Thursday saw the return of ABC's Shonda Rhimes block — and TGIT was just as strong as it was in the fall. With an average 3.6 rating among adults 18-49, Scandal topped the lineup with a solid half-of-a-point jump from its last original in October.
Elsewhere, Grey's Anatomy (2.7 adults) improved three-tenths of a point and How to Get Away With Murder (3.0 adults) returned steady.
CBS saw The Big Bang Theory (4.4 adults) dominate the night in its return, off just two-tenths of a point from its last original at the top of the year. Mom (2.8 adults) was improved four-tenths of a point with the stronger lead-in, though Two and a Half Men (2.3 adults) and The McCarthys (1.6 adults) saw no noticeable change. Elementary (1.3 adults) lost two-tenths of a point from last week.
All of the new competition meant hits for American Idol. The Thursday outing fell six-tenths of a point to a 2.2 rating in the key demo. Backstrom (1.4 adults), facing Scandal, was hit hardest. It dropped half of a point from its OK series premiere last week.
NBC said goodbye to Parenthood at 10 p.m., and the series fetched a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49 and 5.5 million viewers for its swan song. That marked its biggest showings in over two years on both counts. Lead-in The Biggest Loser (1.4 adults) also improved, up two-tenths.
The Vampire Diaries (0.7 adults) and Reign (0.4 adults) were mostly steady on the CW.
