Freshman Thursday Network Entries Continue to Struggle

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.6/ 8, ABC: 4.2/ 7, NBC: 2.8/ 5, Fox: 2.0/ 3, CW: 0.9/ 2

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
NBC: +17, ABC: -12, CBS: -13, CW: -25, Fox: -64

-Ratings Breakdown:
One look at the Thursday overnights this week and the immediate observation is the lack of interest in the new midseason entries. On Fox, reality/competition “Kicking & Screaming” opened with a very distant fourth-place 1.4 rating/2 share in the household overnights from 9-10 p.m., which slipped from lead-in “MasterChef Junior” (#3: 2.5/ 4 at 8 p.m.) by 44 percent. “Kicking & Screaming” was also 75 percent below the year-ago telecast of “American Idol” (5.6/ 9 on 3/10/16). If anyone should revive “Idol” it should be Fox (and not NBC).

On NBC, recent sitcom entry “Powerless” lived up to its title, with a mere 1.6/ 3 (#4) at 8:30 p.m. Comparably, that was only a slight improvement from failed year-go time period occupant “You, Me and the Apocalypse” (1.4/ 2 on 3/10/16). A repeat of lead-in “Superstore” scored a 1.7/ 3 at 8 p.m.

“Riverdale,” which The CW renewed on the strength of DVR usage and social media interest, was off the map in the household overnights at a 0.8/ 1 from 9-10 p.m. And then there is the 10 p.m. hour, where newbie dramas “Training Day” on CBS (#2: 2.8/ 5) and “The Blacklist: Redemption” on NBC (#3: 2.5/ 5) dropped from the year-ago time period occupants (CBS – “Elementary”: 3.7/ 6; NBC – “Shades of Blue”: 3.5/ 6) by 24 percent and 29 percent, respectably. “Training Day” also declined from lead-in “Life In Pieces” (#2t: 4.0/ 7 at 9:30 p.m.) by 32 percent. And “The Blacklist: Redemption” was down by 41 percent from the 9:30 p.m. portion of lead-in “Chicago Med” (4.2/ 7, which scored a 4.1/ 7 in the 9 p.m. hour).

Also lacking at 10 p.m. was the sophomore season premiere of drama “The Catch” (#1: 2.8/ 5), which was 24 percent below “How To Get Away With Murder” on the year-ago evening (3.7/ 7 on 3/10/16). “The Catch” also slipped by 33 percent from the 4.2/ 7 in the household overnights for lead-in “Scandal.”

Earlier in the evening on ABC was veteran “Grey’s Anatomy” at a consistent (and second place) 5.5/ 9 from 8-9 p.m.

Tops for the night, of course, was “The Big Bang Theory” on CBS at an 8.7/15 at 8 p.m.. But a second-place 4.4/ 8 for lead-out “The Great Indoors” at 8:30 p.m. means that CBS must be sharpening the cancellation axe. “Mom” on the Eye net perked up to a first-place 5.0/ 8 in the 9 p.m. half-hour.

Also on The CW last night was “Supernatural” at a typical 1.1/ 2 at 8 p.m. (#5).

What follows is the breakdown by half-hour for Thursday, March 9:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.5/ 9 (#2)
CBS – “The Big Bang Theory”: 8.7/15 (#1)
NBC – “Superstore” (R): 1.7/ 3 (#4)
Fox – “MasterChef Junior”: 2.5/ 4 (#3)
CW – “Supernatural”: 1.1/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.5/ 9 (#2)
CBS – “The Great Indoors”: 4.4/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Powerless”: 1.6/ 3 (#4)
Fox – “MasterChef Junior”: 2.5/ 4 (#3)
CW – “Supernatural”: 1.1/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Scandal”: 4.3/ 7 (#2)
CBS – “Mom”: 5.0/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Med”: 4.0/ 7 (#3)
Fox – “Kicking & Screaming” (series premiere): 1.4/ 2 (#4)
CW – “Riverdale”: 0.8/ 2 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Scandal”: 4.0/ 7 (#2t)
CBS – “Life in Pieces”: 4.0/ 7 (#2t)
NBC – “Chicago Med”: 4.2/ 7 (#1)
Fox – “Kicking & Screaming” (series premiere): 1.4/ 2 (#4)
CW – “Riverdale”: 0.7/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Catch” (season premiere): 3.0/ 5 (#1)
CBS – “Training Day”: 2.8/ 5 (#2t)
NBC – “The Blacklist: Redemption”: 2.8/ 5 (#2t)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “The Catch” (season premiere): 2.6/ 5 (#1t)
CBS – “Training Day”: 2.6/ 5 (#1t)
NBC – “The Blacklist: Redemption”: 2.5/ 5 (#3)

Source: Nielsen Media Research