Weekly Finals Recap: Slow Starts for Week 2 Premieres


Recap: NBC's 'This Is Us' once again led the scripted entires on broadcast for the week ending Oct. 7. The show notched a 2.42 A18-49 rating with 8.87 million viewers. Despite topping the week, this was the show's lowest-viewed episode since Oct. 31, 2017 (8.43 million). CBS's 'The Big Bang Theory' was the most-watched scripted series of the week (12.3 million), ranking second in the demo (2.24 rating).

Week 2 Premieres:
On Monday, the series-premiere of 'The Neighborhood' got off to a pretty good start with a 1.31 rating and 8.1 million viewers, the best week two season or series premiere on all four networks. Lead-out 'Happy Together' was only able to hold 1.03 in the demo and just under 6 million viewers, not leaving it much room to fall. The two shows did very well in African-American viewing, with 'The Neighborhood' notching a 6.9 rating (1.351 million) and 'Happy Together' garnering a 5.6 (1.107 million).

On Wednesday, the season premiere of 'Seal Team' (0.80, 5.0 million) floundered behind its 'Survivor' (1.54, 7.3 million) lead-in, losing almost 50% of the demo audience. 'Criminal Minds' (0.74, 4.45 million) was even worse, falling to its lowest demo rating and lowest viewership ever.

On Thursday, 'Superstore' (0.91, 3.2 million) premiered its new season up from its spring finale (0.85, 2.97 million), but down pretty drastically from last year's premiere (1.26, 4.6 million). Lead-out 'The Good Place' (0.92, 3 million) gained 0.01 in the demo, but lost about 200K viewers, skewing slightly younger (51.1) than 'Superstore' (53.6). 'Will & Grace' (0.99, 4 million) began its season up from last season's finale (0.88, 3.6 million), but still down hugely from its fall 2017 premiere (2.996 rating, 10.2 million). 'I Feel Bad' is on a one-way trip to cancellation, averaging a 0.68 rating and 2.6 million viewers in its timeslot premiere.

'Station 19' (1.08, 5.2 million) dropped its new season with its fourth-best demo rating, and up from its spring finale (1.02, 5.1 million). On the flip side, it did lose a sizable chunk of its 'Grey's Anatomy' (1.63, 6.6 million) lead-in.

Perhaps the worst premieres of the week belonged to ABC Friday. The fifth season premiere of 'Fresh Off the Boat' (0.59, 2.9 million) and the third season premiere of 'Speechless' (0.55, 2.4 million) both tumbled to their lowest demo rating and viewership ever. 'Speechless' lost over half of its spring finale numbers (1.25 rating, 4.6 million), while 'Boat' lost four-tenths from its finale (0.98, 3.6 million). Not to be outdone, 'Child Support' (0.43, 2.08 million) also premiered to its lowest numbers.

On Sunday, 'Madam Secretary' (0.59, 6.1 million) premiered on-par with its spring finale (0.6, 6.2 million), but down from its fall 2017 premiere (0.82, 7.2 million). On ABC, 'Dancing with the Stars: Juniors' premiered to a low 0.72 rating with 5 million viewers. On the plus side, it fully retained its 'America's Funniest Home Videos' (0.72, 4.7 million) lead-in in the demo, and grew in viewers.

Week 2 Retention:
NBC's 'Manifest (1.78, 8.45 million) lost almost four-tenths in the demo week-to-week, though still the highest-rated new show of the season so far. 'New Amsterdam' (1.54, 7.45 million) lost three-tenths from last week, but still remains the number three show on Tuesday nights. On CBS, 'FBI' (1.20, 9.4 million) was stable, losing less than a tenth from last week's premiere, while 'Magnum P.I.' (0.93, 6.2 million) struggled - down more than two-tenths in the demo. On Sunday, 'God Friended Me' (0.95, 8.4 million) tumbled 0.45 from last week (1.3).

On the comedy side, ABC's 'Single Parents' (1.12, 4.2 million) dropped only two-tenths from last week (1.31), while both FOX's 'Last Man Standing' (1.31, 6.15 million) and 'The Cool Kids' (1.07, 4.9 million) shed a half-point from their premieres.

Scripted cable recap:
Basic cable: On AMC, the penultimate episode of the season 'Better Call Saul' (0.45, 1.35 million) and 'Lodge 49' (0.07, 280,000) both aired on Monday, and the season premiere of 'The Walking Dead' (2.5, 3.22 million) was on Sunday. FX aired 'Mayans M.C.' (0.55, 1.39 million) on Tuesday and 'American Horror Story' (1.00, 2.02 million) on Wednesday. USA had 'The Purge' (0.35, 930,000), TNT had 'The Last Ship' (0.19, 1.05 million), and Comedy Central aired 'South Park' (0.53, 926,000). The season premiere of BBC America's 'Doctor Who' (0.45, 1.37 million) saw solid numbers, while the finale of Hallmark's 'Chesapeake Shores' (0.22, 1.66 million) was stable. Other shows of note include: FXX's 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (0.18, 321,000), Syfy's 'Van Helsing' (0.11, 390,000), and Lifetime's 'You' (0.18, 570,000).

Micro-rated: The penultimate episode of WGN America's 'Carter' (0.02, 163,000) remained low. On Ovation, the season premiere of 'Versailles' (0.02, 157,000) was stable with last year, and Monday's 'X Company' (0.00, 55,000) remained invisible.

Pay cable: On Sunday, HBO aired new episodes of 'Ballers' (0.26, 598,000), and 'The Deuce' (0.14, 494,000), as well as 'Animals.' (0.04, 201,000) on Friday. Showtime had 'Shameless' (0.34, 1.003 million) and 'Kidding' (0.05, 199,000) on Sunday.  

SHOWA
18-49
F
18-49
M
18-49
A
18-34
A
25-54
Viewers
(millions)
20/20 (ABC) Fri0.430.60.30.20.62.543
60 Minutes (CBS)0.800.80.80.41.38.367
9-1-1 (FOX)1.491.81.11.02.06.090
A Million Little Things (ABC)0.821.10.50.41.23.787
America’s Funniest Videos (ABC)0.720.80.60.31.04.670
American Housewife (ABC)1.131.50.80.61.64.485
Blue Bloods (CBS)0.801.00.60.41.38.577
Bob’s Burgers (FOX)1.261.01.50.91.53.086
Bull (CBS)0.831.00.70.41.36.745
Burden of Truth (F) (CW)0.140.10.10.10.20.672
Chicago Fire (NBC)1.271.61.00.71.88.104
Chicago Med (NBC)1.341.71.00.72.08.836
Chicago PD (NBC)1.181.50.90.61.77.781
Child Support (ABC)0.430.60.30.20.62.075
Criminal Minds (CBS)0.740.90.50.41.14.451
Dancing With The Stars (ABC) Mo0.851.20.50.51.27.072
Dancing With The Stars (ABC) Tu0.771.00.50.51.16.148
Dancing w/ the Stars: Juniors (ABC)0.721.00.50.41.05.028
Dateline Friday (NBC)0.590.80.40.30.93.252
Empire (FOX)1.521.91.11.12.05.096
Family Guy (FOX)1.150.91.40.91.32.693
FBI (CBS)1.201.41.00.61.89.374
Fresh Off The Boat (ABC)0.590.70.50.40.82.851
God Friended Me (CBS)0.951.10.80.51.58.379
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)1.632.40.81.22.06.620
Happy Together (CBS)1.031.20.90.51.75.956
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)0.800.90.70.41.27.396
Hell’s Kitchen (Fox)0.840.90.80.61.02.658
How to Get Away w/ Murder (ABC)0.771.10.40.51.03.018
I Feel Bad (NBC)0.680.90.50.40.92.638
Last Man Standing (Fox)1.311.31.30.91.96.152
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)0.951.20.70.61.24.216
Lethal Weapon (FOX)0.780.90.70.41.03.152
MacGyver (CBS)0.710.70.70.31.05.737
Madam Secretary (CBS)0.590.70.40.20.96.130
Magnum P.I. (CBS)0.931.00.90.41.56.238
Manifest (NBC)1.782.31.31.02.48.454
Masters of Illusion (CW)0.210.20.20.20.20.823
Modern Family (ABC)1.451.81.10.82.15.391
Mom (CBS)1.321.61.10.72.17.835
Murphy Brown (CBS)0.961.20.70.41.67.128
NCIS (CBS)1.411.71.10.72.212.132
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)0.841.00.70.31.47.544
NCIS: New Orleans (CBS)0.971.10.80.51.57.843
New Amsterdam (NBC)1.542.10.91.01.97.447
Penn & Teller: Fool Us (CW)0.280.30.30.20.41.158
Rel (FOX)0.710.60.80.60.81.815
S.W.A.T. (CBS)0.720.80.60.31.25.216
SEAL Team (CBS)0.800.90.70.41.25.027
Shark Tank (P) (ABC)0.600.70.50.40.72.961
Single Parents (ABC)1.121.40.80.61.64.229
Speechless (ABC)0.550.70.40.30.82.429
Star (FOX)1.221.60.80.91.53.990
Station 19 (ABC)1.081.50.70.81.35.175
Sunday Night Football (NBC)6.074.37.84.77.218.640
Superstore (NBC)0.911.00.80.61.23.161
Survivor: David vs. Goliath (CBS)1.541.81.30.92.27.280
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)2.242.61.91.13.412.296
The Cool Kids (Fox)1.071.11.00.71.54.898
The Gifted (FOX)0.730.70.70.50.92.255
The Goldbergs (ABC)1.341.61.10.61.85.127
The Good Doctor (ABC)1.111.40.80.71.47.199
The Good Place (NBC)0.921.10.70.61.22.962
The Neighborhood (CBS)1.311.51.10.62.18.106
The Outpost (F) (CW)0.130.10.10.10.20.587
The Resident (FOX)1.021.20.80.71.44.881
The Simpsons (FOX)1.801.32.31.42.14.605
The Voice (NBC) Mon2.072.61.51.12.810.062
The Voice (NBC) Tue1.852.41.21.12.69.396
This Is Us (NBC)2.423.31.51.63.08.873
Thursday Night Football (Fox)4.373.05.73.45.213.273
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (CW)0.200.20.20.10.30.730
Will & Grace (NBC)0.991.20.80.51.43.958
Young Sheldon (CBS)1.832.11.60.92.810.690

Live+same day data, Nielsen Media Research. Saturday broadcast programs excluded. 

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