Disappointing Opening Results for NBC Sitcom ‘I Feel Bad’

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 6.8/12, Fox: 2.8/ 5, CBS: 2.6/ 5, ABC: 1.7. 3, CW: 0.5/ 1

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
CW: no change, Fox: – 3, ABC: – 6, NBC: -11, CBS: -24

Ratings Breakdown:
NBC stood well above the competition, more than doubling No. 2 Fox and further exhibiting why “America’s Got Talent” is of such tremendous summer value. The two-hour season finale topped the night with ease at an 8.5 rating/15 share in the household overnights, peaking in the 9:30 p.m. half-hour at a 9.0/16. Comparably, that was 11 percent below the year-ago season-ender (9.6/16 on 9/20/17), but still a major force to reckon with.

In the first new series premiere of the upcoming TV season (which starts next Monday!), NBC used “America’s Got Talent” to guarantee sampling for sitcom “I Feel Bad.” In a double episode opener, “I Feel Bad” scored a dominant 4.2/ 8 in the 10 p.m. half-hour, which was 53 percent below the 9:30 p.m. portion of “America’s Got Talent.” But a 2.8/ 6 (#1) for “I Feel Bad” in the 10:30 p.m. half-hour, a loss of 33 percent from 10 p.m., tells me viewers did not like what they sampled.

Also concluding its season last night was Fox’s just renewed “Masterchef” at a 2.8/ 5 from 8-10 p.m., which was on par with the year-ago evening.

Elsewhere, “Big Brother” on CBS, which concludes for the season next Wednesday, scored a 4.0/ 7 (#2) in the 8 p.m. hour. Competing “Burden of Truth” on The CW averaged a typically modest 0.6/ 1 (#5). And the remainder of the evening was all repeats.

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Wednesday, September 19 broken out by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Goldbergs” (R): 2.1/ 4 (#4)
CBS – “Big Brother”: 4.1/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “America’s Got Talent” (season finale): 7.8/14 (#1)
Fox – “MasterChef” (season finale): 2.6/ 5 (#3)
CW – “Burden of Truth”: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Housewife” (R): 1.7/ 3 (#4)
CBS – “Big Brother”: 3.9/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “America’s Got Talent” (season finale): 8.3/14 (#1)
Fox – “MasterChef” (season finale): 2.7/ 5 (#3)
CW – “Burden of Truth”: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Modern Family” (R): 1.8/ 3 (#3)
CBS – “SEAL Team” (R): 1.7/ 3 (#4)
NBC – “America’s Got Talent” (season finale): 8.7/15 (#1)
Fox – “MasterChef” (season finale): 2.9/ 5 (#2)
CW – “Supergirl” (R): 0.3/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Housewife” (R): 1.7/ 3 (#3t)
CBS – “SEAL Team” (R): 1.7/ 3 (#3t)
NBC – “America’s Got Talent” (season finale): 9.0/16 (#1)
Fox – “MasterChef” (season finale): 3.1/ 5 (#2)
CW – “Supergirl” (R): 0.4/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Shark Tank” (R): 1.5/ 3 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds” (R): 2.1/ 4 (#2)
NBC – “I Feel Bad” (series premiere/preview): 4.2/ 8 (#1)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Shark Tank” (R): 1.5/ 3 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds” (R): 2.2/ 4 (#2)
NBC – “I Feel Bad”: 2.8/ 6 (#1)

Source: Nielsen Media Research