Thursday Ratings: Idol slips; The Office, Mentalist top finales list
In the final Thursday of the 2010-11 season, The Office took the crown for highest-rated finale of the night. The Mentalist attracted the most viewers for a non-Idol show. As for American Idol, the show was on top but did slip one week before the finale.
It was another easy victory for Fox. American Idol scored 6.2 (-0.3) breaking its upward trend in recent weeks. Bones still benefited from the boost, scoring 3.3 (+0.1) and over ten million viewers for its season finale.
CBS was runner-up Thursday with its full slate of finales. The Big Bang Theory rose to 3.5 (+0.1), its best number in six weeks. Rules of Engagement ended its season with 2.5, flat with last week. The two-hour finale of The Mentalist averaged 2.7 (flat) and was the most-watched scripted show with 13.75 million viewers.
ABC finished third with its finale slate. Wipeout held steady at 1.7. Grey's Anatomy rose to 3.4 (+0.2). Private Practice also grew to 2.5 (+0.2), its best number in seven weeks.
NBC had a strong night, despite a fourth-place finish. Reruns of The Office dragged the network average down, but the finale at 9pm was the top-rated scripted show of the night at 3.8 (+0.5). The season finale of Parks and Recreation averaged 2.2, which is consistent with what last week's double-header averaged.
Next Thursday the ratings will officially be in Summer 2011 mode.
Mike McComb – TVLatest.com
Follow Mike on Twitter @Rube_Goldberg
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