RATINGS RECAP: 1/22/15

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
8:30 Mom
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:30 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Bad Judge
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 A to Z
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Backstrom
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

Thursday night had the series of premiere of Backstrom on FOX. First up though, American Idol was up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. It was up from last week on both nights this week... a good sign. It wasn't as good a sign for Backstrom, which got off to a ho-hum start. It wasn't a disaster but it wasn't that promising. With Scandal arriving next week and The Blacklist in two weeks to the 9pm hour, it seems pretty apparent that Backstrom is going to be struggling pretty badly in a couple weeks. For me to think it had a chance against those two powerhouses, it would have had to do much better against light competition with its series premiere. The CBS lineup had to go it again without a lead-in from The Big Bang Theory. Mom continued to shine as it was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Two and a Half Men was down a tenth in viewers but up a tenth in the demo at 9pm while The McCarthys was yanked at the last minute for a repeat of Big Bang at 9:30pm. It did slightly better and may have helped Elementary rise two tenths in viewers and the demo.

Over on ABC, the season finale of The Taste was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Despite the low numbers, I could see this coming back for another season because it's a cheap filler that skews fairly young. Finally on NBC, The Biggest Loser was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. The series finales of the comedies at 9pm were up slightly from last week and now they'll fade into obscurity after their short lived runs. This was also the last Thursday night of comedy on NBC for the foreseeable future... quite a whimper to go out on after decades of destination comedy viewing on this night. Their new drama lineup starts in two weeks. At 10pm, the penultimate episode of Parenthood was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It has a chance to rise next week for the finale but it also has to face the return of How to Get Away with Murder.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Mom (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Taste (ABC)