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‘Empire’ Leads Fox to Another Wednesday Overnight Victory

'Designated Survivor' and 'Speechless' Remain Particularly Positive on ABC

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What follows are the metered market (overnight) results in households by network and by half-hour for Wednesday, September 28:

Household Rating/Share

Fox: 5.7/ 9, CBS: 5.1/ 8, ABC: 4.9/ 8, NBC: 4.0/ 7, CW: 0.8/ 1

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
CW: +14, ABC: + 9, NBC: – 9, CBS: -12, Fox: -17

-Winners:

“Survivor” (CBS), “Lethal Weapon” (Fox), “Empire” (Fox), “Modern Family” (ABC), “Designated Survivor” (ABC)

-Very Promising:

“Speechless” (ABC)

-Sluggish:

“Blindspot” (NBC), “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC), “Chicago PD” (NBC), “Code Black” (CBS)

-Losers:

“Whose Line is it Anyway?” (CW)

—–

-Ratings Breakdown:
Fox is the network to beat on Wednesday care of season three of “Empire,” which topped the night at a 6.5 rating/10 share in the household overnights from 9-10 p.m. ET. But that 6.5 household rating was 10 percent below the 7.2/11 for the season-opener one week earlier, and 28 percent below the 9.0/14 on the year-ago week.

Week two of “Empire” lead-in “Lethal Weapon” continues to benefit by the “Halo Effect,” building by 13 percent in the second half-hour (4.6/ 8 to 5.2/ 8) and averaging a very respectable 4.9/ 8 in the household overnights from 8-9 p.m. ET. Comparably, that was only eight percent below the 5.3/ 9 week-ago opener. And that 5.3 rating in the overnights translated into 7.93 million viewers and a 2.2 rating/8 share in adults 18-49, based on the Live + Same Day data.

Tops in the 8 p.m. hour was veteran “Survivor” on CBS, already an addiction again this season, with a 5.5/ 9 from 8-9 p.m. Comparably, a 5.7/10 in the household overnights for the 90-minute season-opener last week translated into a solid 9.44 million viewers and a 2.3/ 9 in adults 18-49 (based on the Live + Same Day data).

Next on CBS was the season-premiere of “Criminal Minds” at a 5.5/ 9, which finished second in the 9 p.m. hour and dropped by 11 percent from the 6.2/10 for the year-ago season premiere. That led into the second season-premiere of medical drama “Code Black” at a second-place 4.2/ 7 at 10 p.m. Comparably, “Code Black” slipped by 25 percent from its year-ago series debut (5.6/10 on 9/30/15). And the overnight household retention out of the 9:30 p.m. portion of “Criminal Minds” (5.4/ 9) was 78 percent.

In week two news on ABC, 10 p.m. drama “Designated Survivor,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, won the hour with ease at a 5.9/10. Comparably, this was a hefty 74 percent above year-ago occupant “Nashville” (3.4/ 6 on 9/30/15). It built from lead-in “black-ish” (#4: 4.0/ 6 at 9:30 p.m.) by 48 percent. And a 7.9/12 in households for its premiere last week translated into 10.04 million viewers and a 2.2/ 8 in adults 18-49 (again based on the Live + Same Day data). Yes, ABC…”Designated Survivor” is looking very positive.

Also in week two news was ABC sitcom “Speechless” at a third-place 4.3/ 7 at 8:30 p.m., which matched its “The Goldbergs” lead-in at 8 p.m. and only dropped by nine percent from its 4.7/ 8 week-ago opener. Consider “Speechless” another promising new entry for ABC.

At 9 p.m. on ABC was “Modern Family” at a second-place 5.3/ 8, which was nine percent below the 5.8/ 9 season-premiere last week. And that topped Wednesday on ABC, as usual, with 8.24 million viewers and a 2.6/ 9 in adults 18-49.

On NBC, relocated drama “Blindspot” finished fourth in the 8 p.m. hour with a 3.9/ 7 in the household overnights. Comparably, this was 22 percent below year-ago occupant “The Mysteries of Laura” (5.0/ 8 on 9/30/15), which got the axe because it skewed too old. Last week, a 4.3/ 7 in the overnights for “Blindspot” only equaled 6.08 million viewers and a 1.3/ 5 in adults 18-49.

Next on NBC was veteran “Law & Order: SVU” at 4.1/ 7 at 9 p.m., which was equal to the year-ago evening (but 21 percent below the 5.2/ 8 for last week’s season premiere). And it led into “Chicago PD” at a third-place 3.9/ 7 at 10 p.m., which dropped by seven percent from the year-ago 4.2/ 7 season-opener.

The CW populated the evening with a repeat of “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (#5: 0.9/ 2 at 8 p.m.) into two episodes (original and repeat) of “Whose Line is it Anyway” (9 p.m. #5: 0.8/ 1; 9:30 p.m.: #5, 0.7/ 1).

Source: Nielsen Media Research

What follows are the overnight results by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Goldbergs”: 4.3/ 7 (#3)
CBS – “Survivor”: 5.5/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Blindspot”: 4.0/ 7 (#4)
Fox – “Lethal Weapon”: 4.6/ 8 (#2)
CW – “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (R): 0.9/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Speechless”: 4.3/ 7 (#3)
CBS – “Survivor”: 5.6/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Blindspot”: 3.8/ 6 (#4)
Fox – “Lethal Weapon”: 5.2/ 8 (#2)
CW – “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (R): 0.9/ 1 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Modern Family”: 5.3/ 8 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds” (season premiere): 5.5/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.1/ 6 (#4)
Fox – “Empire”: 6.5/10 (#1)
CW – “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”: 0.8/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “black-ish”: 4.0/ 6 (#4)
CBS – “Criminal Minds” (season premiere): 5.4/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.2/ 7 (#4)
Fox – “Empire”: 6.6/10 (#1)
CW – “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (R): 0.7/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor”: 5.9/10 (#1)
CBS – “Code Black” (season premiere): 4.3/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 3.9/ 7 (#3)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor”: 5.8/10 (#1)
CBS – “Code Black” (season premiere): 4.1/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 3.9/ 7 (#3)

Source: Nielsen Media Research