‘The Family’ Collapses on ABC; ‘Quantico’ Returns with a Series-Low

SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2016

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 6.0 rating/10 share, NBC: 3.6/ 6, ABC: 2.3/ 4, Fox: 1.9/ 3

Percent Change From the Year-Ago Oscar Night (3/01/15):
NBC: +44, CBS: – 6, Fox: -10, ABC: -39

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Ratings Breakdown:
Note: CNN aired the latest Democratic Presidential Debate from 8-10 p.m., and “Downton Abbey” concluded on PBS at 8 p.m.

CBS topped this first Sunday in March, besting No. 2 NBC by a healthy 36 percent in the household overnights. The Eye net opened with granddaddy “60 Minutes” at an 8.5 rating/14 share at 7 p.m., which led the night, followed by dramas “Madam Secretary” (7.0/11), “The Good Wife” (5.1/ 8) and “CSI: Cyber” (3.7/ 6) each first in their half-hours from 8-11 p.m. But the entire CBS line-up continues to skew particularly older, “The Good Wife” is ending, and “CSI: Cyber” is not worthy of a renewal for next season. In other words, CBS has work to be done on Sunday next season.

In time period premiere news, ABC drama “The Family” was DOA at a mere 2.2/ 3 in the household overnights from 9-10 p.m., which was 45 percent below year-ago drama occupant “Secrets & Lies” (4.0/ 6 on 3/07/15) and 49 percent below the series premiere last Thursday at 9 p.m. (4.3/ 7). Although the return of lead-out “Quantico” perked up by 23 percent in the overnights, a 2.7/ 5 at 10 p.m. (#3) was still a series low. Note to the networks: these long hiatuses are not beneficial to these scripted dramas.

Earlier in the evening on ABC was a repeat of “Once Upon a Time” (#4: 1.8/ 3) into a 2.7/. 4 (#3) for an original installment of the deteriorating (and just renewed) drama in its regularly scheduled time period.

Over at NBC, a two-hour repeat installment of “The Voice” (2.9/ 5 from 7-9 p.m.) led into a two-hour edition of “Dateline” at a 4.2/ 7 from 9-11 p.m. And Fox populated the evening with the combination of NASCAR and relocated “Bordertown” in the 7 p.m. half-hour (the majority of interest was NASCAR, of course), followed by “Bob’s Burgers” (#4: 1.6/ 3), “The Simpsons” (#4: 1.9/ 3), “Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving the Universe” (#4: 1.1/ 2), “Family Guy” (#4: 1.8/ 3) and the return of “The Last Man on Earth” (#4: 1.9/ 3) from 7:30-10 p.m. While “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” will remain staples on the evening next season, no one seems to realize (or report) how dramatically both animated series have declined in the ratings.

Source: Nielsen Media Research