RATINGS RECAP: 5/12/14

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 14.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

CBS
8:00 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Friends with Better Lives
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:30 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
10:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

FOX 
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 24: Live Another Day
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

Monday night had the season finale of The Blacklist but first on NBC, The Voice was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo with last week. Then the end of the first season of The Blacklist was actually down a tenth in viewers and the demo for its lowest Monday performance with The Voice as a lead-in. This was a disappointing showing for a show that I thought would spike for its season finale like it did for its fall finale. On FOX, Bones was up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best performance since March 10. Week two of 24: Live Another Day was down a rough 1.6 million viewers and six tenths in the demo. There was the curiosity factor last week so that's part of it but this still was a bigger drop than it should have been. FOX needs it to stay near these levels.

On ABC, Dancing with the Stars recovered from last week's big drop as it was back up 1.3 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. Again, there appeared to be noticeable crossover audience between Dancing and 24. At 10pm, the season finale of Castle was up a big 1.6 million viewers and half a demo point for its best performance since February 3. I expected The Blacklist to get a finale bounce not Castle but good for the veteran drama. Finally, CBS may have been too quick on the hook for the cancelled Friends with Better Lives as it was down just a tenth in viewers and even in the demo despite being behind a repeat this week. If it had a chance to do this a week earlier, would it have gotten renewed? At 9pm, Mike & Molly bounced back nicely from last week as it was up half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo.