Thursday Overnights: Modest Start for Sitcom ‘Abby’s’ on NBC

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.5/ 8, ABC: 4.1/ 7, NBC: 2.3/ 4, Fox: 1.1/ 2, CW: 0.7/ 1

Percent Change from the Second Week 2 Thursday of the NCAA Tournament (3/23/18):
CW: +17, ABC: – 9, CBS: -15, NBC: -41, Fox: -42

Ratings Breakdown:
The ongoing NCAA Basketball Tournament put CBS in the Thursday household overnight winner’s circle, but tops for the evening was ABC’s veteran “Grey’s Anatomy” at a 5.7 rating/10 share in the 8 p.m. hour. By next season, “Grey’s” will be the longest running scripted medical drama in the history of television.

In series premiere news, NBC sitcom “Abby’s” opened with a distant third-place 2.0/ 4 in households at 9:30 p.m. Comparably, this was 26 percent below lead-in “Will & Grace” (#3: 2.7/ 5 at 9 p.m.). Since most new series drop 10 to 20 percent in week two, consider this a modest start for “Abby’s.”

Earlier in the evening on NBC were comedies “Superstore”(#3: 2.3/ 5) and sophomore “A.P. Bio” (#3: 1.8/ 3) from 8-9 p.m. Of note for aforementioned “Will & Grace” was household growth of 50 percent out of “A.P. Bio.”

Elsewhere, ABC’s sophomore “Station 19” (#2: 4.1/ 7 at 9 p.m.) should be worthy of a third season renewal thanks to its parent series (and lead-in) “Grey’s Anatomy.” But sophomore legal drama “For the People” (#2: 2.5/ 5), which faced a repeat of “Law & Order: SVU” on NBC (#3: 2.4/ 5) is not expected back.

What follows is the half-hour breakdown by network for Thursday, March 28:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.7/10 (#1)
CBS – NCAA Basketball: 3.9/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Superstore”: 2.5/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham” (R): 1.2/ 2 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural” (R): 0.6/ 1 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.6/10 (#1)
CBS – NCAA Basketball: 5.1/ 9 (#2)
NBC – “A.P. Bio”: 1.8/ 3 (#3)
Fox – “Gotham” (R): 1.0/ 2 (#4)
CW – “Supernatural”: 0.6/ 1 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19”: 4.1/ 7 (#2)
CBS – NCAA Basketball: 6.2/11 (#1)
NBC – “Will & Grace”: 2.7/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “The Orville” (R): 1.1/ 2 (#4)
CW – “Legacies” (season finale): 0.7/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19”: 4.0/ 7 (#1)
CBS – NCAA Basketball: 2.8/ 5 (#2)
NBC – “Abby’s” (series premiere): 2.0/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “The Orville” (R): 1.1/ 2 (#4)
CW – “Legacies”: 0.7/ 1 (season finale): 0.7/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “For the People”: 2.6/ 5 (#2)
CBS – NCAA Basketball: 5.1/ 9 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU” (R): 2.3/ 4 (#3)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “For the People”: 2.4/ 5 (#2t)
CBS – NCAA Basketball: 4.4/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU” (R): 2.4/ 5 (#2t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research