Early ratings for Thursday night's vice presidential debate between Ryan and sitting vice president Joe Biden are subject to substantial revision due to time-zone adjustments. But preliminary numbers show a drastic dropoff for most of the networks from the 2008 debate
The exception? Fox had a slight increase over the 2008 debate.
Meanwhile, the series premiere of CW's "Beauty and the Beast" re-imagining got off to a strong start.
Dropoffs aside, CBS took the night, thanks largely to the top-rated "Big Bang Theory." The network came in first in the advertiser-friendly 18-49 demographic with a 2.7 rating/7 share and in total viewers with 9.4 million. "The Big Bang Theory" at 8 p.m. grabbed the night's best numbers in the demo with a 4.2/13 and had the night's highest total viewership with 13.8 million.
"Two and a Half Men" at 8:30 posted a 3.4/9, slipping slightly from last week to a series low, and drew 11.2 million total viewers. The network's coverage of the debate at 9 dropped 35 percent from 2008's vice presidential debate for a 2.2/5 and drew 8.4 million total viewers. CBS's post-debate analysis posted a 1.6/4 and 6 million total viewers.
Fox landed in second place in ratings and total viewers with a 2.2/6 and third in total viewers with 6.2 million. "The X Factor" at 8 dropped slightly from last week to a 2.9/8 and 8.3 million, while Fox's debate coverage -- produced by Fox News -- inched up 6 percent from 2008 to a 2.0/5, and attracted 5.5 million total viewers. Fox's post-debate analysis drew a 1.4/4 and 3.9 million total viewers.
NBC came in third in ratings and fourth in total viewers with a 1.9/5 and 5.7 million. "30 Rock" at 8 drew even with last week's season premiere for a 1.4/4 and had 3.8 million total viewers, while "Up All Night" at 8:30 dropped 14 percent to a 1.2/3 and drew 3.5 million total viewers. The network had the best ratings performance among the networks with its debate coverage, posting a 2.3/6 -- which was still down 48 percent from 2008 -- and grabbed 7 million total viewers. NBC's debate analysis had a 1.8/5 and 5.8 million total viewers.
ABC came in fourth in ratings and second in total viewers with a 1.7/4 and 6.9 million total viewers. The network's new submarine drama "The Last Resort" dropped 16 percent from last week for a 1.6/4 and drew 6.9 million total viewers, while the network took the biggest hit among the networks with its debate coverage. It plunged 51 percent to a 1.9/5 and drew 7.4 million total viewers. ABC's debate analysis posted a 1.4/4 and grabbed 5.4 million total viewers.
Following the season premiere of "The Vampire Diaries" on the CW at 8 (which sucked up a 1.6/5 and 3.5 million total viewers), the series premiere of "Beauty and the Beast" the following hour posted a 1.3/3 -- even with last year's premiere of "The Secret Circle" and grew slightly in total viewers from the "Secret Circle" premiere with 3.2 million. The CW averaged a 1.4/4 and 3.3 million total viewers for the night.
