Overall: During the week of 4/1/13, ABC was the 2nd-most-watched network to CBS, outdrawing NBC and Fox by 1.5 million viewers each. The Net delivered 7 of the Top 20 TV shows for the week in Adults 18-49, including 2 of the Top 4 comedies with Modern Family and How to Live with Your Parents and the #1 drama with Grey’s Anatomy: Modern Family – #7, How to Live with Your Parents – #11, Grey’s Anatomy – #13, Scandal – #16, DWTS: The Results Show – #18, while DWTS and Castle tied at #20. ABC’s DWTS: The Results Show was TV’s most-watched unscripted series, outdrawing both installments of Fox’s Idol and NBC’s The Voice. ABC’s 20/20 on Friday was the #1 newsmagazine in Adults 18-49 (at a 7-month high) and Adults 25-54.
Monday: With Dancing and the 100th episode of Castle, ABC was Monday’s most-watched network (6th time in 7 weeks), topping runner-up NBC with The Voice and Revolution by 2.2 million viewers. The Net ran a competitive #2 on the night in Adults 18-49, beating Fox’s 8–10pm drama lineup (+5% over Bones/The Following). For the 3rd straight Monday, ABC’s DWTS was the most-watched TV show and Castle was the night’s most-watched scripted program. Building from its first hour to its second hour in viewers and young adults, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars once again ranked as the most-watched show in its 2-hour slot, outdrawing NBC’s The Voice for the 2nd week in a row in head-to-head competition. On its 100th episode, ABC’s Castle was the most-watched TV show in 10 o’clock hour (6th straight telecast) and won with Adults 25-54, beating NBC’s Revolution a best-ever 5.4 million viewers, while leading for the first time in Adults 25-54 (with a +19% advantage). In addition, the ABC drama tied Revolution for #1 in Adults 18-49, its most competitive finish yet with the NBC drama. Up week to week in Viewers (+11%) and key Adults (AD25-54 +10%/AD18-49 +5%), Castle posted new season highs in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54. Growing over the same point last season (+3%), Castle is delivering the series’ most-watched season ever.
Tuesday: ABC ran in a near tie with CBS as the most-watched network on Tuesday night, earning second place in Adults 18-49. ABC ranked #1 from 9-11pm on both measures. Building in viewers (+5%) and young adults (+15%) from start to finish in the 8pm hour against NBC’s The Voice, ABC freshman Splash outdrew Fox’s time-period established Hell’s Kitchen by 16% in Total Viewers. Tuesday’s most-watched TV show overall, ABC’s DWTS: The Results Show moved up to #1 in the 9pm hour in Adults 18-49 and Total Viewers. From 9-10pm, ABC’s dancing results show beat out NBC’s The Voice-led 1-hour season finale of The New Normal by 44% among Adults 18-49. Country music star Wynonna Judd was the second celebrity to leave the competition this season. Up over the prior week’s season premiere in Total Viewers (+4%), Dancing posted its most-watched non-finale for a Results Show telecast since April 24, 2012. In addition, DWTS: The Results Show increased over the comparable Week 2 of Season 15 in Total Viewers (+17%) and Adults 18-49 (+10%). For the 2nd week in a row in Adults 18-49, ABC’s Body of Proof led originals of CBS’ Golden Boy (+8%) and NBC’s Smash (+56%) in the 10 o’clock hour. Body of Proof ranked #1 in the hour with both Total Viewers and Adults 25-54. Retaining 90% of last week’s season high in viewers, Body of Proof earned its 2nd-biggest overall audience this season.
Wednesday: Gaining in each half-hour week to week in Adults 18-49 and up 26% overall for the night, ABC delivered its top-rated Wednesday since mid-January – since 1/23/13. Wednesday’s #1 TV show, ABC’s Modern Family outdelivered Fox’s American Idol on the night by a best-ever 35% in Adults 18-49 (+1.1 rating point advantage), now beating or tying Idol on each of its last 3 originals. Debuting with strong lead-in retention out of Modern (best in over 2 years for any regular telecast – since 2/9/11) and with a 5-month time-period high, ABC’s How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) opened just 2-tenths behind Idol in Adults 18-49 on the evening, while tying it with Women 18-34. At 8pm, ABC’s The Middle was up 11% in Adults 18-49 over the prior week to post its best number since February – since 2/27/13. Boosting the 8:30pm half-hour week to week in Adults 18-49 (+20%), Suburgatory moved into the slot with a 6-week high for ABC – since 2/20/13. Building sharply on its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm (+133%), ABC’s Modern Family won its half-hour by 27% over American Idol and beat its nearest scripted competition in the slot by 56% (CBS’ Criminal Minds). Spiking over the prior week in Adults 18-49 (+31%), Modern Family delivered its strongest number since January 23, 2013. The #1 scripted show in the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC’s series debut of How to Live with Your Parents improved its slot by 53% in Adults 18-49 week to week, posting the Net’s largest audience in the slot since October and highest young adult rating since early November – since 11/7/12 and 10/10/12, respectively. In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, How to Live with Your Parents opened as TV’s biggest regular comedy series premiere of the official 2012-13 season, going back to NBC’s pre-season The Voice-led debut of Go On in early September (on 9/11/12). During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s Nashville beat NBC’s Chicago Fire in Adults 18-49, growing week to week by 13% with its best rating in nearly 2 months – since 2/13/13. Based on Live + 3 Day ratings for last week’s telecast (3/27/13), Nashville’s Adult 18-49 rating shot up 60% (going from a 1.5 in L+SD to a 2.4 rating after just 3 days of playback), making it the biggest percentage gainer for any broadcast show on that night.
Thursday: With Wife Swap, Grey’s and Scandal, ABC ranked #1 on Thursday night among key Women (W18-34/W18-49). In fact it was the Net’s 3rd straight week to hold the top position on the night on both measures. In addition, ABC finished #1 among Adults 18-49 during both the 9pm and 10pm hours. During the 8 o’clock hour, ABC’s Wife Swap outdrew NBC’s time-period established comedies (Community/Parks and Recreation) by 1.4 million viewers. Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in by 115% at 9pm, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy moved up to #1 in the hour to rank as the top-rated drama on Thursday for its 3rd straight telecast. In the hour among Adults 18-49, Grey’s outdelivered Fox’s Idol-led comedies by 65% (New Girl/The Mindy Project) and NBC’s comedies by 100% (The Office/Go On time period premiere). The ABC medical drama dominated its hour with Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Grey’s was up over its year-ago telecast in both Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 18-34 (+10%). Opposite original drama competition (including a series debut), ABC’s Scandal shot to the top of the 10 o’clock hour in Adults 18-49, beating CBS’ Elementary by 24% and NBC’s premiere of Hannibal by 63%. In fact in Adults 18-49, Scandal has now finished as the #1 series in its time slot on each of its last 12 original telecasts. Scandal was once again the #1 most social program during primetime on Thursday, spiking 40% week to week and leading #2 American Idol by 12%.
Friday: With increasing numbers for Happy Endings, Shark Tank and 20/20, ABC won Friday in Adults 18-49, leading CBS by 31%, NBC by 89% and Fox by 183%. ABC matched its best young adult performance on the night in 5 months – since 11/9/12. ABC’s Shark Tank (best number since November) and 20/20 (best number since its premiere in September) finished as the Top 2 TV shows on Friday with young adults. Season to date, ABC is Friday’s #1 network in Adults 18-49, gaining 13% year to year with its top delivery on the night in 4 years – since the 2008-09 season. At 8pm, ABC’s Happy Endings was up over its week-ago premiere by 22% in Adults 18-49, and at 8:30pm, the second episode was up 43% from its premiere in the half-hour. Both the 8pm and 8:30pm episodes ranked as the #1 show in their respective time slots on the major nets with Adults 18-34. Based on the first 3 days of TV playback (Live+3), last week’s back-to-back episodes of Happy Endings increased by 44% and 57% in Adults 18-49, respectively, over their first-reported Live + Same Day numbers. Friday’s #1 show in Adults 18-49, ABC’s Shark Tank shot up to dominate the 9 o’clock hour over original dramas, beating NBC’s Grimm by 40%, CBS’ time-period premiere of Vegas by 133% and Fox’s Touch by 250%. The ABC unscripted show was Friday’s highest rated TV series in Adults 18-49 for the 4th time in its last 5 original telecasts. Spiking 17% week to week in Adults 18-49, Shark Tank earned its highest rating since November 9, 2012, equaling the series’ best rating ever for a regular telecast. In the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s 20/20 ranked a definitive #1 in Adults 18-49, outdelivering CBS’ Blue Bloods by 20% and more than doubling the number for NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams (+157%). 20/20 also beat its NBC newsmagazine competition by 2.4 million viewers and by 120% in Adults 25-54. 20/20 has defeated Rock Center in all 9 head-to-head matchups in both key Adult demos. 20/20 reported on people who are reportedly melting down, acting up and otherwise losing it. Growing 29% week to week in Adults 18-49, ABC’s 20/20 delivered a best-since-premiere rating, marking a near 7-month high going back to September 14, 2012.
Saturday: From 9-10pm, ABC’s A Special Edition of 20/20 with Katie Couric: General Hospital – the Real Soap Dish ranked as the #2 non-sports program on the major nets, beating the Saturday time period premiere of NBC’s Smash by 1.0 million viewers and by 40% in Adults 18-49.
