Of course FOX easily won another Wednesday night  as American Idol cruised at 9pm.  Still  with a 7.5 adults 18-49 rating, Idol was down 12% versus last Wednesday, but FOX notes Idol retained 96% of the adults 18-49 audience from the comparable night in 2009.

Even against Idol, ABC’s comedy block held up.  Modern Family was up 9% versus last week to a 3.7 adults 18-49 rating and with a 2.6 rating in adults 18-49, Cougar Town was up 13%.

Source: TV by the Numbers

“MODERN FAMILY” BUILDS SHARPLY ON ITS PREVIOUS AIRING AGAINST “IDOL”
Released by ABC

Quick Take for Wednesday, February 3, 2010 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Posting its Best-Ever Repeat Numbers, ABC’s Replay “Modern Family” Ties Fox’s Original “Human Target” and Dominates NBC’s “Mercy” at 8pm

Achieving a Series High in Adults 18-49, at 8:30pm “The Middle” Beats Fox’s “Human Target” Slot Premiere by 8% and NBC’s “Mercy” by 69%

Wednesday’s No. 1 Scripted TV Show in Adults 18-49 for its 2nd Straight Telecast, “Modern Family” Builds Sharply on its Previous Airing Against “Idol”

Facing “Idol” for the First Time, “Cougar Town” is the No. 2 Scripted Show at 9:30pm and Grows from its Season Averages Despite the Increased Competition

“Modern Family R” (8:00-8:30 p.m.)

ABC’s repeat airing of “Modern Family” placed as the No. 1 series telecast at 8:00 p.m. in Adults 18-49 (2.4/7), tying Fox’s original time-period premiere of “Human Target” (2.4/7) and beating NBC’s original “Mercy” by 50% (1.6/5).

In Total Viewers (6.8 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.4/7), “Modern Family” posted its best-ever repeat numbers.

“Modern Family” (9:00-9:30 p.m.)

Surging from its lead-in by 44% at 9:00 p.m. against “American Idol,” ABC’s “Modern Family” (3.9/10) ranked as the No. 1 scripted show in its half-hour among Adults 18-49 and as Wednesday’s No. 1 scripted TV program for the 2nd telecast in a row, ahead of CBS’ “Criminal Minds” (3.8/10).

“Modern Family” was up nicely from its previous airing against “American Idol” (on 1/13/10), growing by 1.3 million viewers (9.1 million vs. 7.8 million) and by 18% in Adults 18-49 (3.9/10 vs. 3.3/8). In addition, although airing against “Idol,” the ABC comedy marked a series high with Women 18-34 (4.4/12) for the 2nd consecutive telecast.

Source: The Futon Critic

or once, the TV writers were content.

A quartet of showrunners agreed Wednesday during a Hollywood Radio & TV Society panel that the biz is experiencing a renaissance of sorts as such innovative new hits as Fox’s “Glee” and ABC’s “Modern Family” creatively refresh the industry.

“It was over — the sitcoms were disappearing,” “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner said. “Everything was being replaced with news magazines, there was all this terror about the marketplace … and here it is, coming back. It’s a good time to be watching TV.”

Weiner spoke during HRTS’ annual gathering of top writer-producers, joined by Steve Levitan (“Family”), Carter Bays (CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother”) and Ryan Murphy (“Glee”).

“All of us are in a shock that it did work,” Murphy said of “Glee,” which he said tested “in the middle” among Fox’s focus group. “Kevin Reilly and Peter Liguori said, ‘This is a bizarre show, but we really want to keep thinking outside the box because that’s what we think is going to be a big hit on network television now, not just the same old procedurals.’ ”

Read the rest of the story on Hollywood Reporter