ABC Suffers Noticeable Overnight Slippage on Thursday

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Household Rating/Share
Fox: 5.8 rating/9 share, CBS: 5.6/ 9, ABC: 4.8/ 8, NBC: 3.6/ 6, CW: 1.2/ 2

Percent Change From the Year-Ago Week:
Fox: +29, CW: +20, NBC: + 6, ABC: -26, CBS: -28

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-Winners:
“The Big Bang Theory” (CBS), “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC), “Mom” (CBS), “The Blacklist” (NBC)

-Going Out in Style:
“American Idol” Fox)

-Still an Improvement:
“Shades of Blue” (NBC)

-Losing Steam:
“Scandal” (ABC), “How to Get Away With Murder” (ABC)

-Losers:
“You, Me and the Apocalypse” (NBC), “2 Broke Girls” (CBS), “The 100” (CW)

Ratings Breakdown:
Two hours of soon-to-conclude “American Idol” was enough for Fox to win this third February Thursday in the household overnights, with a 5.9 rating/9 share from 8-10 p.m. ET. Comparably, this was just three percent below the 6.0/10 one week earlier, and that translated into 8.96 million viewers and a 2.1 rating/7 share in adults 18-49, based on the Live + Same Day data. For a final season of a series 15-years old, consider this a positive.

“The Big Bang Theory” on CBS topped the night, of course, with a 10.2/16 in the household overnights in the 8 p.m. half-hour. Congratulations to Bernadette and Howard! And that led into a second-place 5.8/ 9 for freshman “Life in Pieces” at 8:30 p.m., which slipped by a significant 43 percent. Perfectly compatible “Mom,” which tacked a serious issue last night, followed with a 5.6/ 9 (#2) at 9 p.m. For a review of this must see episode, click here for Ed Martin’s (Planet Ed) spot-on review at MediaVillage.

Tired “2 Broke Girls,” which CBS should consider ending at this point, moved into the 9:30 p.m. half-hour with a 4.1/ 6 (#3t), which dropped by 27 percent from “Mom.” And DVR-friendly “Elementary,” which also has enough episodes to conclude at this point, tied “How To Get Away With Murder” on ABC for first in the 10 p.m. hour with a modest 3.9/ 7.

ABC, unfortunately, has slipped significantly on Thursday (which could be the result of taking the TGIT-themed dramas off the air for approximately three months). Although veteran “Grey’s Anatomy” was stable at a second-place 5.8/ 9 in the overnights from 8-9 p.m., erosion from the year-ago evening for “Scandal” (#2: 4.9/ 7) and aforementioned “How To Get Away With Murder” (#1t, 3.9/ 7) from 9-11 p.m. was 32 percent and 40 percent, respectively. That is significant.

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Over at NBC, recently introduced “You, Me and the Apocalypse” dropped to a series-low 1.8/ 3 from 8-9 p.m. But “The Blacklist” rose by 128 percent to a 4.1/ 6 at 9 p.m., which has clearly narrowed the gap opposite ABC’s “Scandal.” And already renewed “Shades of Blue” closed the night with a third-place 3.6/ 6 at 10 p.m., which was 57 percent above failed year-ago occupant “Allegiance” (2.3/ 4 on 2/19/15).

The CW closed the night with freshman “D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow,” which dropped to a series-low 1.6/ 2 at 8 p.m. And “The 100” followed with a 0.9/ 1 at 9 p.m., which was a loss of 44 percent.

Source: Nielsen Media Research