TV ratings: Fox’s ‘Rake’ premieres modestly after ‘American Idol’

Fox’s legal drama “Rake” debuted with modest results, following more “American Idol” auditions.

The new darkly comedic series, starring Greg Kinnear as a defense attorney with severe self-destructive tendencies, drew an average of just more than 7 million viewers, according to preliminary numbers from Nielsen. In the key 18-49 age group, it drew a rating of 1.7, which is lower than expected.

“American Idol’s” trip to Atlanta drew an average of 12.1 million viewers and a rating of 3.3 in 18-49, down 13% from a week earlier. Despite a falling “American Idol” and less-than-robust ratings for “Rake,” Fox was the night’s top network with an average of 9.58 million people watching and a 18-49 demo rating of 2.5.

PHOTOS: Cable versus broadcast ratings

ABC’s two-hour reality show “The Taste” grew by 22% from last week in 18-49, to a 1.1.

On NBC, “Community” and “Parks and Recreation” were flat week to week at a 1.1 and a 1.2, respectively, while “The Michael J. Fox Show” rose 17% to a 0.7 and “Sean Saves the World” fell 13% to a low of 0.7.

The bright spot for NBC: an 8% uptick from the tearjerker drama “Parenthood,” in which the marriage of two key characters is on the rocks. “Parenthood” grabbed a 1.3 rating, matching its highest since the second week of this season. Amid the tale of woe, “Parenthood” is getting a significant lift from people catching up via digital recording devices.

CBS showed all reruns.

The CW’s “Vampire Diaries” returned with 2.7 million viewers, which is up from its last original episode in December, and its 1.1 rating in 18-49 was flat. “Reign” increased 17% from its last episode to a 0.7.

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