Ratings Analysis: In recent times, the power of the 8 p.m. timeslot has been made abundantly clear. As ratings continue to decline in primetime, local programming seems to serve as a better lead-in than whatever else the network has to offer. Shows like 'The Conners' and 'The Rookie' have experienced growth or increased stability after ABC decided to air them in an earlier timeslot. ABC decided to give 'Claim To Fame' (0.40) that same opportunity for its season two premiere, and it paid off masterfully. The reality series surged to an all-time series high and soared past every rating from season one. But the success of 'Fame' ultimately came at the expense of 'The Bachelorette' (0.35). 'Bachelorette' struggled in the 9 p.m. hour and plummeted to a series low, going over 50% below last summer's start (0.72).
On NBC, 'American Ninja Warrior' (0.35, -0.01) and 'The Wall' (0.32, -0.06) declined from their week-ago episodes. At 10, a repeat of 'Weakest Link' (0.22) outpaced CBS's encore of 'NCIS: Hawai'i' (0.17). CBS also had reruns of 'The Neighborhood' (0.28), 'Bob Hearts Abishola' (0.24), and 'NCIS' (0.19). On Fox, 'Stars on Mars' (0.18, +0.01) and 'Crime Scene Kitchen' (0.21, +0.02) enjoyed minor upticks. The CW had repeats of 'The Rising' (0.05) and 'Nancy Drew' (0.05). 'The Rising' actually beat its week-ago original (0.03), while the 'Nancy Drew' rerun was a significant improvement over last week's episode of 'Barons' (0.02).
Finals Update: All shows held their preliminary rounded ratings.
(P) = premiere
(R) = repeat
