A newly stable "American Idol" climbed modestly in the ratings Thursday to win in ratings and total viewers, according to preliminary numbers. It fueled Fox to a ratings win for the night, though CBS had more total viewers.
The night mirrored the overall positions of Fox and CBS. Fox is the highest-rated network in the 18-49 demo coveted by advertisers, but CBS has the most viewers overall.
"Idol," which had dropped in the ratings from its premiere last month, seems to have found its bottom and begun the climb back up. It rose four percent Thursday from the previous Thursday's episode in the 18-49 demo, earning a 5.7 rating/16 share. It was up 3 percent in total viewers, hitting 17.9 million. Wednesday's show had also made modest gains.
Airing after the 8 p.m. "Idol" at 9, the new show "The Finder" was down four percent from last week for a 2.3/6. It had 6.5 million total viewers. Overall Fox averaged a 4.0/11 and 12.2 million total viewers.
CBS averaged a 3.6/10 -- making it second in ratings -- and 14.3 million total viewers. "The Big Bang Theory" at 8 was the second highest-rated and most-watched with a 5.5/16 and 16.1 million total viewers. At 8:30, "Rob" had a 3.4/9 and 11 million. "Person of Interest" at 9 had a 3.3/8 and 15.1 million, and "The Mentalist" at 10 had a 2.9/8 and 14.4 million.
ABC, with a 2.6/7 and 7.3 million, was third in ratings and viewers. At 8, "Wipeout" had a 1.5/4 and 5.2 million total viewers. "Grey's Anatomy" at 9 had a 3.9/10 and 10.1 million total viewers. "Private Practice" the following hour had a 2.3/6 and 6.6 million total viewers.
NBC was fourth in ratings and viewers with a 1.7/5 and 3.9 million. An hour of "30 Rock" at 8 had a 1.6/4 and 3.9 million total viewers. "The Office" at 9 had a 2.5/6 and 5.2 million total viewers. "Up All Night" at 9:30 had a 1.8/4 and 3.7 million.
At 10, NBC rebroadcast the post-Super Bowl episode of "The Voice." In a testament to its strength -- and NBC's troubles on Thursdays at 10 -- it was up 36 percent over NBC's seasonal average in the timeslot with a 1.5/4 and 3.5 million total viewers.
