RATINGS RECAP: 9/26/13

Check below this post for reviews of The Michael J. Fox Show and The Crazy Ones!

ABC
8:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 19.0 million, 18-49 demo: 5.5
8:30 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 20.4 million, 18-49 demo: 6.1
9:00 The Crazy Ones
Viewers: 15.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.9
9:30 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 11.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

NBC
8:00 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 The Michael J. Fox Show
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

FOX 
8:00 The X Factor
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Glee
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

Thursday night was all about The Big Bang Theory. The ratings beast that is doing numbers no other show is continued its incredible hot streak. After posting fantastic numbers at 8pm for its season premiere, a second episode at 8:30pm climbed to an all time high in total viewers and one of its best demo numbers ever. There is just no comparison on TV right now to Big Bang. It is far and away the top scripted program on TV and the closest thing to a mass hit in today's fractured audience environment. The double Big Bang certainly helped the series premiere of Robin Williams' The Crazy Ones. Crazy had weak retention out of Bang but it delivered the best sitcom series premiere numbers since the inflated premiere of 2 Broke Girls in September 2011. This certainly got the show sampled but next week will be a huge test when it has The Millers as a lead-in instead and less curiosity tune-in. The news wasn't as good for CBS the rest of the night though it was still solid. Two and a Half Men was down six tenths in the demo from last year's season premiere which followed a less strong Bang. This show benefited from the Big Bang lead-in last year and it can still be a draw, but CBS is probably smart by keeping it away as an anchor. At 10pm, Elementary returned to numbers close to what it was getting in the spring. It was an OK start but nothing great and now it must face Scandal's return next week. 

The series premiere battle between The Crazy Ones and The Michael J. Fox Show didn't really amount to much of a competition as NBC was left in the dust. Things started out weak where Parks and Recreation in its new lead-off 8pm slot tied a series low in the demo with a measly 1.3. For whatever reason, this show just isn't going to ever find a big audience. It seems to be skewing older too as last year it also had 3.3 million viewers for its series premiere but with a 1.6 demo. At 9pm, the first two episodes of The Michael J. Fox Show aired. The good news is it built on Parks in a big way and held steady throughout the hour. It's too early to tell with this show but it did a lot better in total viewers than NBC Thursday shows have done in a long time. However, it skewed older so we'll see if NBC wants to head in that direction. At 10pm, the season premiere of Parenthood on its new night was down from most Tuesday numbers last year but way up from pretty much anything in this slot in recent years.

Over on ABC, a repeat of Tuesday's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. picked up a few more viewers and nearly beat Parks and Recreation. At 9pm, the two hour season premiere of Grey's Anatomy was down a full demo point from last year's big season premiere. This isn't too surprising considering that last year's premiere overperformed and the show is getting older. Over on FOX, The X Factor was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. I don't understand this show. It has a horrible weak last week and then faces The Big Bang Theory and its 20 million viewers and goes up in the ratings. At 9pm, the season premiere of Glee was way down from last year. It may get a bounce from its Cory Monteith episode in two weeks but I think it's going to be another year of big declines for Glee.