Thursday Overnights: Soft Return for ‘What Would You Do?’ on ABC

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THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.1/ 7, ABC: 3.8/ 7, NBC: 2.3/ 4, Fox: 1.9/ 3, CW: 1.1/ 2

Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening:
CBS: +28, CW: no change, ABC: -16, NBC: -21, Fox: -24

Ratings Breakdown:
Veteran “Grey’s Anatomy” on ABC topped the seven season finales featured last night, with a 5.9 rating/10 share in the household overnights at 8 p.m. And that led into a typical 3.7/ 6 for the season-ending episode of freshman “Station 19” at 9 p.m. At 10 p.m. on ABC was the season premiere of “What Would You Do,” hosted by John Quinoñes, at a modest 2.0/ 4. Comparably, that trailed the season-finale of CBS’ “S.W.A.T.” (#1: 4.1/ 7) by a hefty 51 percent.

Next fall, ABC on Thursday, Shonda Rhimes night, will feature “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Station 19” into the return of “How to Get Away With Murder” at 10 p.m.

On CBS, two episodes of “Life in Pieces” (including the season-ender) averaged a 3.6/ 6 in the household overnights from 9-10 p.m. “Life in Pieces” has been renewed for 2018-19, but will not return until midseason (or when needed).

Also closing its seasons were Fox’s “Gotham” (#4: 1.8/ 3 at 8 p.m.), which will also be held until midseason for its fifth – and final – season, and The CW’s combination of “Supernatural” (#5: 1.2/ 2 at 8 p.m.) and “Arrow” (#5: 1.0/ 2 at 9 p.m.). Next fall, “Arrow” shifts to Monday at 9 p.m. out of “D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow.” Inheriting the Thursday 9 p.m. hour on The CW is new drama “Legacies,” set in the same universe as “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals.”

Also original last night was Fox’s “Showtime at the Apollo” at a 2.0/ 4 at 9 p.m., which built from the 8:30 p.m. portion of lead-in “Gotham” (1.7/ 3) by 18 percent.

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Thursday, May 17 broken out by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy” (season finale): 6.0/11 (#1)
CBS – “The Big Bang Theory” ((R): 4.7/ 9 (#2)
NBC – “Ellen’s Game of Games” (R): 2.4/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham” (season finale): 1.9/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural” (season finale): 1.2/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy” (season finale): 5.8/10 (#1)
CBS – “Young Sheldon” (R): 4.5/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Ellen’s Game of Games” (R): 2.5/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham” (season finale): 1.7/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural” (season finale): 1.2/ 2 (#5

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19” (season finale): 3.8/ 6 (#2)
CBS – “Life in Pieces”: 3.9/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “American Ninja Warrior”: 2.4/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “Showtime at the Apollo”: 1.9/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Arrow” (season finale): 1.0/ 2 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19” (season finale): 3.6/ 6 (#1)
CBS – “Life in Pieces” (season finale): 3.4/ 6 (#2)
NBC – “American Ninja Warrior”: 2.2/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “Showtime at the Apollo”: 2.1/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Arrow” (season finale): 1.0/ 2 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “What Would You Do?” (season premiere): 2.1/ 4 (#2t)
CBS – “S.W.A.T. (season finale): 4.2/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “American Ninja Warrior”: 2.1/ 4 (#2t)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “What Would You Do?” (season premiere): 1.9/ 4 (#2t)
CBS – “S.W.A.T. (season finale): 4.1/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “American Ninja Warrior”: 1.9/ 4 (#2t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research