Nov

ABC’s ‘Middle’ climbs without ‘Hank’

The cancellation of the short-lived Kelsey Grammer sitcom “Hank” turned out to be a double win for ABC last night.

A rerun of “Modern Family” performed much better than “Hank’s” final episode in the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot, and the original “The Middle” that followed soared compared to its most recent outing without the dumpy lead-in dragging it down.

“Middle” averaged a 2.4 adults 18-49 rating at 8:30 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights, its second-best rating ever and up 26 percent over its Nov. 4 episode. (ABC aired the “CMA Awards” in the timeslot last week.)

That’s not a spectacular rating, but in a timeslot that lacks a standout show on the Big Four, it was enough to finish second, just 0.1 behind winner “Gary Unmarried” on CBS.

Undoubtedly “Middle” got a boost from airing behind the “Family” rerun, which averaged a 1.9 rating, up 46 percent from the 1.3 that “Hank’s” final episode averaged two weeks ago.

ABC has already given a full-season order to “Middle,” as well as its other two new sitcoms on the night, “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town,” both of which also rose compared to their Nov. 4 outings.

[Source: Media Life Magazine]