Primetime Ratings: Extended 'Idol' Helps Fox Win Thursday

'Vampire Diaries' tops both NBC, ABC at 8 p.m.

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/22/2013 11:40:43 AM

An extra hour of American Idol drove Fox to win on Thursday with adults 18-49, posting a 3.9 rating, up two tenths from last week's one-hour show, according to Nielsen overnight numbers.

While coming in second in the demo with a 3.3/9, CBS nipped Fox in total viewers (13.52 million vs. 13.50 million). The Big Bang Theory slipped 2% to a 5.4 and Two and a Half Men rose 3% to a 3.9. Person of Interest declined 3% to a 2.9 and Elementary was flat with another 2.3.

The CW's Vampire Diaries spiked 30% to beat both ABC and NBC at 8 p.m. with a 1.3 in the demo, while also rising 40% in its targeted 18-34 demo to a 1.4. Beauty and the Beast rose 50% in both to post a 0.6 rating for each. The CW finished with a 0.9/2.

ABC's Zero Hour fell another 21% from last week's premiere to a 1.1, while Grey's Anatomy rebounded 7% to a 3.0. Scandal stayed even with a 2.7. The network took third with a 2.2/6.

NBC was in fourth with a 1.2/3. Community fell 8% to a series-low 1.1 and Parks and Recreation also declined 13% to a series-low 1.3. A second Parks episode at 9 p.m. rose a tenth to a 1.4. 1600 Penn fell 9% to post its lowest-rated episode so far with a 1.0.