Primetime Ratings: 'Office' Series Finale Hits Season High; 'Idol' Finale Plummets

'Scandal' ties series high in sophomore season finale

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/17/2013 11:27:30 AM

UPDATED: 1:15 p.m. ET

NBC's The Office took its final bow on Thursday with a 75-minute series finale, which drew a season-high 3.0 rating. An hour-long retrospective that preceded the finale drew a 2.0. Following Office, a condensed Hannibal drew a 1.0, down a tenth from last week. NBC finished in fourth with a 2.2 rating/6 share.

Fox's long-running singing competition American Idol ended its 12th season with a 3.6, which, while up 24% from last week, fell 44% from last year's finale (which aired on Wednesday against weaker competition). The finale, which marked the end of Randy Jackson's tenure as the last remaining original judge, was also down 33% in total viewers with 14.3 million. Fox still won the night.

CBS came in second with a 2.6/8. The finale of The Big Bang Theory's sixth season fell 10% to a season-low 4.4, although it was even with last year's finale. Rookie drama Elementary's two-hour finale was up a tenth over last week to a 2.0.

ABC's Scandal ended its sophomore season tying last week's series-high 3.2 rating, rising 39% from its freshman season ender. It also reached a new series-high in total viewership with 9.1 million. Earlier, Grey's Anatomy ended its ninth season with a 3.0, down 3% from last week and off by 27% from last year's finale. Wipeout fell 23% to a series-low 1.0.

The CW rounded out the night with a 0.8/2. The Vampire Diaries ended its third season with a 1.0 in both the net's targeted 18-34 demo and 18-49s (down 17% from last year's finale). Beauty and the Beast ended its debut season even in both measures with a 0.4 and 0.5, respectively.