RATINGS RECAP: 4/29/13

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 13.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3
10:00 Revolution
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

FOX
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7

On Monday night, FOX had the season finales of Bones and The Following. At 8pm, Bones was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It will return for a ninth season in the fall. At 9pm, The Following saw a nice spike for its finale as it was up eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for its best performance since March 11. In its final two weeks, the previously fading Following rose six tenths in the demo which is a real nice jump for the show. I think its very likely the show will return in the same Monday 9pm slot for another 15 episode season in January because Kevin Bacon is only contracted for 15 episodes. 

CBS had another bad night. Most shows were up but things are really going south for them in general on Mondays. How I Met Your Mother was up half a million viewers and even in the demo while Rules of Engagement was up 1.1 million viewers and six tenths in the demo from last week when it followed a repeat. At 9pm, 2 Broke Girls was up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo while Mike & Molly was up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. It managed to be the top show among total viewers for CBS. At 10pm, Hawaii Five-0 was up a tenth in viewers but down a tenth in the demo for a series low and third place finish. Time for this show to move to Fridays or Sundays.

On NBC, The Voice started things off down a substantial 1.5 million viewers and six tenths in the demo as its starting to come back to Earth. At 10pm, Revolution was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for another series low. This show is really starting to falter. The 1.8 demo is exactly what Smash got a year ago but The Voice only got a 3.5 demo a year ago. So it's doing worse than Smash and that show tanked when it had to be on its own. This is not good news for Revolution despite a 22 episode second season order. Finally on ABC, Dancing with the Stars was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo while Castle was down a big 1.3 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. It's a bigger drop but last week was higher than usual so it sort of evens out. It still managed to win the 10pm hour thanks to really poor performances from Revolution and Hawaii Five-0. 

RATINGS RECAP: 4/28/13

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Revenge
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Red Widow
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 11.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

NBC
7:00 The Voice (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Celebrity Apprentice
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

FOX 
7:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
7:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
8:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

It was a quiet Sunday night as usual. 60 Minutes was down a tenth in viewers and four tenths in the demo from last week's Boston bomber coverage. At 8pm, The Amazing Race was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. This show is very consistent. At 9pm, the season finale of The Good Wife was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. This show needs to move to 10pm or Fridays next season, I think 10pm might make the most sense. At 10pm, The Mentalist was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. On FOX, every cartoon was up or even with its last new airing while Family Guy's 2.6 demo topped the night for the broadcast networks.

On ABC, America's Funniest Home Videos started the night up two tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. A 1.6 demo at 7pm in the spring is not bad at all. At 8pm, Once Upon a Time was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a series low. This show is falling apart. At 9pm, Revenge was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last airing which was on Easter. It's a rise but it was only a tenth ahead of Videos. At 10pm, Red Widow was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last airing for a series low. Why did ABC bother with reruns of this show in recent weeks? Finally on NBC, Celebrity Apprentice was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

UPFRONTS 2013: What FOX Should Do

After NBC yesterday, I will take a look at what I think FOX should do with their lineup next year! Next week, I will make my official prediction but this is what I think makes the most sense with their lineup and pilots. FOX has had some serious trouble because The X Factor and American Idol are fading and they take up so much space on the schedule. On top of that, the Tuesday comedy block didn't work. They successfully launched The Following but that only has 15 episode seasons. FOX needs to be more aggressive, they can't count on Idol to save them as it has many times. Check out what I said FOX should do last year and in 2011. Also check out a rundown of FOX's pilots in contention.

MONDAYS
8:00 Bones
9:00 BOOMERANG
FOX needs to save The Following for midseason again since it only has 15 episodes a season. Because of that, I would keep Bones at 8pm where it has been very reliable and solid. I would try a new drama at 9pm and hope it's more like The Following than The Mob Doctor. I think one of the most exciting sounding dramas is Boomerang, about a family of assassins. If FOX can find a show that works, they could order a shorter order yearly to have it share a slot with The Following. Boomerang will have to compete with Monday Night Football but it seems like it would be good counter-programming to reality on ABC and NBC and comedies on CBS.

TUESDAYS
8:00 Glee
9:00 New Girl
9:30 FRIENDS AND FAMILY
The Tuesday night four sitcom block was a complete flop and FOX would be foolish to try it again, they just don't have the shows or pilots to make it work right now. Instead, I would move Glee back to the 8pm Tuesday slot it held last season. It may be fading but it would do better than the 8pm comedies did this year. I would instead focus on launching a new hit after New Girl, they certainly shouldn't put The Mindy Project back here. I would try Friends and Family which has a stellar cast led by Jason Ritter and Alexis Bledel. It seems like it might be a good fit with New Girl, then again Mindy did too.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 The X-Factor
I don't really like The X Factor taking up two hours on Wednesday but I don't really think it should go to Thursday/Friday. Honestly, the best thing for the show might be lessening it to an hour or airing it in the summer or something like that. It's sort of a tough position for FOX because they can't really bag this show until they have enough other shows to take its place, but they're having trouble launching new shows because this takes up so much space.

THURSDAYS
8:00 The X-Factor
9:00 SLEEPY HOLLOW
I think FOX needs to take a stab with a new drama here after The X Factor and not Glee. One of their more promising, and potentially self-starting, shows is Sleepy Hollow. This might be good counter programming to Grey's Anatomy, likely comedies on NBC, and quite possibly comedies on CBS. FOX only launched two new dramas this year - one worked and one flopped instantly. They need to try more so they can build up their drama arsenal because right now, it's awfully thin.

FRIDAYS
8:00 American Dad!
8:30 Bob's Burgers
9:00 Raising Hope
9:30 The Mindy Project
OK so this is a big risk, but here's the thing - it's easily fixable if it doesn't work. They could easily slide in Hell's Kitchen or Kitchen Nightmares on this night. But I think this is worth a shot. Their Sunday animation lineup is getting very stale and could use something fresh. I would move the lower performers to Friday. They can always go back to Sunday if that doesn't work. Raising Hope might succeed in a lower profile slot while The Mindy Project shouldn't have been renewed to begin with so it can get this sleepy timeslot. It probably wouldn't pay off for FOX but it's worth a shot because they aren't competitive on Fridays right now and it helps open up real estate on other nights.

SATURDAYS
8:00 College Football/Cops
No reason to change this.

SUNDAYS
7:00 NFL Overrun/The OT/Animated Encores
8:00 UNTITLED DAN GOOR/MIKE SCHUR
8:30 DADS
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 The Simpsons
Another big gamble, but this animated lineup needs some real help. I would try to bring live action comedies back to the night starting with the Andy Samberg pilot and then the Seth McFarlane produced Dads, which already has a six episode order. It's better to launch in the fall when they'll have football overrun on certain weeks. The Simpsons has aired at 8pm forever but I would keep the cartoons together and put it after Family Guy. That way the two McFarlane shows (Dads and Family Guy) stay together. Again, this is easily fixable if it doesn't work - just bring American Dad and Bob's Burgers back from Fridays and restore the current lineup. But it's worth the gamble in my opinion.

MIDSEASON: American Idol, The Following, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, TO MY FUTURE ASSISTANT, GANG RELATED, THE LIST
American Idol will take The X-Factor's place of course. The Following should return to Mondays at 9pm in midseason. Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares can plug in anywhere. As for the new shows, To My Future Assistant has a strong cast and can be a comedy backup. As I said before, FOX needs to develop more dramas and that means ordering more than two. I would double that to four and keep Gang Related and The List for midseason. They can have shorter episode orders and take the place of a show like Glee or (if it works) Sleepy Hollow for awhile.

CANCELLED/ENDED: Ben and Kate, The Cleveland Show, Fringe, The Mob Doctor, Touch
No surprises here. Most have already been officially cancelled while the others are inevitable (though The Cleveland Show might have a slight chance to return).

Tomorrow: ABC!

UPFRONTS 2013: What NBC Should Do

Upfront season is upon  us! This week, I am proposing what I think each network SHOULD do for the fall. I want to stress that this is not a prediction, that will come next week. This is what I think would be a good idea based on their current shows and the loglines/pedigree of the pilots. This year, NBC had a strong fall followed by a disastrous winter and then a spring that was somewhere in-between. They have some potential hits but so much seems to be based on their top hit, The Voice. Next year, NBC has the Olympics in February. Olympic promotion has been hit and miss (mostly miss) for NBC but I still think they should (and will) save some big guns for post-Olympics midseason. NBC has a lot to fix as usual and I would be aggressive in some areas with heavy promotion and more conservative in other places. They can't just upend the whole schedule and they have some solid dramas. Check out what I said NBC should do last year and in 2011. For details on NBC's pilots, click here.

MONDAYS
8:00 The Voice
10:00 THE BLACKLIST
Monday nights are strong whenever The Voice is in session and so far that show doesn't look like its burning out. Revolution has not been able to hold enough of the audience to warrant a continuation in this high profile slot. I would give the slot to the promising new thriller The Blacklist. It seems a little more accessible than Revolution and NBC can promote it like crazy all summer. Even though it has been hard for Revolution this spring, I would still cut off The Blacklist when The Voice ends its fall cycle and bring them both back together after the Olympics assuming Blacklist performs ok. In January, I would air a short run of The Sing Off which NBC is supposedly bringing back. I would maybe follow it with Hannibal for a few weeks and then let Hannibal air elsewhere (Fridays?). I wouldn't put a lot of stock in January, I would focus on September-December and then March-May after the Olympics.

TUESDAYS
8:00 The Voice
9:00 Revolution
10:00 Parenthood
I would go conservative on Tuesdays but this would be a solid lineup. The Voice is of course a beast at 8pm. I would let Revolution continue to follow The Voice for the fall but air it at 9pm leading into Parenthood at 10pm. The night doesn't have a ton of flow to it but I think it's a smart move because The Voice and Parenthood can stand on their own and Revolution should be a better option than the comedies this year. There are a fair amount of people who tune into Revolution after The Voice on Mondays, I think they would follow it to Tuesdays. A better 9pm show could help Parenthood too which has had to self-start often. Depending on how Revolution does, Tuesday 9pm could be prime real-estate for a post-Olympics premiere.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 Go On
8:30 Parks and Recreation
9:00 AFTER HOURS
10:00 Chicago Fire
Wednesdays are interesting. I think NBC needs to be aggressive on Thursdays and that means taking Parks and Recreation out of the lineup there. Because I think NBC should give all its comedy promotional push to Thursdays, I would not launch a new comedy on Wednesdays. Instead, I would give it to one of their severe underperformers. My pick would be Go On because I think it fits the best with Parks & Rec but any of them could go here for a 13 episode order in the fall. I just wouldn't worry too much about this hour if I'm trying to make Thursdays work. I would let Parks & Rec go to 8:30pm because it will be a better lead-in for 9pm. Many have suggested Chicago Fire go to 9pm but why? It's working in a difficult slot, don't move it. We all saw what happened to Revenge on ABC this year. SVU is an adequate lead-in but I would try a new procedural drama here and not the planned Chicago Fire spinoff (save that for midseason). Fire really surprised at 10pm this year and I think the medical drama After Hours could do the same at 9pm. It wouldn't get the marketing push of The Blacklist or the Thursday comedies but Chicago Fire didn't have that either. It might be a nice pairing.

THURSDAYS 
8:00 UNTITLED SEAN HAYES
8:30 UNTITLED JOHN MULANEY/LORNE MICHAELS
9:00 UNTITLED MICHAEL J. FOX
9:30 ABOUT A BOY
10:00 Law & Order: SVU
In the fall of 2009, ABC went with all new comedies on Wednesday and established a real presence on the night which they continue to reap the rewards from. NBC had historically owned Thursday night but things have gotten real bad in recent years. It's time to start over. I would take a page from ABC's 2009 playbook and launch four new comedies in a row and promote them together as a block. I said the same thing last year and it didn't happen because they decided to focus on the front half of the week. With those nights slightly more secure thanks to The Voice, Parenthood, and Chicago Fire, it's time to tackle this night. Even if CBS goes to two hours of comedy, these are family sitcoms that would be a nice counter-programming block. I would build it around the Michael J. Fox comedy which already has a 22 episode order. I would air two multi-cam sitcoms at 8pm and single-cam at 9pm. But all four shows are family sitcoms with leading men including big names Fox and Sean Hayes, both former Must-See-TV stars. I really think this is the only way to go. Putting three of them with Parks and Recreation isn't the fresh start NBC needs on this night. At 10pm though, I would not launch a new drama and instead give it to Law & Order: SVU. It could do better than a lot of NBC's failed shows in this slot in recent years. It won't be amazing but it seems to do better when it's away from Criminal Minds or CSI. It would have to go up against Scandal but I think it has a different audience. If I'm NBC, I would also stockpile comedies for midseason in case one of these fail. And they should be new comedies, none of their losers from this year.

FRIDAYS
8:00 Dateline NBC
9:00 Grimm
10:00 DRACULA
NBC needs to give Grimm some help on Fridays where it just suffers by itself and tries to put up good numbers. I would move Dateline NBC back to 8pm where it can get adequate Friday night ratings. Then I would take a chance at 10pm. It could be Hannibal but that show seems to already be losing steam. Instead, I'd give the slot to Dracula, which seems like it has been ordered forever and not aired. It would be a good tonal fit with Grimm and could develop a cult audience on Friday nights.

SATURDAYS
8:00 Encores
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Why not give Rock Center a chance on Saturdays. It will keep it on the air if it needs to be a filler somewhere else.

SUNDAYS
7:00 Football Night in America
8:30 Sunday Night Football
Of course football will and should continue in the fall. In January, I would just air specials and the Golden Globes and then after the Olympics, I would do The Biggest Loser at 8pm and Celebrity Apprentice at 10pm. No need to really invest in Sundays when half the season is always taken up by football.

MIDSEASON: Betty White's Off Their Rockers, The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Apprentice, Hannibal, The Sing Off BRENDA FOREVER, THE GATES, UNTITLED OWEN ELLICKSON/CRAIG ROBINSON, CROSSBONES, HATFIELDS AND MCCOYS, IRONSIDE, UNTITLED CHICAGO FIRE SPINOFF
I would stock up big time for midseason because the more shows you try, the more chances for the hits that NBC needs. I already mentioned what I would do with Loser, Apprentice, Hannibal, and The Sing Off. Betty White's Off Their Rockers can literally be a filler anywhere. It could even go Wednesdays at 8pm if Go On completely tanks (a distinct possibility but I would give Go On one more try). As for the new shows, Brenda Forever, The Gates, and the Craig Robinson project all sound promising to me. They could be on hand if one of the Thursday sitcoms go down or Brenda Forever would make a nice midseason partner for Parks and Recreation when they can afford more promotion. For the dramas, I would make these big priorities for post-Olympics launches. If everything works, space will be limited but that's not too likely so I would wait and see with these but give them a lot of promotion, particularly Hatfields and McCoys which sounds very promising and could certainly go Tuesday at 9pm if Revolution season two doesn't pan out. Crossbones might be a nice Friday 8pm option to lead into Grimm and Dracula. And of course the Chicago Fire spinoff could go on Wednesdays if After Hours fails.


CANCELLED/ENDED: 30 Rock, 1600 Penn, Animal Practice, Community, Deception, Do No Harm, Fashion Star, Guys with Kids, The New Normal, The Office, Ready for Love, Smash, Take it All, Up All Night, Whitney
NBC needs to be aggressive and that means not renewing many low-rated shows. I already gave a pass to Go On but the other comedies need to go. None of them are deserving of another season. The other shows on this list are pretty much no-brainers.

Tomorrow: FOX!

RATINGS RECAP: 4/27/13

ABC 
8:00 Bet on Your Baby
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Movie: Over the Hedge
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CBS
8:00 Mayweather Special
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

NBC
8:00 Smash
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 The Voice (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
8:00 NASCAR Racing
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

RATINGS RECAP: 4/26/13

ABC 
8:00 Happy Endings
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
8:30 Happy Endings
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Vegas
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 Fashion Star
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Grimm
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 

FOX
8:00 Kitchen Nightmares
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Touch
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 

It was a quiet Friday night where a 1.9 demo topped the night for all shows. On CBS, Undercover Boss started things off up 1.7 million viewers and a two tenths in the demo. This is still a reliable Friday performer. At 9pm, Vegas was up three tenths in viewers and the demo from its last Friday airing. At 10pm, Blue Bloods was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. On NBC, Fashion Star was down three tenths in viewers and the demo while Grimm was down two tenths in viewers and the demo for a season low. It will move to Tuesdays now and air behind The Voice so those ratings will be interesting to monitor.

On ABC, Happy Endings took a bad fall from already bad numbers as the 8pm episode was down two tenths in the demo and the 8:30pm episode was down a tenth in the demo. There's no way ABC can justify bringing this show back, I don't care how close it is to syndication. At 9pm, Shark Tank was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It had a big jump at the half hour which seems to imply that Endings could be bringing down these numbers. At 10pm, 20/20 was down 1.1 million viewers and half a demo point from last week's Boston bomber coverage. On FOX, Kitchen Nightmares was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo in its first new airing since March 15. Touch was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo from its last new airing.

RENEWAL ALERT: Revolution, Chicago Fire, Parenthood, Grimm, Law & Order: SVU

As May nears, the renewals/pickups/cancellations season is upon us and NBC renewed five dramas today, none of which were in any serious danger of cancellation.

Two freshman dramas were picked up for a second season - Revolution and Chicago Fire. Revolution was the most highly touted of NBC's new shows with constant promotions during NBC's Summer Olympics coverage. The sci-fi drama got off to a real hot start. Its 4.1 demo for the premiere was the biggest drama debut since 2009 and the biggest NBC drama debut since 2007. It held up well during the fall and was a big gainer in DVR. NBC decided to not let it fly without The Voice and instead held it off the air for three months so it could return with The Voice at the end of March. Its return hasn't been as strong as the show has been dropping this spring and hit a series low this week with a 2.0 demo. It is still a solid show for NBC but after seeing what happened to Smash and the Tuesday comedies without The Voice this year, it's hard to trust that this show could fly on its own. It'll be interesting to see where NBC slots it next year.

Also renewed was Chicago Fire. The ensemble drama was not nearly as heavily promoted as Revolution or NBC's Tuesday comedies and it had a late premiere against the much more touted Nashville in the Wednesday 10pm slot. It lost out to Nashville on premiere night which was to be expected but then things started to change. Chicago Fire first showed signs of life but not taking big drops. Then it started to grow out of its Law & Order: SVU lead-in. Then it started to beat Nashville. Then it even beat CSI once. While it hasn't been as strong in the last couple episodes, it is a surprise success story for NBC this year. It's not getting incredible ratings but it's one of the more stable shows on a network that has seen horrific numbers for many shows. However, NBC is already getting a little greedy and plotting a police themed Chicago Fire spinoff.

Three veteran dramas joined the rookies. Parenthood was renewed for a fifth season, Grimm for a third season, and Law & Order: SVU for a 15th (!) season. Parenthood was only given half a season but it managed to hold its own on Tuesdays at 10pm. That became even more clear when Smash crashed and burned in the same slot. It has been given a full season for only the second time in its five year history. Grimm continues to be a solid performer on Fridays and will be given a chance in that Tuesday 10pm slot for four weeks. However, I expect it to be back on Fridays next season. Law & Order: SVU is reliable even if it is nowhere near what it once was. 15 seasons is pretty impressive regardless of how needy a network is. NBC renewed SVU without securing star Mariska Hargitay for another year so that is their next priority.

These renewals join The Voice as official pickups for next year. NBC has many shows still up in the air. The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Apprentice, and Parks and Recreation are sure bets to return while 1600 Penn, Deception, Up All Night, and Smash are sure to join the cancellation pile. Despite bad ratings, the jury is still out on several others including Community, Guys with Kids, Go On, The New Normal, Whitney, and Hannibal. All of those shows have hit a 1.0 demo this year but all have a chance at a renewal. Yikes.

RENEWAL ALERT: Two and a Half Men

Due to ongoing negotiations, Two and a Half Men was not able to be among the slew of shows renewed by CBS about a month ago but it was always a foregone conclusion. Now that was made official today as Two and a Half Men was renewed for an eleventh (!) season. However, the "half" in Two and a Half Men, Agnus T. Jones, won't return as a series regular and instead be a recurring character. Now only one of the original three, Jon Cryer, is still with the show full time but he and Ashton Kutcher were the key people CBS needed to sign back on and they did so Men will continue. Once the Monday 9pm tentpole, CBS made the bold move of sending Men to Thursdays where it followed megahit (and former lead-out) The Big Bang Theory. It has shored up a timeslot that CBS couldn't get to work with shows like $#*! My Dad Says, How to Be a Gentleman, and Rob (wonder why?) Some think CBS will go to two hours of comedy on Thursdays next year. If that happens, Men will certainly be one of the anchors, probably 8pm. If they don't go that route, who knows what will happen because CBS might be tempted to give another new show a chance out of Big Bang.

With this news, only a few CBS shows do not have their fates decided one way or another: Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, Golden Boy, Rules of Engagement, and Vegas. Of those five shows, Minds is a sure bet to return but just in tough re-negotiations. The other four are likely cancellations, but you never know with Rules of Engagement.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/25/13

ABC
8:00 Wife Swap
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Scandal
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 15.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.5
8:30 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 13.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 The Office (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Hannibal
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX 
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Glee
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

It was the beginning of May Sweeps Thursday night. However, the NFL Draft moving to Thursday night in recent years has been hard on the broadcast networks and that was true again this year as almost everything was down, particularly male-skewing shows. ABC was the least affected as it had the most female skewing lineup. At 8pm, Wife Swap was down 1.2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo which was rough but the dramas held up well. At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, one of the smaller drops on the night. The only show to buck the Draft was sophomore darling Scandal which was down a tenth in viewers but up two tenths in the demo to tie a series high. It also beat Grey's Anatomy in the demo for the first time ever. In fact, I'm not sure a 10pm ABC show has EVER topped Grey's. Scandal is continuing to soar.

CBS was hit the hardest by the Draft. At 8pm, The Big Bang Theory was down a big 2.1 million viewers. The just-renewed Two and a Half Men was pulverized by the Draft, which is not surprising considering it probably was the most male-skewing show on Thursday night. It was down  2.4 million viewers and a mammoth 1.1 demo points for a series low. I'm sure it will rebound next week. At 9pm, Person of Interest was down 1.4 million viewers and three tenths in the demo, tying the series low it set during last year's Draft. Hmmm I see a trend. At 10pm, Elementary was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo as the 10pm hour was the least affected. That is a series low for Elementary though.
and seven tenths in the demo, tying a season low it set in October.

NBC was not competitive. At 8pm, Community was down eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo, tying a series low. After a repeat of The Office, the first of the final four episodes of The Office was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low. It's not exactly sprinting towards the finish line. At 9:30pm, Parks and Recreation was down seven tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo from last week's 9:30pm episode for a series low. At 10pm, the wheels came off for Hannibal against new competition as it fell 1.1 million viewers and a rough four tenths in the demo. Yikes, four series lows for NBC. Finally on FOX, American Idol was down a million viewers and two tenths in the demo while Glee was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/24/13

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:30 How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Nashville (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 10.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Chicago Fire (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX 
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 12.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3 

Wednesday night had mostly repeats and some veteran shows on CBS and NBC took advantage. For CBS, Survivor was up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a season high. This is a strong showing for the veteran reality show. On NBC, Dateline NBC was up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Law & Order: SVU was up 1.1 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for its best performance since January. This show can still be a player but it gets killed when Criminal Minds is new. Over on ABC, How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) was surrounded by repeats and took a big hit as a result. It was down 1.3 million viewers and half a demo point. It needs to rebound big time next week when it follows a new Modern Family. Finally on FOX, American Idol was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo despite limited competition.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/23/13

ABC
8:00 Splash
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Dancing with the Stars Results
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Body of Proof
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 17.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 14.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Golden Boy
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 12.8 million, 18-49 demo: 4.1
9:00 Ready for Love
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 

FOX
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 New Girl (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 The Mindy Project (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

On Tuesday night, CBS's drama lineup was back in full force. At 8pm, NCIS was up a tenth in viewers and the demo from its last airing which was a season low. NCIS: Los Angeles was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. The Voice airing at 8pm might be a reason the NCIS shows have been closer together in results recently. At 10pm, Golden Boy was even in viewers but down a tenth in the demo despite having a new lead-in. On NBC, The Voice was down 1.4 million viewers and half a demo point as the show may have peaked at this point. At 9pm, NBC decided to air one more episode of the cancelled Ready for Love for whatever reason. It  was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

On ABC, Splash started things off down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 9pm, the results edition of Dancing with the Stars was even in viewers but down two tenths in the demo for a season low. At 10pm, Body of Proof was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo despite the drop from Dancing. This show's chances are looking better and better. That always seems to happen this time of year for a show that at first seems like a dead show walking. On FOX, Hell's Kitchen was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. A 2.0 demo against The Voice and NCIS is not bad.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/22/13

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 13.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:30 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 14.2 million, 18-49 demo: 4.9
10:00 Revolution
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 

FOX
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4 

Monday night was a landmark night for ABC's Castle as it topped its lead-in Dancing with the Stars in the demo for the first time ever. Dancing was up four tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo while Castle was up 1.6 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. Not only did it top Dancing, it easily won its hour and tied a season high. Even as Dancing has fallen victim to The Voice, Castle has held its own. ABC has a tough call for next season. It seems more than strong enough to go elsewhere (Tuesday at 10?) but maybe they need it to stabilize Monday with Dancing dropping. It will be interesting to see what ABC does. Next week, I'll be offering my opinions on what the networks should do. Over on CBS, only Rules of Engagement was new and it tumbled a million viewers and half a demo point. Usually it holds up better surrounded by repeats. This might be the final nail in the coffin for the show that's cheated death many times.

Over on NBC, The Voice was down three tenths in viewers and the demo but still incredibly dominant against the competition. Revolution was down two tenths in viewers and the demo for another series low. The retention for this show is bad and getting worse. Its numbers are now worse than Smash a year ago and we all saw what happened to that show when it had to fly on its own. This puts NBC in a tough spot because it deserves a renewal but I don't think it can be trusted to air on its own somewhere. On FOX, Bones was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo while The Following climbed six tenths in viewers and a nice three tenths in the demo for its best numbers in over a month. The season finales for both of these dramas is next week.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/21/13

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:00 Once Upon a Time
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Movie: Remember Sunday
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
8:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
7:00 The Voice (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Celebrity Apprentice
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
7:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Family Guy (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

It was a pretty standard Sunday night. With FOX's stronger cartoons in repeats, only two shows went above a 2.0 demo. CBS was all new with its regular lineup. At 7pm, 60 Minutes was down from last week when it directly followed the Masters. However it was up from the usual numbers for the spring probably due to more coverage from the Boston bombing. At 8pm, The Amazing Race was down six tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, The Good Wife was down 1.1 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. This show does better at 10pm. It's time to move it there. At 10pm, The Mentalist was up 1.3 million viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week when it aired at 10:57pm. FOX had a mix of repeats and originals. The Cleveland Show was down half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo. Bob's Burgers was actually up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo despite following a repeat this week. This show has developed its own audience. American Dad! was down four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo.

Over on ABC, America's Funniest Home Videos was down half a million viewers and even in the demo from its last new episode. At 8pm, Once Upon a Time was even in viewers but down a tenth in the demo for a new series low. What is happening to this show? It has been falling apart the last couple months. ABC might want to hold off on that spinoff for now. A Hallmark Hall of Fame movie at 9pm skewed old as usual. On NBC, Celebrity Apprentice was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Broadcast networks have had a tough time on Sundays this season with cable competition from (at various points) Game of Thrones, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, The Bible, Downton Abbey, and Vikings.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/20/13

ABC 
8:00 Bet on Your Baby
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CBS
8:00 Vegas
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 The Mentalist (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Smash
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 The Voice (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

FOX
8:00 UFC Fight Night
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

RATINGS RECAP: 4/19/13

ABC
8:00 ABC News Special Report: Boston Bomber Capture
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
 

CBS
8:00 CBS News Special Report: Boston Bomber Capture
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 NBC News Special Report: Boston Bomber Capture
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 

FOX
8:00 FOX News Special Report: Boston Bomber Capture
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 

CANCELLATION ALERT: Ready for Love

After just two episodes, NBC has cancelled the Eva Longoria-produced reality show Ready for Love. The show was originally given a Sunday night slot but when Smash failed on Tuesdays, it got a prime spot after The Voice. However, it completely squandered the lead-in with a miserable debut followed by an even worse second week. This week, it dropped a horrible three full demo points from the 8:30pm portion of The Voice. In its place, NBC will give Grimm another chance during the week as it will air at 10pm Tuesdays starting April 30.

Despite many failed series, Ready for Love joins Animal Practice and Do No Harm as the only official cancellations. Sure to join them are the burning off Smash and failed midseason entries 1600 Penn and Deception. As for everything else, even very low rated shows like The New Normal and Guys with Kids - who knows. NBC could go a lot of directions and some of their low-rated shows are bound to be renewed alongside sure bets The Voice, Parenthood, Parks and Recreation, Chicago Fire, Grimm, Law & Order: SVU, The Biggest Loser, and Revolution.

RENEWAL ALERT: Glee

FOX dished out some surprising news on Friday by renewing Glee not for one more season but for TWO more seasons. Despite being one of the few FOX shows without its fate determined before today, most people fully expected Glee to get renewed for next year. However, getting renewed for two more years is very surprising. The once mighty Glee has been getting modest ratings on Thursday night but FOX must have faith that it won't continue its free fall. It also makes FOX a lot of money in other areas thanks to the music and marketing component.

With this renewal, only a few shows do not have their fates officially determined: American Idol, The Cleveland Show, Cops, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and Touch. Idol, Cops, Hell's, and Nightmares are certainly going to get renewed in one capacity or another while Touch is a goner. There were reports earlier this week that The Cleveland Show has been cancelled but FOX has yet to confirm that. Still, with how much time animated shows need to prepare an episode, no news is not good news for Cleveland.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/18/13

ABC
8:00 Wife Swap
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Grey's Anatomy (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Scandal (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
8:30 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:30 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Person of Interest (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 The Office (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Hannibal
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 12.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 Glee
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 

On Thursday night, FOX was the only network that was fully new but the results were not all that positive. American Idol was down eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, losing to a REPEAT of The Big Bang Theory on CBS. At 9pm, the just renewed Glee was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. Where will it be in two years after the big renewal? Over on NBC, Community started off the night up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for its best performance since March 7. An hour of Parks and Recreation aired at 9pm and both episodes were up from last week's 8:30pm episode. Frankly a 1.7 demo is a big hit for an NBC sitcom. At 10pm, week three of Hannibal was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo despite a better lead-in. Airing against repeats, this was a disappointing week three showing after last week's surprising gain. Finally on ABC, Wife Swap was up a tenth in viewers and the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/17/13

ABC
8:00 Suburgatory
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:30 How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Nashville (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS 
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 

NBC
8:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Chicago Fire (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4

On Wednesday night, there was another mix of repeats and originals. ABC started with the two episode season finale of Suburgatory. The 8pm tied a series low while the 8:30pm episode was a little bit higher, but not much. This show has been a big disappointment in year two. I think ABC will renew the show but I'd be surprised to see it stay on Wednesdays as it went from an over-performer to an under-performer. How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) had its first major test as it had to follow a Modern Family rerun. It was down 1.2 million viewers and half a demo point. That's a big drop but it's worth noting that Suburgatory's last 9:30pm episode followed a NEW Modern Family and only got a 1.9 demo. I think this is a solid week three showing. Elsewhere, Survivor was up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for CBS and American Idol was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best performance since March 20.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/16/13

ABC
8:00 Splash
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Dancing with the Stars Results
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Body of Proof
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Golden Boy
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 14.2 million, 18-49 demo: 4.6
9:00 Ready for Love
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 

FOX
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 New Girl (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:30 The Mindy Project (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 

On Tuesday night, NBC dominated in the 8pm hour with The Voice as the mammoth hit was up nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a Tuesday high. At 9pm, week two of Ready for Love plummeted half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo for a very weak premiere. The 9pm half hour dipped a full three demo points from the 8:30pm portion of The Voice. What a waste of the lead-in. Over on ABC, Splash was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo for a series low. At 9pm, the results edition of Dancing with the Stars was back up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 10pm, Body of Proof was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. After a very strong repeat of NCIS at a special time, Golden Boy was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Finally on FOX, Hell's Kitchen was up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/15/13

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 13.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 14.5 million, 18-49 demo: 5.2
10:00 NBC News Special: Terror in Boston
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0

FOX 
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

On Monday night, The Voice continued its ascent as it was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo for a new season high. In past seasons, the show would start to drop after the blind auditions were over. Now it is rising as the battle rounds begin and it is clearly the most dominant show on TV right now. NBC was the only network to preempt its regular primetime broadcasting to cover the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. A news special at 10pm preempted Revolution which will now have its season finale pushed back a week to June 3. On FOX, Bones was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo from its last airing while The Following was up a tenth in viewers but down a tenth in the demo for a series low.

CBS had a rough night. The best performance came from How I Met Your Mother which was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It easily beat 2 Broke Girls for the top CBS demo draw. At 8:30pm, Rules of Engagement was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, 2 Broke Girls tumbled 1.3 million viewers and six tenths in the demo for a series low. Things seem to be getting worse and worse for this show as a 9pm anchor as the season has gone on. At 9:30pm, Mike & Molly was down 1.2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. CBS needs to think about restructuring its Monday comedy block next year. At 10pm, Hawaii Five-0 was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo to tie its series low. Finally on ABC, Dancing with the Stars was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Castle was down 1.6 million viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last new episode. 

RATINGS RECAP: 4/14/13

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:00 Once Upon a Time Clip Show
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Revenge (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Red Widow (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4

CBS 
7:00 Masters Tournament Overrun
Viewers: 14.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
7:57 60 Minutes
Viewers: 12.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:57 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 9.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:57 The Good Wife
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:57 The Mentalist
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
7:00 The Voice (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Celebrity Apprentice
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
7:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 

Sunday night had a mix of repeats and originals. The overrun of the Masters Tournament on CBS lasted nearly an hour but did very well and that helped 60 Minutes rise 3.1 million viewers and nine tenths in the demo. The Amazing Race followed and was up six tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The Good Wife was up 1.5 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. This show has proven that it should air in the 10pm hour next year. CBS needs to pull that trigger and I think they might. The Mentalist mostly aired after primetime ended and was down just two tenths in viewers and even in the demo from its last new episode which started at 10:46pm. The 10pm CBS show gets the short end of the stick a lot. On NBC, Celebrity Apprentice was up eight tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo as it benefited from going back to two hours after a couple weeks at just 10pm. Over on FOX, the cartoons were down across the board including a season low for The Simpsons.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/13/13

ABC 
8:00 Bet on Your Baby
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Bet on Your Baby
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Body of Proof (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 48 Hours (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2


NBC
8:00 Smash
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 The Voice (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0


FOX
8:00 NASCAR Racing
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

RATINGS RECAP: 4/12/13

Please note these are based on preliminary results. This post will be updated to reflect final numbers when available.

ABC
8:00 Happy Endings
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:30 Happy Endings
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Vegas
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 Fashion Star
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Grimm (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8 

FOX
8:00 Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 

Only CBS was fully new on Friday night but most everything was down. On CBS, Undercover Boss started off the night down a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. Vegas couldn't take advantage of repeats on ABC and NBC as it was down half a million in viewers and a tenth in the demo. These are the kind of numbers that got Made in Jersey pulled in this same slot. At 10pm, Blue Bloods was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Over on ABC, Happy Endings fell a rough three tenths in the demo for both episodes after last week's surprising gain. At 10pm, 20/20 was down two tenths in viewers and the demo from last week's season high. Only NBC saw gains as Fashion Star was up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo and Rock Center was down two tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo.

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: April 13, 2013

GOOD WEEK: WEEK 2 FOR THE NEWBIES
April premieres are always tricky because they come so late in the season but two late entries are making their mark for their respective networks. First on Wednesday, week two of How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) fell a respectable amount. It was down four tenths in the demo (the same drop lead-in Modern Family had) to a solid 2.5 demo. Right now it still looks like a better option than Suburgatory was in the 9:30pm timeslot though it doesn't have a new Modern Family lead in the next two weeks. Then on Thursday, NBC's Hannibal became only the second new show this season to actually build on its lead-in despite a terrible 1.1 demo lead-in. Hannibal went up a tenth to a 1.7, which is low but far better than some NBC dramas this season. It has another week without Elementary and Scandal being new but the big test will come when those shows return with new episodes.

BAD WEEK: "READY FOR LOVE"
NBC had high hopes for its new dating show Ready for Love from Eva Longoria. They moved it from a lower profile Sunday debut on Easter to a prime slot right after The Voice. But the show fell flat on its face with low numbers that dropped badly over the course of the two hour premiere. Within a couple weeks, it could be as low as NBC's comedies and Smash. Ready for Love was NBC's latest swing and miss and they could have put Hannibal at 10pm Tuesday. They aren't helping their cause with this kind of scheduling.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/11/13

ABC
8:00 Wife Swap
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Grey's Anatomy (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Scandal (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS 
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
8:30 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Person of Interest (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:30 Go On
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Hannibal
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

FOX 
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 13.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:00 Glee
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

With CBS and ABC mostly in repeats on Thursday night, NBC and FOX took advantage. First on NBC, Community was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 8:30pm, Parks and Recreation was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The Office was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's series low. At 9:30pm, the season finale of Go On was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Go On premiered after a night at the Olympics last August to 16 million viewers and ended with less than 3 million viewers. Despite the pitiful viewership number and 1.1 demo, I still think this has a decent chance to get renewed by comedy deprived NBC. The best news for NBC came at 10pm where Hannibal became only the second new show to build on its premiere this season. It was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. Of course it was against repeats and a 1.7 demo is nothing to brag about, but on NBC, that's a big win.

On FOX, American Idol was up 1.5 million viewers and three tenths in the demo to its best Thursday numbers in over a month. At 9pm, a controversial and buzzy episode of Glee was up eight tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo from its last airing three weeks ago. This show has not officially been renewed by FOX like most others that are coming back but it's not a bad sign. It will definitely be back in the fall especially because it seems to be on a constant downward trend save for a few rises here and there like last night. Finally on ABC, Wife Swap was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/10/13

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
8:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
9:30 How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4 

NBC
8:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Hannibal (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 12.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2 

Wednesday night was a solid night for most broadcast shows that were airing. Staring with ABC, The Middle led off the night and was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 8:30pm, Suburgatory was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 9pm, Modern Family was down half a million viewers and four tenths in the demo from last week's surge. The biggest news came at 9:30pm where week two of How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) dropped an acceptable 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. This is a decent second week showing especially considering the lead-in also dropped four tenths in the demo. The big test happens the next two weeks when Modern Family is a repeat. At 10pm, Nashville was up half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo for one of its better showings recently. This show has only been ok in the ratings but its still a slam dunk renewal.

Everything was up for CBS. At 8pm, Survivor was up a tenth in viewers and the demo as it continues to show remarkable consistency. At 9pm, Criminal Minds was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Finally at 10pm, CSI was up 1.2 million viewers and a nice three tenths in the demo for its best showing since February 6. On NBC, Dateline NBC was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Finally on FOX, American Idol was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo as it rose for the first time on a Wednesday. That's good but a 3.2 demo is nothing special compared to Idol's old numbers.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/9/13

ABC
8:00 Splash
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Dancing with the Stars Results
Viewers: 12.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Body of Proof
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 17.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 14.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Golden Boy
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5 

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 13.3 million, 18-49 demo: 4.4
9:00 Ready for Love
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

FOX
8:00 Hell's Kitchen
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:30 The Mindy Project
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

On Tuesday night, NBC got things started on a good night with The Voice. It was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo but still dominant. However, the news got much worse at 9pm when Ready for Love was basically DOA with a paltry 3.7 million viewers and 1.5 demo that got worse as the two hours went on. I'm not really sure why NBC was so high on this show because it seemed to not register much at all with viewers. It was a slightly better option than the comedies/Smash in the last two weeks but that's not saying much and it's sure to drop next week. It would have been better off staying on its originally planned Sunday slot. And once again, why didn't NBC use Tuesday to air Hannibal? I really don't get it. 

On CBS, NCIS was down 1.4 million viewers and a big half a demo point. It's 2.7 demo was its lowest since 2004... yes, 2004! And it came out of nowhere which made it all the more surprising. I'm not really sure how to explain this sudden drop. At 9pm, NCIS: Los Angeles was down four tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. This is also very surprising with the lead-in drop and it's the first time that Los Angeles has tied the original in the demo. It was an odd night in general for these two shows but it makes me feel even more sure that CBS should move Los Angeles to 10pm or another night next season. Finally at 10pm, Golden Boy was up a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo. 

Over on ABC, Splash was down another six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for another series low. At 9pm, the results edition of Dancing with the Stars fell 1.9 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for a season low. At 10pm, Body of Proof was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo despite the lead-in being down. I still don't think this show will get renewed but stranger things have happened. On FOX, Hell's Kitchen was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. New Girl was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo and The Mindy Project was up two tenths in viewers and the demo from last week when it followed a repeat.