While Wednesday’s ratings war definitively belonged to “American Idol,” it was strong performances by two of ABC’s comedies that spurred the most buzz.
Following an airing of “A Charlie Brown Valentine,” “The Middle” rose to a series high 3.0 adults 18-49 rating with 8.3 million viewers. Acclaimed hit “Modern Family” then moved higher to an impressive 4.2 with 10.1 million viewers.
“Cougar Town,” however, was the proverbial buzzkill for the network, turning away a sizable portion of its “Family” lead-in with a 2.8 and 6.7 million viewers. “Ugly Betty” closed the night at 4.7 million and a 1.7.
Over on FOX, “Idol” stayed dominant with a 9.5 and 25 million viewers. Lead-in “Human Target,” though soft, might have already stabilized–it averaged a 2.5 with 8.9 million viewers.
CBS’ lineup was slightly above the norm at 8PM, with gains for both “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (8.3 million, 2.3) and “Gary Unmarried” (7.7 million, 2.4). “Criminal Minds” led out with a 3.8 and 14.8 million viewers, while “CSI: NY” posted a 3.6 and 13.7 million.
On NBC, the only new airing was an 8PM edition of “Mercy” (6.8 million, 1.8). The CW aired repeats, but it is worth noting that the Wednesday re-airing of “Life UneXpected” continues to post strong numbers. At a 0.8 with 1.6 million, the repeat airing’s rating nearly matched that of Monday’s original broadcast.