ABC comedies take ratings hit; 'Minds' tops night

Most broadcast shows declined Wednesday night as primetime ratings continue to settle in for the new season, yet ABC's two-hour all-freshmen comedy block was particularly hard hit and let CBS take control of the board.

ABC's "Hank" (6.7 million viewers, 1.6 preliminary adults 18-49 rating) was down a whopping 24% in the adult demo. "The Middle" (6.8 million, 2.1) fell 19%. "Modern Family" (8.5 million, 3.2) was down 16%. And "Cougar Town" (7.8 million, 3.1) slipped 18%. Rounding out ABC's night, "Eastwick" (5.3 million, 1.8) was down 22%. 

Fox and CBS tied in the demo to win the night, with CBS leading among total viewers. CBS' comedies "New Adventures of Old Christine" (7.3 million, 2.0) and "Gary Unmarried" (7.2 million, 2.2) were on par with last week. "Criminal Minds" (13.5 million, 3.4) and "CSI: NY" (12 million, 2.9) fell about 11% each. "Minds" was the highest-rated and most-watched show of the night.

After posting gains for several weeks, "So You Think You Can Dance" (6.2 million, 2.7) slipped a couple pegs, followed by "Glee" (7.3 million, 3.3).

NBC's "Mercy" (7.3 million, 1.8) continues to plea for viewers, dropping 14%. "Law & Order: SVU" (8.1 million, 2.6) was up a tick as fans continue to re-discover the show in its new slot. "The Jay Leno Show" (5.7 million, 1.7) declined 11%.

The CW's "America's Next Top Model" (3.3 million, 1.5) was steady.