A solid start for ABC’s new sitcom.
ABC: The night’s new configuration worked out well, at least for now. THE MIDDLE was up 0.2 to 2.0 (still 15% below its season average), while SUBURGATORY, although slightly down at 1.8 from last week’s 9:30PM airing, was a few ticks above the numbers that THE NEIGHBORS had been getting at 8:30PM. MODERN FAMILY had its best outing in weeks, up 0.9 from last week to 4.1, and that set up a 2.9 premiere for HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS (FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE), matching the season high that Suburgatory had in that slot. Even NASHVILLE was up 0.2 to 1.7, pulling it to 2nd place for its hour.
FOX: AMERICAN IDOL hit a new all-time Tuesday low (again) at 3.0, down another 0.2 for its 4th consecutive decline. Amazingly, the one-time powerhouse was only 0.6 above Survivor in the 8PM hour, less than a third of its 2.1 margin of victory in the parallel week last year.
CBS: SURVIVOR itself was down 0.1 for the week to 2.4, on the low end of a steady run of ratings. CRIMINAL MINDS and CSI were both down 0.2 from their last new episodes 2 weeks ago, at 2.8 and 2.1 respectively. As CBS conserves its fresh episodes for May sweeps, both shows have only aired 2 new episodes over the past 5 weeks.
NBC: A DATELINE filling the 8PM hour had a 1.4, roughly the same as the sitcoms it replaced. SVU and CHICAGO FIRE have been in lockstep recently, and both were down 0.1 to 1.6. Notably, this pushed Chicago Fire to 3rd place in its hour for the first time in a while.
CW: ARROW was steady at 0.9, but SUPERNATURAL declined 0.2 to 0.8.
NBC takes its last scripted swing of the season tonight with the debut of HANNIBAL, hoping the celebrated mass murderer will liven up what’s been a cursed 10PM slot for the network. The launch will be preceded with a special run of GO ON. FOX will toy with the 9PM hour with runs of NEW GIRL and THE MINDY PROJECT off their usual nights. CBS and ABC air fresh episodes of their regular programming.
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