‘Law & Order: SVU’ Reaches the 400 Episode Milestone

What follows are the metered market (overnight) results in households by network and by half-hour for Wednesday, February 8, 2017:

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 4.0/ 7, CBS: 3.9/ 6, Fox: 3.6/ 6, ABC: 3.5/ 6, CW: 1.0/ 2

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
ABC: -10, CBS: -19, NBC: -20, Fox: -25, CW: -33

Ratings Breakdown:
NBC’s veteran “Law & Order: SVU” reached 400 episodes last night with an overnight victory over CBS’ competing “Criminal Minds.” “SVU” scored a 4.7 rating/7 share in households at 9 p.m., which was seven percent above the 4.4/ 7 for “Criminal Minds” and 57 percent above the 8:30 p.m. portion of lead-in “Blindspot” (3.0/ 5).

At 400 episodes, “SVU” is now 56 episodes short of parent “Law & Order,” which aired from 1990 to 2010 and is tied with “Gunsmoke” as the longest running scripted drama in the history of television. Given the consistency this season, there is every reason to believe that “SVU” will surpass “Law & Order.” Congratulations Dick Wolf!

“Law & Order: SVU” led into a dominant 4.3/ 7 for “Chicago PD” at 10 p.m., which bested competing “Code Black” on CBS (#2: 4.0/ 7) and “The Match Game” on ABC (#3: 2.6/ 4) by 7 percent and 65 percent, respectively. “Code Black,” which will be replaced by new drama “Doubt” next week, was either the season or series finale. At this point, the prognosis for “Code Black” to return is really 50/50.

Earlier in the evening on NBC was “Blindspot” at a 3.2/ 6 in the 8 p.m., which trailed year-ago time period occupant “The Mysteries of Laura” (4.4/ 7 on 2/10/16) by 27 percent.

Also on CBS last night was recently introduced reality/competition “Hunted” at a third-place 3.4/ 5 at 8 p.m.

Over at ABC, “Modern Family” continues to win the 9 p.m. half hour, but a 4.8/ 8 in the household overnights was 13 percent below the 5.5/ 9 one year earlier. Alphabet net sitcoms “The Goldbergs” (#2” 4.1/ 7) and “Speechless” (#2: 3.5/ 6) were at typical overnight levels, while “black-ish” at 9:30 p.m. (#3: 3.7/ 7) held 77 percent of its “Modern Family” lead-in.

Elsewhere, solid “Lethal Weapon” on Fox won the 8 p.m. hour with a 4.3/ 7, which was still 34 percent below the 6.5/11 for “American Idol” on the year-ago evening. And it led into a modest 2.9/ 5 for “Star” at 9 p.m., which slipped by 33 percent. “Empire” returns in the Wednesday 9 p.m. hour on March 22.

On The CW, recent returnee “The 100” (#5: 0.8/ 1 at 9 p.m.) dropped by 38 percent from lead-in “Arrow” (#5: 1.3/ 2 at 8 p.m.).

What follows are the household overnight results for Wednesday, Feb. 8 by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Goldbergs”: 4.1/ 7 (#2)
CBS – “Hunted”: 3.4/ 6 (#4)
NBC – “Blindspot”: 3.4/ 6 (#4)
Fox – “Lethal Weapon”: 4.2/ 7 (#1)
CW – “Arrow”: 1.4/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Speechless”: 3.5/ 6 (#2)
CBS – “Hunted”: 3.2/ 5 (#4)
NBC – “Blindspot”: 3.0/ 5 (#4)
Fox – “Lethal Weapon”: 4.3/ 7 (#1)
CW – “Arrow”: 1.2/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Modern Family”: 4.8/ 8 (#1)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 4.4/ 7 (#3)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.5/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “Star”: 2.9/ 5 (#4)
CW – “The 100”: 0.8/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “black-ish”: 3.7/ 6 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 4.3/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.8/ 8 (#1)
Fox – “Star”: 2.9/ 5 (#4)
CW – “The 100”: 0.7/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Match Game”: 2.6/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “Code Black”: 4.0/ 7 (season or series finale)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 4.3/ 7 (#1)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “The Match Game”: 2.5/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “Code Black”: 3.9/ 7 (season or series finale)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 4.2/ 8 (#1)

Source: Nielsen Media Research