Thursday Overnights: ‘Will & Grace’ is the Real Deal for NBC

REBRANDING MEGYN KELLY RINGS FALSE FOR NBC’s “TODAY” – Click HERE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 7.3/12, ABC: 4.1/ 7, NBC: 3.6/ 6, Fox: 2.2/ 4, CW: 1.2/ 2

Percent Change from Opening Thursday in 2016 – 9/21/16:
CBS: + 6, ABC: + 5, Fox: – 4, NBC: – 5, CW: -14

-Ratings Breakdown:
CBS won this second Thursday in the 2017-18 TV season thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles/Carolina Panthers match-up on NFL Football. The game averaged an estimated 7.9 rating/13 share in the household overnights and it stood well above the competition.

In week three news, it looks like the revival of “Will & Grace” on NBC is sticking, with a respectable (and second place) 5.0/ 8 in the 9 p.m. half-hour. Comparably, this was 79 percent above lead-in “The Good Place” (#3: 2.8/ 4 at 8:30 p.m.). It was 23 percent above “Chicago Med” in the time period on the year-ago evening (4.4/ 7 on 10/13/16). And, immediately following, sophomore “Great News” sunk to a 2.8/ 5 (#3) at 9:30 p.m. So, now the challenge for NBC is to find something compatible after it. Tina Fey, unfortunately, does not reach a mass audience.

Earlier in the evening on NBC was critically worthy “Superstore” at atypical third-place 2.9/ 5 in the 8 p.m. half-hour, which was on par with the year-ago evening. And relocated “Chicago Fire” at 10 p.m. (#2: 4.1/ 7) was a slight improvement from “The Blacklist” on the year-ago evening, besting ABC’s competing “How To Get Away With Murder” (#3: 2.9/ 5) by 41 percent in the household overnights.

ABC’s crown Thursday jewel remains “Grey’s Anatomy” at a consistent 5.7/ 9 at 8 p.m., which led into a third-place 3.8/ 6 for this final season of “Scandal” at 9 p.m.

In season premiere news was The CW’s combination of “Supernatural” (#5: 1.3/ 2), now in season 13, and relocated “Arrow” (#5: 1.1/ 2), which combined slipped by 14 percent from the year-ago combination of “D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow” and “Supernatural.”

Over at Fox, the combination of “Gotham” (#4: 2.1/ 4) and “The Orville” (#4: 2.4/ 4) could not compete. But for a look at how “Gotham” does resonate in social media, click here

What follows is the breakdown by half-hour for Thursday, October 5:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.8/10 (#1)
CBS – NFL Football Kickoff: 4.6/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Superstore”: 2.9/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham”: 2.1/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural” (season premiere): 1.3/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.6/ 9 (#2)
CBS – Thursday Football (Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers): 7.1/12 (#1)
NBC – “The Good Place”: 2.8/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham”: 2.0/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural” (season premiere): 1.3/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Scandal”: 3.8/ 6 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers): 8.1/13 (#1)
NBC – “Will & Grace”: 5.0/ 8 (#2)
Fox – “The Orville”: 2.5/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Arrow” (season premiere): 1.1/ 2 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Scandal”: 3.8/ 6 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers): 8.6/14 (#1)
NBC – “Great News”: 2.8/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “The Orville”: 2.4/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Arrow” (season premiere): 1.1/ 2 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “How to Get Away With Murder”: 2.9/ 5 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers): 7.5/12 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 4.1/ 7 (#2)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “How to Get Away With Murder”: 2.8/ 5 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers): 7.9/14 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 4.1/ 7 (#2)

Source: Nielsen Media Research