Wednesday Overnights: Positive Sampling for Fox’s ‘9-1-1’ and the Return of ‘The Amazing Race’ on CBS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2018

Household Rating/Share
NBC and Fox: 4.2/ 7 each, CBS: 4.1/ 7, ABC: 3.1/ 5, CW: 0.4/ 1

Percent Change from the Year-Ago Evening:
Fox: +14, NBC: + 5, CBS: – 2, CW: -20, ABC: -22

Ratings Breakdown:
Only one-tenth of a rating point separated the top 3 rated broadcast networks last night, with NBC and Fox tying for first in the household overnights. Chances are Fox will win the evening in adults 18-49 (and all the key young adult demo groups).

In series-premiere news, Fox procedural drama “9-1-1” was positively sampled with a dominant 4.8 rating/8 share in households at 9 p.m. Comparably, that was a hefty 45 percent above then freshman drama “Star” on the year-ago evening (3.3/ 5 on 1/04/17). And “9-1-1” built from the season-premiere of lead-in “The X-Files” (#4: 3.5/ 6 at 8 p.m.) by 37 percent.

In season-premiere news, CBS’ multi-Emmy Award winning “The Amazing Race” opened with a first-place 4.7/ 8 at 8 p.m., which was a double-digit percentage improvement over recent season openers (and it bested No. 2 “The Blacklist” on NBC – 4.1/ 6 – by 15 percent). Chances are “Big Brother” fans tuned in to “The Amazing Race” to see Jessica Graf and Cody Nickson compete, who could very well be the team to beat this season.

The “Amazing Race” led into a third-place 3.9/ 6 for freshman drama “SEAL Team” at 9 p.m., which trailed NBC’s competing “Law & Order: SVU” (#2: 4.1/ 7) by five percent in the household overnights. And veteran “Criminal Minds” capped off the night for the Eye net with a second-place 3.6/ 6 at 10 p.m., which was 20 percent below NBC’s competing “Chicago PD” (#1: 4.5/ 8). My prediction is this will be the last season for “Criminal Minds.”

Also opening its new season was ABC’s revival of “The Match Game,” which was a bust at a 2.3/ 4 at 10 p.m. (#3).

Earlier in the evening on ABC was the sitcom combination of “The Goldbergs” (#3: 3.9/ 6), “Speechless” (#4: 2.8/ 5), “Modern Family” (#2t: 4.0/ 6), which is already renewed for season 10, and sophomore “American Housewife” (#4: 3.0/ 5) from 8-10 p.m.

The CW populated this first Wednesday of the New Year with encore telecasts of dramas “Riverdale” (#5: 0.5/ 1 at 8 p.m.) and “Dynasty” (#5: 0.4/ 1 at 9 p.m.).

What follows are the household overnight results for Wednesday, January 3by half-hour:

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Goldbergs”: 3.9/ 6 (#3)
CBS – “The Amazing Race” (season premiere): 4.9/ 8 (#1)
NBC – “The Blacklist”: 4.2/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “The X-Files” (season premiere): 3.6/ 6 (#4)
CW – “Riverdale” (R): 0.6/ 1 (#5)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “Speechless”: 2.8/ 5 (#4)
CBS – “The Amazing Race” (season premiere): 4.6/ 7 (#1)
NBC – “The Blacklist”: 4.0/ 6 (#2)
Fox – “The X-Files” (season premiere): 3.5/ 5 (#3)
CW – “Riverdale” (R): 0.4/ 1 (#5)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “Modern Family”: 4.0/ 6 (#2t)
CBS – “SEAL Team”: 3.9/ 6 (#4)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.0/ 6 (#2t)
Fox – “9-1-1” (series premiere): 4.7/ 8 (#1)
CW – “Dynasty” (R): 0.4/ 1 (#5)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “American Housewife”: 3.0/ 5 (#4)
CBS – “SEAL Team”: 4.0/ 6 (#3)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.3/ 7 (#2)
Fox – “9-1-1” (series premiere): 4.9/ 8 (#1)
CW – “Dynasty” (R): 0.4/ 1 (#5)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “The Match Game” (season premiere): 2.4/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 3.6/ 6 (#2)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.5/ 8 (#1)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “The Match Game” (season premiere): 2.3/ 4 (#3)
CBS – “Criminal Minds”: 3.6/ 6 (#2)
NBC – “Law & Order: SVU”: 4.5/ 8 (#1)

Source: Nielsen Media Research