Wednesday Overnights: NBC Leads; CBS’ ‘Survivor’ Tops Evening

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 4.3/ 7, CBS: 4.0/ 7, Fox: 3.2/ 5, ABC: 2.6/ 5, CW: 0.7/ 1

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
NBC: – 2, Fox: – 3, CBS: – 7, CW: -22, ABC: -30

Ratings Breakdown:
Veteran “Survivor” on CBS topped this second Wednesday in March, with a 5.1 rating/9 share in the household overnights from 8-9 p.m. Comparably, that was six percent above the comparable year-ago evening (4.8/ 8 on 3/15/17). But it was NBC that led the Wednesday overnights with its compatible combination of dramas “The Blacklist” (#2: 4.0/ 7 at 8 p.m.), “Law & Order: SVU” (#2: 4.2/ 7) and “Chicago PD” (#1: 4.6/ 8). Chances are NBC will leave this Wednesday line-up intact next season. If “Law & Order: SVU” does return, it will tie “Gunsmoke” and parent “Law & Order” as the longest running scripted drama in the history of television.

In week two news, CW dramedy “Life Sentence” slipped by one-tenth of a household rating point (or 17 percent) from its anemic week-ago opener, with a 0.5/ 1 in the 9 p.m. hour. Comparably, that dropped by 40 percent from lead-in “Riverdale” (1.0/ 2 at 8 p.m.), and it was 29 percent below year-ago time period occupant “The 100” (0.7/ 1 on 3/15/17). In other words, don’t get too used to it.

On Fox, already renewed freshman drama “9-1-1” from Ryan Murphy led the 9 p.m. hour with a solid 4.5/ 8 in the household overnights, which more than doubled lead-in “The X-Files” (2.0/ 4 at 8 p.m.).

ABC, meanwhile, has sprung a leak at 10 p.m., with sophomore “Designated Survior,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, at a modest 2.6/ 5 (#3). Comparably, that was 33 percent below the 3.9/ 7 on the year-ago evening. Earlier in the night, the alphabet network featured two episodes of sophomore sitcom “Speechless” (8 p.m.: #3, 3.0/ 5; 8:30 p.m.: #3: 2.5/ 4), which is on the fence for renewal, followed by an encore of “Modern Family” (#4: 2.5/ 4) and sophomore “American Housewife” (#4: 2.6/ 4) from 9-10 p.m.

Airing out of “Survivor” on CBS last night was a Wednesday 9 p.m. repeat airing of “NCIS” (#3: 3.0/ 5) into “Criminal Minds” at a second-place 3.8/ 7 at 10 p.m. Chances of a 14th season renewal for “Criminal Minds” is unlikely at this point.

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Wednesday, March 14 broken out by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Speechless”: 3.0/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Survivor”: 5.2/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “The Blacklist”: 4.1/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “The X-Files”: 2.0/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Riverdale”: 1.0/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Speechless”: 2.5/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “Survivor”: 5.1/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “The Blacklist”: 3.9/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “The X-Files”: 1.9/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Riverdale”: 0.9/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Modern Family” (R): 2.5/ 4 (#4)
CBS – “NCIS” (R): 3.0/ 5 (#3)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.1/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “9-1-1”: 4.4/ 7 (#1)
CW – “Life Sentence”: 0.5/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Housewife”: 2.6/ 4 (#4)
CBS – “NCIS” (R): 3.0/ 5 (#3)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.3/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “9-1-1”: 4.6/ 8 (#1)
CW – “Life Sentence”: 0.4/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor”: 2.7/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 3.8/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 4.7/ 8 (#1)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor”: 2.5/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 3.9/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 4.5/ 8 (#1)

Source: Nielsen Media Research