Wednesday Overnights: Modest Start for ABC Sitcom ‘Alex, Inc.’

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.3/ 7, Fox: 3.9/ 7, NBC: 3.6/ 6, ABC: 3.0/ 5, CW: 0.6/ 1

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
NBC and Fox: + 3 each, CBS: + 2, ABC: -21, CW: -33

Ratings Breakdown:
ABC, the No. 4 rated network in the household overnights for the evening, featured the series-premiere of “Alex, Inc.” Airing at 8:30 p.m., the Zach Braff sitcom, loosely inspired by the podcast “StartUp” and its creator Alex Blumberg’s life, opened with a fourth-place 2.9 rating/5 share in households at 8:30 p.m. Comparably, that held 83 percent of its “The Goldbergs” lead-in (#4: 3.5/ 6 at 8 p.m.), which is certainly respectable. But this was only equal to the season (or series) finale of “Speechless” one week earlier. It was 15 percent below the year-ago debut of failed comedy “Imaginary Mary” (3.4/ 6 on 3/29/17). And, since most new series drop by 10 to 20 percent in the overnights in week two, consider this a modest start for “Alex, Inc.”

ABC offered an encore telecast of the pilot episode of comedy “Splitting Up Together” at 9:30 p.m. (#4: 2.4/ 4), which slid by 38 percent out of “Modern Family” (#2t: 3.9/ 7 at 9 p.m.). And sophomore alphabet net drama “Designated Survivor” moved into the No. 2 at 10 p.m. ET, with a 2.7/ 5 in the household overnights. Comparably, that was 23 percent above competing NBC special “Andrew Lloyd Webber Tribute to a Superstar” (#3: 2.2/ 4).

Earlier in the evening on NBC was a two-hour clips edition of “The Voice” at a respectable 4.3/ 7 from 8-10 p.m.

Top-rated on CBS Wednesday, as always, was veteran “Survivor” at a below-average 4.8/ 8 in the 8 p.m. hour. Next was just renewed military drama “SEAL Team” at a second-place 3.9/ 7 at 9 p.m., followed by “Criminal Minds,” which benefited without NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU” in the competitive mix, at a dominant 4.1/ 7 at 10 p.m.

In return series news, Fox’s combination of “Empire” (#2: 4.5/ 8 at 8 p.m.) and “Star” (#4: 3.2/ 5 at 9 p.m.) should be more enough for the network to win the evening in adults 18-49 (and all the key young adult demo groups). And The CW featured social media magnet “Riverdale” (#5: 0.8/ 1 at 8 p.m.) into recently introduced, and failing dramedy “Life Sentence” at 9 p.m. (#5: 0.4/ 1 at 9 p.m.).

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Wednesday, March 28 broken out by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Goldbergs”: 3.5/ 6 (#4)
CBS – “Survivor”: 4.9/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “The Voice” (clips show): 4.6/ 8 (#2)
Fox – “Empire” (return): 4.4/ 8 (#3)
CW – “Riverdale”: 0.9/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Alex, Inc.” (series premiere): 2.9/ 5 (#4)
CBS – “Survivor”: 4.7/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “The Voice” (clips show): 4.3/ 7 (#3)
Fox – “Empire” (return): 4.6/ 8 (#2)
CW – “Riverdale”: 0.8/ 1 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Modern Family” (R): 3.9/ 7 (#2t)
CBS – “SEAL Team”: 3.9/ 6 (#2t)
NBC – “The Voice” (clips show): 4.3/ 7 (#1)
Fox – “Star” (return): 3.3/ 6 (#4)
CW – “Life Sentence”: 0.4/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Splitting Up Together” (R): 2.4/ 4 (#4)
CBS – “SEAL Team”: 4.0/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “The Voice” (clips show): 4.1/ 7 (#1)
Fox – “Star” (return): 3.2/ 5 (#4)
CW – “Life Sentence”: 0.4/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor”: 2.8/ 5 (#2)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 4.2/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “Andrew Lloyd Webber Tribute to a Superstar”: 2.5/ 4 (#3)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor”: 2.6/ 5 (#2)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 4.1/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “Andrew Lloyd Webber Tribute to a Superstar”: 2.0/ 4 (#3)

Source: Nielsen Media Research