‘Are You There, Chelsea?’ clocks 6.4 million viewers

When is a show unveiling to 6.4 million viewers and a 2.3 rating among 18-49 year olds cause for celebration?

When you’re NBC and it’s the unveiling of “Are You There, Chelsea?” – that’s when!

NBC noted that’s its biggest audience in the Wednesday 8:30 p.m. half hour during a TV season since Jan. 5, 2011.

NBC also wants to make sure you know “Chelsea” clocked about 6 percent more viewers than its “Whitney” leadin (6.1 million). Growth is good.

Now the bad news:

“Chelsea” got whomped in its timeslot by an original episode of ABC’s comedy “Suburgatory” which logged nearly 9 million viewers, and CBS’s “Criminal Minds” repeat (9.2 million viewers). “Chelsea” did inch ahead of the “Criminal Minds” rerun among the 18-49 year old viewers broadcasters target but, not to put too fine a point on it — it was a rerun. Of “Criminal Minds.”

Following “Chelsea,” NBC’s Kathy Bates legal drama “Harry’s Law” earned its second biggest overall audience so far this season — nearly 9 million viewers. And, NBC points out “Harry’s Law” original episodes are DVR’d by a lot of people.

By Lisa de Moraes | 01:35 PM ET, 01/12/2012