Thursday evening’s TV ratings are in.  Here’s a brief look at the highlights:

  • The season five finale of NBC’s Community saw a slight ratings uptick, rising 11% from last week’s series low 0.9 rating to a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demo and scoring 2.9 million viewers.  It barely edged out Parks and Recreation for the night, but that’s still far from a “solid” ratings performance.  And yet, a sixth season renewal is actually looking pretty likely since it would put the series in a lucrative position for syndication.  If NBC doesn’t renew Community and “Basic Sandwich” ends up being the series finale, we’ll all just have to assume a giant asteroid destroyed all life on earth.  It is canon, after all.
  • Over on ABC, Scandal closed out its buzzworthy third season with a 3.4 rating and 10.45 million viewers, rising 13% from last week and marking the show’s highest rated season finale yet.  A fitting end to what's been a breakout season for the Shonda Rhimes soap.

Hit the jump for the rest of the TV ratings report for Thursday, April 17th, including Parks and Recreation, Parenthood, The Vampire Diaries, and more.

NBC

  • parks-and-recreation-one-in-8000
    Elsewhere on NBC, an excellent episode of Parks and Recreation that was equal parts funny and emotional scored a series low 0.9 rating and 2.39 million viewers, dropping 10% from last week’s series low 1.0 rating.  Regardless, NBC has all-but-guaranteed the show will return this fall for a seventh and likely final season.
  • Parenthood closed out its fifth season with a 1.3 rating and 3.69 million viewers, rising 18% from last week’s series low.  It stood as NBC’s highest rated program of the night.

ABC

  • Grey’s Anatomy dropped 4% to a 2.5 rating and scored 8.1 milion viewers.

FOX

  • Fox’s new comedy series Surviving Jack dropped 17% to a 1.0 rating and garnered 4.3 million viewers.

CBS

  • The season one finale of The Crazy Ones dipped 6% to a 1.6 rating and pulled in 5.36 million viewers.

The CW

  • The Vampire Diaries was down 13% to a 0.7 rating and drew 1.66 million viewers.
  • Reign was even with last week’s series low 0.4 rating and garnered 1.39 million viewers.