Wednesday Overnights: CBS Leads; ABC Has Sprung a Leak with ‘Speechless’

What follows are the metered market (overnight) results in households by network and by half-hour for Wednesday, October 18, 2017:

Household Rating/Share
CBS: 4.5/ 7, NBC and Fox: 3.9/ 6 each, ABC: 3.2/ 5, CW: 0.9/ 2

–Note: Comparisons to the year-ago evening are excluded due to the first Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton airing on Oct. 19, 2016.

-Ratings Breakdown:
It was Wednesday business as usual, with CBS tops in the household overnights and the home of “Empire,” Fox, the network to beat in adults 18-49 (and all the key demographics). “Empire” dipped by six percent week-to-week, with a 4.4/ 7 (#2) at 8 p.m. ET. And that led into a 3.3/ 5 for sophomore “Star” at 9 p.m., which held 75 percent of “Empire’s” overnight rating and remains on the upside from its performance last season.

CBS’ veteran “Survivor” was top-rated for the evening, with a 5.0 rating/8 share in the 8 p.m. hour just four percent below the 5.2 overnight rating on the year-ago evening. At this point, the shelf life for always addictive “Survivor” thankfully remains well in the future. Week four of just full season-renewed lead-out drama “SEAL Team” lost a bit of overnight steam, with a 4.6/ 7 in the 9 p.m. hour. But this was still the dominant program in the time period, and it bested competing “Law & Order: SVU” (#2: 3.9/ 6) by 18 percent.

CBS’ “Criminal Minds” and NBC’s “Chicago PD” shared leadership in the 10 p.m. hour, each with a 3.9/ 7 in the household overnights. Third was ABC’s sophomore “Designated Survivor” (3.1/ 7), which maintained relocated lead-in “American Housewife” (#4: 3.1/ 5 at 9:30 p.m.) but remains on the double-digit percent decline from its overnight performance last fall. Taking a three month hiatus last season was not beneficial, no doubt.

Earlier in the evening on the alphabet net, sophomore sitcom “Speechless” at 8:30 p.m. (#4: 2.7/ 4) is now a weak link with overnight retention out of “The Goldbergs” (#3: 3.8/ 6 at 8 p.m.) of only 72 percent. With diluted lead-in support, veteran “Modern Family” remained on the downside at a 4.2/ 7 (#2) in the 9 p.m. half-hour.

At 8 p.m. on NBC was relocated “The Blacklist” at a third-place 3.9/ 7, which was a slight improvement over the 3.6/ 6 for year-ago time period occupant “Blindspot.” The third season of “Blindspot,” now airing in the Friday 8 p.m. hour, begins on Oct. 27.

In week two news, The CW’s reboot of “Dynasty” dipped to a 0.7/ 1 at 9 p.m., which was 22 percent below the already anemic 0.9/ 1 debut one week earlier. Comparably, “Dynasty” slipped by 42 percent from the 1.2/ 2 for lead-in “Riverdale” (which remains a hot ticket in the world of social media).

What follows are the household overnight results for Wednesday, October 18 by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Goldbergs”: 3.8/ 6 (#3)
CBS – “Survivor”: 5.0/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “The Blacklist”: 3.9/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “Empire”: 4.3/ 8 (#2)
CW – “Riverdale”: 1.3/ 2 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Speechless”: 2.7/ 4 (#4)
CBS – “Survivor”: 4.9/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “The Blacklist”: 3.8/ 6 (#2)
Fox – “Empire”: 4.5/ 7 (#2)
CW – “Riverdale”: 1.1/ 2 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Modern Family”: 4.2/ 7 (#2)
CBS – “SEAL Team”: 4.5/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 3.7/ 6 (#3)
Fox – “Star”: 3.3/ 5 (#4)
CW – “Dynasty”: 0.7/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Housewife”: 3.1/ 5 (#4)
CBS – “SEAL Team”: 4.6/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.0/ 6 (#2)
Fox – “Star”: 3.2/ 5 (#4)
CW – “Dynasty”: 0.7/ 1/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor”: 3.2/ 7 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 4.0/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 3.9/ 7 (#2)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “Designated Survivor”: 2.9/ 5 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 3.8/ 7 (#1t)
NBC – “Chicago PD”: 3.8/ 7 (#1t)

Source: Nielsen Media Research