Big Brother (0.68, -0.05) fell short of last week's rating on CBS, and a Fall First Look special (0.17) that followed fell behind NBC reruns of Law & Order: SVU (0.18/0.19/0.21). ABC went with repeats of dramas 9-1-1 (0.16) and 9-1-1: Nashville (0.12/0.09). Fox aired reruns of The 1% Club (0.15) and Best Medicine (0.14). The CW aired 9/11 Remembered (0.06). Key: (R) = repeat.
Fox had a smaller NFL lead-in than last week, but the series premiere of 99 to Beat (0.76) was only a few ticks behind Doc's football-fueled return (0.79). However, the boost was almost completely gone at nine for the Fox Fall Preview special (0.22). On CBS, Big Brother (0.36) struggled in the 10 p.m. slot but more than doubled its lead-in: A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire (0.17). ABC went with The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland (0.15). NFL on NBC (5.33) was up from last week. The CW aired the film Pretty Woman (0.06). Key: (R) = repeat.
Ratings Analysis: Murder in a Small Town (0.22) underwhelmed in its Fox debut, barely tying a repeat of CBS's FBI (0.22) in the Adults 18-49 demographic. On ABC, Dancing with the Stars (0.76, +0.03) climbed even higher, but High Potential (0.31, -0.04) dipped. NBC's America's Got Talent (0.44, +0.01) inched up for its season finale. The CW once more re-aired episodes of ABC sitcom The Conners (0.04/0.05/0.08/0.08). Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
Ratings Analysis: CBS's Big Brother (0.56, -0.01) was down slightly from last Thursday but easily topped the night. On ABC, Press Your Luck (0.22, -0.02) declined, but Lucky 13 (0.22/0.16) was up for its finale. NBC went with encores of Law & Order (0.16), SVU (0.14), and Found (0.11). MLB on Fox (0.28) was even with last week. Totally Funny Animals (0.03, -0.01) and Totally Funny Kids (0.02, -0.03) dropped on the CW. Key: (R) = repeat. (F) = finale.
It was another Friday night won by WWE Smackdown (0.50), even as the wrestling series shed seven hundredths. With the summer season now over, it was the final week in which Smackdown is not expected to face any major competition from the Big Three networks, as Shark Tank and SWAT will premiere in the coming weeks. Speaking of Shark Tank, it aired a repeat (0.32) that was slightly higher than the finale of The Con that aired in its time slot the week prior. The 9 PM 20/20 broadcast (0.24) trailed last week's Queen Elizabeth II-centered airing by a noticeable amount. NBC's Capital One College Bowl (0.24) was about steady in its second week, down only a single hundredth from the 9 PM airing last week and stable with the season premiere. The season premiere of Dateline NBC (0.31) was below its 2021-22 season average, but still took third for the night. CBS continued its HGTV-esque series Secret Celebrity Renovation (0.21), and saw a decline after last week's uptick. Their Fall Preview (0.18) aired at 9 PM and drew little interest, with a Young Sheldon encore (0.15) rating even lower. The night wrapped up with a repeat of Blue Bloods (0.19) that rated higher than last week's airings. On The CW, they said farewell to perennial ratings under-performer Dynasty (0.02) after what somehow was a five-season run, steady with last week's paltry series low. At 8, Killer Camp (0.04) doubled its rating from last week and yet still managed to remain a rounded 0.0.
Finals Update: The CBS Fall Preview (+0.1) adjusted up. Killer Camp (-0.1) and Dynasty (-0.) adjusted down.