Fox rides high in
wake of 'Idol' debut
Veteran drama 'Bones' hits season-high 3.3 in 18-49s
By Toni Fitzgerald
Jan 15, 2010
On a rather lackluster Thursday night for most of the broadcast networks, Fox was arguably the winner even though it tied for second place.
Fox's combination of "Bones" and "Fringe" made it the only network to rise over its last original Thursday, averaging a 2.9 adults 18-49 rating and 8 share, according to Nielsen overnights, tying for second on the night with CBS. ABC was first.
"Bones" and "Fringe" likely benefited from the huge number of eyeballs drawn to Fox the previous two nights by "American Idol," which meant a lot more viewers for the network's promos.
"Bones" hit a season high with a 3.3 rating, up 6 percent over its most recent original episode. Of course, "Bones" benefited from light competition in the 8 p.m. hour, where CBS aired a rerun and ABC aired a low-rated special on the Haiti earthquake.
At 9 p.m., "Fringe" averaged a 2.6, 13 percent better than its most recent original after averaging a 2.8 for a special Monday episode earlier this week that aired behind "House."
ABC was first for the night among 18-49s with a 3.4 average overnight rating and a 10 share thanks to a "Grey's Anatomy"-"Private Practice" crossover, which boosted the latter to very strong numbers. "Grey's" still hit a series-low 4.7 rating, but it was the night's highest-rated program.
CBS and Fox tied for second with the aforementioned 2.9/8, with NBC fourth at 2.0/5, Univision fifth at 1.3/4 and CW sixth at 0.6/2.
As a reminder, all ratings are based on live-plus-same-day DVR playback. Seven-day DVR data won’t be available for several weeks. Thirty-four percent of Nielsen households have DVRs.
Fox began the night in the lead with a 3.3 at 8 p.m. for “Bones,” followed by NBC with a 2.2 for “Community” (2.3) and “Parks and Recreation” (2.1) and CBS with a 1.9 for a repeat of “The Mentalist.” ABC and Univision tied for fourth at 1.4, ABC for an ABC News special on Haiti and Univision for “En Nombre del Amor,” with CW sixth with a 0.7 for a repeat of “The Vampire Diaries.”
ABC took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 4.7 for “Grey’s,” while CBS moved to second with a series-low 3.3 for “CSI.” Fox was third with a 2.6 for “Fringe,” NBC fourth with a 2.3 for an hour of “30 Rock,” Univision fifth with a 1.6 for “Sortilegio” and CW sixth with a 0.6 for a “Supernatural” rerun.
At 10 p.m. ABC was first again with a 4.2 for “Practice,” its best rating since its premiere, with CBS second with a 3.4 for “The Mentalist.” NBC was third with a 1.3 for “The Jay Leno Show” and Univision fourth with a 0.9 for “Rosa de Guadalupe.”
CBS led the night among households with an 8.4 average overnight rating and a 14 share. ABC was second at 6.3/10, Fox third at 5.2/8, NBC fourth at 3.1/5, Univision fifth at 1.8/3 and CW sixth at 1.0/2.
Meanwhile, in late night, "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" rose for the fourth straight night this week, averaging a 1.9 in 18-49s, according to Nielsen's Local People Meter markets.
That was up 0.1 over Wednesday night and nearly double what the comedian had been averaging in recent weeks, as he and Leno continue to trade barbs and needle NBC over what's become a late-night debacle.
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