overnights

CBS has seized the momentum on Thursday nights over the past month, earning another easy victory last night with all four of its shows growing week to week. Also last night, ABC’s surging Scandal set a series high for the third straight week. CBS drew a 3.4 adults 18-49 rating and 10 share during primetime, 48% ahead of No. 2 ABC.

On a night when a number of shows saw steep week-to-week or, in the case of NBC’s new game show Take It All, night-to-night declines, CBS pulled out a narrow victory over Fox. CBS averaged a 2.7 adults 18-49 rating and 7 share for the night, with Fox right behind at 2.6/7. ABC wasn’t too far back with a 2.4/7 to take third place.

NBC’s Take It All grew slightly in its second outing last night as the network won the evening with the night’s top show, The Voice. Take averaged a 2.3 adults 18-49 rating at 9 p.m., up 5% from Monday’s premiere in the same timeslot. Take is airing at 9 all this week as part of a special holiday stunt. The game show owed its solid second-place finish in its timeslot to Voice, which averaged a 3.5 at 8 p.m.

With only a one-hour edition of The Voice last night instead of the usual two-hour show, NBC had its weakest Monday of the season, and CBS rode an extra episode of 2 Broke Girls and a season high for Hawaii Five-0 to the win. CBS averaged a 3.3 adults 18-49 rating and 8 share in primetime, 32% ahead of No. 2 NBC at 2.5/6.

NBC’s Sunday Night Football continued to dominate Sunday night with another record-setting performance last night. The game between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions averaged a 13.5 household rating from 8:30-11:30 p.m. That was the 10th SNF game this season to average at least a 13.5 rating, a new record for the franchise. NBC has aired 14 games this season, and it has won every Sunday this fall with football.

For the second straight week the second-year drama hit a series high, and it topped timeslot rival Elementary on CBS for the second time, too. Scandal averaged a 2.5 adults 18-49 rating at 10 p.m., up 14% over last week’s 2.2 and winning its timeslot. Even more impressive, its lead-in was smaller this week, with the 9 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy falling 3% and tying a season low with a 3.0.

Although this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show underperformed last year’s record-setter, the special was still the highest-rated show on broadcast last night, and it led CBS to a nightly win. Secret averaged a 3.5 adults 18-49 rating at 10 p.m., finishing a tenth ahead of the No. 2 show on the night, NBC’s The Voice, which drew a 3.4. That was down 24% from the record-high 4.6 that last year’s show attracted. But CBS dominated the timeslot, topping the combined rating of NBC’s Parenthood (1.7) and ABC’s Private Practice (1.2).

Proving either that you can put anything behind The Voice and it will earn a decent rating, or that airing a special featuring one of Voice’s coaches after the show is a very smart idea, Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas drew good numbers on NBC last night. The goofy variety special averaged a 2.8 adults 18-49 rating at 10 p.m., finishing comfortably ahead of the No. 2 show in the timeslot, CBS’s Hawaii Five-0, which drew a 2.2.

Evidently people didn’t listen to Angus T. Jones, the young co-star of Two and a Half Men, when he begged them to stop watching his hit show. Last night Men tied a season high among adults 18-49, days after the video of Jones dissing the program went viral on the internet. The sitcom averaged a 4.1 adults 18-49 rating, tying its previous outing two weeks ago.

Viewers were feeling the Christmas spirit last night. Holiday specials on ABC and NBC were up compared to last year, and Charlie Brown Christmas even boosted ABC into a tie for first place with Fox on the night. Brown averaged a 2.9 adults 18-49 rating at 8 p.m., up 4% over a 2.8 last year and becoming the top-rated holiday special so far this season.

Dancing with the Stars isn’t the ratings powerhouse it used to be; that’s been clear all season. But it can still stir up some interest in the finale. The show grew to a season high for last night’s two-hour season ender for the all-star edition, boosting ABC to its first win of the season on a Tuesday night, an evening where it has struggled this fall. Stars averaged a 3.0 adults 18-49 rating from 9 to 11 p.m., up from a 2.0 for last week’s Tuesday results show.

Viewers were evidently in the mood to huddle up to the television set on Monday night. Nearly every show on the Big Five saw gains over last week, even including stinkers like The Mob Doctor, a struggling new drama that posted its best rating since the second week of the season. The across-the-board gains were in stark contrast to the across-the-board declines that have been more common this season. ABC’s Dancing with the Stars posted a season-high 2.6 adults 18-49 rating at 8 p.m., up 8% over last week with part one of its season finale.

Fox’s animated lineup got a nice kick from the NFL last night. All four of its shows were up compared with the previous week thanks to a big lead-in from football overrun and The OT postgame show. The two combined for a 6.0 adults 18-49 rating at 7 p.m. That boosted the rest of the night.

As Thanksgiving approaches, TV usage sees a predictable dip and many series suffered Tuesday night by hitting new lows. CBS emerged in the best shape, with NCIS (3.0 rating with adults 18-49) dropping just a tenth of a point from last week, NCIS: LA (2.8) steady and a new episode of Vegas moving up 13% to win its hour with a 1.8 rating in the demo. The network averaged a 2.5 rating with 18-49s and 13.9 million viewers.

NBC continued its Monday winning streak to nine weeks, a new record for the network, even with hit reality show The Voice falling to a season low on the night. The network won all six half hours on the night and has now won every Monday night this season, the first time it has achieved such a feat in the people meter era, which dates back more than two decades. NBC averaged a 3.3 adults 18-49 rating and 7 share on the night, 27% ahead of second-place CBS with a 2.6/7.

ABC got a boost from the American Music Awards, and CBS was buoyed by football, but NBC still dominated another Sunday night with Sunday Night Football. Last night’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens lifted NBC to a 4.9 adults 18-49 rating and 12 share in primetime, 63% ahead of No. 2 CBS with a 3.0/8.

The Big Bang Theory is the hottest scripted show on TV. For the second straight week, and third time this season, Bang hit a series high among total viewers, and it also notched a season best among adults 18-49. Bang drew 17.4 million total viewers at 8 p.m., up from a previous series best of 16.7 million last week. The show also averaged a 5.5 in 18-49s, the week’s highest-rated program so far and up from a 5.1 last week.

It was close, but Fox pulled off another Wednesday night victory over CBS. Fox averaged a 2.9 adults 18-49 rating and 8 share in primetime last night, 7% ahead of No. 2 CBS at 2.7/7. Fox’s entire night was taken up by The X Factor, growing 12% over last week’s 2.6, though it was not the night’s highest-rated show. That distinction once again went to ABC’s Modern Family, which drew a 4.6 at 9 p.m.

Absence apparently did not make the heart grow fonder for a number of Tuesday night shows, which were preempted last week for coverage of the presidential election. ABC’s already-canceled Private Practice, CBS’s new show Vegas and Ben and Kate, one of Fox’s new comedies, saw especially notable slides.

Partners’ prospects got a little worse last night. The new comedy fell to a series low last night, despite getting stronger support than the previous week from lead-in How I Met Your Mother. That may all but squash any hopes of a full-season pickup for the program. Partners” averaged a 1.8 adults 18-49 rating at 8:30 p.m., down 14% from last week.

NBC topped Sunday with Sunday Night Football, but how did the other networks fare? ABC’s rookie supernatural drama 666 Park Avenue (4 million total viewers, 1.3), awaiting an official decision on its fate, managed to stay steady, but was still behind its 10 p.m. competition. Kicking off the network’s scripted primetime, Once Upon a Time (8.7 million, 2.7) dropped sharply, 23% to be exact — a series low.

CBS won the third Thursday of sweeps with relative ease despite the fact that ABC and NBC saw gains on the night. CBS averaged a 3.2 adults 18-49 rating and 9 share in primetime, 33%% better than second-place Fox with a 2.4/6. The Big Bang Theory was easily the highest-rated show of the night with a 5.0, matching a season best in the demo. It also averaged 16.54 million total viewers, tying its best-ever performance.

The special edition of The Voice that aired last night, after being preempted from its regular Tuesday slot by election coverage, boosted lead-out Chicago Fire to a record high. Fire averaged a 2.3 adults 18-49 rating at 10 p.m., up 44% over last week’s 1.6 thanks to Voice‘s 3.7 lead-in.

NBC continued to pace the other networks as the presidential campaigns drew to a close last night, posting the biggest audience on broadcast for its election night results. NBC led the night among both adults 18-49 and total viewers, as it did during the three presidential debates last month as well. The network averaged a 4.6 adults 18-49 rating and 10 share during primetime, with ABC in second with a 3.8/8.

NBC had another dominant Monday night while Fox’s The Mob Doctor continued to struggle in its return after a long hiatus. NBC finished 60% ahead of No. 2 CBS on the second Monday of the November sweeps, led once more by the night’s top show, The Voice.

ABC’s strong promotional push for the new sitcom Malibu Country, most notably during last Thursday’s Country Music Association Awards, paid off. The premiere of the Reba McEntire comedy drew ABC’s best ratings in the 8:30 p.m. Friday timeslot since 2007. Malibu averaged a 2.2 adults 18-49 rating, building on its lead-in, the second-year sitcom Last Man Standing, which averaged a 1.9. It was the night’s second-highest-rated program.

ABC’s Country Music Association Awards boosted the network to an easy victory last night among adults 18-49, its first Thursday win of the season, though the show was down from last year. The CMAs averaged a 3.8 adults 18-49 rating from 8 to 11 p.m., down 21% from last year’s show, which averaged a 4.8. Last year’s show aired on a Wednesday night. This year the special fell to its lowest rating ever, yet it still marked ABC’s best night so far of sweeps.

Airing on Halloween seemed to give ABC’s annual kids’ special It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown a lift on a night when overall TV usage levels were down as kids and parents went trick or treating. Pumpkin averaged a 2.7 adults 18-49 rating at 8 p.m. last night, up 17% from a 2.3 last year and its best rating in three years.

A special two-hour Tuesday edition of NBC’s hit singing show The Voice took a toll on ABC and Fox’s competing sitcoms last night. Fox’s New Girl and The Mindy Project and ABC’s Happy Endings and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 all fell double-digit percentages compared to last week airing opposite the second hour of Voice. 

With Nielsen only able to measure usage of homes able to watch TV, fast affiliate ratings actually have viewership among adults 18-49 up one percent from last Monday — despite widespread power outages caused by Hurricane Sandy and a preemptive strike from some of the networks to pad the night with encores in lieu of originals.

With a big assist from football overrun at 7 p.m., Fox snapped NBC’s Sunday night win streak with coverage of the final game of the World Series. The network averaged a 5.6 adults 18-49 rating and 13 share in primetime, just ahead of NBC’s 5.1/12. Baseball began at 8 p.m.

In its third week new ABC drama Nashville saw its ratings stabilize following a solid debut and a big decline in week two. Nashville averaged a 2.0 in adults 18-49 at 10 p.m., even to last week. It was the second week that the show has aired with its usual lead-in, Suburgatory, after debuting behind a special (and much higher-rated) episode of Modern Family two weeks ago.

ABC’s sitcoms look like the weakest link early on in the three-way comedy standoff in the 9 p.m. hour on Tuesday. Happy Endings and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 returned to low ratings last night against NBC and Fox’s already-established shows in the hour. Endings averaged a 1.9 adults 18-49 rating at 9 p.m., losing 14% of Dancing with the Stars All Stars‘ 2.2 lead-in.

NBC won the night of the final presidential debate, with The Voice finishing as the evening’s highest-rated entertainment program. The debate aired on ABC, NBC and CBS from 9 to 10:30 p.m., with analysis from 10:30 to 11. With only an hour rather than the usual two, Voice was down from last week. It averaged a 4.2 adults 18-49 rating at 8 p.m., down 13% from a 4.8 for last week’s episode.

Against a lineup of sports on NBC and Fox, ABC and CBS’s female-skewing dramas saw ratings bumps last night, most notably ABC’s new 666 Park Avenue, which saw its rating rise week to week for the first time. Park, Once Upon a Time, Revenge and The Good Wife all saw gains of at least 8% over last week. Park was up the most, 20% to a 1.8 in adults 18-49 in the 10 p.m. timeslot, after averaging a 1.5 last week.

With both its sitcoms growing over the previous week, CBS earned a dominant victory on Thursday night. The network averaged a 3.1 adults 18-49 rating and a 9 share, 29% ahead of second-place ABC at 2.4/7. The Big Bang Theory increased 4% from last week, averaging a 4.7 at 8 p.m. and finishing as the night’s No. 1 show. Lead-out Two and Half Men was up 14% to a 4.0, one of four shows at 8 p.m. to see gains versus their most recent outing.

With a weaker lead-in this week, ABC’s Nashville was expected to slide from last week’s solid debut, and so it did. The new drama dipped 29% in week two, to a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating in the 10 p.m. timeslot, down from a 2.8 last week. Last week Nashville’s lead-in was a special edition of Modern Family, which aired back-to-back episodes starting at 9 p.m.

With a truncated primetime leading into last night’s two-hour presidential debate and analysis, NBC was an easy winner, dominating both the entertainment and news portions of the night. The Voice led off the evening with a strong 4.6 adults 18-49 rating at 8 p.m., up a tenth over last week and easily the highest-rated entertainment show of the night. That gave the network some momentum heading into the debate.

For the first time, NBC’s Revolution saw a week-to-week gain, helping the network to its fourth straight Monday night win to start the season.  Revolution averaged a 3.4 adults 18-49 rating at 10 p.m., up 13% from last week’s 3.0. The show had seen week-to-week declines since its premiere last month, though still finishing consistently as the week’s top-rated show at 10 p.m. on any network.

On a night where broadcast schedules were disrupted by the vice presidential debate, CBS’s The Big Bang Theory was easily the top-rated show, driving the network to No. 1. The CW’s Beauty and the Beast also had a decent debut against the political competition. Bang averaged a 4.2 in adults 18-49 at 8 p.m., well ahead of the night’s No. 2 show, The X Factor, which drew a 2.9.