“Grey’s Anatomy” Ratings Hit Low, “Vampire Diaries,” “CSI” Fall

Thursday night was a difficult one for broadcast television, with several veteran series dropping to season lows.

With a weakened lead-in from “Wipeout” (just a 2.2 adults 18-49 rating with 6.94 million viewers), aging “Grey’s Anatomy” dipped below the 4.0 threshold to a season low 3.9 rating with just 10.38 million viewers. ABC closed its evening with “Private Practice” at a moderate 2.7 with 7.34 million.

Things were similarly disappointing for CBS’ veteran “CSI,” which hit a low 2.8 rating with 12.65 million viewers. Earlier in the night, “The Big Bang Theory” dipped notably to a 3.9 with 12.78 million, while freshman comedy “$#*! My Dad Says” was good for a 2.7 and 10.43 million. CBS’ 10PM staple “The Mentalist” won its timeslot with a healthy 2.9 and a healthy 14.74 million viewers.

The drop-offs were not limited to the major networks. The CW’s flagship “The Vampire Diaries” was also down sharply, posting just a 1.2 rating with 2.75 million viewers. Lead-out “Nikita” was also down, this time to a 0.7 with 1.88 million.