Debut of DON'T TRUST THE B---- IN APT. 23 Bodes Well for ABC

Last night's debut of the new ABC comedy DON'T TRUST THE B---- IN APT.23 posted the network's best retention in a year.

With ABC's 8-10pm comedy block returning to all-originals for the first time in 4 weeks (since 3/14/12) followed by a Revenge clip-show, the Net posted its strongest Wednesday since February in viewers and young adults - since 2/29/12.

ABC was up over the same night last year in Total Viewers (+9%) and Adults 18-49 (+4%).

At 8pm, against CBS' Survivor: One World and the start of Fox's 2-hour Idol, ABC's The Middle outdelivered NBC's Off their Rockers by 13% in viewers and by 31% in Adults 18-49. In addition, the ABC comedy beat out Survivor for its 5th straight original telecast in Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34.

· The Middle rose by double digits over its year-ago telecast on the evening, surging by 15% in viewers and by 17% in young adults year to year.

Retaining 100% of its young adult lead-in at 8:30pm, ABC's Suburgatory towered over its NBC freshman comedy competition in its slot, more than doubling the numbers for NBC's Best Friends Forever in Total Viewers (+110%) and Adults 18-49 (+133%). For the 5th time in as many first-run telecasts, the ABC freshman comedy outran the second half of Survivor: One World by double digits with Adults 18-34 (+15%) and Women 18-34 (+29%).

· Suburgatory delivered big year-over-year improvement for ABC in the half-hour, jumping by 27% in viewers and by 40% in young adults over original comedy programming on the same night last year.

Wednesday's dominant #1 scripted TV show in Adults 18-49, ABC's Modern Family nearly doubled its lead-in at 9pm to beat out its nearest scripted competition by 37% (CBS' Criminal Minds). In addition, Modern Family finished as Wednesday's #1 TV program among hard-to-reach Men 18-34, beating out Idol by 13% in the time period.

· ABC's Modern Family grew over its year-ago broadcast by 7% in viewers and by 5% in young adults.

During the 9:30pm half-hour against the conclusion of Idol, ABC's debut of Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23 opened as the #1 scripted show in its slot across the 18-34 demographics (A18-34/W18-34/M18-34).

· Exhibiting improved lead-in retention for ABC, the series debut of Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23 drew the Net's biggest audience in the slot in over 3 months and its highest Adult 18-49 number in more than 2 months - since 1/4/12 and 2/8/12, respectively. In addition, the show improved the half-hour for ABC year to year with in Adults 18-49 (+4%).

· Holding strong retention of its Modern Family's lead-in with viewers and young adults (68%/71%), Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23 generated ABC's best retention in the half-hour coming out of an original Modern Family in 1 year - since 4/13/11.

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's Revenge: From the Beginning series recap show defeated NBC's original Law & Order: SVU in both Total Viewers (+4%) and Adults 25-54 (+10%), while tying among Adults 18-49. In addition, beating original dramas on CBS and NBC in, ABC ranked #1 in the hour with Women 18-34.