'Private Practice' surges with crossover episode

The decision to pair "Grey's Anatomy" and its spinoff "Private Practice" on Thursday nights continues to bear ratings fruit for ABC.

The first "Grey's"-"Practice" crossover episode resulted in an above-and-beyond series high for "Practice" (11.8 million viewers, 5.3 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and 14 share). The spinoff was the second-highest rated show of the night following the highest-rated "Grey's (15.2 million, 5.8/14) since November -- an endeavor aided by CBS airing repeats for the evening (calling the shows a crossover is a bit generous, with fans complaining today that ABC pulled a ruse and the real cross pollinating doesn't start until next week). "Ugly Betty" (7.3 million, 2.3/7) was on par.

Meanwhile the other network midseason Thursday experiment is also heating up. Fox came in second place with its new pairing of "Bones" (10.8 million, 3.2/9) and "Hell's Kitchen" (7.7 million, 3.5/9). "Bones" was in first place at 8 p.m. and up 7% from its debut in the slot a couple weeks ago to mark the network's highest-rated scripted effort in the slot in three years. While the second episode of "Hell's" fell 27% from its premiere last week (which had an "American Idol" lead in).

The reality show is nonetheless tracking to be Fox's best performer in the time period in two years, though it has yet to go against the full force of competitors airing originals at 9 p.m.

In third place, NBC aired "My Name Is Earl" (6.2 million, 2.5/7), "Kath & Kim" (4.7 million, 2.0/5), "The Office" (8.4 million, 4.3/11) and "30 Rock" (6.3 million, 3.0/7). At 10 p.m., "ER" (7.3 million, 2.7/7) was down slightly. Note that, as expected, "The Office" didn't benefit from the enormous added exposure of airing an episode after the Super Bowl on Sunday. The comedy was actually down slightly from its last original telecast.

CBS aired only repeats. At 8 p.m., CBS put Monday comedies "Big Bang Theory" and "How I Met Your Mother" (averaging 6.1 million, 2.0/5) into the hour. CBS says to move along, there's nothing to see here, that it's simply filling space before "Survivor" returns.  

The CW aired "Smallville" (3.9 million, 1.6/4) and "Supernatural" (3.3 million, 1.3/3).

Comments

[Kati]

I'm glad that Supernatural is staying over 3 mil.! I wonder if the CW will dare to cancel it now that all their other shows dropped like a stone and Thursday's programming is the only night that's not failing them totally.

[Deanne]

Remains to be seen if this crossover works, what happens after it's over and Practice's ratings go back down. It would have amounted to nothing.

[uglysexy]

soporific....
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