RATINGS RECAP: 1/2/14

ABC 
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 The Assets
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 19.2 million, 18-49 demo: 5.4
8:30 The Millers
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 The Crazy Ones
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:30 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Sean Saves the World
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:30 The Michael J. Fox Show
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 

FOX
8:00 Sleepy Hollow (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Bones (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 

On Thursday night, ABC premiered its new lineup while Grey's Anatomy and Scandal take a break until the end of February and it was not a positive start. Season two of reality show The Taste premiered to low but probably acceptable numbers. This was a surprise that it was renewed in the first place and a 1.2 demo is what the last two episodes of season one got. So if it can stay around here, it will probably be an adequate enough filler. The results were more clear cut for the eight week limited series The Assets, which premiered to DOA numbers at a 0.7 demo. If you consider it to be a regular show, it had the worst in-season premiere ever for a network show. However, ABC may try to spin it that it doesn't count since it's a limited series. I'm not convinced ABC will even stick with it for eight weeks with these numbers. 

It was a rough first Thursday in 2014 for NBC. Community returned for its fifth season and it didn't have a typical premiere bounce (last year it premiered to a 1.9 demo before falling). This year it was better than the 9pm comedies but still low with a 1.3 demo. Assuming it drops from here, it's going to be right in the range of the other failing comedies on NBC. The news was even worse at 9pm where Sean Saves the World fell six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo and The Michael J. Fox Show fell half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. Both hit terrible new series lows. NBC should just burn off what they can before the Olympics and save anything else for summer with these shows. I really doubt we'll see any kind of turnaround at this point. At 10pm, Parenthood was actually a bit of a bright spot as it was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. A 1.3 demo is low but look at what it is following. However, it's renewal may hinge on what happens with NBC's many new midseason dramas. 

Finally, CBS was up across the board with its regular lineup. At 8pm, The Big Bang Theory was up 1.5 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for its best numbers since the season premiere. The Millers was up four tenths in viewers and a good two tenths in the demo. At 9pm, The Crazy Ones was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. While going up is good, it seems to have a ceiling right around a 2.0 demo. Will that be enough for a renewal? At 9:30pm, Two and a Half Men was up two tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. Finally at 10pm, Elementary was down a tenth in viewers but up a tenth in the demo. It should be smooth sailing for new Elementary episodes until the Olympics as it will be competing with The Assets instead of Scandal in the hour.