ABC Has Sprung a Leak on Thursday

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Household Rating/Share
Fox: 6.0 rating/9 share, CBS: 5.4/ 9, ABC: 4.6/ 7, NBC: 3.0/ 5, CW: 1.4/ 2

Percent Change From the Year-Ago Week:
CW: +133, Fox: +28, CBS: – 7, NBC: -12, ABC: -28

Ratings Breakdown:
Disclaimer: These overnight results are a precursor to what could lie ahead pending the other data streams (including Live + Same Day, Live + 3 Day and Live + 7 Day). Any observations we make take that into consideration, as well as critical acclaim (or lack of) for each individual series and the social media impact.

Note: CNN and Telemundo aired the latest Republican Debate from 8:30-11 p.m. ET.

Celebrating 200 episodes, CBS sensation “The Big Bang Theory,” featuring guest star Adam “Batman” West, topped the night as usual with a 10.5 rating/17 share in households at 8 p.m. That led into “Life in Pieces” at a typical (and second place place) 5.6/ 9 at 8:30 p.m., which slipped by 47 percent, followed by “Mom” (#2: 4.9/ 8), relocated “2 Broke Girls” (#3t, 4.0/ 6) and “Elementary” (#2: 3.7/ 6) from 9-11 p.m. The bottom line: “Life in Pieces” has improved critically and will probably get a second season pick-up. But this sitcom is not capable of eventually anchoring an hour. “2 Broke Girls” is just plain tired and in need of no future episodes for off-network. And DVR-favorite “Elementary” only trailed ABC’s competing (and sinking) “How to Get Away with Murder” (#1: 3.8/ 7) by one-tenth of a rating point.

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On ABC, continued overnight erosion was the immediate observation. Veteran “Grey’s Anatomy” opened the night with a 5.4/ 8 in households at 8 p.m., which slipped by 11 percent from the 6.1/10 on the year-ago evening. But more concerning was the pairing of “Scandal” (#2: 4.6/ 7) and aforementioned “How to Get Away with Murder” (#1: 3.8/ 7) at an average loss of 35 percent from the 6.5/11 for a two hour episode of “How to Get Away with Murder” on the year-ago evening. The moral of this story: Putting these dramas on a three month hiatus is a very bad idea.

On Fox, two more hours of soon-to-conclude “American Idol” resonated at a 6.0/ 9 in the household overnights from 8-10 p.m., which means this 15-year old singing competition will be exiting in style.

NBC, meanwhile, lost a bit of steam week-to-week with its combination of failing “You, Me and the Apocalypse” (#5: 1.6/ 2) and already renewed “The Blacklist” (#4: 4.0/ 6) and “Shades of Blue” (#3: 3.4/ 6). And The CW has typical overnight results care of recently introduced “D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow” (#4: 1.8/ 3) and “The 100” (#5: 1.0/ 2).

Source: Nielsen Media Research