Monday Overnights: ABC Misfires with Abbreviated Season of ‘Dancing With the Stars’

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MONDAY, MAY 7, 2018

Household Rating/Share
ABC: 4.6/ 8, NBC: 4.2/ 7, CBS: 3.2/ 5, Fox: 2.6/ 4, CW: 0.9/ 2

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Week:
Fox: +18, NBC: – 6, ABC: – 9, CW: -10, CBS: -16

-Ratings Breakdown:
Night two of this abbreviated four-week season of “Dancing With the Stars,” featuring all athletes, led ABC to Monday overnight victory, but a 5.6 rating/9 share in households dipped by 10 percent and 21 percent, respectively, from the week-ago (6.2/10 on April 30) and year-ago (7.1/12 on 5/08/17) performances. What we always enjoy about this feel-good competition, getting to know the performers in their journeys, is unfortunately missing in this rushed edition. Note to ABC: Please make sure we get full editions of “Dancing With the Stars” in the future.

In season-premiere news, reality/competition “Running Wild with Bear Gryllis” on NBC was left at the starting gate with a third-place 2.2/ 3 at 10 p.m. Comparably, that trailed “Elementary” on CBS (#1: 3.2/ 6) and “The Crossing” on ABC (#2: 2.6/ 5) by 31 percent and 15 percent, respectively. And it slipped from the 9:30 p.m. portion of lead-in “The Voice” (5.0/ 8) by a hefty 56 percent. One year earlier, game show “The Wall” scored a 3.1/ 5 in the household overnights in the Monday 8-10 p.m. block.

Overall, “The Voice” averaged a 5.2/ 9 from 8-10 p.m., which was 12 percent below the 5.9/10 one year earlier.

In season-finale news was sophomore CBS sitcom “Kevin Can Wait” at a third-place 3.6/ 6 in the 8 p.m. half-hour, which was close to year-ago overnight levels and is a shoo-in for a third season renewal. Next on the Eye net was compatible “Man With a Plan” at a 3.3/ 5 at 8:30 p.m. (#2), followed by on the fence “Superior Donuts” (#3t, 3.0/ 5) and a repeat of “The Big Theory” (#2: 3.1/ 5) from 9-10 p.m.

Elsewhere, Fox featured dramas “Lucifer” (#4: 2.0/ 3 at 8 p.m.) and just renewed “The Resident” (#3t: 3.0/ 5 at 9 p.m.), which increased by 50 percent. And The CW aired “Supergirl” (#5: 1.3/ 2) into a 0.6/ 1 (#5) for on the fence ‘iZombie.”

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Monday, May 7 broken out by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars: Athletes”: 5.5/10 (#1)
CBS – “Kevin Can Wait” (season finale): 3.6/ 6 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 5.4/ 9 (#2)
Fox – “Lucifer”: 2.1/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Supergirl”: 1.3/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars: Athletes”: 5.8/10 (#1)
CBS – “Man with a Plan”: 3.3/ 5 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 5.4/ 9 (#2)
Fox – “Lucifer”: 2.0/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Supergirl”: 1.3/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars: Athletes”: 5.6/ 9 (#1)
CBS – “Superior Donuts”: 3.0/ 5 (#3t)
NBC – “The Voice”: 5.2/ 8 (#2)
Fox – “The Resident”: 3.0/ 5 (#3t)
CW – “iZombie”: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars: Athletes”: 5.6/ 9 (#1)
CBS – “The Big Bang Theory” (R): 3.1/ 5 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 5.0/ 8 (#2)
Fox – “The Resident”: 3.0/ 5 (#4)
CW – “iZombie”: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Crossing”: 2.9/ 5 (#2)
CBS – “Elementary”: 3.4/ 6 (#1)
NBC – “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” (season premiere): 2.5/ 4 (#3)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “The Crossing”: 2.4/ 5 (#2)
CBS – “Elementary”: 3.0/ 6 (#1)
NBC – “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” (season premiere): 1.8/ 3 (#3)

Source: Nielsen Media Research