‘American Idol’ Leads Fox to Thursday Overnight Victory

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016

Household Rating/Share
Fox: 5.6 rating/9 share, CBS: 5.3/ 9, ABC: 4.8/ 8, NBC: 2.4/ 4, CW: 1.2/ 2

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
CW: +20, Fox: – 8, ABC: -14, CBS: -18, NBC: -29

For the complete ratings breakdown, click here:

Ratings Breakdown:
Note: The latest Republican Presidential Debate aired on CNN from 8:30-11 p.m. ET.

Soon-to-conclude “American Idol” on Fox topped this second Thursday in March, with a 5.6 rating/9 share in the household overnights from 8-10 p.m. Comparably, this was eight percent below the 6.1/10 one year earlier.

“The Big Bang Theory” on CBS dominated the night, of course with a 9.6/16 in the 8 p.m. half-hour. And that led into a typical 5.5/ 9 (#3) for just renewed “Life and Pieces” at 8:30 p.m., which slipped by 43 percent. As I always say, erosion of over 30 percent for the lead-out show from any series is always a concern.

Next on the eye net was “Mom” at a typical 5.1/ 8 (#2) at 9 p.m. into “2 Broke Girls” (#3: 4.2/ 7) and “Elementary” (#1t: 3.8/ 7) from 9:30-11 p.m.

Over at ABC, veteran “Grey’s Anatomy” was right on par from one year earlier with a second-place 5.8/ 9 at 8 p.m. But the year-to-year overnight household slippage for lead-out “Scandal” (#2: 4.8/ 8 at 9 p.m.) was 25 percent. And “How to Get Away with Murder” (#1t: 3.8/ 7) dropped by 16 percent from “American Crime” on the year-ago evening. In other words, putting a scripted drama on a three month hiatus is just not a good idea for these broadcast networks.

Elsewhere, NBC time period filler “You, Me and the Apocalypse” scored a mere1.6/ 3 into a 2.3/ 4 at 9 p.m. for an encore telecast of “Law & Order: SVU.” Freshman “Shades of Blue” rose to a 3.6/6 at 10 p.m. (#3), which was 50 percent above the 9:30 p.m. portion of “SVU” (2.4/ 4). Of note for “Shades of Blue” last week was a rise of 91 percent in adults 18-49 (from a .99 to a 1.89 rating) based on time shifting (Live + Same Day to Live + 3 Day).

The CW capped off the night with freshman “D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow” (#4t: 1.6/ 3) into a modest 1.0/ 2 for “The 100” at 9 p.m.

Source: Nielsen Media Research