'Modern Family' is the 2010-11 DVR champion; 'Hawaii Five-0,' 'Fringe,' also make big gains

"Modern Family's" ratings were quite good this season just counting the people who watched it the night it aired. Among DVR users, though, no other series got a bigger boost.

The ABC comedy added almost 3.5 million viewers and 1.7 ratings points among adults 18-49 per episode, according to Nielsen's live+7 rankings for the 2010-11 season. That puts it at the top of the list in both categories. (The live+7 ratings count only original episodes, not repeats or those classified as "specials" -- i.e., episodes that aired away from their usual time period.)

"Hawaii Five-0" gained the second-highest number of viewers for the season, an average of 3.26 million per episode. It was also in the Top 10 in adults 18-49 gains, going from a 2.9 rating to a 4.0.

The season's two most-watched shows overall, "American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars," aren't especially great DVR performers, since their live-performance elements tend to make people want to see them as they air. "Idol's" two weekly shows added an average of 2.1 million viewers, but that represents only about a 9 percent gain. "DWTS" did even worse, adding less than a million viewers (about 4 percent) on each of its two nights.
In terms of percentages, "Fringe" was the biggest gainer of the season. It improved by a whopping 56 percent among adults 18-49 (1.6 to 2.5) and nearly 41 percent in total viewers (4.39 million to 6.18 million). "Parenthood" was second in percentage of viewers gained (+35.8%) and was in the Top 10 in the 18-49 demo as well (+38.1%).

The Top 10 gainers in viewers and adults 18-49 ratings are below; you can see the full broadcast-network list at our partner site TV by the Numbers.

Biggest DVR gains in total viewers

1. "Modern Family," +3.484 million (11.196 million to 14.68 million, a 31.1% gain)
2. "Hawaii Five-0," +3.259 million (10.936 million to 14.195 million, 29.8%)
3. "The Mentalist," +3.045 million (14.536 million to 17.851 million, 20.9%)
4. "Grey's Anatomy," +2.912 million (11.267 million to 14.179 million, 25.8%)
5. "Glee," +2.681 million (10.864 million to 13.545 million, 24.7%)
6. "Criminal Minds," +2.62 million (13.642 million to 16.262 million, 19.2%)
7. "NCIS," +2.541 million (19.721 million, to 22.262 million, 12.9%)
8-tie. "Castle," +2.52 million (10.7 million to 13.22 million, 23.6%)
8-tie. "House," +2.52 million (9.954 million to 12.474 million, 25.3%)
10. "Blue Bloods," +2.465 million (11.29 million to 13.755 million, 21.8%)

Biggest DVR gains in adults 18-49

1. "Modern Family," +1.7 points (4.5 to 6.2, a 37.8% gain)
2. "Grey's Anatomy," +1.4 (4.1 to 5.5, 34.1%)
3. "The Office," +1.3 (3.7 to 5.0, 35.1%)
4-tie. "House," +1.2 (3.6 to 4.8, 33.3%)
4-tie. "Glee," +1.2 (4.4 to 5.6, 27.3%)
6-tie. "Hawaii Five-0," +1.1 (2.9 to 4.0, 37.9%)
6-tie. "The Big Bang Theory," +1.1 (4.0 to 5.1, 27.5%)
8-tie. "Criminal Minds," +1.0 (3.5 to 4.5, 28.6%)
8-tie. "The Mentalist," +1.0 (2.9 to 3.9, 34.5%)
*Nine shows -- "American Idol" Wednesday, "Bones," "CSI," "Desperate Housewives," "Fringe," "NCIS," "Private Practice," "Two and a Half Men" and "The Voice" -- tied for 10th place with gains of 0.9 points per episode.