Respectable Return for ‘Life in Pieces’ on CBS

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.6/ 8, ABC: 3.6/ 7, Fox: 1.9/ 3, NBC: 1.6/ 3, CW: 0.7/ 1

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
Fox: no change, CBS: -15, ABC: -20, CW: -30, NBC: -73

Ratings Breakdown:
It was another Thursday overnight household victory for CBS, which bested No. 2 ABC by an average of 28 percent in households. In season-premiere news, the first of two episodes of the Eye net’s “Life in Pieces” opened with a dominant 4.5 rating/8 share at 8:30 p.m., which was certainly above average for the sitcom. But it was also 40 percent below lead-in “The Big Bang Theory” (#1 for the night: 7.8/14 at 8 p.m.).

The second episode of “Life in Pieces” in its regularly scheduled Thursday 9:30 p.m. time period (#2: 3.4/ 6 out of a first-place 4.5/ 8 for lead-in “Mom”) was more typical.

At 10 p.m., sophomore “S.W.A.T.” on CBS won the hour with a 3.7/ 7 in the household overnights, which was 68 percent above competing legal drama “For the People” on ABC (#2: 2.2/ 4). “Law & Order: SVU” on NBC was a repeat.

Earlier in the evening, NBC’s 8-10 p.m. sitcom block – “Superstore” (#3: 2.0/ 4), “A.P. Bio” (#4: 1.3/ 2), “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (#4: 1.2/ 2) and “Abby’s” (#4: 1.0/ 2) – was basically off the overnight charts. With “The Big Bang Theory” ending next month, NBC could have an opportunity to make inroads. But it must come up with a mass appeal comedy to lead off the night.

Elsewhere, ABC, Fox and The CW were at typical Thursday overnight levels as follows:

What follows is the household overnight breakdown by network and by half-hour for Thursday, April 17:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.1/ 9 (#1)
CBS – “The Big Bang Theory”: 7.8/14 (#1)
NBC – “Superstore”: 2.0/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham”: 1.7/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural”: 1.0/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 4.8/ 9 (#1)
CBS – “Life in Pieces” (season premiere): 4.5/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “A.P. Bio”: 1.3/ 2 (#4)
Fox – “Gotham”: 1.7/ 3 (#3)
CW – “Supernatural”: 0.9/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19”: 3.6/ 6 (#2)
CBS – “Mom”: 4.5/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”: 1.2/ 2 (#4)
Fox – “The Orville”: 2.1/ 4 (#3)
CW – “In the Dark”: 0.5/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19”: 3.6/ 6 (#1)
CBS – “Life in Pieces”: 3.4/ 6 (#2)
NBC – “Abby’s”: 1.0/ 2 (#4)
Fox – “The Orville”: 2.1/ 4 (#3)
CW – “In the Dark”: 0.5/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “For the People”: 2.3/ 4 (#2)
CBS – “S.W.A.T.”: 3.6/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU” (R): 1.9/ 3 (#3)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “For the People”: 2.0/ 4 (#2)
CBS – “S.W.A.T.”: 3.7/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU” (R): 1.9/ 3 (#3)

Source: Nielsen Media Research