Snapshot updated with finals: New series premieres: NBC’s Timeless (1.8 in 18-49, adjusted down from 1.9), ABC’s Conviction (0.9, adjusted down from 1.0); Returning series premiere: CBS’ Scorpion (1.5, -32%, adjusted down from 1.8).
UPDATE 2 PM: The rare Week 2 ratings bump for CBS’ Kevin Can Wait last Monday (2.7 in 18-49 L+SD vs. 2.6) must have come from viewers tuning in for the blockbuster Presidential debate that followed it. Because in the just released final L+SD ratings for last night, the Kevin James sitcom shed -0.5 in its third airing, down -18% from last week. That is with lead-in, The Big Bang Theory (3.5, adjusted up a tenth) even with last Monday. Also getting a significant downward adjustment was the two-hour season premiere of CBS drama Scorpion (1.5), which is now down -32% from last fall’s hourlong debut and also a tad below the season finale (1.6). (Some of the network’s fast nationals were inflated by an NFL preemption.)
The new series Monday premieres also underwent downward adjustments, with NBC’s Timeless slipping to a 1.8 18-49 L+SD rating (its lead-in The Voice, went up to a 3.0), and Conviction to a 0.9. Timeless is now below all NBC post-Voice Monday drama premieres and the preview of comedy The Good Place. It is tied with last season’s preview of comedy Superstore in the hour, which had smaller Voice lead-in. Meanwhile, Conviction is now the lowest-rated new series premiere so far this fall.
PREVIOUS 9:30 PM: O Castle, where art thou? In May, ABC surprised many when it moved in to cancel the veteran procedural after sibling ABC Studios had gone through great pains to rein in costs and re-sign cast (sans female lead Stana Katic for a dash of controversy). Castle had been on a decline but was fully owned by ABC and still making money for the company via off-network and international sales. It was replaced by new procedural Conviction, which debuted Monday night with a 1.0 adults 18-49 Live+ Same Day rating, tied with Fox’s The Exorcist as the lowest-rated L+SD broadcast premiere so far this fall and the lowest on any network outside of Friday. Conviction‘s opener was down 17% from the Castle season premiere last fall and also down from the Castle final-season average (1.1). Dancing with the Stars (1.7) was even with its most recent two-hour episode two weeks ago.
New NBC drama Timeless got to an OK start with a 1.9 rating in adults 18-49 following The Voice (2.9), which was down 12% from its two-hour previous episode, the season opener two weeks ago. This was the lowest drama premiere in the post-Voice Monday berth, below Revolution (4.1), The Blacklist (3.8), Blindspot (3,1) and State of Affairs (2.2). There has been erosion in The Voice ratings over time, though comedy The Good Place managed a 2.3 premiere in the 10 PM hour two weeks ago with a little stronger Voice lead-in (3.3), and NBC put some serious marketing muscle behind Timeless.
Timeless did edge the second hour of the Scorpion season premiere on CBS (1.9 vs. 1.7) and dominated ABC’s lackluster Conviction debut. But while Scorpion held steady in the hour, both Timeless and Conviction slipped by a 0.3 demo rating from the first half-hour to the second.
The fast-national ratings for CBS might be slightly inflated by a local NFL football pre-emption. Scorpion currently is logging a 1.9 at 9 PM and 1.7 at 10 PM, with the average 1.8 down from last fall’s premiere (2.2) but up from the spring finale (1.6).
After that rare Week 2 gain for Kevin Can Wait (2.7 in 18-49 L+SD, up from 2.6 for the premiere), there will be a Week 3 correction. The new comedy is currently at a 2.4 demo rating. The Big Bang Theory (3.4) currently is running off by a 0.1 from last Monday.
Fox’s comic book dramas Gotham (1.0) and Lucifer (1.1) both fell 0.2 from their most recent originals. It is a new L+SD series low for Gotham and a tie for an all time low for Lucifer. Both shows get significant DVR/VOD lifts.
NBC won Monday night in 18-49 with a 2.6 rating. The network is currently edging CBS in total viewers in a close race (10.28 million vs. 10.00 million).
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.