ABC and NBC Have Sprung a Leak with Dramas ‘Conviction’ and ‘Timeless’

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

Note: These ratings exclude the Jacksonville, Orlando and Raleigh markets.

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 6.2/10, ABC: 5.8/ 9, CBS: 5.3/ 9, Fox: 2.5/ 4, CW: 1.3/ 2

Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening:
CW: +62, Fox: + 9, ABC and NBC: -13 each, CBS: -15
—–
-Winners:
“The Big Bang Theory” (CBS), “The Voice” (NBC), “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC)

-Huge Improvement:
“Supergirl” (CW)

-Tired:
“2 Broke Girls” (CBS)

-Losers:
“Gotham” (Fox), “Lucifer” (Fox), “Conviction” (ABC), “Timeless” (NBC)

—-
-Ratings Breakdown:
NBC remained in the overnight winner’s circle on this fourth Monday of the new TV season, besting No. 2 ABC and No. 3 CBS by 7 and 17 percent, respectively, in households. Thanks to “The Voice,” which scored a healthy 7.3 rating/11 share in the household overnights from 8-10 p.m., NBC’s advantage in adults 18-49 (and the other key demos) will be much greater. But all was not perfect on the Peacock net with week two of 10 p.m. drama “Timeless” slipping to a 3.9/ 6 at 10 p.m. (#2), which was 24 percent below its 5.1/ 8 debut one week earlier and 29 percent below year-ago time period occupant “Blindspot” (5.5/ 9 on 10/12/15). Comparably, overnight retention for “Timeless” out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of “The Voice” (7.3/11) was lacking at 53 percent.

Last week, “Timeless” opened with 7.60 million viewers and a 1.8 rating/6 share in adults 18-49, based on the Live Plus Same Day data.

Worse at 10 p.m., however, was week two of ABC drama “Conviction” at a third-place 3.1/ 5 in the household overnights, which was 16 percent below its anemic 3.7/ 6 opener one week earlier and 31 percent below “Castle” on the year-ago evening (4.5/ 8 on 10/12/15). Comparably, overnight retention for “Conviction” out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of “Dancing With the Stars” (7.2/11) was only 43 percent, and the debut last week came in at 5.17 million viewers and a 0.9/ 3 in adults 18-49, based on the Live Plus Same Day data. Tick, tock…the cancellation clock could be rapidly ticking on “Conviction.”

Overall, “Dancing With the Stars” scored a 7.1/11 in the household overnights from 8-10 p.m., which was nine percent below the 7.8/12 in the year-ago evening.

There were two season premieres last night. On CBS, two episodes of tired sitcom “2 Broke Girls” averaged a distant third-place 4.1/ 6 from 9-10 p.m., slipping in the 9 p.m. half-hour by 24 percent from episode four of lead-in “Kevin Can Wait” (#3: 5.4/ 8 at 8:30 p.m.). But “Supergirl,” now on The CW, opened season two (and first on The CW) with a 2.0/ 3 (#5) from 8-9 p.m., which was 150 percent above the series-premiere of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” on the year-ago evening (0.8/ 1 on 10/12/15). In the CW universe, consider this a positive start for “Supergirl.” In the CBS universe, 34 percent overnight slippage for the “2 Broke Girls” double-pop from year-ago time period occupant “Scorpion” (6.2/ 9 on 10/12/15) means CBS would be better off moving “Scorpion” back to 9 p.m.

Now at 10 p.m., “Scorpion” dipped to a 4.6/ 8. While still dominant against dramas “Conviction” and “Timeless,” it was still 26 percent that 6.2/ 9 at 9 p.m. on the year-ago evening.

Earlier in the evening on CBS was “The Big Bang Theory” at a 9.1/14, which topped the night. At 9 p.m. on The CW out of “Supergirl” was a repeat of “No Tomorrow” at a 0.5/ 1.

Fox, meanwhile, could not compete with dramas “Gotham” (#4: 2.5/ 4) and “Lucifer” (#4: 2.6/ 4).

Here is the half-hour breakdown:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing With the Stars”: 6.9/11 (#2t)
CBS – “The Big Bang Theory”: 9.1/14 (#1)
NBC – “The Voice”: 6.9/11 (#2t)
Fox – “Gotham”: 2.5/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Supergirl”: 2.0/ 3 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing With the Stars”: 7.1/11 (#2)
CBS – “Kevin Can Wait”: 5.9/ 9 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 7.7/12 (#1)
Fox – “Gotham”: 2.4/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Supergirl”: 2.0/ 3 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing With the Stars”: 7.4/11 (#2)
CBS – “2 Broke Girls” (season premiere): 4.1/ 6 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 7.5/11 (#1)
Fox – “Lucifer”: 2.6/ 6 (#4)
CW – “No Tomorrow” (R): 0.6/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing With the Stars”: 7.2/11 (#2)
CBS – “2 Broke Girls”: 4.0/ 6 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 7.3/11 (#1)
Fox – “Lucifer”: 2.6/ 6 (#4)
CW – “No Tomorrow” (R): 0.5/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Conviction”: 3.5/ 6 (#3)
CBS – “Scorpion”: 4.7/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “Timeless”: 4.2/ 7 (#2)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Conviction”: 2.5/ 8 (#3)
CBS – “Scorpion”: 4.5/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “Timeless”: 3.6/ 6 (#2)

Source: Nielsen Media Research