Promising Tuesday Start for ABC’s ‘Downward Dog’

TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2017

Household Rating/Share
ABC: 6.0/10, NBC: 4.8/ 8, CBS: 4.6/ 6, CW: 1.4/ 2, Fox: 1.3/ 2

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
CBS: +28, Fox: no change, ABC: – 2, CW: -18, NBC: -20

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Ratings Breakdown:
It was the battle of the reality/competition season finales last night, with “Dancing with the Stars” leading ABC to household overnight victory and “The Voice” expected to lift NBC to first in adults 18-49 and all the key young adult demos. “Dancing with the Stars” concluded with a 6.4 rating/11 share in households from 8:30-11 p.m., which was 15 percent below the 7.5/12 year-ago season-ender. And “The Voice” scored a comparable 6.1/10 from 9-11 p.m., which was eight percent below the 6.6/11 one year earlier.

In time period news, ABC’s “Downward Dog” scored a very promising 4.1/ 7 in the 8 p.m. half-hour, which outdelivered competing comedies “Great News” on NBC (#2: 2.1/ 4) and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” on Fox (#5: 1.4/ 2) by 95 percent and 193 percent, respectively. Since some of the tune-in for “Downward Dog” could have been the pre-interest in the “Dancing with the Stars” season finale, let’s see what happens next week. But consider this extremely promising.

Second episodes of “Great News” (#3: 2.1/ 4) and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (#5: 1.1/ 2), both season-enders, aired in the 8:30 p.m. half-hour. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” led into a fourth-place 1.4/ 2 for the revival of “Prison Break,” which according to Fox could be returning at a later time. Based on the interest, or really lack of this season, I would let it quietly end.

Also populating the 8 p.m. hour was the season-finale of “The Flash” on The CW at a third-place 2.2/ 4. That led into a 0.7/ 1 for “iZombie” at 9 p.m., which slid by an extensive 62 percent.

The night’s other season-ender was CBS drama “Bull,” which was solid at a third-place 5.6/ 9 from 9-10 p.m. “Bull” led into a third-place 3.2/ 4 for “48 Hours: NCIS” at 10 p.m. Earlier in the evening on CBS was an encore telecast of “NCIS” at a 5.1/ 8 (#2) from 8-9 p.m.

What follows are the household overnight results for Tuesday, May 23 by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Downward Dog” (time period premiere): 4.1/ 7 (#2)
CBS – “NCIS” (R): 5.1/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Great News”: 2.1/ 4 (#4)
Fox – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”: 14/ 2 (#5)
CW – “The Flash” (season finale): 2.2/ 4 (#3)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars” (season finale): 6.2/10 (#1)
CBS – “NCIS” (R): 5.1/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Great News” (season finale): 2.1/ 3 (#3t)
Fox – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (season finale): 1.1/ 2 (#5)
CW – “The Flash” (season finale): 2.1/ 4 (#3t)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars” (season finale): 6.4/10 (#1)
CBS – “Bull” (season finale): 5.7/ 9 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice” (season finale): 5.8/ 9 (#2)
Fox – “Prison Break”: 1.4/ 2 (#4)
CW – “iZombie”: 0.7/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars” (season finale): 6.3/10 (#1)
CBS – “Bull” (season finale): 5.5/ 9 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice” (season finale): 6.0/10 (#2)
Fox – “Prison Break”: 1.4/ 2 (#4)
CW – “iZombie”: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars” (season finale): 6.3/10 (#1)
CBS – “48 Hours: NCIS”: 3.3/ 5 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice” (season finale): 6.2/10 (#2)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Dancing with the Stars” (season finale): 6.7/12 (#1)
CBS – “48 Hours: NCIS”: 3.1/ 5 (#3)
NBC – “The Voice” (season finale): 6.4/11 (#2)

Source: Nielsen Media Research