Primetime Ratings: Fox Wins as 'Idol' Settles In

'30 Rock,' 'Office' and 'Firm' all hit lows

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/3/2012 12:01:23 PM

Fox was able to grab the Wednesday ratings victory, as American Idol was down only 2% from last Thursday for a 5.4 rating in the 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen overnight numbers. The Finder was down 14% to a 2.4. The network finished with an overall 3.9 rating/11 share.

CBS was the runner-up with a 3.5/9. The Big Bang Theory was down 2% from last week for a 5.4 (it was the #1 rated show from 8-8:30 p.m.), iRob! was down 3% for a 3.4 and The Mentalist dropped 7% from its last episode two weeks ago. Person of Interest was the only show to improve, rising 3% from two weeks ago for a 3.3.

ABC placed third for the evening at 2.5/7. Wipeout at 1.8 and Grey's Anatomy at 3.5 were both flat from their last episodes, while Private Practice was up 10% to a 2.3.

NBC finished with an overall 1.5/4, with much of its lineup hitting season/series lows. 30 Rock was down 19% to a 1.3, its series low, The Office fell 10% from its last airing two weeks ago for a season-low 2.7 and The Firm was down to a 0.8 for its lowest-rated telecast so far. Up All Night was also down 8% to a 1.8. Parks & Recreation was the only show to improve, up 6% to a 1.8.

The CW rounded out the night with an overall 0.9/2. The Vampire Diaries was up 9% in A18-49 with a 1.2 but down two tenths in A18-34 to a 1.0. The Secret Circle was flat in both demos with a 0.7 and 0.6, respectively.