> AMERICAN IDOL returned to the schedule, towering over everything… except its own past. FOX:  Idol came back with a 7.4, which naturally squashed all its competition.  In fact, it beat the ratings of the other 4 broadcast networks combined.  And yet… the number was down 24% from last season’s Wednesday premiere.  Last year’s 9.8 […]

The ratings below are household ratings from the 56 television markets with local Nielsen meters for Saturday April 23 and Sunday April 24, 2016. The 56 markets (out of 210 total) cover about 70% of the US television population. Click here for sports ratings from the same calendar weekend last year. Golf PGA: Valero Texas Open […]

> GLEE looks at a shark and considers taking a jump. FOX:  Despite perhaps the most melodramatic midseason finale of any “comedy’ in TV history (a suicide attempt, an as-yet unexplained pregnancy, and a dead-or-not-dead? cliffhanger), GLEE was up only 0.1 from last week’s season low.  The show won’t air again until mid-April.  NEW GIRL […]

> Although cable networks have become much more aggressive with their in-season scripted programming in recent years (Sunday nights this season are at least as much about cable shows as they are broadcast), summer is still when those networks really come out and play.  Today TNT announced the premiere dates for its very busy summer […]

>Nobody wanted to watch TV last night. ABC: The premiere of Shonda Rhimes’ SCANDAL tied PRIVATE PRACTICE‘s 2.1 season low, a very unencouraging start. This followed new series lows for GREY’S ANATOMY and MISSING (2.8 and 1.4, respectively), making for a night of failure. FOX: AMERICAN IDOL fell to a series low 3.8, but even […]

  ABC and CW had local MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL preemptions and may be subject to adjustment in finals. DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), the chart below displays preliminary live+same day 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 […]

> SMASHWatch demands to know why “Bombshell” didn’t get any Tony nominations today.  NBC:  Last night’s SMASH encapsulated its season.  The episode began with high promise (a buoyant “Another Opening, Another Show” on the soundtrack as the cast members made their way to Boston for out-of-town tryouts), devolved into unconvincing, uninvolving soap, and culminated in […]

Everyone knows it’s not worthwhile for the networks to put on real programming during the summer, because no one watches… except for the 14 million or so who tuned in last night. ABC:  Miami and Oklahoma City cooperated to give ABC what it wanted:  a competitive NBA FINALS.  The game outrated its 5 competitors combined […]