TV Ratings: NBC Comedies Drop, 'X Factor' and 'Wipeout' Build

Justin Lubin/NBC

The X Factor got another week-to-week boost on Thursday night, averaging a 3.4 rating among adults 18-49 according to fast affiliate returns. It grew more in total viewers, just shy of 10 million, while Glee fell two tenths of a point in the demo from last week's premiere. The show brought in a 2.9 rating among adults 18-49, pushing the network to a 3.1 adults rating and 8.6 million viewers for the night.

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CBS managed to pull into second place for the night, despite a block of encores. Back-to-back episodes of The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, followed by a repeat of Person of Interest, averaged a 1.8 adults rating and 7.4 million viewers.

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Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update Thursday Edition started out the night with a 1.6 adults rating on NBC. One of two planned specials for the election year, it was down 69 percent from the comparable showing during the 2008 election. Up All Night was down in its return, pulling a 1.3 rating with adults 18-40, shy of both its series debut last year and its first Thursday broadcast in January.

The Office kicked off its final season with a steep, if somewhat predictable, dip. The series tied its lowest-rated episode (a 2.1 rating among adults 18-49) and dropped 46 percent from last season's buzzy premiere that answered the question of who would replace Steve Carell's character. Parks and Recreation, while down year over year, held its finale audience of a 1.7 adults rating.

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Adding in Rock Center with Brian Williams (down 21 percent for a 1.1 adults rating), NBC averaged a 1.5 rating with adults 18-49 and 4 million viewers.

Univision had a 1.4 rating with adults 18-49.

Wipeout was up 27 percent, week to week, in its finale, but its 1.4 adults rating was a 39 percent drop from last summer's ender. ABC averaged a 1.2 adults rating for the night and 3.987 million viewers.

The CW, likely boosted by NFL preemptions in New York, pulled in a 0.6 adults rating with a new episode of The Next.