Thursday Overnights: CBS’ ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Closes Season 11 with a Big Bang

THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 6.2/11, ABC and NBC: 3.4/ 6 each, Fox: 1.8/ 3, CW: 0.9/ 2

Percent Change From the Year-Ago Evening:
CBS: +24, Fox: +12, NBC: + 3, CW: no change, ABC: -11

Ratings Breakdown:
CBS stood well above the competition on this second Thursday in May thanks to “The Big Bang Theory” season-ender, which rose to a 10.4 rating/19 share in the household overnights in the 8 p.m. half-hour. Comparably, this bested the year-ago season-finale (8.5/15 on 5.11/17) by 22 percent (which is unprecedented for an 11-year-old series). And it led into an 8.1/14 for prequel “Young Sheldon” at 8:30 p.m., which closed is rock-successful first season.

Next on the Eye net were two episodes of “Mom” (including the season-finale at 9:30 p.m.), which at an average 5.7/10 in the 9 p.m. hour benefited all season by the increased lead-in support for “Young Sheldon.”

At 10 p.m. “S.W.A.T.” on CBS finished second with a 3.7/ 7 in households, which trailed the season six ending episode of NBC’s “Chicago Fire” (#1: 4.4/ 8) by 16 percent. ABC could not compete with “Quantico” at a mere 1.5/ 3, which dipped from recently introduced lead-in “Station 19” (#3: 3.1/ 5 at 9 p.m.) by 52 percent.

Earlier in the evening on NBC was an encore telecast of just renewed “Law & Order: SVU” (#3: 1.9/ 3 at 8 p.m.) into a second-place 3.9/ 7 for a 9 p.m. edition of “Chicago Fire.”

ABC opened the evening, meanwhile, with veteran “Grey’s Anatomy” at a consistent (and second place) 5.7/10 from 8-9 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy” concludes for the season next week.

Elsewhere, Fox could not compete with its pairing of “Gotham” (#4: 1.7/ 3) and “Showtime at the Apollo” (#4: 1.8/ 3). And The CW featured “Supernatural” (#5: 1.0/ 2) and “Arrow” (#5: 0.9/ 2).

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Thursday, May 3 broken out by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.7/10 (#2)
CBS – “The Big Bang Theory” (season finale): 10.4/19 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU” (R): 1.8/ 3 (#3t)
Fox – “Gotham”: 1.8/ 3 (#3t)
CW – “Supernatural”: 1.0/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.7/10 (#2)
CBS – “Young Sheldon” (season finale): 8.1/14 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU” (R): 2.0/ 3 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham”: 1.7/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural”: 1.0/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19”: 3.2/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Mom”: 6.0/10 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 3.9/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “Showtime at the Apollo”: 1.7/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Arrow”: 0.9/ 2 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19”: 3.1/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Mom” (season finale): 5.4/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago Fire”: 3.9/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “Showtime at the Apollo”: 1.9/ 3 (#4)
CW – “Arrow”: 0.9/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Quantico”: 1.6/ 3 (#3)
CBS – “S.W.A.T.: 3.8/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago Fire” (season finale): 4.4/ 8 (#1)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Quantico”: 1.4/ 3 (#3)
CBS – “S.W.A.T.”: 3.5/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Chicago Fire” (season finale): 4.4/ 8 (#1)

Source: Nielsen Media Research