Ratings Chart Attack!

Despite some extensive scheduling movement, NBC didn’t do much to improve its Wednesday night situation, tying its last regular Wednesday nightly ratings average.

“Life” moved from Friday to Wednesday, pulling in a 2.0 rating/5 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic, according to preliminary Nielsen Media Research data. The move improved “Life’s” ratings from its Friday average by 33%.

On the flip side, “Law & Order” premiered to a 2.2/6, its lowest Wednesday showing ever. The show declined 42% from its winter premiere in January. However, the show was bolstered during the winter thanks to a lack of original scripted material during the writers strike.

“Knight Rider” also bottomed out with a 1.6/4, its lowest rating to date. NBC drew a 1.9/5, matching its Wednesday two weeks ago (last week featured unusual scheduling from Barack Obama’s prime-time political ad).

ABC’s “Pushing Daisies” sat this week out as a special “Dancing With the Stars” aired on Wednesday to a 3.2/9, a nearly three-year low. “Private Practice” (3.2/8) and “Dirty Sexy Money” (2.0/5) were average.

ABC placed second with a 2.8/7.

Fox captured first as “Bones” (3.2/9) returned to the air in original episodes after nearly a month off, slipping 6% from its last new showing. Despite being a repeat, “House” (2.7/7) improved the time period against Fox’s Wednesday night comedies by 80%. The network gathered a 3.0/8 for the night.

CBS fell to a season low with its Wednesday, delivering season lows in adults 18-49 with “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (1.9/5, 6.6 million), “Gary Unmarried” (2.1/6, 6.4 million), “Criminal Minds” (3.5/9, 14.3 million) and “CSI: NY” (3.3/9, 11.7 million). CBS was second in adults 18-49 with a 2.9/8, and first in total viewers with 10.8 million.

The CW’s Wednesdays “America’s Next Top Model” (2.0/6) matched its highest rating in the network’s key women 18- to 34-year-old demographic with a 3.8/11. “Stylista” (1.0/2) improved itself by 15% in the same demo to a 1.5/3.