Primetime Ratings: 'The Firm' Has NBC's Lowest In-Season Drama Debut

NFL overrun helps CBS dominate Sunday

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/9/2012 12:00:20 PM

In the first Sunday without football for NBC this season, the network debuted the two-hour premiere of new series The Firm to a 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen overnight numbers. That was down 46% from the network's premiere of The Cape, which debuted the same week in 2011, and was NBC's lowest in-season drama debut ever. Dateline drew a 1.5 from 8-9 p.m.. The network placed last with an overall 1.3 rating/3 share.

CBS cruised to the victory, thanks partly to overrun of the NFL wildcard playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos -- which was the net's highest rated wildcard game in 24 years -- delaying the schedule by 18 minutes. In the fast-affiliate ratings, 60 Minutes drew an inflated 7.9, while The Good Wife was a 3.0 and CSI: Miami was a 2.7. (As always with live events, ratings will be subjected to larger-than-normal adjustments.)

ABC came in with a second-place 2.3/6. Its two freshman series had an up-and-down evening, as Once Upon a Time returned up 28% from its last original to a 3.7, but Pan Am was down 13% to a 1.3, for a new series low. Desperate Housewives was up 11% from five weeks ago to a 3.0.

Fox returned its Sunday lineup for an overall 1.9/4. The Simpsons struggled against football, dropping 23% to a 2.3. The rest of its lineup was down as well, with The Cleveland Show dropping 9% to a 2.1, Family Guy falling 3% to a 3.0 and American Dad returned down 16% to a 2.1.