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‘X Factor’ Premiere Trumped by Emmy Winner

Sep 22, 2011  •  Post A Comment

Fox’s much-hyped premiere of “The X Factor” Wednesday night earned solid overnight ratings, but a show that aired opposite it stole the headlines, TVbytheNumbers.com reports.

“X Factor” also failed to reach the heights of the show it’s most often being compared to: “American Idol,” with “X Factor’s” 4.2 average rating in the key 18-49 demo and its 12.14 million total viewers falling well short of “Idol” territory. But a more immediate concern for the show is that “X Factor’s” debut was trumped by ABC’s “Modern Family” — fresh off its second consecutive Emmy as outstanding comedy — which returned for a new season to a whopping 6.0 average rating in adults 18-49.

The second hour of “X Factor,” even though it improved from its first hour, actually came in third in total viewers, with its 12.56 million for the 9 p.m. hour trailing both “Modern Family” (14.29 million) and CBS’s season premiere of “Criminal Minds” (14.07 million). “Factor” did manage to beat out “Criminal Minds” for the hour in adults 18-49, with its 4.4 average rating edging the CBS show’s 4.1.

NBC’s season premiere of “Harry’s Law” at 9 p.m. had no chance against the stiff competition, settling for a 1.2 average in adults 18-29 and 7.3 million total viewers.

ABC got more good news at 10 p.m., when the series premiere of “Revenge” won the 18-49 demo with a 3.4 average, topping both CBS’s season premiere of “CSI” (3.1 average) and NBC’s season debut of “Law & Order: SVU” (2.3).

The competition was also tight earlier in the evening, during the first hour of “X Factor” at 8 p.m. “Factor’s” 4.0 average rating in 18-49 and its 11.72 million total viewers both won the hour, but CBS and ABC were close behind in both categories. CBS’s “Survivor” pulled in a 3.1 demo rating and 10.36 million total viewers, while ABC’s one-hour season premiere of “The Middle” scored a 3.0 average in 18-49 and 9.64 million total viewers.

It added up to a really tight three-way race for prime time (sorry, NBC), with Fox claiming a narrow win in the 18-49 demo and CBS squeaking ahead in total viewers. Numbers for adults 18-49 have Fox in first place by a smidgeon with a 4.2 average rating, followed by ABC (4.1 average), CBS (3.5) and NBC (1.8).

In total viewers for prime time it’s CBS at No. 1 with 12.3 million, Fox right behind with 12.1 million, ABC in striking range with 11.4 million and NBC … not so much, at 6.6 million.

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