Tv Ratings, Abc | featured news

"Secret Millionaire" wasn't a hit for FOX, but viewers welcomed the heart-tugging reality show to ABC on Sunday night, leading the network to a nightly win in the young adult demos and even outdrawing its CBS doppelganger "Undercover Boss."

Many critics dissed the hosting combo of James Franco and Anne Hathaway, but considering that the ceremony lacked a huge crowd-pleasing nominee such as last year's "Avatar," Sunday's 83rd Academy Awards telecast on ABC held up pretty well in the ratings.

The coverage of the Tucson memorial from 8:39-9:20PM wreaked havoc in the broadcast network's primetime lineups last night, with a lot of unannounced, last minutes shifts and pre-emptions.

Disney's ABC averaged the most viewers among broadcast networks across its election-night telecast, but did not surpass the wave that cable's Fox News averaged in prime-time, according to Nielsen.

There is a new ratings king on Thursday. For the first time, the new kid on the Thursday block, CBS' transplant The Big Bang Theory (4.0/13, 12.9 million), ranked as the highest-rated program on the night in 18-49, supplanting perennial winner Grey's Anatomy. The comedy accomplished the feat on its fifth airing on the night, a nice validation of CBS' risky scheduling move.

On a night of big finales on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX, it was the two-hour "Grey's Anatomy" season-ender that ruled. But once again, ABC's already cancelled "FlashForward" delivered low enough ratings to help CBS split the night.

Very minor declines aside, "Dancing with the Stars" maintained its place as Monday's most watched program by a wide margin. CBS, however, was able to rule the night in the key demographic thanks to "Big Bang Theory" and "CSI: Miami."

"Dancing With the Stars" and series-high scores for sophomore drama "Castle" carried ABC to a rather easy primetime ratings victory Monday, a night when the top scripted programs on competing networks aired in repeats.

Early indications are that an Academy Awards telecast where "The Hurt Locker" topped the popular "Avatar" for best picture was popular with viewers.

NBC is poised to claim another Sunday primetime ratings victory with its big "Sunday Night Football" matchup between Indianapolis and New England, but ABC held up well as its core shows, including "Desperate Housewives," came in above average.