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

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2017

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 6.6/11, NBC: 3.7/ 6, ABC: 3.2/ 5, Fox: 1.8/ 3, CW: 1.2/ 2

Percent Change from Opening Thursday in 2016 – 9/21/16:
NBC: + 3, CBS: – 1, CW: – 8, ABC: -18, Fox: -47

-Ratings Breakdown:
The 31 to 30 victory for the Oakland Raiders over the Kansas City Chiefs on “Thursday Night Football” led CBS to Thursday overnight victory. The match-up scored an estimated 7.1 rating/12 share in households in primetime (from 8:30-11 p.m. ET). Overnight results for any live sporting event are always approximate.

NBC, meeanwhile, made the absolute right decision bringing back “Will & Grace,” with the now ninth season of the highly awarded sitcom consistent at a second-place 5.0/ 8 in the household overnights in the 9 p.m. half-hour. Comparably, that built from sophomore lead-in “The Good Place” (#2: 2.8/ 5 at 8:30 p.m.) by a hefty 79 percent, and it outrated year-ago time period occupant “Chicago Med” (4.5/ 7 from 9-10 p.m. on 10/20/16).

Unfortunately, NBC’s sophomore “Great News” continues to lose considerable steam at 9:30 p.m., with a third place 2.7/ 4 (and retention out of “Will & Grace” of only 54 percent).

NBC’s “Superstore” at 8 p.m., one of the true hidden gems in primetime at present, was consistent from one year earlier at a third-place 2.9/ 5. And the net’s relocated “Chicago Fire” perked up to a second-place 4.2/ 7 in the 10 p.m. hour, which outdelivered ABC’s competing “How To Get Away With Murder” (#3: 2.8/ 5) by 50 percent.

Earlier in the evening on ABC were encore telecasts of animated specials “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (#2: 3.7/ 6) and “Toy Story of Terror” (#3: 2.7/ 4) from 8-9 p.m., followed by this final season of “Scandal” at a third-place 3.6/ 6 at 9 p.m.

Over at Fox, the combination of “Gotham” (#4: 2.1/ 4) and a repeat of “The Orville” (#4: 1.4/ 2) could not compete. But for a look at how “Gotham” does resonate in social media, click here http://brief.promaxbda.org/article/shows-keyed-into-comic-con-social-see-success.

The CW capped off the evening with its compatible combination of veteran “Supernatural” (#5: 1.2/ 2) and “Arrow” (#5: 1.1/ 2).

What follows is the breakdown by half-hour for Thursday, October 19:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (R): 3.7/ 6 (#2)
CBS – NFL Football Kickoff: 3.8/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “Superstore”: 2.9/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham”: 2.1/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural”: 1.3/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Toy Story of Terror” (R): 2.7/ 4 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders): 6.3/11 (#1)
NBC – “The Good Place”: 2.8/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham”: 2.0/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural”: 1.2/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Scandal”: 3.6/ 6 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders): 7.1/12 (#1)
NBC – “Will & Grace”: 5.0/ 8 (#2)
Fox – “The Orville” (R): 1.4/ 2 (#3)
CW – “Arrow”: 1.1/ 2 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Scandal”: 3.6/ 6 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders): 8.0/13 (#1)
NBC – “Great News”: 2.7/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “The Orville” (R): 1.4/ 2 (#4)
CW – “Arrow”: 1.0/ 2 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “How to Get Away With Murder”: 2.8/ 5 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders): 6.7/11 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 4.2/ 7 (#2)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “How to Get Away With Murder”: 2.7/ 5 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders): 7.4/13 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 4.3/ 8 (#2)

Source: Nielsen Media Research