Even though Thursdays are no longer what they once were from a competition standpoint, it appears the new night itself was a factor in “American Idol”‘s big ratings fall last week.
After dipping to just a 7.7 adults 18-49 rating for its second episode last Thursday, the tenth “Idol” season rose Wednesday to an impressive 9.2 rating with 25.20 million viewers.
That performance is hardly enviable in comparison to “Idol” numbers from years past, but for a show that many feared was in trouble based on its disappointing Thursday rating last week, the number was welcome. “Idol” had declined from its first week numbers last year as well, so the slight fall from last week’s 9.7 does not add to any forecast of doom.
Critics of the “Idol” performance, however, can note that ABC aired re-runs of all comedies but “Cougar Town” last night. And despite going against a “Modern Family” re-run that aired a 2.6 versus the 4.6 for last week’s original, “Idol” was still down in the 9PM portion. It is possible that the 9.2 was slightly inflated due to the absence of broadcast challengers.
