TV Ratings: Two-hour 'Dateline' encore helps NBC win Friday

Christiane Amanpour special puts ABC in second

By Daniel Fienberg Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 12:20 PM

Josh Mankiewicz of NBC News

Credit: NBC

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Fast National ratings for Friday, December 28, 2012.

It's hard to know exactly why, but a two-hour encore of "Dateline" drew some of the newsmagazine's biggest numbers of the entire season and helped NBC lead a repeat-heavy Friday in all measures.

Among adults 18-49, NBC averaged a 1.4 rating for Friday night, tops in the key demographic. ABC was second with a 1.1 rating, followed by CBS' 1.0 rating and the 0.8 key demo rating for FOX. The CW did a 0.2 key demo rating for Friday primetime.

Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 5.44 million viewers and 3.6 rating/6 share, nipping the 3.4/6 and 5.33 million viewers for ABC on the night. CBS was third with a 3.0/5 and 4.56 million viewers. FOX was a distant fourth with a 1.4/2 and 2.345 million viewers, at least beating the 0.7/1 and 1.06 million viewers for The CW.

8 p.m. - CBS marathoned "Undercover Boss" repeats on Friday and won the 8 p.m. hour with 5.47 million viewers and finished second with a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49. ABC's repeat of "Shark Tank" was a close second overall with 5.41 million viewers and won the hour with a 1.4 key demo rating. FOX's encores of "How To Train Your Dragons" and "Ice Age" Christmas specials averaged 2.78 million viewers and a 0.9 key demo rating for third, topping the 2.67 million viewers and 0.8 key demo rating for repeats of "Go On" on NBC. The CW got 999,000 viewers and a 0.2 key demo rating for a repeat of "Nikita."

9 p.m. - "Dateline NBC," a repeat of a Josh Mankiewicz report on a kidnapping in Florida, averaged nearly 5.9 million viewers and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49 to lead the 9 p.m. hour. ABC's "Back To The Beginning with Christiane Amanpour" was second with 5.26 million viewers and tied for second with a 1.0 key demo rating. CBS' "Undercover Boss" repeat drew 4.41 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo rating in third. FOX's repeat of "Kitchen Nightmares" drew 1.91 million viewers and a 0.7 key demo rating, topping the 1.11 million viewers and 0.3 key demo rating for The CW's "Arrow Repeat."

10 p.m. - NBC's "Dateline" was up to 7.76 million viewers and a 1.9 rating among adults 18-49 to rule the 10 p.m. hour. ABC's "Back To The Beginning with Christiane Amanpour" was a distant second with 5.33 million viewers and a 0.9 key demo rating. CBS' third "Undercover Boss" repeat also had a 0.9 key demo rating and averaged 3.79 million viewers for third.

All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.

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Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.