Image Credit: Bob Mahoney/The CW; Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW
The Vampire Diaries and Nikita returned strong in the ratings Thursday night despite the threatening presence of Fox’s American Idol.
Vampire (3.5 million viewers, 1.6 preliminary adults 18-49 rating) was up 23 percent from its last original telecast in early December, and Nikita (2.7 million, 1.1) climbed 38 percent.
CW had some pre-emptions last night in a couple markets, so these numbers could shift a bit in the nationals, but as things stand, this is the network’s most-watched Thursday since early November. If these ratings hold up, then the episodes wouldn’t really need to be repeated tonight, pushing the return of Supernatural and Smallville back a week, but the extra sampling can’t hurt either (Vampire Diaries recap here, and go here for that “Got Wood” teaser video). More ratings after the jump…Fox won the night, of course, with Idol (22.3 million, 7.6) once again showing considerable premiere-week retention, holding onto 97 percent of its rating from last Thursday. Bones (12.2 million, 3.9) followed.
Ricky Gervais’ guest appearance on NBC’s The Office (7.9 million, 4.0) (see his run-in with Michael Scott here) didn’t help the show’s ratings, which were down 11 percent from last week’s high. Overall, NBC’s comedy block slipped from last Thursday’s spike, with Perfect Couples (3.5 million, 1.7) down 19 percent, Parks & Recreation (5.9 million, 3.0) down 6 percent and 30 Rock (4.9 million, 2.4) off 19 percent. Community (4.6 million, 2.2) was flat, however, and 10:30 p.m.’s Outsourced (4.1 million, 1.9) improved 6 percent from last week’s low.
Over on CBS, the network ran repeats except for burning off airing an original episode of $#*! My Dad Says (8.9 million, 2.3). ABC had repeats except for Wipeout (7.6 million, 2.4).
So basically the CW just managed to tick off the Supernatural and Smallville fan base for no reason whatsoever. Good going CW! Your so lucky that you have so many viewers that alienating the viewers of two of your stronger shows won’t matter a bit.
To be fair, its true though. I mean honestly, are any of you guys going to stop watching Smallville and Supernatural because the CW is messing with it? No, you’re going to keep watching it regardless. The CW did this to One Tree Hill for years, messing with its schedule whenever they felt like it, and we always returned to the show. You guys got screwed with once, big deal. Get over it.
This is far from the first time that the CW has “screwed us”. Also, yeah, it’s great that the already hardcore fanbase will follow the show to any night on any date, but the casual viewer that has been seeing the promos for 8 weeks, who might want to check it out, is going to tune in tonight and see reruns of totally different shows. They might be willing to tune back in next week, they might not. All the promos have given tonight’s date as the expected return date so there’s bound to be some loss of casual viewership.
I’m glad VD’s ratings were comparable… I love the show, and was hoping AI wouldn’t tank it. I DVR AI (it’s better that way anyway) and watch VD in live time.
Hey CW,
Smart move there! The ratings for VD and Nikkita were really good and now Friday’s numbers will TANK because where you could have had around 4-5 million people watching Smallville and Supernatural, you will now have 1-2 million watching Vampires!!!
STUPID!!!!!!!
I cannot WAIT for Smallville to be over so I don’t have the watch the CW anymore!!!! CW= Complete Waste!
THIS.
I second THIS! But I’m not surprised. The CW has never respected its shows with the biggest fan bases. It’s truly mind boggling.
Except, SPN and Smallville never had those high numbers. VD is its highest rated show. HAHAHAHA
That’s because VD is considered new and pretty. *barf*. Let’s see how VD’s ratings are after 6-10 years…
So the CW’s last-minute panic attack was a huge waste! Thanks for messing around with the schedule for absolutely nothing! SALTandBURNcw
Oh good for them. So tell me why they’re playing these exact episodes AGAIN tonight, please?
Gee, so there was nothing to worry about really. Live and learn I guess. Could have gone the other way. I just wish they could pull another last minute switch and out back the SV and SN premieres tonight and make us all a happy bunch. Amazing how you can switch it one way SO fast but not switch it back. Gonna be a very. Long. Week.
So did the CW fire the idiot that made the decision to push Smallville back a week ??
So glad, Community didn’t slip!!! I so cannot wait until the Dungeons and Dragons episode next week!!!!
So glad Community didn’t slip! Can’t wait until the Dungeons and Dragons episode next week!!!
Shut it Smallville fans, some of us didn’t get to see Vampire Diaries last nite because of (ugh) basketball–you’ll see your show; don’t you want to prolong the inevitable departure anyway?
lol Dee; now I’m sad.
It’s kind of true though. I will miss Smallville and that beautiful CK so much when it’s over. When it’s over I won’t have any reason to watch CW so I’m going to drop it from my satellite package. (yes, I had to buy it so I could watch Smallville years ago!)
So because you missed your show we should miss ours? I happen to know for a fact that the CW affiliate that pre-empted TVD for basketball planned to air the episode on *Saturday*. So it’s only Smallville/Supernatural fans who should have to wait a few days to see new eps of their shows? TVD fans should be catered to at the expense of all others? Eff off, you hypocritical lout.
Hey Dee, you know there is a thing called Hulu and iTunes. You could watch TVD this morning…meanwhile I have to wait another week for NO REASON!!!
THIS
SPN is the only reason i turn CW on!
This. :T
Vampire Diaries was awesome, I wanted to see more Damon and Elena interaction. Damon broke my heart last night! I used to be a stefan fan first and he is still cute but I forgot all about him last night!
Vampire Diaries is one of the highest rated shows on the CW. ITs broken records for them, that can only improve because its new. I’m sure u like ur shows but don’t think a company won’t do anything But what’s in their best interest. VD makes money and has a rabbid following also.
So a repeat of TVD is going to do better than new episodes of Smallville and SPN????
UH NO!!!!
So because VD is their big fish right now that gives the CW the right to disrespect the fans of the other shows?
And the VD might be big now, but it has NEVER had the ratings Smallville once had at the WB, it made over 4 million viewers when it was preempted and up against American Idol….the VD didn’t.
and don’t you know lots of SN fans actually watch the VD shows, so by delaying SN, they pissed off lot of SN fans and may possibly loss some of the VD viewers.
After VD ages, it won’t have the same ratings anymore… Just sayin. The only reason why it has good ratings is because it’s new
LOL the only reason why VD has good ratings is because it’s new!!! Let’s see if VD will have great ratings after 10 years.
Lol, actually, SPN’s pilot episode got almost 1 million more viewers than The Vampire Diaries. It also managed to keep 5 mil+ viewers longer than TVD. @W@ Which… TVD never even ever snagged 5mil viewers. o 3o
I knew the Vampire Diaries would do fine against American Idol. The show has a loyal fan base. There was no reason for CW to push the premieres of Smallville and Supernatural back a week. VD and Nikita do not need encores on the next freaking day. If they wanted to rerun the shows then they should have showed them on the weekend.
I love how some of the people who watch TVD & Nikita are basically calling Supernatural & Smallville fans whiners or that we should get over it.
First off, Supernatural & Smallville (both not the only shows btw) have all have been pre-empted, yet the CW didn’t re-air THEIR episodes. No, instead they moved along and shrugged.
Also, OTH fans never had to deal with LAST MINUTE air dates. This is the first time CW has done this, for STUPID reasons.
If I were TVD or Nikita fan’s I’d be a highly worried, that CW will do this to you as well. Not only that, but they didn’t have enough faith that you’d tune in to watch the return of their two shows. That would insult me. They figured all you guys would tune in to watch American Idol.
Next time you guys feel compelled to say we are over exaggerating, do some research. CW screws fans, and doesn’t care about them.
Btw, just so we’re clear. TVD has not broken any records. Smallville’s pilot “The series’ pilot broke The WB’s record for highest-rated debut with 8.4 million viewers.”
When UPN & WB merged into the CW, Smallville’s average ratings were 4.5 Million.
Dunno, that kind of beats TVD by a long shot. It’s gett 3.5 Million in it’s SECOND season.
Supernatural? 5.5 Million in season 1.
Soon enough, TVD is gonna sink in ratings, and the CW is going to have to cancel it. Their ratings are terrible for it being a new show. Should be higher than that. But not many people care for it.