There was some positive ratings news for all of the Big 4 broadcast networks last night. NBC’s blue-collar comedy Superstore had an encouraging first outing as a Monday 8 PM anchor, delivering a 1.7 rating in adults 18-49 in the fast nationals, with a good chance to go up to a 1.8 in the finals. That was a respectable number for a new comedy with no lead-in support at 8 PM and down just 15% (and possibly 10%) from the show’s preview behind The Voice last month. Telenovela (1.3), which airs at 8:30 PM, continues to be the softer of the NBC comedy newbies but was down just fraction (0.1) from its preview after The Voice. Still, both shows represent an improvement over NBC’s first new comedy effort this season, the now-defunct Truth Be Told. (Superstore and Telenovela also aired originals in the 9-10 PM hour on a very slow Monday last week, posting a 0.9 and a 0.8 in the demo, respectively). The new NBC comedies outrated veteran The Biggest Loser, which opened its 17th cycle with a 1.2 in 18-49 from 9-11 PM, down 25% from the previous season premiere.
Another long-running reality series, ABC’s The Bachelor (2.2), showed no signs of rust, with the Season 20 debut from 8-10 PM matching the demo delivery of last season’s opener. The show’s new companion, aftershow The Bachelor Live, drew a modest 1.1 in 18-49 — but that is close to what some 10 PM broadcast dramas deliver these days, so the 1.1 is a decent number for a low-cost entry like The Bachelor Live.
CBS’ drama lineup returned strong from the break, with all three shows posting double-digit ratings increases vs. their most recent originals. Supergirl (1.8, 8.8 million viewers) logged its best demo result since November 16 and biggest audience since November 2. Scorpion (2.1, 11.5 million) drew its largest audience of the season (since February 9) and highest 18-49 rating since the season premiere. NCIS: LA (1.6, 10.5 million) hit season highs in both 18-49 and total viewers (since March 9). CBS edged ABC (1.9 vs. 1.8) to win Monday in 18-49. The eye network also was No. 1 in viewers (10.3 million).
Fox aired a Superhuman two-hour special, which posted a decent 1.2 in 18-49.
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