Tuesday Overnights: ‘Roseanne’ Rules on ABC

TUESDAY 4/17/18

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 6.8/11, NBC: 4.0/ 7, ABC: 3.5/ 6, Fox: 1.9/ 3, CW: 1.4/ 2

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
CW: +100, ABC: +40, Fox: +27, CBS: – 6, NBC: -11

Ratings Breakdown:
“Roseanne” remains in a class of its own on Tuesday, leading the night with a significant 8.7 rating/15 share in the household overnights in the 8 p.m. half-hour. Comparably, that was 129 percent above “The Middle” on the year-ago evening (3.8/ 6 on 4/18/17), and it bested the second highest rated show of the evening, competing “NCIS” on CBS (7.5/13), by 16 percent. One week earlier, “Roseanne” was slightly higher at a 9.2/16 in the overnights.

While ABC was hoping to inject some interest in recently introduced sitcom “Alex, Inc.” with an airing out of “Roseanne,” it slipped by 63 percent with a third-place 3.2/ 5 at 8:30 p.m. Comparably, that was 35 percent below the 4.9/ 8 for “The Middle” one week earlier. Another original episode of “Alex, Inc.” airs in its regularly scheduled time period this evening out of “The Goldbergs.”

Also present in the Tuesday 8 p.m. hour was always reliable “The Voice” on NBC (#3: 5.2/ 9), “Lethal Weapon” on Fox (#4: 2.6/ 4), and “The Flash” on The CW (#5: 1.5/ 2). ABC’s “Roseanne,” not doubt, has taken its toll on all competing programming.

Tops at 9 p.m. was “Bull” on CBS with a 7.1/11 in the household overnights, which bested competing drama “Rise” on NBC (#3: 2.8/ 4) by a hefty 61 percent. While no one expects “Rise” to perform at recent “This Is Us” levels, the audience, unfortunately, has just not responded.

On ABC, recently introduced sitcom “Splitting Up Together” dipped to a series low 2.8/ 4 at 9:30 p.m., but the retention out of lead-in “black-ish” (#3: 2.9/ 5 at 9 p.m.) was solid at 97 percent. Fox featured comedies “LA to Vegas” (#4: 1.4/ 2 at 9 p.m.) and recent returnee “New Girl” (#5: 1.2/ 2 at 9:30 p.m.), which probably should have ended two years ago. And season one of The CW”s “Black Lightning” closed at a typical 1.2/ 2, which held a respectable 80 percent of its “The Flash” lead-in.

CBS remained in the overnight winner’s circle in the 10 p.m. hour care of “NCIS: New Orleans,” which scored a 5.5/10. Next was NBC’s “Chicago Med” (4.0/ 7), which is poised for dominance in adults 18-49 (and all the key young adult demographics). And recently introduced ABC legal drama “For the People” remained a bust at a mere 1.6/ 3. Not everything Shonda Rhimes produces is a success, no doubt.

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Tuesday, April 17 broken out by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Roseanne”: 8.7/15 (#1)
CBS – “NCIS” (episode 350): 7.4/13 (#2)
NBC – “The Voice”: 5.0/ 8 (#3)
Fox – “Lethal Weapon”: 2.6/ 4 (#4)
CW – “The Flash”: 1.5/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Alex, Inc.”: 3.2/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “NCIS” (episode 350): 7.7/13 (#1)
NBC – “The Voice” (clips show): 5.4/ 9 (#1)
Fox – “Lethal Weapon”: 2.6/ 4 (#4)
CW – “The Flash”: 1.5/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “black-ish”: 2.9/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Bull”: 7.1/11 (#1)
NBC – “Rise”: 3.1/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “LA to Vegas”: 1.4/ 2 (#4)
CW – “Black Lightning” (season finale): 1.2/ 2 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Splitting Up Together”: 2.8/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “Bull”: 7.2/12 (#1)
NBC – “Rise”: 2.5/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “New Girl”: 1.2/ 2 (#5)
CW – “Black Lightning” (season finale): 1.3/ 2 (#4)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “For the People”: 1.7/ 3 (#3)
CBS – “NCIS: New Orleans”: 5.6/10 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Med”: 4.0/ 7 (#2)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “For the People”: 1.5/ 3 (#3)
CBS – “NCIS: New Orleans”: 5.5/10 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Med”: 4.0/ 7 (#2)

Source: Nielsen Media Research