Wednesday Overnights: Chicago-Set Wednesday is a True Success for NBC

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 5.2/ 9, CBS: 3.7/ 6, Fox: 3.5/ 6, ABC: 3.0/ 5, CW: 0.8/ 1

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
NBC: +33, ABC: – 6, Fox: -10, CW: -11, CBS: -18

Ratings Breakdown:
NBC’s Chicago-set drama Wednesday remains the success story of this season with the trio – “Chicago Med” (#1 for the night: 5.5 rating/9 share at 8 p.m.), “Chicago Fire” (5.4/ 9 at 9 p.m.) and “Chicago PD” (4.8/ 7 at 10 p.m.) – dominating each of the six half-hours and lifting the network to a rise of 33 percent in the overnight households from one year earlier. More specifically, “Chicago Med” last night was 45 percent above year-ago time period occupant “The Blacklist,” and “Chicago Fire” 42 percent above “Law & Order: SVU.” With improved lead-in support, “Chicago PD” at 10 p.m. was up by 21 percent. Congratulations Dick Wolf!

On CBS, reality mainstay “Survivor” remains a solid 8 p.m. option with a 4.6/ 8 in the household overnights, but sophomore drama lead-out “SEAL Team” (#3: 3.6/ 6 at 9 p.m.) dipped by 20 percent year-to-year. Comparably, “SEAL Team” trailed “Chicago Fire” by 33 percent. At 10 p.m., tired “Criminal Minds” scored a 3.1/ 6 (#2), which was 21 percent below the already diluted 3.9/ 7 on the year-ago evening. It is time for 14-year old “Criminal Minds” to call it quits.

Elsewhere, ABC 9:30-11 p.m. Wednesday newbies “Single Parents” (#3: 2.9/ 5) and relationship drama “A Million Little Things” (#3: 2.7/ 5) each slipped to a series low. Overnight household retention for “Single Parents” out of “Modern Family” (#2: 3.8/ 6 at 9 p.m.) was 76 percent.

Earlier in the evening on ABC were sitcoms “The Goldbergs” (#4: 3.4/ 6) and relocated “American Housewife” (#4: 2.9/ 5) from 8-9 p.m.

In week two news, CW drama “All American” (#5: 0.5/ 1 at 9 p.m.) dropped by one-tenth of a rating point from its already anemic 0.6/ 1 debut one week earlier. Comparably, that was 55 percent below lead-in “Riverdale” (#5: 1.1/ 2 at 8 p.m.) and 29 percent below the 0.7/ 1 for “Dynasty” on the year-ago night.

Fox, meanwhile, had nothing unusual to report with its drama pairing of “Empire” (#3: 4.1/ 7), which is the show to beat in adults 18-49 at 8 p.m., and “Star” (#4: 3.0/ 5 at 9 p.m.).

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

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Goldbergs”: 3.4/ 6 (#4)
CBS – “Survivor”: 4.6/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago Med”: 5.4/ 9 (#1)
Fox – “Empire”: 4.0/ 7 (#3)
CW – “Riverdale”: 1.1/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Housewife”: 2.9/ 5 (#4)
CBS – “Survivor”: 4.5/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago Med”: 5.5/ 9 (#1)
Fox – “Empire”: 4.1/ 7 (#3)
CW – “Riverdale”: 1.0/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Modern Family”: 3.8/ 6 (#2)
CBS – “SEAL Team”: 3.6/ 6 (#3)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 5.3/ 9 (#1)
Fox – “Star”: 3.0/ 5 (#4)
CW – “All American”: 0.5/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Single Parents”: 2.6/ 4 (#4)
CBS – “SEAL Team”: 3.5/ 6 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 5.4/ 9 (#1)
Fox – “Star”: 2.9/ 5 (#4)
CW – “All American”: 0.5/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “A Million Little Things”: 2.7/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 3.1/ 5 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 4.8/ 8 (#1)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “A Million Little Things”: 2.6/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 3.0/ 6 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 4.6/ 9 (#1)

LATE NIGHT

11:30 p.m.
ABC – “Jimmy Kimmel”: 2.1/ 5 (#2)
CBS – “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”: 3.0/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (repeat): 2.0/ 5 (#3)

12:00 a.m.
ABC – “Jimmy Kimmel”: 1.5/ 4 (#2)
CBS – “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”: 2.0/ 6 (#1)
NBC – “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (repeat): 1.3/ 4 (#3)

12:30 a.m.
ABC – “Nightline”: 1.2/ 4 (#1t)
CBS – “The Late Late Show with James Corden”: 1.2/ 4 (#1t)
NBC – “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (repeat): 1.1/ 4 (#3)

1:00 a.m.
CBS – “The Late Late Show with James Corden”: 1.0/ 4 (#1)
NBC – “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (repeat): 0.8/ 3 (#2)

1:30 a.m.
NBC – “Last Call with Carson Daly” (repeat): 0.6/ 3

Source: Nielsen Media Research