'The Big Bang Theory' on TBS Ranks as Basic Cable's #1 Sitcom for the Week

The Big Bang Theory was the big driver for TBS's success last week, with the Tuesday 8:30 p.m. episode delivering a remarkable 2.8 million viewers to rank as basic cable's #1 sitcom for the week. Overall, The Big Bang Theory on TBS accounted for 16 of basic cable's Top 20 sitcom telecasts last week among total viewers and 15 of the Top 20 among adults 18-34.

Two new episodes of Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse joined The Big Bang Theory on the list of basic cable's Top 20 sitcom telecasts for the week. The Friday night comedy averaged a solid 2.1 million viewers at 10 p.m., growing to 2.4 million viewers at 10:30 p.m. Compared to the prior week, Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse was up 11% in total viewers.

TBS's Emmy(R)-nominated late-night series CONAN enjoyed another week of audience growth, averaging 799,000 viewers in Live + Same Day delivery last week (+3% over the prior week). Growth among key adults was extremely strong, with its delivery of 365,000 adults 18-34 up 16% and 571,000 adults 18-49 up 13%.

TNT

The 100th episode of TNT's blockbuster drama The Closer topped the charts as basic cable's most-watched drama last week, with 6.3 million viewers in Live + 3 delivery (4.9 million in Live + Same Day). Among TNT's target demo, The Closer drew 2.2 million adults 25-54 in Live + 3 (1.6 million L+SD). With the premiere and encore telecasts combined, last week's episode of The Closer has been watched by a total of 8.2 million viewers to date.

Rizzoli & Isles scored more than 5.5 million viewers in Live + 3 last Monday night (3.9 million Live + Same Day), with 2.1 million adults 25-54 (1.4 million L+SD). Figuring in the initial encore, the number of viewers watching last week's episode has risen to 7.6 million.

On Sunday, TNT's caper series Leverage featured a girls-night-out episode that brought in more than 1.8 million viewers in Live + Same Day, with 886,000 adults 25-54. Combined with the late-night encore, the episode has been seen by 2.4 million viewers so far. Meanwhile, time-shifted viewing has already lifted the previous week's episode to 3.5 million viewers in Live + 3 for the premiere and encore.

Adult Swim

A new episode of American Dad (Friday, 10 p.m.) on Adult Swim earned double and triple-digit delivery increases across the board - adults 18-34 (658,000) grew by 128%, adults 18-49 (959,000) by 104%, adults 18-24 (325,000) by 126%, men 18-34 (372,000) by 81%, men 18-49 (538,000) by 69% and men 18-24 (164,000) by 55%.

Across the second week of December 2011, Adult Swim ranked #1 on basic cable for Total Day Delivery of adults 18-34, adults 18-49, adults 18-24, men 18-34 and men 18-24; the late-night network ranked #2 among adults and men 18-49 behind ESPN.

Adult Swim programming - including Family Guy and Robot Chicken - accounted for 13 of the top 50 telecasts for the week on basic cable among adults 18-34 and 14 of the top 50 among men 18-34, both more than any other network.

Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network's average Total Day Delivery across the second week of December grew across all kids demos vs. the same time period last year: average kids 6-11 delivery (334,000) grew by 12%, kids 2-11 (511,000) by 3% and kids 9-14 (266,000) by 32%.

Also across the week, Cartoon Network ranked as the #1 television network among basic cable for all key boy demos - boys 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14 - on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday night (7-9 p.m.).

Among its original programming standouts, Adventure Time (Monday, 8 p.m.) scored as the #1 telecast of the day among boys 6-11 and boys 9-14, earning double-digit delivery growth among kids 2-11, 6-11, 9-14 and all boy demos as well. MAD (Monday, 8:30 p.m.) ranked #1 in its time periods among all boy demos (2-11, 6-11 and 9-14). The Amazing World of Gumball (Monday, 7:30 p.m.) ranked #1 with kids 9-14 and all boy demos. Johnny Test (Monday, 7 p.m.) ranked #1 in its time period among all kids and boy demos.

Friday night's premiere of Young Justice (6:30 p.m.) saw double-digit delivery gains among all kids and boy demos, with kids 2-11 (509,000) increasing by 44%, kids 6-11 (369,000) increasing by 39% and kids 9-14 (335,000) growing by 25%.

truTV

truTV, which is on pace to score its best year ever with young adults and men, delivered outstanding growth across the network's key demos last week. The network's primetime deliveries were up 18% with adults 18-34, 15% among adults 18-49, 20% among men 18-34 and 15% among men 18-49.

truTV's hit series Lizard Lick Towing returned to launch its second season last Monday night and came away with a truckload of outstanding numbers. The half-hour season premiere at 10 p.m. delivered 2.2 million viewers, up a remarkable 30% over the show's February launch. The episode also scored 621,000 adults 18-34 (+34%); 1.2 million adults 18-49 (+24%); 404,000 men 18-34 (+73%); and 740,000 men 18-49 (+43%). For the 10 p.m. timeslot, Lizard Lick Towing ranked among basic cable's Top 5 programs with men 18-34 and men 18-49. It also ranked among the Top 5 entertainment programs with total viewers and adults 18-49.

Also performing strongly last week was Wednesday's episode of the truTV hit Full Throttle Saloon, which brought in 1.5 million viewers. The show garnered triple-digit growth for its timeslot among key adult and male demos, while also scoring a Top 5 ranking among cable entertainment programs for the 10 p.m. timeslot.

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