Primetime Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' Returns Strong on New Night, ABC's 'My Generation' Tanks

CBS won the first Thursday night of the new season
with a 3.7 rating/11 share in the key adults demo and 14.3 million viewers,
according to preliminary Nielsen overnight numbers. The Big Bang Theory opened strong on its new Thursday night slot
with a 4.8/15, up a tenth from its Monday night standing last year. The series
premiere of S#*! My Dad Says held
enough of its Big Bang lead-in to
pull a solid 3.9/12.

The results were less rosy for the network's procedurals,
where the season opener of CSI dropped
17% to a 3.4/9 despite a guest appearance by tweeny bopper Justin Bieber. The Mentalist was the most-watched
program of the night with 15.3 million viewers, but faltered with adults 18-49,
down 8% over last year's finale to 3.3/10.

ABC was second for the night with a 3.4/10. The
seventh season opener of Grey's Anatomy (5.3/14)
fell 21%, but was still Thursday's highest-rated program with adults 18-49. Private Practice, in its fourth season,
dropped 28% to a 3.3/10. New drama My
Generation was nothing to talk about, posting a 1.6/5 to tie for last place
in the hour.

NBC's comedy block garnered a 2.6/7 to put the
Peacock in third place for the night. Outsourced
had a decent debut at a 3.5/9, keeping 81% of its Office lead-in
(4.3/11). Community posted a 2.2/7, mostly on par with its performance
in the 8 p.m. hour last year, while 30
Rock, moved from 9:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to accommodate Outsourced, tumbled 0.4 to a 2.6/8. The second week of The
Apprentice was down a tenth to a lowly 1.4/4.

Fox was fourth at a 2.4/7. The season premiere of Bones
was down 13% from last year to a 2.7/8, while Fringe dropped off 30% to
a 2.1/6. Both shows premiered a week earlier last season.

The CW trailed with a 1.3/4, but The Vampire
Diaries ticked up 14% to a 1.6/5, while Nikita, in its third week,
slipped to a 1.1/3.