Thursday Overnights: NBC Sitcoms Under Deliver; Week 2 of ‘Murphy Brown’ Steady on CBS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018

Household Rating/Share
Fox: 7.5/13, CBS: 5.6/10, ABC: 3.7/ 6, NBC: 2.6/ 4, CW: 0.4/ 1

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
Fox: +212, CW: no change, ABC: -14, CBS: -26, NBC: -30

-Ratings Scorecard:
The Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots football match-up led Fox to Thursday overnight victory, with an estimated 7.5 rating/13 share in households from 8-10 p.m. ET. Keep in mind that this includes the pre-game portion, and not the portion from 10-11:37 p.m. ET. More complete data, including results for the portion on the NFLN, will be available later today.

In season premiere news, season four of NBC sitcom “Superstore” returned with an anemic 2.2/ 4 in the household overnights in the 8 p.m. half-hour. Comparably, that was 27 percent (in household rating) below the 3.0/ 5 on the year-ago evening, and it led into an identical 2.2/ 4 for critically acclaimed “The Good Place” at 8:30 p.m. Hopefully, the exposure for “The Good Place” at Comic Con in New York at present will help.

Although the season premiere of NBC’s “Will & Grace” reboot perked up to a 3.1/ 5 in the 9 p.m. half-hour, that was 43 percent below the 5.4/ 9 on year earlier. And it led into a mere 1.9/ 3 (#4) for the time period premiere of “I Feel Bad,” which certainly lives up to its title.

Veteran “Law & Order: SVU” on NBC, now in season 20, rose to a second-place 3.1/ 6 in the 10 p.m. hour, which trailed competing “S.W.A.T.” on CBS (#1: 3.6/ 7) by 14 percent. Given the lack of lead-in support, I already foresee a 21st season of “SVU.” Third in the time period of ABC’s fading “How To Get Away With Murder” (2.4/ 4), which dipped from the second season premiere of lead-in “Station 19” (#2: 3.8/ 6 from 9-10 p.m.) by 37 percent.

Earlier in the evening on ABC was “Grey’s Anatomy” at a reliable (and third place) 5.0/ 8 in the 8 p.m. hour.

In week two news, CBS’ revival of “Murphy Brown” was steady, with retention of 96 percent from its 5.6 overnight household rating one week earlier. And the retention out of lead-in “Mom” (#2: 5.4/ 9 at 9 p.m.) was 100 percent. This is positive news for CBS.

“The Big Bang Theory” on the Eye net topped the night, with an 8.5/15 in the 8 p.m. half-hour. And that led into a 7.1/12 for “Young Sheldon” at 8:30 p.m.

The CW capped off the night with encore telecasts of “Supernatural” (#5: 0.5/ 1) and canceled “The Originals” (#5: 0.3/ 0).

What follows are the household overnight ratings for Thursday, October 4 broken out by half-hour.

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 5.1/ 9 (#3)
CBS – “The Big Bang Theory”: 8.5/15 (#1)
NBC – “Superstore” (season premiere): 2.2/ 4 (#4)
Fox – Thursday Night Football (Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots): 5.6/10 (#2)
CW – “Supernatural” (R): 0.5/ 1 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy”: 4.9/ 8 (#2)
CBS – “Young Sheldon”: 7.1/12 (#2)
NBC – “The Good Place”: 2.2/ 4 (#4)
Fox – Thursday Night Football (Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots): 7.7/13 (#1)
CW – “Supernatural” (R): 0.5/ 1 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19” (season premiere): 3.8/ 6 (#3)
CBS – “Mom”: 5.4/ 9 (#2)
NBC – “Will & Grace” (season premiere): 3.1/ 5 (#4)
Fox – Thursday Night Football (Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots): 8.3/14 (#1)
CW – “The Originals” (R): 0.3/ 0 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “Station 19” (season premiere): 3.7/ 6 (#3)
CBS – “Murphy Brown”: 5.4/ 9 (#2)
NBC – “I Feel bad” (time period premiere): 1.9/ 3 (#4)
Fox – Thursday Night Football (Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots): 8.6/14 (#1)
CW – “The Originals” (R): 0.3/ 0 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “How To Get Away With Murder”: 2.4/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “S.W.A.T.”: 3.7/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 3.1/ 5 (#2)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “How To Get Away With Murder”: 2.3/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “S.W.A.T.”: 3.5/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 3.1/ 6 (#2)

Source: Nielsen Media Research