Image Credit: NBC
At least Prime Suspect has an excuse this week.
Fox’s coverage of Game 6 of the World Series crushed most of the competition Thursday night, hitting NBC’s lineup particularly hard. Game 6 delivered an overnight household rating of 13.8 — the highest yet for this championship. Once again, female-skewing ABC not only didn’t drop, but managed a slight gain; plus there was good news for The CW’s Vampire Diaries.
CBS came in second with Big Bang Theory (14.3 million, 4.5), down 12 percent, and Rules of Engagement (10.8 million, 3.4), off 6 percent. Person of Interest (11.5 million, 2.6) only lost a tenth and The Mentalist (12.2 million, 2.5) was steady.
ABC’s annual repeat of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (7.4 million, 2.3) doubled the performance of the last weeks of Charlie’s Angels in the spot. Then Grey’s Anatomy (9.8 million, 3.7) and Private Practice (6.6 million, 2.4) were up slightly.
NBC, however, was hit hard: Community (3.5 million, 1.4) and Parks and Recreation (3.9 million, 1.8) dropped 18 percent and 14 percent, respectively, and tied their series lows. The Office (5.5 million) was down 15 percent from its last original to post its lowest Thursday rating ever. Whitney (4.3 million) … well, Whitney actually went up 5 percent (um, female skewing?). But 10 p.m.’s Prime Suspect (4.1 million, 1.2) was down 8 percent to a series low.
The CW’s Vampire Diaries (3.2 million, 1.4) did just fine: Most-watched episode of the season. Secret Circle (2.3 million, 1.0) also got a slight ratings bump.
The numbers set the stage for tonight’s climactic Game 7. CBS has pulled its dramas from the lineup. Especially after watching its Thursday lineup take a pounding, what will NBC do? We’re hearing everything is still a-go for launch.
Read more:
‘The Vampire Diaries’ recap: Ghost Hunters
‘The Big Bang Theory’ recap: Fright Might
‘Community’ recap: Pulling a Britta
‘Parks and Recreation’ recap: Fright Night, Fright Night
‘The Office’ recap: I Ain’t Afraid of No Ex
I was watching Prime Suspect I didn’t even see a preview for next weeks episode ohh boyy…RIP NBC
Interesting …. Just asked, it’s still on the schedule for now…
Right before the credits, the announcer said that Prime Suspect returns next week with an all-new episode. Then they ran the promo for Grimm instead of the usual PS preview. I interpreted that as NBC wanting to use the time to promote Grimm, on the night before its premiere. I didn’t think it had anything to do with Prime Suspect at all. They ran Prime Suspect all week at 10, right? Obviously they are doing everything they can to promote it.
EW continues to push these NBC Thursday comedies, for what reason? The viewers may not know what they are missing, but many of them have been on for over 3 seasons now. If they haven’t scored yet with the viewers, why are we wasting our time with them? The few who add comments in these sections, do not make up the majority of the viewers, so can we please face reality, in that they will never make the top 10, let’s move on already!!!
Jethro thinks McDonald’s is fine cuisine just because they sell a ton of Big Macs.
Community is the smartest comedy on television. I don’t get Parks and Recreation, The Office is past its prime, and Whitney is actually getting a bit better each week. I’d be ok with sacrificing the other three if it meant getting Community some love!
All of the Fringe fans were watching,
…and praying for the Texas Rangers to win it in 6, so that Fringe would be telecast tonight.
Fringeless Friday. : (
Agreed. I want my Fringe back :/
So Fox wins Thursday and almost certainly Friday by wide margins.
Does that solve last weeks mystery of why Fox keeps baseball on the air?
I wonder if a day will come when Fox will run summer shows late into September/October, then premier fall shows after baseball so that 1. Their schedules dont get mixed up, and 2. They can go longer streches with less repeats which would further keep audiences growing?
I have always wondered why Fox hasnt already done this. The fall tv season is starting later and later each year, so holding off til after baseball wouldnt delay premieres that long. And as sport said, it would allow less repeats to be shown during the season.
First Game 7 since 2002, definitely good news for Fox…
Sad news for the rest of us.
I disagree KLL there are a lot of baseball fans out there (American pastime you know) and a game 7 is really exciting especially coming off last nights amazing game! I am so excited that I’m going to dvr supernatural instead of watch it live (I never do that). I just hope this game is half as good as last nights!
Go stick in head in the toilet where it belongs.
Clete, nice response. How old are you, 5? D-bag…
I hate everybody that did not watch Community last night and I hope you all stub your toes very hard today.
especially because the episode was awesome! Whatever the ratings, if community does not get nominated (it should win, nothing even comes close this season) for best comedy this year the emmys should be canceled
@dusty Agreed. many stubbed toes for all of you! How can Whitney (seriously I turn the tv off as soon as it starts) get more viewers than Community or Parks and Recs? do people really not like funny things, or does it require them to pay attention? I can understand that those two shows may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Whitney?!??
That show’s on the way out, might as well get used to it.
I got stuck in traffic against my will but I will accept the stubbed toes anyway. I plan to watch it On Demand tomorrow. Does that count towards any ratings?
Community was the first show I watched on my DVR after that UNBELIEVABLE game. Instant Classic. Also, I was very disappointed by this week’s Community. It was just meh. Season 1 had the best Halloween episode.
It’s so hard to choose between Community and Big Bang!
Only if you’re an idiot.
^@LOL, you’re my favorite.
I have a Thursday night class, but I’m able to DVR Community, BBT, and Vampire Diaries, so I’m not really missing out. I’m not sure which of those three I’d cut if I had to.
Please. I have watched probably 6 or 7 episodes of Community and P&R over their three years, nd am still looking for a laugh. I am sick of posters just clapping each other on the back about how “smart” these shows ( and by extension they themselves) are. Sorry, they are unfunny drivel. I was a big fan of Amy P on SNL, and of Joel McCrae in various off-net shows, but these have the entertainment value of root canal work. Anyone who might have been interested in them have sampled (and rejected) them. It’s time for NBC to look for something that actually makes people laugh, not just feel superior for their “taste”.
I really hope this post is just a big “gotcha!” bout of sarcasm. Because if you’ve NEVER laughed during Community or Parks & Rec, then clearly the problem is with YOU and not the shows. I’d like to know, what are the wonderful comedies that you are watching?
Who is Joel McCrae? I’m not sure you know who you are talking about.
Personally, it has nothing to do with feeling superior…those two shows are by far the most clever, funny shows currently on TV, and I laugh out loud at them weekly. It’s okay if you don’t like them, some viewers need to be told when to laugh, and enjoy their comedy broad and crude.
Also, what Gale said.
Sir you are LITERALLY the meanest person I ever met.
I totally agree. Community is so boring same for P&R, I’ve tried watching multiple episodes and have figured out why these shows will never get an Emmy. To be fair, I don’t get why people watch BBT either, its not funny and predictable. Modern Family is the best comedy on TV. The viewers and Emmy’s prove it.
You weren’t in line the day they were handing out senses of humor, were you?
KILL YOSELF
Sorry, but Community simply reeks. What you find ” clever” I find trite, cloying, and far too ” aren’t we smart”, self congatulatory tripe. I actually like my comedies funny, sorry. I like Modern Family, BBT, Raising Hope, Subergatory, SNL, and (tho less than earlier years) HIMYM. None of them are Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm, but none of them are such “ain’t we clever” drivel as Comm or P&R.
All those so called comedies on NBC suck. I’m so happy that Chuck will debut to abysmal ratings tonight.
Is that you, Chuck Lorre?
I love NBC’s comedies (except Whitney), but even I watched the World Series last night. WHAT A GAME.
No. Freaking. Kidding. After EW was wondering about the point of broadcasting baseball on FOX, I was watching last night and thinking, “because of THIS.”
Already gearing up for the SAVE COMMUNITY campaign.
POP POP.
kw and katie are streets ahead.
How is community so low, is one one of the best comedy shows on air, please please please people watch it. You won’t regret it.
Yup. that and Parks and Rec are great…sigh, I hate TV audiences.
Agreed.
Can we all get together to have a CANCEL WHITNEY campaign? NBC must be in dire straits to give this show a full season order.
I can’t believe they kept Whitney but cancelled Free Agents. Where on earth was the logic in that. Free Agents wasn’t great but it was streets ahead of Whitney. The only thing that makes Whitney remotely watchable is the lead male.
It’s a sad day when 3 times as many people watch Rules Of Engagement over Parks & Rec
So very true.
I really don’t understand….parks and rec is the funniest show on tv right now. I hate big bang and baseball games, they’re both just mindless drivel. What is wrong with people?!
If people think those NBC ratings are bad last night… just wait until tonight. Its going to be a disaster if they keep those premieres on.
Yup. I would have watched Grim, but after last night it’s baseball all the way
I wish that more people had seen last night’s episode of The Office. Robert California’s creepy story ended with one of the oddest, driest, and funniest punchlines I’ve ever heard. It was well worth the wait.
Game 6 was an all-time classic. (I only turned away for The Office and went back to the game during commercials.) Can’t wait for Game 7 tonight.
I wish fringe was either on after the game or tomorrow night or something. I just don’t want to wait a week for a new episode.
Between the errors and comebacks from certain elimination, the World Series provided the best comedy and drama on tv last night.
So true. That was amazing baseball.
It’s 2011, people. Does it really matter when shows come on? I have kids, so I pretty much DVR everything and watch it later. I never watch shows “live” anyway. Networks could air shows at 3 am, it wouldn’t matter to me because I watch everything after the kids are in bed. If 2 shows I like are on at the same time, or up against Game 7, it doesn’t matter. JUST RECORD IT!
It doesn’t matter to me, but unfortunately it matters to the higher-ups making renewal decisions. As you say, DVR would let me see every episode of x show–let’s say Community–even if it was originally aired at 3 in the morning, but as far as I know the network execs primarily look at original airing ratings. If they cancel the show, any number of DVRs in the world wouldn’t help me get new episodes.
I agree, but it’s foolishness that networks use the same ratings method today that they used in the 1970′s. People don’t watch TV the same way.
The ratings system needs updating asap, I agree.
While I agree, I don’t watch much live anymore, I usually watch it within 24 hours, not a week or so later.
I just watched Community for the first time. It’s awful. Has it always been this bad?
It’s a very good show, though yesterday’s episode isn’t the best one to watch as a first episode.