RATINGS RECAP: 2/13/13

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
8:30 The Neighbors
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
9:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:30 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 CSIViewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

NBC
8:00 Whitney
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 Guys with Kids
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 13.5 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3

Wednesday night was a rough one for CBS as Survivor returned with its 26th edition and hit a SERIES low in the demo in its premiere. This franchise is tired, which should be expected with two installments a year for over a decade. I have said for awhile and I'll say it again - CBS should let Survivor and The Amazing Race share a timeslot and do one installment of each per year. It will keep both shows more fresh. They aired a repeat episode of The Big Bang Theory at 9:30pm which didn't do much especially airing against a Big Bang repeat on TBS. That hurt CSI which tumbled 2.5 million viewers and half a demo point to, yes, a SERIES low. So both of CBS' long running hits fell to series lows on Wednesday night, yikes.

While a 1.9 demo might be bad to one 10pm show, it was great for another over on NBC. First off though, the comedies continued to be bottom feeders at 8pm where Whitney was dead even with last week but Guys with Kids was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low at a terrible 1.0 demo. This show is not coming back even if NBC adds some multicam comedies. At 9pm, Law & Order: SVU was up 1.2 million viewers but even in the demo. At 10pm, Chicago Fire was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo as it tied CSI for the lead in the demo for the first time. Talk about an overperformer on a network that desperately needs one.

Over on ABC, The Middle started off the night in a disappointing fashion as it was down half a million viewers and a rough four tenths in the demo for a season low. I'm not sure what explains this big drop since everything else was steady or up. At 8:30pm, The Neighbors was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. The good news is it had much better retention out of The Middle this week. At 9pm, Modern Family was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo but it was still well below normal. At 9:30pm, Suburgatory was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Finally at 10pm, Nashville was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo but it still landed in third in the timeslot. Finally on FOX, American Idol fell another eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo.