TV ratings: ‘Survivor’ up from last year; ‘Mixology’ soft

No longer facing the Olympics in prime time, Fox scored a ratings win Wednesday night as “American Idol” posted numbers that were generally in line with a week ago.

But it was a close one as CBS’ premiere of “Survivor” nearly tied the singing contest in the key 18-to-49-year-old demographic. Meanwhile, ABC debuted “Mixology” with mixed results.

The veteran “Idol,” now in its 13th season, drew 10.6 million viewers on average, according to preliminary numbers from Nielsen, up 7% from last week. Among viewers 18 to 49, the “top 13” episode drew a rating of 2.6, flat with last week. A ratings point in the advertiser-desired demographic equals roughly 1.3 million viewers.

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CBS’ own reality TV stalwart “Survivor” came back for a 28th cycle, kicking off Wednesday night with 9.78 million viewers on average. Its audience grew about 9% from the “Survivor” premiere a year ago, while its 18-49 rating ticked up to a 2.5. “Criminal Minds” scored 9.5 million viewers and a 2.3 in the demo, down 8% week-to-week.

For the night, CBS scored a 2.5 rating, slightly below Fox.

The comedy “Mixology” debuted with 5.2 million viewers overall and a soft 1.8 rating in 18-49, which is low for a premiere airing right after the highly rated comedy “Modern Family.” The series follows five men and five women over the course of one night in a New York bar.

“Modern Family” was the top show in the demo, with a 3.1, down 11% from its last original episode. ABC’s lineup in general saw declines, with “The Middle” and “Suburgatory” down by double-digit percentages from their most recent new episodes and “Nashville” off by 8%.

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Wednesday’s episode of the new NBC spinoff “Chicago P.D.,” featuring appearances from “SVU” characters and coming after considerable promotion during the Olympics, nabbed its best ratings ever. After a couple of weeks off, “Chicago P.D.” returned with a 2.2 in 18-49, up 29% from its last new episode and topping its series premiere.

“Law & Order: SVU” earned a 2.0 in the demo, marking an increase of 11% from its most recent original. “Revolution” was flat in its return at a 1.3 in the demo against the “Survivor” premiere.

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