RATINGS RECAP: 1/29/14

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:30 Super Fun Night
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 

NBC
8:00 Revolution
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Chicago PD
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8 

With the CBS dramas in repeats, NBC was able to capitalize once again. First up though, Revolution was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. There's just not going to be room on NBC's drama pile for this show to see a third season. At 9pm, Law & Order: SVU was up nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Either CBS or NBC has to budge and move Criminal Minds or Law & Order: SVU. They compete for the same audience every week and thrive when the other is a repeat. At 10pm, Chicago PD was up seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Yes the lead-in was up too, but it's a good sign that people aren't jumping ship on this newbie. Despite repeats on CBS and of key ABC shows, week three of American Idol was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. It's still running 30% behind last year, which is not good.

ABC was left without its successful anchors as The Middle and Modern Family were in repeats. Not surprisingly, Suburgatory and Super Fun Night were negatively impacted. Suburgatory fell eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo, tying a series low. At 9:30pm, Super Fun Night was a million viewers and four tenths in the demo for a series low. If Night didn't seal its fate by now, this has done it. It is clearly weaker than Suburgatory much less the anchor shows. Next up is Mixology, which once again is a totally different show following three family comedies. At 10pm, Nashville was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo despite the lead-in being down. CBS aired Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials and it did well again as this is becoming a decent little annual special for CBS.

RENEWAL ALERT: Bones

In an unsurprising move, FOX has renewed Bones for a 10th season. They also announced that it will return to Mondays at 8pm on March 10 after Almost Human has wrapped its freshman season.

Bones has become FOX's best utility players in recent years as it has been bounced all around the schedule and continued to do well. This year, it aired on Mondays to start the season and proved to be a good companion to surprise freshman hit Sleepy Hollow. But it was sent to Fridays in November to make room for the new Almost Human. After a couple rough outings, its audience has followed it to Fridays where it just posted a high for the night last week. A renewal for next season was never in doubt and it's currently the only FOX drama airing a whole season with shows like Hollow and The Following airing for just half a season. This upcoming season could be the veteran drama's last.

Bones joins Bob's Burgers, Glee, Masterchef Junior, The Simpsons, and Sleepy Hollow as renewals for next season. Sure to join that list are American Idol, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, and New Girl. On the bubble are Almost Human, The Following, The Mindy Project, and The X Factor with Dads, Raising Hope, Rake, and Enlisted unlikely to return. Still to premiere this season for FOX is Surviving Jack, 24: Live Another Day, and Gang Related as well as the new season of Kitchen Nightmares, which will take over the Friday 8pm slot when Bones returns to Mondays.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/28/14

ABC 
8:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 ABC News: State of the Union
N/A

CBS 
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 CBS News: State of the Union
N/A

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 NBC News: State of the Union
N/A

FOX 
8:00 Dads
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 FOX News: State of the Union
N/A

CANCELLATION ALERT: Sean Saves the World

In an abrupt move today, NBC halted production on Sean Saves the World with four episodes left to film, effectively cancelling the series. There are two complete unaired episodes that will reportedly air after the Olympics but the other four will not be made.

Sean Saves the World was part of NBC's overhaul to Thursday night by bringing back former Thursday star from Will & Grace, Sean Hayes. However, the entire lineup was nothing short of a disaster. Welcome to the Family was quickly cancelled, The Michael J. Fox Show probably would have been had it not been for the 22 episode order, and Parks and Recreation saw series lows. NBC stayed patient with Sean and even gave it some stronger lead-ins in late fall with The Voice and SNL specials, but it could not get any footing and things got even worse after Christmas. NBC has not announced a replacement for Sean but midseason comedy Undateable still has not gotten a premiere date.

Sean joins Family and Ironside as the only cancellations for NBC's season. Other likely cancellations include Dracula, The Michael J. Fox Show, and maybe Revolution. NBC still has a lot to premiere after the Olympics: dramas Believe and Crisis and comedies About a Boy and Growing Up Fisher.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/27/14

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
8:30 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:30 Mom
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Intelligence
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 Hollywood Game Night
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Hollywood Game Night
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5 

FOX
8:00 The Following (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 

Monday night was stellar for CBS as the 200th episode of How I Met Your Mother powered the entire lineup to big gains. First up, Mother was up a huge 2 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo. The demo is the highest since February 4 while total viewers is the best since December 5, 2011. CBS is really going to miss this show when it goes off the air in two months but this bodes well for strong numbers to come leading up to the series finale. At 8:30pm, 2 Broke Girls was up 1.1 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for season highs. At 9pm, Mike & Molly was up 1.9 million viewers and half a demo point, tying a season high. At 9:30pm, Mom was up 1.3 million viewers and half a demo point. The demo is the best since the series premiere while the viewer total is a series high. The halo effect from Mother trickled all the way down to Intelligence, which was up a million viewers and four tenths in the demo for its best Monday performance. It also probably didn't hurt that Castle was in repeats. The numbers are still far too low but this performance probably saved it from any kind of early pull from the lineup.

FOX was the only network that didn't really have good news as the time period premiere of The Following hit a series low. It also lost a huge amount of the 4.4 demo that tuned in after the NFC Championship Game. It could go up next week as it will have a new lead-in (why did FOX choose to air a repeat of The Following instead of a new Almost Human?) and it will also have promotions during the Super Bowl on Sunday. However, this is troubling for a show that was a bright spot for FOX last year. If it slowly bleeds numbers over the course of the season as it did last year, this show could easily be facing cancellation. On NBC, two episodes of Hollywood Game Night performed the same as last week, just in reverse as the 8pm hour was stronger this week. At 10pm, the third week of The Blacklist without The Voice was up 1.4 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. It may have been helped by a repeat of Castle but it proved it can get 10+ million viewers and a 2.5 demo with a miniscule lead-in. This is a real hit for NBC and it will get some more chances to build an audience when it follows The Voice again starting after the Olympics. Finally on ABC, The Bachelor was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. 

RATINGS RECAP: 1/26/14

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:00 The Bachelor: Sean and Catherine's Wedding
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 14.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
8:00 2014 Grammy Awards
Viewers: 28.6 million, 18-49 demo: 9.9 

NBC
7:00 Sunday Night Football Special
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
7:30 NFL Pro Bowl
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8 

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
7:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5 

Sunday night had the Grammy Awards on CBS which were a big draw as usual. The awards ceremony was up two tenths in viewers and down two tenths in the demo from last year. The Grammys are second only to the Oscars when it comes to the ratings. The NFL Pro Bowl aired on NBC and was down just two tenths in the demo from last year. So it looks like the Grammys and the Pro Bowl each hurt each other only minimally by airing on the same night this year. On ABC, America's Funniest Home Videos and a special The Bachelor wedding didn't perform too badly against the competition. As expected, FOX was the odd network out by airing new episodes of its cartoons. All four cartoons either hit or tied season lows. The Simpsons tied a series low in the demo set in December 2012 while American Dad! hit an outright series low.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/25/14

ABC 
8:00 Movie: Flushed Away
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 20/20 Saturday
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CBS
8:00 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
8:30 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

NBC
8:00 Shaun White: Russia Calling
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 The Blacklist (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 UFC Fight Night
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

RATINGS RECAP: 1/24/14

ABC 
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 The Neighbors
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Grimm
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Dracula
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 

FOX
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Enlisted
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:30 Raising Hope
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

On Friday night, FOX had some success by flipping Raising Hope and the new Enlisted. But first at 8pm, Bones was up seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for a Friday high. I have to admit, I was wrong about my criticism for FOX for moving Bones to Friday. It has helped a long-troubled hour on the schedule for FOX and Almost Human has performed better than expected in its place on Mondays. At 9pm, Enlisted moved to 9pm and jumped 1.2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo for a series high in week three. While still low, this is a major improvement over recent weeks. It's probably not enough in the long run but at least it's an acknowledgment by FOX that they needed to do something to help this show. At 9:30pm, Raising Hope was down a tenth in viewers and up a tenth in the demo from last week, when it aired at 9pm.

On ABC, Last Man Standing was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo while The Neighbors was up a tenth in viewers but down a tenth in the demo to tie a series low. At 9pm, Shark Tank was up eight tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a series high. At 10pm, 20/20 was up 1.7 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. Not only is it a season high, the demo is 20/20's best in its regular timeslot since March 30, 2012. ABC may be struggling on most nights but a 2.2/1.9 demo from 9-11pm is pretty good for any night, not just Friday. Finally on NBC, Dateline NBC was up three tenths in viewers and down a tenth in the demo while Grimm was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 10pm, the season finale of Dracula was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It's unlikely this show will come back but it's a cheap option for NBC that apparently does well overseas so stranger things have happened.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/23/14

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
8:30 The Millers (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:30 The Crazy Ones (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC 
8:00 Community
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 The Michael J. Fox Show
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 Sean Saves the World
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX 
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 12.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
9:00 Rake
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

Thursday night had a new series premiere on FOX and the results were not positive. But first, week two of American Idol was down a million viewers and half a demo point from last Thursday's two hour episode. Week two was pretty rough on Idol, we'll see if the year-to-year comparisons start getting better in future weeks. The series premiere of Rake followed and it really struggled even with the sizable lead-in. It lost half of the Idol audience in the demo. If this show had not had a big lead-in, it probably would have pulled DOA numbers. As it is, it's probably enough to last the season but FOX has enough dramas in its wheelhouse and this will probably not be in the conversation for next year. On ABC, The Taste rallied a bit as it was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. CBS was in repeats but two repeats of The Big Bang Theory were stronger than any other show on the evening besides Idol.

On low NBC, Community and Parks and Recreation both started out the night down a tenths in viewers and even in the demo. NBC decided to flip Sean Saves the World and The Michael J. Fox Show but there was no impact as it evened out with Fox up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo and Sean down a tenth in viewers and the demo. As of now, NBC hasn't announced any changes to the Thursday lineup after the Olympics but I have to think something is going to happen to the 9pm hour especially with Sean not having that many episodes left in its order. At 10pm, Parenthood was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

PILOT REVIEW: Rake

RAKE

Starring: Greg Kinnear, John Ortiz, Miranda Otto, Necar Zadegan, Bojana Novakovic, Tara Summers, David Harbour, Ian Colletti

Based on the Australian Television Series
Developed for US Television by Peter Tolan and Peter Duncan
Written by Peter Duncan & Peter Tolan, Directed by Sam Raimi

Rake is a new legal dramedy based on the Australian series of the same name. In the US incarnation, Greg Kinnear plays Keegan Deane, a womanizing, alcoholic, and generally self-destructive criminal defense lawyer. The rest of the cast is the many people who populate Deane's life, some are good influences and some are bad. They include assistant Leanne (Tara Summers), best friend Ben (John Ortiz), ex-wife Maddy (Miranda Otto), teenage son Finn (Ian Colletti), and prostitute Mikki (Bojana Novakovic).

THE GOOD: I was pleasantly surprised at times by Rake. Greg Kinnear was excellent in the lead role. I'm not always a fan of Kinnear but this was a very good fit for him. He was at his best when he was unraveling and making mistakes left and right because he brought some humor to the role at those times. The show had a great opening sequence and it needed to because this was a show that had a premise that was a bit unclear from the log line and the commercials. The opening scene really let us into the world of Keegan Deane and it was fast-moving and entertaining, just like Deane's lifestyle. The relationship between Ben and Keegan seems genuine and the scene with the cop and the kids in the car was funny.

THE BAD: I think the pilot lost a little bit of its charm once it really started to dig into the legal case. While the "case of the week" was not horrible, it just felt very ordinary whereas the first couple scenes really felt like something unique. I get that Deane has to have a job to move plot lines along but I would minimize the courtroom scenes and focus on this being more of a character-driven show. I didn't like the whole use of the dead fish throughout the episode. I get that it was a sort of gimmick for the pilot that lasted throughout the episode but I just wasn't feeling it.

BOTTOM LINE: I'll be curious to see where this one goes. It certainly has potential because Kinnear is strong and the concept is good. But it already seemed like it wasn't quite sure what it wanted to be - morphing from a larger than life lifestyle to a humorous story to a legal drama all within the course of one hour. Rake has pieces that can make it a success but it's not all there yet. This is one of those shows that I enjoyed for the most part but I have a feeling I'll have a hard time getting excited to see episode two.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/22/14

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
8:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
9:30 Super Fun Night
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 The Crazy Ones (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:30 Mom (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Revolution
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Chicago PD
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 13.3 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0

Wednesday night had week two of American Idol slip a heavy 1.9 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo. We'll see how it levels off but early indicators are that Idol is not going to be able to stop the bleeding. CBS had a really bad night as both their veteran dramas saw series lows. Criminal Minds was even in viewers but down two tenths in the demo while CSI was down eight tenths in viewers and a rough four tenths in the demo. I'm not sure what exactly happened here but I think these shows will rally, they're pretty resilient. NBC was up across the board as Revolution rose half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's series low. I'm still surprised at how much this show has held-up this season. It's not doing great, but it didn't have a Smash-like meltdown. At 9pm, Law & Order: SVU swung back up again as it was up 1.3 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. SVU rises and Criminal Minds falls, time for either CBS or NBC to move one of these shows which seem to appeal to the exact same audience. At 10pm, week three of Chicago PD was up seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo though retention was much weaker this week.

ABC's lineup was up across the board perhaps in part due to a weaker Idol. The biggest gainer was The Middle, which was up half a million viewers and a big half a demo point for its best number since November 20. Last week, I said The Middle may have been the victim of the curiosity tune-in to the new season of American Idol. That wasn't a factor this week and The Middle was able to recover. At 8:30pm, Suburgatory was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's season premiere. The rise for the second week doesn't happen often but it does when the lead-in is so much better. At 9pm, Modern Family was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo while even Super Fun Night rallied a little bit as it was up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 10pm, Nashville was the least affected as it was down a tenth in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. Even with CSI and Chicago PD being less than impressive, Nashville still finished in third place. 

RATINGS RECAP: 1/21/14

ABC
8:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 The Goldbergs
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:30 Trophy Wife
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Killer Women
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 14.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Person of Interest (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

FOX 
8:00 Dads
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:30 The Mindy Project
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

With CBS in repeats, FOX surged to surprising numbers on Tuesday night. At 8pm, Dads was up seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. It's a nice jump but not as impressive as what followed. Brooklyn Nine-Nine seemed to get its Golden Globes bounce a week late as it jumped 1.1 million viewers and half a demo point to its best numbers since the series premiere. This is a great showing for a show that already has momentum with its Globes win and the upcoming Super Bowl episode. At 9pm, New Girl was up six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. A week after losing to the competing The Goldbergs in the demo, it easily trounced ABC's comedy this week. New Girl's next episode will be immediately after the big game though I still think FOX should have started the post-Super Bowl hour with Brooklyn than New Girl. At 9:30pm, The Mindy Project was up half a million viewers and four tenths in the demo for its best numbers since November 5. It will be on hiatus now until April 1 as Glee returns to Tuesdays and Brooklyn moves to the 9:30pm slot. 

On NBC, The Biggest Loser benefited from the CBS repeats as well as it was up 1.1 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 10pm, Chicago Fire was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It seems like it should have gone up in the demo with a stronger lead-in and opposite a Person of Interest repeat. Finally on ABC, The Goldbergs followed a repeat of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and fell two tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. The last time it followed a Marvel repeat, it held up very well but not so much this time. At 9:30pm, Trophy Wife was down a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low. Yet another new ABC show slips below the 1.0 demo line. Speaking of which, week three of Killer Women was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. ABC will now premiere Mind Games two weeks earlier, limiting Women's run to six weeks.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/20/14

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
8:30 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:00 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:30 Mom
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Intelligence
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 

NBC
8:00 Hollywood Game Night
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Hollywood Game Night
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3 

FOX
8:00 Sleepy Hollow
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Sleepy Hollow
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

Monday night had the final two episodes of the season of Sleepy Hollow. The 8pm hour was basically even with last week's episode while the 9pm hour was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best performance since November 18. Sleepy Hollow was definitely a surprise success for FOX this season and it will return in the fall for another shorter season, though FOX said it may be more than 13 episodes. NBC had the new season of filler Hollywood Game Night and two episodes delivered decent numbers for NBC. At 10pm, The Blacklist was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a new series low. This isn't too surprising with a lower lead-in and honestly, it's not a bad performance for a show that has to self-start much more these couple weeks. Over on ABC, The Bachelor was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo while Castle was even in viewers and up a tenth in the demo.

Finally on CBS, How I Met Your Mother started off the night up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for its best numbers since November 18. At 8:30pm, 2 Broke Girls was dead even with last week. The 9pm hour did not fare nearly as well as Mike & Molly was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo while Mom was down two tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. Once again, Mom is fluctuating up and down. It's surprising how this show can constantly swing three or four tenths in the demo with regularity. At 10pm, the third episode of Intelligence (and second week in timeslot) was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo to a low 1.1 demo. The question is will CBS keep this show here through the spring? They still have the drama Reckless on deck while adding a comedy hour or moving another show here is always an option.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/19/14

ABC 
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:00 The Bachelor: Love Stories
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Revenge
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Betrayal
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:00 The Good Wife (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 The Mentalist (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 Movie: Bridesmaids
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX 
7:00 NFC Championship Game
Viewers: 55.9 million, 18-49 demo: 19.0
10:19 The Following
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 4.4 

Sunday night had the NFC Championship Game leading into the season premiere of The Following. The Seahawks-49ers game was significantly up from last year's Patriots-Ravens AFC game on ABC which pulled 47.7 million viewers and a 16.8 demo. The season premiere of The Following delivered easy series highs thanks to the huge lead-in and it was well ahead of the 3.5 demo Hawaii Five-0 got last year following the AFC Championship. It seems off to a good start for season two but we'll see how The Following does when it settles in on Monday nights. Only ABC was brave enough to air originals against the game. Revenge fell three tenths in viewers and the demo to tie a series low. It will return on March 9 at its new time, 10pm, airing after the new Resurrection. At 10pm, the season, and most definitely series, finale of Betrayal was up six tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo, tying a series low. I'm sure we'll never see this show again though it hasn't officially been cancelled.

RENEWAL ALERT: Parks and Recreation

In a surprising announcement, NBC boss Robert Greenblatt announced the renewal of Parks and Recreation for a seventh season at the NBC Winter TCA presentation. Parks, which recently celebrated its 100th episode, has been a very low-rated show throughout its run and that's no difference this year. However, it has been the highest rated show in the terrible Thursday comedy block that includes freshman bombs Sean Saves the World and The Michael J. Fox Show. In recent weeks, it has shown a little more life when paired with its old partner, Community.

Parks and Recreation joins The Blacklist as the only official renewals for next season on NBC. Slam dunk renewals include The Biggest Loser, Chicago Fire, Dateline NBC, Law & Order: SVU, and The Voice. Likely to join them is Grimm. Parenthood, Community, and Revolution are on the bubble while it's too early to tell with Chicago PD. Likely cancellations include Sean, Fox, and Dracula. NBC has a lot of midseason shows coming after the Olympics so that could impact these bubble shows.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/18/14

ABC
8:00 Movie: Hancock
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 20/20 Saturday
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 

CBS
8:00 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
8:30 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Intelligence (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

NBC
8:00 Chicago PD (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 Chicago PD (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX 
8:00 Almost Human (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 The Following (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

RATINGS RECAP: 1/17/14

ABC 
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 The Neighbors
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 12.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Grimm
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Dracula
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 

FOX 
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Raising Hope
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 Enlisted
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 

It was a pretty mundane Friday night with shows near normal levels. Starting on CBS, Undercover Boss was up 1.7 million viewers and two tenths in the demo from its last episode over a month ago. At 9pm, Hawaii Five-0 was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. Blue Bloods closed out the night also down a tenth in viewers and the demo. In a season with both Hostages and Intelligence failing, I think both Friday dramas are safe for next season. On NBC, Dateline NBC started off down nine tenths in viewers and even in the demo from its last airing. Why does NBC air specials like last week's Going for Gold when Dateline is always such a reliable option? At 9pm, Grimm benefited from the better lead-in as it was up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Dracula closed out the night up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. The season finale is next week.

Over on ABC, Last Man Standing started off the night down a million viewers and a tenth in the demo while The Neighbors was down 1.1 million viewers and two tenths in the demo as it seems last week's jump was a mirage for the latter show. At 9pm, Shark Tank was dead even with last week. In the last week, the only ABC shows that did better in the demo than Shark were The Bachelor and Modern Family. At 10pm, 20/20 was down a tenth in viewers but even in the demo. Finally on FOX, Bones was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. At 9pm, Raising Hope was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while week two of Enlisted slipped four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. FOX said they will stick with this show for all 13 episodes but it's hard to see them doing that if it goes any lower. Again though, what did they expect with this timeslot?

RATINGS RECAP: 1/16/14

ABC 
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
8:30 The Millers (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 The Crazy Ones (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Sean Saves the World
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:30 The Michael J. Fox Show
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 

FOX 
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 13.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9

Thursday night had night two of American Idol but it was not overly positive. Though still dominant with a 3.9 demo, it was down a significant 1.8 million viewers and eight tenths in the demo from the Wednesday night premiere. That happened despite there being less competition and solid feedback and reviews of the revamped judging panel. When The Big Bang Theory and the CBS lineup are new again, it could fall further. The Taste on ABC was hit hard by Idol as it was down 1.2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo to a low 0.9. If it had held around a 1.2, I think ABC would be thinking a lot about making it a filler again next year. But a 0.9 is awfully low and that was with CBS in repeats. A Shark Tank repeat at 10pm was a big improvement over the cancelled The Assets.

NBC was pathetically low as nothing topped a 1.2 demo for them all night. At 8pm, Community was down half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo while Parks and Recreation was down three tenths in viewers and the demo. Despite the low numbers, Parks and Recreation was surprisingly renewed over the weekend. The 8pm hour might have seemed like a problem but the 9pm hour was disastrous as it seemed to be massacred by Idol, spoiling whatever it had left. Sean Saves the World was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. The worst news came at 9:30pm where The Michael J. Fox Show was down 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the demo to a series low at a terrible 0.6 demo. 0.6 demos have gotten shows like The Assets cancelled but NBC still has that nagging 22 episode order hanging over Fox. They should find a way to burn off the rest because this show is done. At 10pm, Parenthood was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/15/14

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:30 Super Fun Night
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 The Millers (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 10.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 

NBC
8:00 Revolution
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Chicago PD
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

FOX 
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 15.2 million, 18-49 demo: 4.7

Wednesday night had the return of American Idol. It no longer comes in like a wrecking ball and destroys everything in its sight but it can still have an impact as it proved with its performance. It was down a rough 2.7 million viewers and 1.3 demo points from last year's premiere but that's to be expected because last year still started strong before showing major decline as the season went on. I think by season's end, the year to year comparison will be much better for the show than it is right now especially given the positive reception the new judging panel has gotten from fans and critics. It's easy to knock American Idol for how far it has fallen from it's glory days but it's worth noting that it's still right up there with The Voice and The Big Bang Theory as TV's top shows in the demo. 

ABC took a hit from Idol even with the season premiere of Suburgatory. At 8pm, The Middle was down 1.3 million viewers and four tenths in the demo for a season low. It may perk up a bit again in coming weeks as there may have been some initial interest and tune-in for American Idol right at the beginning. At 8:30pm, Suburgatory returned to disappointing numbers. Though retention out of The Middle was not bad, it was only slightly above where Back in the Game ended up. It'll be interesting to see if this show gets a fourth season since it didn't have a full third season and that's usually necessary for the automatic syndication renewal. At 9pm, Modern Family was down four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo, tying a season low. At 9:30pm, Super Fun Night was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. This show can't end soon enough for ABC but I really doubt Mixology is going to be any stronger. At 10pm, Nashville was down a tenth in viewers and the demo for a new series low. Yet, with Scandal gone for now, a 1.3 demo is still the best 10pm drama number for ABC this winter besides Castle... yikes!

Despite facing Idol, the CBS dramas came back strong after several weeks off. At 9pm, Criminal Minds was down eight tenths in viewers but even in the demo. At 10pm, CSI was up a tenth in the viewers and two tenths in the demo. Right now, it looks like it will be able to easily handle Chicago PD but the parent show slowly crept up on CSI during last season as the episodes went on. NBC was down big from last week. Revolution was down 1.1 million viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low. It took a hit this week after last week's surprising numbers. At 9pm, Law & Order: SVU was down a terrible 3.4 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo. This show has had some violent swings this year as it has peaked high and then gone very low. It wilts against Criminal Minds so NBC should really consider moving this elsewhere next season - maybe Thursdays or Fridays at 10pm? At 10pm, week two of Chicago PD was down 3.1 million viewers and half a demo point. It's hard to envision how it could have done any better considering how much its lead-in was down and the fact that it had to face CSI this week. The good news is it actually grew from its lead-in so that's a bit encouraging.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/14/14

ABC 
8:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 The Goldbergs
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:30 Trophy Wife
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Killer Women
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 19.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 15.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 12.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

FOX
8:00 Dads
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:30 The Mindy Project
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

Tuesday night had CBS on top with its drama lineup. At 8pm, NCIS was down 1.1 million viewers but even in the demo. Hitting a 3 demo is not very common for any shows any more so this continues to be very impressive. At 9pm, NCIS: Los Angeles was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo with its last airing in December. It was also pretty much right on par with the numbers the series premiere of Intelligence got in this slot. However, I'm sure Los Angeles would fall apart Intelligence style if it were moved to Mondays and honestly that might be a move CBS should think about next season. At 10pm, Person of Interest was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. On NBC, The Biggest Loser was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo while Chicago Fire was down a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo. It's a little lower this week but it's still being a standalone show, which is good.

On ABC, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. started off the night down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 9pm, The Goldbergs was down four tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo. It rose to its best demo since the third week of the season, way back on October 8. Back then, it was following a 2.9 demo while it is now following a 2.2 demo. It's still low but there is some buzz growing for this show. Why oh why won't ABC move this show to Wednesdays? At 9:30pm, Trophy Wife was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Finally at 10pm, week two of Killer Women was predictably disastrous as it was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. It is in instant cancellation territory with a 0.7 demo. It's tough to say what ABC will do - Lucky 7 was cancelled after falling to a 0.7 demo in week two while The Assets was cancelled after falling to a 0.6. However, Betrayal has dropped to a 0.7 and ABC has kept it on the air. With only eight episodes to air, I think ABC may not want to cancel two shows in a row this quickly after The Assets. Unless it goes even lower this week, ABC may just see it through.

Finally, FOX had a second straight Tuesday where nothing topped a 1.6 demo. At 8pm, Dads was down four tenths in viewers and a rough three tenths in the demo. This show had a surprising showing last week but it came falling back. At 8:30pm, Golden Globe winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine was up a tenth in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. While it didn't get any sort of Globes bounce, it was the most watched show in the block. At 9pm, New Girl was even with last week but these numbers are still so troubling for a show that was a new bright spot in FOX's lineup two years ago. It does still get decent DVR gains and skews young but the path is not good for this show. At 9:30pm, The Mindy Project was down a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low at a rough 1.1 demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/13/14

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

CBS 
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
8:30 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:00 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 9.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:30 Mom
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Intelligence
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC
8:00 American Ninja Warrior
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5 

FOX
8:00 Almost Human
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Sleepy Hollow
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2 

There was a lot going on Monday with the return of The Blacklist and the time period premiere of Intelligence. All eyes were on NBC and The Blacklist's first airing without The Voice as a lead-in. It fell 2.3 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo from its last airing, though its worth noting that was up from previous episodes. While it's an easy series low and maybe slightly below what people were expecting, this is still a good performance. It showed it could hold up well with a much lower lead-in (and build from that lead-in - an American Ninja Warrior special). It proved that there is standalone interest in this show - more-so than past Voice followers Revolution and Smash. It only has to hold on well for two more episodes before it gets The Voice back as a lead-in after the Olympics.

CBS had a huge disaster with Intelligence but there was better news earlier in the night with the comedies. At 8pm, How I Met Your Mother popped back up nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo as it returned to its regular 3.0 demo. At 8:30pm, 2 Broke Girls was up 1.4 million viewers and a strong four tenths in the demo. The demo ties a season high while the viewer total is an outright season high. At 9pm, Mike & Molly was up nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. The viewer total is a season high as it impressively had nearly 10 million viewers. At 9:30pm, Mom was up nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. But then things got bad, real bad, as Intelligence made its time period premiere and tumbled a disastrous 9.7 million viewers and 1.2 demo points from its preview episode last Tuesday. A drop was expected but losing half its demo and more than half its viewers is an absolute mess and viewers completely rejected this show. It is no better than Hostages and may be worse within a couple weeks. Back to the drawing board for CBS in this slot, we'll see how long Intelligence lasts as CBS may not be as patient as it was with Hostages. So much for the CBS promos touting it as the "most watched new show."

The biggest surprise of the night came from Almost Human which was up half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best performance since its time period premiere with its second episode in November. After initially looking like a much weaker option than Bones, this show is finding an audience and its own niche and has to be in the conversation for renewal now. At 9pm, Sleepy Hollow returned after a month and was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. The two hour season finale is next week. Finally on ABC, The Bachelor was down seven tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo from its season premiere last week. It wilted a bit against tougher competition but it may perk up again before the Olympics. At 10pm, Castle was up two tenths in viewers and the demo for a solid second place in the hour.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/12/14

ABC 
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:00 The Bachelor: Behind the Scenes
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Revenge
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Betrayal
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
7:00 NFL Divisional Playoffs
Viewers: 41.2 million, 18-49 demo: 13.3
8:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 17.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
9:00 The Good Wife
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

NBC
7:00 Golden Globes Arrivals Special
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:00 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards
Viewers: 20.9 million, 18-49 demo: 6.5 

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
7:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
8:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3 

Sunday night had two major events: the Golden Globes and the NFL playoffs. The Golden Globes were a huge performer for NBC as the decision to bring back Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as hosts was a good one and the Globes posted their most watched ceremony since 2004 and best demo performance since 2007. I'll bet NBC is glad Tina and Amy are already booked for next year. CBS got the NFL overrun this week and it was huge as expected though slightly below last week's Sunday night wildcard round. The huge lead-in of course helped 60 Minutes to a mammoth uptick as it hit season highs even against the Globes. At 9pm, The Good Wife was up seven tenths in viewers and a big four tenths in the demo for a season high. It may have some of the halo effect from the NFL but that's still an impressive performance against the Golden Globes. At 10pm, The Mentalist was down three tenths in viewers but up two tenths in the demo.

Over on ABC, America's Funniest Home Videos was down 1.7 million viewers and a big six tenths in the demo as it got mauled by football and the Golden Globes pre-show. Revenge held up OK against the awards as it was down a million viewers but just two tenths in the demo. It could have been worse. At 10pm, Betrayal was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. FOX's animated lineup was of course down from last week's football lead-in, but they held up OK as everything was at least at a 2.0 demo. At 8pm, The Simpsons was understandably down the most as it fell 7.2 million viewers and 2.4 demo points. That might sound huge but last week was so inflated with a direct football lead-in. Bob's Burgers was down 2.2 million viewers and nine tenths in the demo and Family Guy was down six tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo. The show that was the most removed from the NFL lead-in, American Dad!, was down the least - just half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/11/14

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3
10:00 Killer Women (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4

CBS
8:00 NFL Divisional Playoffs
Viewers: 31.7 million, 18-49 demo: 10.2

NBC
8:00 US Figure Skating Championship
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

FOX
8:00 Almost Human (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Bones (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8 

PILOT REVIEW: Enlisted

ENLISTED

Starring: Geoff Stults, Chris Lowell, Parker Young, Angelique Cabral, and Keith David

Created by Kevin Biegel
Written by Kevin Biegel, Directed by Phil Traill

Enlisted is a new sitcom that takes place on a Florida military base where several army outcasts reside. When decorated Staff Sergeant Pete Hill (Geoff Stults) punches a superior officer while in Afghanistan, he is punished and sent to a reserve base with his brothers Derrick and Randy (Chris Lowell and Parker Young) and a band of misfits. Rounding out the main cast in the Sergeant of a competing unit, Jill Perez (Angelique Cabral), and the tern Command Sergeant Major of the base, Donald Cody (Keith David).

THE GOOD: Enlisted was the biggest surprise for me of any new show this season. I didn't think it looked very funny from the previews so I went in with low expectations but it was actually quite funny and sweet. The characters are well-defined and the camaraderie/competition between the three brothers is strong and convincing. Geoff Stults is very strong in the lead role, he has the right amount of swagger and humility throughout the episode where he was really the driving character. There were several moments that made me laugh in the episode, which is rare for a pilot. This show seems to have a good idea of what it wants to be and what might seem initially like it's making fun of the military, comes across sweetly and earnestly.

THE BAD: This isn't just a knock on Enlisted but way too many pilots are feeling the need to introduce their main characters by having them do something then the frame freezes as a snarky title comes up to name them and describe them. A well-written comedy like this doesn't need to introduce each character that way, let us just meet them naturally. This episode didn't really have this problem but I worry that sometimes the show will get a little too silly for its own good. It's important that it stays lighthearted but I worry with a few scenes like the final battle, that it won't walk that line so well in future episodes.

BOTTOM LINE: FOX really missed an opportunity with this show. With it's sweetly silly feel and a funny ensemble filled with wacky characters, it would have been a great partner for Brooklyn Nine-Nine (compared to Dads). FOX could have at least given it a preview after an NFL game because this deserved a wider audience than it got in its DOA timeslot. I don't know how future episodes came out but the pilot was very promising and it's too bad more people aren't going to discover this little hidden gem when it's buried on a Friday night.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/10/14

ABC8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 The Neighbors
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CBS
8:00 Intelligence (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 Going for the Gold
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Grimm
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Dracula
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

FOX 
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Raising Hope
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:30 Enlisted
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

Friday night had the series premiere of Enlisted and it bombed as expected. First on FOX though, Bones was even in viewers and down two tenths in the demo. At 9pm, Raising Hope was up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from its last 9pm airing. Then Enlisted premiered and tied the just-cancelled The Assets for the lowest in-season premiere ever. So now three of the five new shows in 2014 have premiered to less than a 1.0 demo. That being said, the writing was on the wall for FOX with this show and its placement. They didn't even give it a preview on Tues or after the NFL or something like that so this is not surprising at all. I do wonder what FOX's expectation was/is for this show. Over on NBC, a Golden Globes special at 8pm was much lower than Dateline NBC usually is. Why does NBC preempt Dateline for these low specials? At 9pm, Grimm was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo as it had more competition and a lower lead-in. At 10pm, Dracula was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low. There are only two weeks left for this show.

Over on ABC, everything was up from its last airing in a pretty good Friday night. At 8pm, Last Man Standing was up nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for season highs. This is not a bad showing at all for Friday at 8pm especially considering what some ABC shows are getting during the week. At 8:30pm, The Neighbors was up eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best number since the season premiere. At 9pm, Shark Tank was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth the demo. It's one of ABC's stronger shows period right now even with its Friday night slot. At 10pm, 20/20 was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, hitting a season high for a second week in a row. Not airing against Dateline NBC has been great for this veteran newsmagazine. Finally, CBS had rises as well. Hawaii Five-0 was up 1.1 million viewers and a good three tenths in the demo for its best demo since November 15 while Blue Bloods was up a strong 2.2 million viewers and three tenths in the demo.

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: January 11, 2014

GOOD WEEK: CBS TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
CBS had a low rated finale night for Hostages on Monday and a so-so result from the People's Choice Awards on Wednesday but they were on fire on Tuesday and Thursday. TV's two most watched shows - NCIS and The Big Bang Theory - both topped 20 million viewers for season highs. Tuesday also had the series premiere of Intelligence garner the best total viewer count of any new show this season alongside a respectable demo premiere, though it must now face Castle and The Blacklist on Monday. Every single show on Thursday was up with all four sitcoms posting their best numbers since at least mid-October. The Millers, which was looking weaker, came all the way back to tie its season premiere numbers. While January is a great time for many shows as the viewership totals tend to rise, other shows are proving that not everything works. For these two lineups, everything was chugging along.

BAD WEEK: ABC MIDSEASON PREMIERES
It has been a tough season for ABC. Everything on this side of Scandal seems to be either DOA or showing its age. And it has been really brutal for the new shows. After a fall that saw numbers ranging from disappointing (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Goldbergs) to outright horrendous (Lucky 7 and Betrayal), ABC's midseason is looking even worse. Their limited replacement for Scandal, The Assets, premiered to the worst in-season numbers ever. It dropped in week two and was swiftly cancelled today after two episodes. Then Killer Women premiered on Tuesday following tons of promotion. If it was not for The Assets, it would have tied the lowest in-season premiere ever. It premiered well short of what Lucky 7 bombed to. And their remaining new shows don't look very promising. I contend however that a lot of this is ABC's own fault. They consistently premiere shows in the same slots where they continue to fail (look at Thursday 8pm and Tuesday 10pm). They air incompatible stuff like the slew of young adult sitcoms that have followed family comedies on Wednesdays. And their development, especially in the drama department, was pretty bad this year. So there may be bigger changes necessary at the Alphabet network.

CANCELLATION ALERT: The Assets

ABC has made its limited series very limited by cancelling The Assets after just two weeks. Conceived as an eight week limited series to air during Scandal's winter hiatus, The Assets premiered to the lowest in-season demo ever for the big four networks at a measly 0.7. This week it slipped another tenth to a 0.6 and ABC decided they couldn't even air it for six more weeks. The Assets is the third official cancellation for ABC this season, joining Lucky 7 and Back in the Game. It's also the third show to get cancelled after two episodes joining Lucky and CBS' We Are Men. Several other ABC shows remain extreme long shots for renewal in what has been a tough season for them: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Betrayal, Trophy Wife, Super Fun Night, and the just premiered Killer Women. The future looks a little brighter for Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Goldbergs. Still to premiere for ABC is Mixology, Resurrection, and Mind Games. Shark Tank repeats will fill the Thursday 10pm slot for at least three weeks while Scandal returns on February 27.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/9/14

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 The Assets
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 20.4 million, 18-49 demo: 5.7
8:30 The Millers
Viewers: 13.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:00 The Crazy Ones
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:30 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Sean Saves the World
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:30 The Michael J. Fox Show
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 

FOX
8:00 Sleepy Hollow (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Sleepy Hollow (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

It was a rosy Thursday night for CBS and, to a lesser extent, NBC. On CBS, The Big Bang Theory started off up 1.2 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. The viewership total tied a series high while the demo was the best since the first week of the season. This show always soars in January but it's skewing older this year. At 8:30pm, The Millers was up a strong 2.1 million viewers and half a demo point for its best numbers since the series premiere. On a night of rising numbers, this show rose the most and gave a great showing when it really needed to even though retention continued to be weak. At 9pm, The Crazy Ones was up 1.3 million viewers and four tenths in the demo for its best numbers since October 17. Two and a Half Men was up nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for its best numbers since October 3. The good news continued at 10pm where Elementary was up a million viewers and two tenths in the demo, also posting its best numbers since October 3. Chances are this was the highest we'll see most of these shows for the rest of the season but it was still a stellar week for CBS Thursday with everything hitting at least a 2.0 demo.

Everything was up or even for NBC as well though the highest demo was a 1.5 so it wasn't quite like CBS. At 8pm, Community was up a tenth in viewers and the demo from its season premiere. Usually it drops in week two so this was a decent showing. It helped Parks and Recreation to rise six tenths in viewers and half a demo point for its 100th episode. There may be a little life left in Parks after all as it may be helped by returning to its old 8:30pm slot. At 9pm, Sean Saves the World was up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo while The Michael J. Fox Show was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Parenthood wasn't up like the sitcoms as it was down three tenths in viewers but even in the demo. On ABC, week two of The Taste was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo as it held on well to its season premiere numbers. While not spectacular, it's acceptable enough as a short-term filler for ABC. What will not be acceptable is The Assets which fell nine tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo to a terrible 0.6. ABC cancelled the show today after two airings.