Shark Tank repeat had the best demo of the night for ABC while 20/20 was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. On NBC, Dateline NBC was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo.

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: January 19, 2013

GOOD WEEK: "NCIS"
The veteran CBS shows are showing their muscle in recent weeks. After The Big Bang Theory soared to new highs last week, popular drama NCIS came within decimal points of breaking an all time viewership record. It soared from its last new episode before Christmas and will easily be the most watched show of the week in a week that saw American Idol return. Despite being in its 10th (!) season, the show is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down and remains a cornerstone to CBS programming. For some reason, it never gets the flashy press other hits do but it has been rock solid for years now and that's very impressive.

BAD WEEK: NBC'S MIDSEASON NEWBIES
NBC had a strong fall for its newbies as Revolution, Chicago Fire, and Go On all overperformed and The New Normal and Guys with Kids didn't completely collapse. But the new entries at midseason aren't faring as well. Both Deception and 1600 Penn took major nosedives this week to barely acceptable numbers. NBC expected things to be worse in this Voice-less couple months but they won't tolerate the freshmen barely contending. With more shows stockpiled now, these will be easy to part with and I'm sure they will unless we see a surprising and unlikely turnaround. 

RATINGS RECAP: 1/17/13

ABC
8:00 Last Resort
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
10:00 Scandal
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
8:30 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:00 Person of Interest (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 30 Rock
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:30 1600 Penn
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 16.3 million, 18-49 demo: 5.6

On Thursday night, night two of American Idol was slightly down from Wednesday's premiere and closer in numbers to last year than Wednesday night. After a disappointing premiere night, this has to be considered a more promising night two for the reality franchise. Over on ABC, Last Resort was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy was down half a million viewers and also two tenths in the demo. It may have been impacted by Idol but it also didn't have a new Person of Interest to compete with. Scandal followed the pattern of the earlier two dramas as it was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's series high.

Over on NBC, 30 Rock started off the night down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo with just two weeks remaining. Parks and Recreation moved to its new timeslot at 8:30pm. Despite having a weaker lead-in, it posted its best number since October 4 which is a good showing for the new time. At 9pm, The Office was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 9:30pm, the third episode of 1600 Penn plummeted nine tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo to a very low 1.2. This show seems to be pretty much dead already. At 10pm, Rock Center was up six tenths in viewers and even in the demo. CBS was in repeats but its worth noting that the repeat of The Big Bang Theory posted the night's second best demo behind Idol.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/16/13

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:30 The Neighbors
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3
9:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 12.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3

NBC
8:00 Whitney (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:30 Guys with Kids (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Chicago Fire (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 17.9 million, 18-49 demo: 6.0

On Wednesday night, American Idol returned but the decline continued as the season premiere was down a big 1.4 demo points from last year's season premiere even with the revamped judging panel. It's still strong but it might go awfully low for Idol in the weeks to come. For a show that was so clearly #1 for so long, it'll have a hard time passing The Big Bang Theory in the demo and total viewers, NCIS in total viewers, and even possibly The Voice in the demo. Over on CBS, the dramas returned from their winter break and Criminal Minds was up six tenths in viewers but down two tenths in the demo. It held up well against Idol but also probably benefited from a repeat of Law & Order: SVU which is more direct competition. At 10pm, CSI was up 1.5 million viewers and a tenth in the demo. It will be interesting to see what happens when this show, Nashville, and Chicago Fire are all new again together because Fire and Nashville seem to be gaining some ground on the veteran. 

All of ABC's comedies were down probably due to the Idol competition. At 8pm, The Middle was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo which is actually a very solid hold. At 8:30pm, The Neighbors was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. If this show starts to wilt against Idol, it'll hurt its promising chances for a season two. At 9pm, Modern Family was down a million viewers and four tenths in the demo for the biggest drop of the night while Suburgatory was down seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. The better news for ABC came at 10pm where Nashville was up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for its best number since the series premiere. It seems like it might be on the upswing since the Christmas break.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/15/13

ABC
8:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:30 Suburgatory (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Happy Endings
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:30 Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Private Practice
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 22.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 17.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Vegas
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Betty White's Off Their Rockers
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Go On
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:30 The New Normal
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 

FOX
8:00 Raising Hope
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:30 Ben and Kate
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:30 The Mindy Project
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

On Tuesday night, just like Thursday night, another CBS veteran obliterated the competition. NCIS in its tenth season was up 1.8 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. The viewer total is the best in nearly two years. Two scripted shows on CBS are over 20 million viewers and soaring above the competition. At 9pm, NCIS: Los Angeles was down three tenths in viewers and the demo, showing much worse retention this week. Finally at 10pm, Vegas was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The problem is that it was 2.3 demo points behind NCIS and aired just an hour later.

Over on FOX, every single show in the low rated comedy block has now gone below a 2.0. At 8pm, Raising Hope was down a tenth in viewers and the demo while Ben and Kate was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, tying a series low. At 9pm, New Girl was down a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low. This show has really tumbled this year though it still skews young. I do think it suffers from time shifted viewing more than most shows because such a huge percentage of its audience is certainly young adults. At 9:30pm, The Mindy Project was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. 

On NBC, two episodes of Betty White's Off Their Rockers were slightly down their respective episodes last week. At 9pm, Go On was up two tenths in viewers and the demo as it rebounded a little bit from last week's horrible tumble. At 9:30pm, The New Normal was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. Lastly, Parenthood was down three tenths in viewers ad even in the demo ahead of next week's season finale. Finally on ABC, Happy Endings was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 10pm, the next-to-last episode of Private Practice was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. Will it be able to jump more for the series finale next week? 

RATINGS RECAP: 1/14/13

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9
8:30 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
9:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 12.5 million, 18-49 demo: 4.1
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Deception
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

FOX
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Bones
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 

Returning for the first time since mid December, CBS got a great night from its comedies on Monday night. At 8pm, How I Met Your Mother was up a strong 1.8 million viewers and half a demo point for a season high. Fresh off a buzzy episode before the break, Mother came back with force. A repeat of The Big Bang Theory continued to do as well as most new shows at 8:30pm. At 9pm, 2 Broke Girls was up a great 2.3 million viewers and six tenths in the demo as it does best airing after repeats of Big Bang. At 9:30pm, Mike & Molly was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Hawaii Five-0 closed out the night down nine tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Without Revolution, it is easily winning the hour.

Over on NBC, The Biggest Loser was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. It looks like the move to Monday and one cycle a year was a good decision by NBC as these numbers are definitely acceptable until The Voice comes back. At 10pm, Deception took a big hit in week two as it was down 1.6 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. After a so-so debut last week, this show really took a spill in its second week. With NBC having several decent performing dramas, this show will have to do a reversal in the ratings fast to have a chance at a second season but I don't see that happening. 
 

On ABC, The Bachelor was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, building nicely on its season premiere despite tougher competition on CBS. This is a positive sign for a franchise that looked very tired last year. At 10pm, Castle was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. On FOX, a double airing of Bones did well as the 8pm episode was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last airing and the 9pm episode was pretty much on par with the 8pm show.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/13/13

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Revenge
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Happy Endings
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:30 Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
7:00 NFL Overrun
Viewers: 37.7 million, 18-49 demo: 12.8
8:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 14.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 

NBC 
7:00 Golden Globes Red Carpet Special
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:00 2013 Golden Globe Awards
Viewers: 19.7 million, 18-49 demo: 6.4

FOX 
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
7:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
8:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4 

On Sunday night, the Golden Globes with hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler aired on NBC and were up nicely from last year and easily dominating the evening. Meanwhile on ABC, America's Funniest Home Videos started off the night down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo from its last new airing back on December 9. Against the Golden Globes, the dramas took a hit as Once Upon a Time was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo while Revenge was down nine tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo for a season low. The 9:30pm half hour dipped below a 2 demo which is troubling even against the Globes. The comedies at 10pm did even worse than last week's horrible numbers and this week's airing of them has been mercifully pulled. 

CBS started with mammoth numbers for a football overrun which led into 60 Minutes which was up a huge 4.5 million viewers and 1.9 demo points. It probably would have been even higher without the Golden Globes on. At 9pm, The Good Wife was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo while The Mentalist closed out the night down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo, holding up well against tougher competition. FOX was down across the board without a direct NFL lead-in but particularly notable was Bob's Burgers being just a tenth behind The Simpsons in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/12/13

ABC 
8:00 20/20 Special Edition
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 2013 Miss America Pageant
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

CBS
8:00 NFL Overrun
Viewers: 42.5 million, 18-49 demo: 16.3
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 Deception (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4

FOX 
8:00 NFL Pregame
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 NFL Playoffs
Viewers: 30.9 million, 18-49 demo: 11.1

RATINGS RECAP: 1/11/13

ABC 
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Malibu Country
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 CSI: NY
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 1600 Penn (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:30 1600 Penn (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4 

FOX
8:00 Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Fringe
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8 

On Friday night, shows were mostly up including a strong uptick on CBS. Undercover Boss was up 1.5 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. At 9pm, CSI: NY was up 1.6 million viewers and two tenths in the demo for a season high. It seems like CBS is really ready to end this show this year but an uptick will make its decision harder. At 10pm, Blue Bloods was up a million viewers and three tenths in the demo, also a season high.

Over on ABC, Last Man Standing was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Malibu Country was up a tenth in viewers and the demo as it rebounded some from last week's low. At 9pm, Shark Tank was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo and it was once again the top demo of the night. At 10pm, 20/20 was up a tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On NBC, Dateline NBC was even in viewers and a tenth in the demo while on FOX, Fringe was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last airing, just ahead of the series finale.

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: January 12, 2013

GOOD WEEK: THURSDAY SUPERSTARS
Thursday night is right now boasting two shows that are defying all logic with the downward trend of broadcast network performance. First, The Big Bang Theory on CBS soars higher every season as it hit a new series high this week and is posting numbers that no comedy has done regularly since Friends. This is a real mass appeal hit and that hasn't been in years from comedy. Not to mention that the repeats on TBS are doing better than a lot of network sitcoms' new episodes. Then on ABC, Scandal continues to climb higher week after week. This is proof that a "watercooler" show can still work as the buzz around this show has reached fever pitch and it continues to grow. It is now easily beating timeslot competitor Elementary and holding on to nearly all of its Grey's Anatomy's lead-in. It is moving into the upper echelon of network dramas in the demo which is impressive after how middling the ratings were in season one and even at the beginning of season two.

BAD WEEK: NBC'S TUESDAY COMEDIES
NBC has had good numbers all fall from Go On as it followed The Voice and decent numbers from its lead-out The New Normal. Many claimed the numbers were solely based on the powerful lead-in and I must admit, I was not one of those people. I thought they would hold up ok without The Voice but week one was not promising as they crashed and burned, particularly Go On. With these results, every sitcom on NBC except The Office is hovering around a 1.5 demo. NBC better hope some people tune back in or else it will be a couple rough months before The Voice returns in late March.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/10/13

ABC
8:00 Last Resort
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
10:00 Scandal
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 20.0 million, 18-49 demo: 6.4
8:30 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 14.4 million, 18-49 demo: 4.2
9:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 15.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
10:00 Elementary 
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4 

NBC
8:00 30 Rock
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 1600 Penn (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:30 1600 Penn
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX 
8:00 Mobbed
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Glee (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 

It was a stunning Thursday for The Big Bang Theory and Scandal but a strong Thursdays for lots of shows in general. However, the worst news came on NBC where 1600 Penn had a very lackluster timeslot premiere. At 8pm, 30 Rock was up seven tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo which is a solid bump and a season high. At 9pm, The Office was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for its best demo since early November. After a fair showing for a repeat of the pilot at 8:30pm, 1600 Penn had pretty terrible second episode numbers at 9:30pm. I have a hard time believing this show is going to make it in this slot and this premiere number pretty much confirms that. At 10pm, Rock Center was up three tenths in viewers and the demo from last week.

On CBS, The Big Bang Theory continued to explore new highs as it was up seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo, shattering its previous series high set last week. This is the first Thursday comedy to reach 20 million viewers since Friends way back in 2004. It's likely to come back a little bit against American Idol next week but this is really a monumental moment for TV's biggest hit. At 8:30pm, Two and a Half Men was down a million viewers and three tenths in the demo, showing much lower retention this week. At 9pm, Person of Interest was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo which is still very strong against more competition. It also beat Grey's Anatomy head to head for the first time this season. At 10pm, Elementary was up a tenth in viewers but down two tenths in the demo as it is being left in the dust by Scandal in the hour.

On ABC, the cancelled Last Resort was up nine tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. Grey's Anatomy perked up at 9pm up 1.1 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for its best demo performance since November 8. The best news came at 10pm though where Scandal returned up 1.3 million viewers and four tenths in the demo for a series high. This show just keeps growing and is quickly becoming one of TV's top dramas in the demo. This is incredibly impressive as the show has become very buzzworthy and the ratings are reflecting that.