Patriots Victory Over the Buccaneers Leads CBS to Thursday Overnight Victory

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 7.6/13, ABC: 4.3/ 7, NBC: 3.7/ 6, Fox: 2.4/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 1

Percent Change from Opening Thursday in 2016 – 9/21/16:
CBS: +23, ABC: no change, NBC: – 7, Fox: -11, CW: -43

-Ratings Breakdown:
CBS won this second Thursday in the 2017-18 TV season thanks to the New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers match-up on NFL Football. The game averaged an estimated 8.1 rating/14 share in the household overnights for the primetime portion from 8:30-11 p.m. and it stood well above the competition. But there were a few other winners last night as well.

In week two return news, NBC’s “Will & Grace” lost steam, as expected. The sitcom scored a second-place 5.4/ 9 in households in the 9 p.m. half-hour, which was 30 percent below its hefty 7.7/12 last week. But that 5.4 overnight rating built from lead-in “The Good Place” (#3: 3.1/ 5 at 8:30 p.m.) by 74 percent and it was still well above anything the network has had in the sitcom department in years. While you can expect more erosion next week, NBC made the right choice bringing back this quartet.

Unfortunately, NBC’s sophomore “Great News” dropped the ratings ball at 9:30 p.m., with a fourth-place 2.5/ 4 (and retention out of “Will & Grace” of only 46 percent). Tina Fey just does not produce comedies that reach a mass audience.

Earlier in the evening on NBC was critically worthy “Superstore” at a third-place 3.0/ 5 (#3) in the 8 p.m. half-hour, which was on par with the year-ago evening. And relocated “Chicago Fire” at 10 p.m. (#2: 4.1/ 7) was on par with “The Blacklist” on the year-ago evening, besting ABC’s competing “How To Get Away With Murder” (#3: 3.0/ 5) by 37 percent in the household overnights.

In season-premiere news was ABC’s “Scandal” at a third-place 4.2/ 7 in the 9 p.m. hour, which was 24 percent above short-lived drama “Notorious” one year earlier. And the retention for “Scandal” out of warhorse “Grey’s Anatomy” (#2: 5.7/10) was 72 percent.

Over at Fox, the combination of “Gotham” (#4: 2.2/ 3) and “The Orville” (#4: 2.7/ 4) could not compete. But for a look at how “Gotham” does resonate in social media, click here

What follows is the breakdown by half-hour for Thursday, October 5:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.8/10 (#1)
CBS – NFL Football Kickoff: 4.8/ 9 (#2)
NBC – “Superstore”: 3.0/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham”: 2.2/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural” (R): 0.6/ 1 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.6/ 9 (#2)
CBS – Thursday Football (New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers): 7.7/13 (#1)
NBC – “The Good Place”: 3.1/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham”: 2.1/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural” (R): 0.5/ 1 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Scandal” (season premiere): 4.3/ 7 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers): 8.5/14 (#1)
NBC – “Will & Grace”: 5.4/ 9 (#2)
Fox – “The Orville”: 2.7/ 4 (#4)
CW – “Arrow” (R): 0.4/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Scandal” (season premiere): 4.1/ 7 (#2)
CBS – Thursday Football (New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers): 9.1/15 (#1)
NBC – “Great News”: 2.5/ 4 (#4)
Fox – “The Orville”: 2.7/ 3 (#3)
CW – “Arrow” (R): 0.4/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “How to Get Away With Murder”: 3.1/ 5 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers): 7.6/13 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 4.6/ 7 (#2)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “How to Get Away With Murder”: 2.9/ 5 (#3)
CBS – Thursday Football (New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers): 8.1/14 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 4.1/ 7 (#2)

Source: Nielsen Media Research