Even a special helping of NBC's The Voice couldn't topple CBS.
CBS topped the night among total viewers and the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic on the strength of its Thursday lineup, including the reliable Big Bang Theory and a Miley Cyrus-boosted Two and a Half Men.
Big Bang Theory (16.5 million total viewers, 5.0 rating in adults 18-49) was the evening's most-watched and top-rated show, matching highs in both categories. Men (14.1 million, 4.0), with Cyrus guest starring, reached season highs as well and saw an 11 percent boost. Person of Interest (14.7 million, 2.9) was steady and Elementary (10.7 million, 2.2), airing its first original after landing the coveted post-Super Bowl slot in February, dropped 8 percent.
Airing on a special (and more competitive) night, The Voice (9.1 million, 3.0) tied its lowest telecast to date, but still ranked second behind CBS in the 8 p.m. hour and topping The X Factor in the demo. A strong lead-in helped The Office (5.3 million, 2.5), however, which saw a big 32 percent jump from its last original a few weeks ago and marked a season high, its top rating since March 3. Parks and Recreation (3.8 million, 1.8) also saw an 8 percent improvement, although Rock Center With Brian Williams (4.4 million, 1.1) dropped 15 percent. (NBC carried NFL football in Indianapolis.)
The latest results show for Fox's The X Factor (6.3 million, 2.3) with a performance by British pop band One Direction remained steady, while jumping slightly in total viewership (6.3 million vs. 6.2 million). The return of Glee (5.7 million, 2.4) after a few weeks away due to baseball playoffs put the fourth-year series, airing a Grease episode, down 8 percent in 18-49.
ABC's Last Resort (6 million, 1.4), still awaiting an official decision on a back-nine order, increased 8 percent, along with Grey's Anatomy (9.2 million, 3.2), up 7 percent. Scandal (6.1 million, 2.0) was flat.
The CW's Vampire Diaries (3 million, 1.4) dropped, while rookie Beauty and the Beast (1.9 million, 0.7) improved a tenth.
CBS won the night among adults 18-49 averaging a 3.2 rating. Fox (2.4), ABC (2.2), NBC (2.1) and the CW (1.1) follow.
The Eye also topped Thursday among viewers with an average of 13.6 million in primetime, followed by ABC (7.1 million), NBC (6.01 million), Fox (6 million) and the CW (2.4 million).
E-mail: Philiana.Ng@thr.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
