Ratings News - 11th October 2012 *Full Tables Posted*

Metered Market Wednesday Ratings
CBS Wins; Solid Sampling for Arrow and Nashville

Wednesday 10/10/12
Metered Market Results

Household
Rating/Share
CBS 7.0/11
ABC 6.8/11
Fox 6.8/11
NBC 3.8/ 6
CW 2.3/ 4

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-Percent Change from Year-Ago Evening – Wednesday 10/12/11
CW: +53, ABC: + 3, Fox: – 3, CBS: – 7, NBC: -24

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-Winners:
Survivor: Philippines (CBS), The X Factor (Fox), Arrow (CW), Modern Family (ABC), Criminal Minds (CBS), Nashville (ABC), CSI (CBS)

-Honorable Mention:
The Middle (ABC)

-Time to Call it Quits:
Supernatural (CW), Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

-Disappointing:
Chicago Fire (NBC)

-Losers (excluding repeats):
Animal Practice (NBC), Guys With Kids (NBC)

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Ratings Breakdown:
It was a race to the winning overnight finish line on this third Wednesday of the new TV season, with CBS first — two-tenths of a rating point ahead of ABC and Fox. There were three scripted drama premieres last night – Arrow on The CW, Nashville on ABC and Chicago Fire on NBC. And two of the three were amply sampled.

Arrow on The CW launched with a solid 3.0 rating/5 share in the overnights at 8 p.m., which placed it fourth in the hour (ahead of NBC sitcoms Animal Practice and Guys With Kids). Comparably, this was 150 percent above the debut of short-lived year-ago occupant H8R (1.2/ 2 on 9/14/11) and 200 percent ahead of a repeat of failed drama Ringer on the year-ago evening (1.0/ 2 on 10/13/11). Additionally, Arrow built by 15 percent from fall 2010 time period occupant America’s Next Top Model (2.6/ 4 on 10/13/10) on the comparable day.

Next on The CW was episode two of the new season of relocated Supernatural, which dipped to fifth with a 1.7/ 3 at 9 p.m. Comparably, that was 11 percent below year-ago occupant America’s Next Top Model (1.9/ 3 on 10/12/11), with retention out of the 8:30 p.m. portion of Arrow (3.0/ 5) of just 57 percent.

In the initial 10 p.m. battle of Nashville versus Chicago Fire, Nashville (with stronger lead-in support) held a considerable 45 percent overnight advantage. But first in the time period was granddaddy CSI on CBS at a 7.0/12. Nashville on ABC opened with a very respectable 6.8/12 (#2), which was 10 percent above year-ago occupant Revenge (6.2/10 on 10/12/11). And the retention out of a 9:30 p.m. edition of Modern Family (#1: 8.5/13) was positive at 80 percent. Given the lead-in support, Nashville should have no problem scoring a time victory among adults 18-49 (and the female demos, no doubt).

Competing Chicago Fire on NBC finished third with a 4.7/ 8 in the overnights, which is nothing to boast about. But the new Dick Wolf drama did build from the 9:30 p.m. portion of lead-in Law & Order: SVU (4.3/ 7) by nine percent. And it only dropped by two percent in the second half-hour (4.7/ 8 at 10 p.m. to 4.6/ 8 at 10:30 p.m.) versus an 11 percent drop for Nashville (7.2/12 to 6.4/11). The winner in round one, however, is clearly Nashville (and CSI, which was on par from one year earlier).

In the battle of the 8-9 p.m. sitcoms, ABC ruled over NBC. ABC’s The Middle (#3: 5.8/ 9) at 8 p.m. bested NBC’s Animal Practice (#5: series low 2.7/ 4) by a hefty 114 percent; and week three of The Neighbors on ABC (#3: 4.6/ 7) beat week four of Guys With Kids on NBC (#5: 2.8/ 4) at 8:30 p.m. by 64 percent. Comparably, The Neighbors was close to week-ago time period debut levels (4.8/ 7 on Oct. 3), but down by 29 percent from year-ago occupant Suburgatory (6.5/10 on 10/12/11).

Also on ABC was the regularly scheduled edition of Modern Family at a very dominant 8.7/13 at 9 p.m.

Elsewhere, Survivor: Philippines and the first half of The X Factor on Fox tied for first in the 8 p.m. hour, each with a healthy 6.7/11. One year earlier, Survivor: South Pacific was similar with a 6.9/11 (on 10/12/11). Survivor led into veteran Criminal Minds, which finished a solid second in the 9 p.m. hour with a 7.5/11 (-11 percent from the year-ago evening). And The X Factor on Fox averaged a 6.8/11 from 8-10 p.m., peaking in the 9 p.m. half-hour with a 7.0/11.

Law & Order: SVU, meanwhile, was fourth at 9 p.m. with a 4.2/ 7. Comparably, that trailed older-skewing year-ago occupant Harry’s Law (5.8/ 9 on 10/12/11) by 28 percent.

Source: Nielsen Media Research

Source: Marc Berman@TVMediaInsights