A trio of shows premiered last night, but only one did so impressively.
DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), the chart below displays preliminary key advertiser demographics (adult 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 ratings), audience skews (women 18-49, men 18-49 and adults 50+ shares) and total viewership (thousands of people over the age of 2).
Ratings analysis and comparisons follow the chart.
FOX: THE LAST MAN ON EARTH found plenty of company with a 2.3 rating, which was up half a point from its lead-in, and better than FAMILY GUY has been doing lately. Even better, that 2.3 remained solid throughout the hour, particularly impressive considering the unusual nature of the show. Earlier in the evening, a 7:30PM episode of BOB’S BURGERS scored an impressive 1.4, up half a point from what it had been doing at 9:30PM against February’s event programming. THE SIMPSONS was even more improved, up 0.7 from its last original episode to 1.8, and BROOKLYN NINE-NINE doubled to 1.8.
ABC: After a ONCE UPON A TIME clip-show started the night at 1.3, the show itself began its midseason cycle at 2.2, way down from the 3.4 FROZEN-themed fall premiere, although up half a point from the fall finale. SECRETS AND LIES premiered at 1.5, which was nowhere near last year’s midseason 3.8 launch of RESURRECTION, but better than either RESURRECTION or REVENGE has been doing lately. It also held its rating throughout the two hours, indicating that those who tuned in were satisfied.
CBS: BATTLE CREEK did absolutely nothing with a 1.0 start, unable even to hold its 1.1 lead-in from THE GOOD WIFE (which tied its series low by falling 0.3 from its fall finale). The best that can be said for BATTLE CREEK was that like the night’s other premieres, it held its rating throughout the hour. Earlier, 60 MINUTES was up 0.4 to 1.6, and MADAM SECRETARY returned at 1.3, a new series low that was down 0.4 from its fall finale.
NBC: The network kept its head down amid all the competition’s premieres, dividing its night between a 1.2 rerun of THE VOICE and 0.8 for a 2-hour DATELINE.
Tonight’s event (so to speak) is FOX’s season premiere of THE FOLLOWING, which may be helped a bit by facing reruns on CBS.
COMPARISONS TO SIMILAR NIGHTS: Preliminary adult 18-49 ratings versus the same night last year and same night last week.
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