Monday Overnights: NBC’s ‘The Voice’ Squashes ‘American Idol’ on ABC

MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018

Household Rating/Share
NBC: 5.5/ 9, ABC: 5.4/ 9, CBS: 3.3/ 6, Fox: 2.8/ 5, CW: 0.8/ 1

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
Fox: +27, NBC: – 4, CBS: – 8, ABC: -14, CW: -27

Ratings Breakdown:
In the second head-to-head battle this season, NBC’s “The Voice” was 36 percent above ABC’s competing “American Idol” in the Monday 8-10 p.m. ET block, with a 6.8 rating/11 share in the household overnights (versus a 5.0/ 8 for “Idol”). Comparably, “American Idol” dipped by 11 percent in household rating from one week earlier (5.6/ 9 on March 12), while trailing the spring season-premiere of year-ago time period occupant “Dancing With the Stars” (8.3/13 on 3/20/17) by a hefty 40 percent.

The upcoming spring edition of “Dancing With the Stars” will be an abbreviated four-week version, with a total of 10 athletes competing later this season.

ABC took control of the 10 p.m. hour thanks to freshman hit medical drama “The Good Doctor” (#1: 6.1/11), which bested competing “Scorpion” on CBS (#2: 3.2/ 6) and “Good Girls” on NBC (#3: 2.8/ 5) by 91 percent and 118 percent, respectively. Comparably, this fourth episode of “Good Girls” dropped by 10 percent from the 3.1/ 5 one week earlier. It also dropped from the 9:30 p.m. portion of lead-in “The Voice” (6.7/11) by 58 percent.

Earlier in the evening, CBS’ 8-10 p.m. ET sitcom block – “Kevin Can Wait” (#3: 3.7/ 6), “Man With a Plan” (#3: 2.6/ 6), “Superior Donuts” (#3: 3.3/ 5) and recent entry “Living Biblically” (#4: 2.8/ 5) – were all below average. Comparably, “Living Biblically” is not an improvement from fall time period occupant “JKL,” and it trailed “2 Broke Girls” on the year-ago evening (3.1/ 5 on 3/20/17) by 10 percent.

Fox finished fourth overall care of dramas “Lucifer” (#4: 2.4/ 4) and recent entry “The Resident” (#3: 3.2/ 5), which deserves accolades for increasing from its lead-in by 33 percent. A second season renewal for “The Resident” seems likely. And The CW featured relocated “D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow” (#5: 1.0/ 2 at 8 p.m.) into recent returnee ‘iZombie” (#5: 0.6/ 1 at 9 p.m.), which slipped by 40 percent. Comparably, “D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow” was 37 percent below “Supergirl” on the year-ago evening (1.6/ 3 on 3/20/17).

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Monday, March 12 broken out by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “American Idol”: 5.0/ 8 (#2)
CBS – “Kevin Can Wait”: 3.7/ 8 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 6.7/11 (#1)
Fox – “Lucifer”: 2.5/ 4 (#4)
CW – “D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow”: 1.0/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Idol”: 4.9/ 8 (#2)
CBS – “Man With a Plan”: 3.6/ 6 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 7.0/11 (#1)
Fox – “Lucifer”: 2.4/ 4 (#4)
CW – “D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow”: 1.0/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “American Idol”: 5.0/ 8 (#2)
CBS – “Superior Donuts”: 3.3/ 5 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 6.8/11 (#1)
Fox – “The Resident”: 3.2/ 5 (#4)
CW – “iZombie”: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Idol”: 5.2/ 8 (#2)
CBS – “Living Biblically”: 2.8/ 4 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice”: 6.7/11 (#1)
Fox – “The Resident”: 3.2/ 5 (#4)
CW – “iZombie”: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Good Doctor”: 6.2/11 (#1)
CBS – “Scorpion”: 3.3/ 6 (#1)
NBC – “Good Girls”: 3.2/ 5 (#2)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “The Good Doctor”: 6.0/11 (#1)
CBS – “Scorpion”: 3.1/ 6 (#1)
NBC – “Good Girls”: 2.5/ 5 (#2)

Source: Nielsen Media Research