RATINGS RECAP: 2/26/14

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:30 Mixology
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2 

NBC
8:00 Revolution
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Chicago PD
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2 

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7

Wednesday night saw ABC's premiere of Mixology amidst a disastrous night for ABC as only Modern Family was above a 1.7 demo. At 8pm, The Middle fell a heavy 1.6 million viewers and half a demo point to tie a series low last hit on November 25, 2009 (Thanksgiving Eve during its first season). At 8:30pm, Suburgatory was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for a new series low. Will this show squeak out a fourth season? It is squarely on the bubble. At 9pm, Modern Family was down 1.4 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. While it was a bright spot on an otherwise dismal night for ABC, it tied a series low also set on that same Thanksgiving Eve in 2009. Then the premiere of Mixology happened. While it had the worst Modern Family lead-in, it easily had the worst debut in the post-Family slot. By comparison, Super Fun Night premiered to a 3.2 demo out of a 4.2 for Modern Family. This show is not going to last, I'm not even sure it will make it to May. Finally at 10pm, Nashville was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo, tying a series low.

CBS premiered the latest edition of Survivor with a two hour premiere. It was just slightly down from its fall premiere of 2.6 and that happened before the season began so it didn't have as much competition. It got a 2.4 in its first week against full competition in the fall. So this is another solid number for a franchise that just won't die. A special episode of Criminal Minds aired at 10pm but fell seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo to tie a series low. Some of that could be attributed to the 10pm slot. Not having to face against the Olympics did very little to help American Idol on FOX as it was up only eight tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It wasn't that far ahead of Survivor and those shows could only get closer in the weeks to come.

Finally on NBC, Revolution was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. There's not going to be room for this show next season, I don't think. At 9pm, Law & Order: SVU was up 1.6 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. As usual, this show benefited from not having to face Criminal Minds in the hour. The biggest surprise of the night on any network came from Chicago PD. A cross-over with SVU catapulted PD up 2 million viewers and half a demo point to a new series high. This is particularly impressive given that it had to air against Criminal Minds in the hour and it actually tied the veteran CBS drama. Chicago PD was already a slam dunk for renewal but this should erase any doubt. I wouldn't be surprised if we hear of a renewal for this show within a week.

PILOT REVIEW: Mixology

MIXOLOGY

Starring: Sarah Bolger, Adam Campbell, Adan Canto, Alexis Carra, Craig Frank, Ginger Gonzaga, Blake Lee, Vanessa Lengies, Andrew Santino, Kate Simses

Created by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, Directed by Larry Charles

Mixology is a new high concept series that takes place over the course of one night at a swanky Manhattan bar called "Mix." Each episode will deal with a couple regulars (six women and five men) who meet each other at the bar while the season finale will take place when the night ends and the pieces fall into place. The pilot episode focused on Tom (Blake Lee), who was recently dumped by his fiance, and Maya (Ginger Gonzaga), an attorney who's as tough in life as the courtroom. The other characters were sprinkled throughout but each will have their own episode.

THE GOOD: I admit that when I read the log line last spring, I barely could understand how this show would even work. After watching the pilot, I understand a little bit more. And I guess it's kind of cool.

THE BAD: Even if the concept is good, the execution was terrible. I didn't laugh once during the pilot, which is a big problem with a sitcom. The show was all too self-aware that it was being dubbed as a high concept, edgy series but it came across lame. No one in the cast made any sort of impression on me and I felt like it dragged longer than several hour-long pilots have this season. I'm not sure if this is just not the type of crowd I run with, but I just don't think people talk that way to each other. I didn't buy a group of friends in a bar or even strangers in a bar, everything just felt scripted and stylized. That might work if it was intriguing or interesting, but it wasn't. Despite being "high concept," I just don't feel like I could get too connected to any characters after seeing them interact with at least 10 others on one night at a bar. The flashback scenes did nothing to add to the plot or characters.

BOTTOM LINE: ABC seems to be moving in the wrong direction with these post-Modern Family sitcoms, and they have had a lot of clunkers over the last several years. This one is arguably the worst one yet as there's just nothing appealing about this show. I don't understand why ABC puts shows like this on the night but won't give The Goldbergs a chance with the post-Modern Family slot.

PILOT REVIEW: Mind Games

MIND GAMES

Starring: Christian Slater, Steve Zahn, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Wynn Everett, Gregory Marcel, Cedric Sanders

Created by Kyle Killen
Written by Kyle Killen, Directed by Miguel Sapochnik

Mind Games is a new drama from innovative writer Kyle Killen. This show focuses on two brothers: Clark Edwards (Steve Zahn) and Ross Edwards (Christian Slater). Ross is a con man who spent a couple years in prison while Clark is an expert in human behavior but suffers from bipolar disorder. The two brothers decided to open a problem solving firm where they use psychological manipulation to find solutions to problems. The pilot deals with the dynamic between the brothers and an experimental situation at their new firm. Rounding out the main cast is the rest of the firm including Ross' ex-wife Claire (Wynn Everett).

THE GOOD: I guess I'm mildly interested in the concept behind the show though I had a hard time fully wrapping my head around it. Christian Slater always interests me even when he's in crappy shows like this one. I feel like both him and creator Kyle Killen can't catch a break, particularly Killen who was behind the brilliant but extremely short-lived Lone Star in 2010 as well as Awake in 2012. He has interesting ideas and brings new ideas to television, with this being a good example.

THE BAD: Even if I wanted to be somewhat interested in the concept, this show couldn't hold my attention. There just seemed to be a lot of yelling but yet a lot of not much happening. I know it was part of the character but Steve Zahn was too manic for me. He was just so crazy the whole episode. I didn't feel connected to the personal lives of Slater and Zahn's characters on the show. The biggest problem was this topic is just inaccessible. There was a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo, but not in the CSI way where it's in a glorified version of a profession we know. The idea of a "problem solving firm" is a foreign concept to many including myself, it's not the same as Olivia Pope being a fixer. This science-based firm concept was too hard for me to understand, and I would imagine that is true for many average people watching.

BOTTOM LINE: It's not going to work again for Killen, Slater, or the ABC Tues 10pm slot. And I knew this before I saw the ratings. ABC just has a bunch of unappealing, inaccessible new shows this season and the two that premiered this week (Mind Games, Mixology) are the worst offenders. Back to the drawing board for all involved.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/25/14

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 Mind Games
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 17.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 13.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 13.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
9:00 About a Boy (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:30 Growing Up Fisher (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

FOX 
8:00 Glee
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 

On Tuesday night, ABC used a special episode of The Bachelor to launch the new Mind Games. The news was good for The Bachelor, which pretty much did the exact same numbers as it did on Monday. This continues to be a valuable franchise for ABC. However, it did not help the doomed Mind Games, which premiered to dismal numbers, slightly above the Killer Women premiere in January but below the Lucky 7 premiere in September. So it was 0 for 3 in this timeslot with new dramas for ABC, a mix of bad shows and a terrible timeslot. It's time for ABC to move something established here - maybe Castle? It was also another strike for creator Kyle Killen after Lone Star and Awake and star Christian Slater after My Own Worst Enemy, The Forgotten, and Breaking In.

NBC had the The Voice leading things off at 8pm after airing at 9pm on Tuesdays in the fall. It was down a full demo point from the fall, but that was a two hour episode. It was down four tenths in the demo from last spring's Tuesday premiere. NBC made a surprising last minute decision to re-air the pilots of About a Boy and Growing Up Fisher, but they did well as they were both very close to the numbers they got with their Olympics previews. Next week will be a big test for these two shows but it's a positive start and maybe the repeats got the newbies additional exposure. At 10pm, Chicago Fire was dead even with its last airing way back on January 21.

It was a low night for CBS with everything hitting season lows. NCIS was down 2.5 million viewers and half a demo point as it was clearly impacted by The Voice. NCIS: Los Angeles was down 3.1 million viewers and half a demo point for an even rougher performance considering the competition wasn't quite as bad at 9pm. At 10pm, Person of Interest was down 1.4 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. FOX is falling apart before our very eyes. Glee returned to Tuesday night and it looks like a dead show. Yet, FOX gave it a two season renewal last year so they are stuck with it for another year. They should really bury it on Fridays and get it done with in the fall. At 9pm, New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine were both down two tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo. What a mess this lineup is.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/24/14

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
8:30 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:00 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:30 Mom
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Intelligence
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC
8:00 The Voice
Viewers: 15.9 million, 18-49 demo: 4.7
10:00 The Blacklist
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1

FOX
8:00 Almost Human
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 

The day after the Olympics continued to be strong for NBC thanks to the return of The Voice and The Blacklist. With Usher and Shakira returning to the chairs, the sixth edition of The Voice was up nine tenths in viewers but down three tenths in the demo from its fall premiere numbers. This is still a great showing, as expected. As usual, it looks like the blind auditions will be very strong while the rest of the run may drop from there. The return of The Voice obviously helped The Blacklist, which was up a million viewers and six tenths in the demo from its last airing, which was without The Voice. It was very close to what the fall finale got in December, which was the last time it aired with The Voice as a lead-in. The Blacklist proved it could be a success without The Voice in January but it will get a few more months to pad its numbers. I think NBC will move it somewhere else next season. 

The CBS lineup returned after a couple weeks off. How I Met Your Mother was barely affected by the return of The Voice as it was down just seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo with a still-strong 3.6 demo. CBS is going to miss this show a lot, it is entering its final month. The rest of the comedies took a much bigger hit. At 8:30pm, 2 Broke Girls was down 1.2 million viewers and half a demo point. In the 9pm hour, Mike & Molly was down a rough 2.1 million viewers and six tenths in the demo while Mom was down 1.8 million viewers and half a demo point. These shows are going to be in trouble without their anchor as they seem like they can only look strong when the competition is limited. At 10pm, Intelligence was down 1.7 million viewers and a tenth in the demo.

On ABC, The Bachelor was up half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo from last week, back to being right around what it was getting before the Olympics. At 10pm, Castle was up nine tenths in viewers and even in the demo as it was clearly hurt by the return of The Blacklist. As expected, the FOX dramas were lost in the shuffle. At 8pm, Almost Human was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. At 9pm, The Following was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for another series low. The Following is really starting to fall apart and with a star like Kevin Bacon, it can't be a cheap show. Will FOX renew this show? I think it depends on how it returns when it gets Bones back as a lead-in in a few weeks.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/23/14

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:00 Movie: The Proposal
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 The Mentalist (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 The Good Wife (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

NBC
7:00 Winter Olympics Special
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
8:30 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies
Viewers: 15.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
10:30 Growing Up Fisher
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
7:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:00 Daytona 500 Coverage
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5 

The Winter Olympics came to a close on Sunday night. The closing ceremonies were down from the 2010 numbers as has been the case for most of these Olympics. Next up is the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. NBC previewed Growing Up Fisher at the end of the ceremonies and it did decently but was a little down from the About a Boy preview on Saturday night, which aired later and with a smaller lead-in. The real test for both comedies will be over the next several Tuesdays. Over on CBS, The Amazing Race premiered against the Olympics but saw a series low, not just a premiere low. It has to face the Oscars next week but then maybe it can recover. There were some extenuating circumstances but this franchise seems to be getting tired.

PILOT REVIEW: Growing Up Fisher

GROWING UP FISHER

Starring: JK Simmons, Eli Baker, Ava Deluca-Verley, Lance Lim, and Jenna Elfman

Created by DJ Nash
Written by DJ Nash, Directed by David Schwimmer

Growing Up Fisher is a new autobiographical sitcom from DJ Nash. The show centers on 11 year old Henry Fisher (Eli Baker) and his family. His parents are getting divorced but the unique aspect of the show is his father, Mel (JK Simmons), is blind. His mom Joyce (Jenna Elfman) is looking for a fresh start and taking up pipe smoking while sister Katie (Ava Deluca-Verley) is trying to branch out as a teenager. Rounding out the main cast is Henry's best friend Runyen (Lance Lim).

THE GOOD: I actually liked the premise and feel to this show, it just didn't all come together (more on that below). If it accomplished what it was trying to be, it was a warm family sitcom. The voice-overs seem closer to The Wonder Years than The Goldbergs, which is much more like Wonder in other ways. Finally, the whole idea of a blind father is a unique spin on the family sitcom genre. It's nice to see a different group of people being represented in a TV sitcom. JK Simmons is likeable enough as the father.

THE BAD: As I said before, I really liked the idea of Growing Up Fisher and where it was going. The problem was it didn't get there. I just found myself getting bored early and often during the pilot. The laughs were few and far-between while the plot was less than inspired. Jenna Elfman seems to be done the same sort of shtick she did in 1600 Penn last year and other shows. I just talked about Benjamin Stockham from About a Boy as one of the many great child actors this year. Eli Baker is fine but unmemorable in this one. I just wanted this show to be better than it was.

BOTTOM LINE: Growing Up Fisher is going to be a tough sell. It just doesn't have a lot going for it because there's no real draw. It's not as warm as About a Boy or as funny as other sitcoms on the air. It isn't horribly bad, it's just boring. Maybe About a Boy will be one comedy success story for NBC. This one won't be.

PILOT REVIEW: About a Boy

ABOUT A BOY

Starring: David Walton, Benjamin Stockham, Anjelah Johnson, Al Madrigal, and Minnie Driver

Created for Television by Jason Katims
Written by Jason Katims, Directed by Jon Favreau

About a Boy is a new sitcom from Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) based on the 1998 novel and 2002 movie of the same name. In this incarnation, Will Freeman (David Walton) is a bachelor and playboy without much tying him down. He strikes up an unusual friendship with the nerdy kid next door, Marcus (Benjamin Stockham) despite objections from Marcus' vegan, uptight mother Fiona (Minnie Driver). Rounding out the main cast is Will's best friend, Andy (Al Madrigal).

THE GOOD: There was a lot to like in this promising pilot. David Walton was great in the short-lived Bent as well as a recurring role on New Girl, and now he has a chance to shine in a role that fits him well. He plays the disengaged yet caring bachelor role well and has a lot of funny facial expressions in reaction to the oddities going on around him. Benjamin Stockham is off to a great start in a year where there have been lots of good child actors. The dynamic between Walton and Stockham is the strength of the show and it needs to be, since that's the whole point of the show. And like Katims' dramas, it tugs at the heart strings at the end of the show with a very sweet conclusion to the pilot.

THE BAD: I wasn't sold on Minnie Driver in the pilot. She reminds me a little bit of a less cooky version of Michaela Watkins' character from Trophy Wife. I guess my problem was she seemed a little bit too much like a "type" and Katims' shows are always so grounded in reality with real people and less stereotypes but the new-age, vegan character who meditates is becoming more of a sitcom cliche. It works a little better on a sillier show like Trophy Wife, but for a show that seems like it's going to veer towards sentimental moments, it doesn't really fit.

BOTTOM LINE: Unlike NBC's new comedy offers from the fall, About a Boy shows real potential. It has a very sweet center to it and Jason Katims hasn't let me down yet with two of my favorite TV dramas: Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. That alone would be enough for me to give this show time to grow but the promising pilot only helped its cause.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/22/14

ABC
8:00 Movie: Shrek the Third
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
8:30 The Crazy Ones (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3
9:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 13.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8

FOX
8:00 Daytona 500 Bash at the Beach
Viewers: 1.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 The Following (Repeat)
Viewers: 0.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/21/14

ABC  
8:00 Last Man Standing (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:30 Last Man Standing (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 14.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6

FOX
8:00 Bones (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Enlisted (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:30 Raising Hope (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/20/14

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Scandal (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
8:30 Mom (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:30 The Millers (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC 
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 20.3 million, 18-49 demo: 5.0

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 Rake
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 

The Winter Olympics entered their final days and it seems as Olympic fatigue is settling in as the numbers were way down from last Thursday. However, the lower Olympic totals didn't help American Idol on FOX, which tumbled to a series low. It fell a eight tenths in viewers and a big six tenths in the demo. It won't have the Olympics next week but it will have The Big Bang Theory new again and it lost to a repeat of that show this week. At 9pm, Rake was even in viewers but down another tenth in the demo. At this point it seems as though FOX will at least let it air a week after the Olympics on Thursday but I don't think it'll rebound. Over on ABC, the season finale of The Taste was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. I didn't think it would come back for a second season so I have no guesses about a third. However, there won't be the Olympics to compete with so ABC may not want to just toss aside a night like they did with Thursdays this winter. Grey's Anatomy and Scandal return next week. 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/19/14

ABC 
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 Suburgatory (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 Super Fun Night
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Nashville (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 9.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 20.2 million, 18-49 demo: 5.0

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6 

The Olympics' second week swoon continued on Wednesday as they still dominated but the numbers weren't amazing. It was down six tenths in the demo from last Wednesday and five tenths from the same night in 2010. Despite the Olympics drop, American Idol could not steady itself. It was down a rough 1.7 million viewers and eight tenths in the demo. Yikes. The CBS crime dramas held up pretty well against the Olympics. Criminal Minds was down 2.8 million viewers and three tenths in the demo, but that was from the highly rated 200th episode. These numbers are normal for Minds this season so this is a good performance. CSI held on even better as it was down 1.4 million viewers and even in the demo. On ABC, the season finale of Super Fun Night was down seven tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo for a pretty pathetic series low. This show never did all that well and went out with a big whimper. It would be a shock if it got a second season.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/18/14

ABC
8:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 The Goldbergs (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 Trophy Wife (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Killer Women
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Person of Interest (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 18.9 million, 18-49 demo: 5.0

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/17/14

ABC 
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:30 Mom (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Intelligence
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 23.6 million, 18-49 demo: 5.6

FOX
8:00 Almost Human
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7 

The Winter Olympics saw the return of Bob Costas and they posted their best numbers for the second Monday since the 2002 Olympics. The numbers helped the premiere of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to 11.3 million viewers and a 3.8 demo. Over on ABC, The Bachelor was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a season low. It's not against the Olympics next week but it has to face The Voice and new CBS comedies. At 10pm, Castle was down 2.2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo from its last airing, which wasn't against the Olympics. FOX's dramas were flat with last week: Almost Human was down three tenths in viewers and up a tenth in the demo while The Following was up four tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Finally on CBS, Intelligence was down 1.2 million viewers and a tenth in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/16/14

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:00 Movie: Up
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 The Mentalist (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
10:00 The Good Wife (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4

NBC
7:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 21.3 million, 18-49 demo: 4.9

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
7:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Family Guy (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/15/14

ABC
8:00 Movie: Dreamgirls
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 17.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.4

FOX
8:00 Rake (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3
9:00 The Following (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.2 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/14/14

ABC 
8:00 Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CBS
8:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 19.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.5

FOX
8:00 Bones (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Enlisted (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:30 Raising Hope (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/13/14

ABC 
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Scandal (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
8:30 The Millers (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 The Crazy Ones (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:30 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Elementary (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 22.9 million, 18-49 demo: 5.9

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 Rake
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

RATINGS RECAP: 2/12/14

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Suburgatory (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:30 Super Fun Night
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Nashville (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:30 The Beatles: The Night That Changed America (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 20.8 million, 18-49 demo: 5.6

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 11.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/11/14

ABC
8:00 The Goldbergs (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 The Goldbergs (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 The Goldbergs (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:30 Trophy Wife (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Killer Women
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS 
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Person of Interest (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 23.7 million, 18-49 demo: 6.6

FOX
8:00 Dads
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Dads
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 

As the Olympics marched on, FOX's Tuesday lineup wilted to series lows. At 8pm, the final two episodes of the season saw consecutive series lows with the 8pm episode down a million viewers and four tenths in the demo. The 8:30pm episode was down from there. This wasn't a good final note for Dads, which is firmly on the bubble. Right now, I'm going to guess it's not coming back but it's too close to tell. At 9pm, New Girl was down half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo while Brooklyn Nine-Nine was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Both were series lows and the move to 9:30pm is not looking great for Brooklyn right now. Maybe people didn't know these were new but either way, it was a bad idea by FOX to air these against the Olympics. On ABC, Killer Women was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/10/14

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live Special
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CBS
8:00 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Mom (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:30 Mom (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Intelligence
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 22.4 million, 18-49 demo: 6.5

FOX
8:00 Almost Human
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7 

As the Winter Olympics continued to tower above everything, some networks aired some new programming. FOX was the only network that was fully new with regular programming. At 8pm, Almost Human was down seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo, tying a series low. At 9pm, The Following was down a million viewers and two tenths in the demo for another series low. The Following is bleeding fast, it'll be interesting to see if it can rebound when Bones returns to 8pm. On ABC, The Bachelor was down four tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. It held up pretty well against the Olympics. CBS had a new Intelligence following repeats of the comedies. It was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo but it wasn't a series low. Any sort of positive performance for this show is still not enough at this point.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/9/14

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:00 Movie: Toy Story 3
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:00 The Beatles: The Night that Changed America
Viewers: 14.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:30 The Millers (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

NBC
7:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 26.3 million, 18-49 demo: 7.2

FOX
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
7:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
8:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:30 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Family Guy (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 

RATINGS RECAP: 2/8/14

ABC 
8:00 Movie: The Pursuit of Happyness
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:30 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
8:30 The Millers (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

NBC
8:00 2014 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 25.1 million, 18-49 demo: 6.3

FOX
8:00 Rake (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3
9:00 The Following (Repeat)
Viewers: 0.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3

RATINGS RECAP: 2/7/14

ABC 
8:00 Last Man Standing (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:30 Last Man Standing (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
Viewers: 31.7 million, 18-49 demo: 8.6

FOX 
8:00 Bones (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Enlisted
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 Raising Hope
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: February 8, 2014

GOOD WEEK: CBS MONDAY
CBS Mondays have had a tough go recently with 2 Broke Girls not working as an anchor, instant bombs in We Are Men and Partners, and a huge hole at 10pm. Things still aren't great but they're looking up as How I Met Your Mother heads towards its final episode at the end of March. Mother has been delivering a powerful 3.8 demo at 8pm the past two weeks and it has brought the entire night up, even Intelligence at 10pm. CBS needs as many good weeks as possible before Mother leaves because then there are major questions about what will happen to a night that has had comedy institutions like I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, Murphy Brown, and Everybody Loves Raymond for decades.

BAD WEEK: SUPER BOWL LEAD-OUTS
The Super Bowl lead-out slot is seeming less and less important with each passing year. Last year, CBS gave the slot to new drama Elementary. After delivering low numbers for a post-Super Bowl show, Elementary got no bump in its Thursday night slot. This year, FOX gave the slot to New Girl and the buzzy but low-rated Brooklyn Nine-Nine. They did decently out of the Super Bowl but then were actually down from the previous week in their regular timeslot. Since established shows are doing nothing here, the networks need to consider either reality (The Voice did huge numbers in 2012) or launching a brand new show. Something like the pilot of an event series might work well.

CANCELLATION ALERT: The X Factor

In a move that was necessary, FOX has cancelled The X Factor after three seasons. The reality show debuted to big numbers in 2011 (though well shy of what Simon Cowell predicted). It dumped Paula Abdul after season one and had a buzzy addition of Britney Spears for season two. But the ratings dropped and Britney was gone after one season. The show revamped again for season three, bringing in new judges Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio. It was down 39% on Wednesday and 40% on Thursday to pretty horrible numbers for a show airing three hours a week on FOX. Some thought it would get reduced but FOX opted to cut it entirely and put its eggs fully back in the American Idol basket. Despite Simon Cowell's attempts, Factor was always the third reality competition after Idol and The Voice.

The X Factor is actually the first cancelled show for FOX this season. Sure to join that list are Enlisted, Raising Hope, and Rake. Bubble shows are Almost Human, Dads, The Following, and The Mindy Project while American Idol, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, and New Girl are sure to join official renewals Bob's Burgers, Bones, Glee, Masterchef Junior, The Simpsons, and Sleepy Hollow. Still to premiere is Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Surviving Jack, 24: Live Another Day, and Surviving Jack. One reason The X Factor became expendable is the number of half-season shows FOX has now and so there's not that "holding place" for Idol that there used to be.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/6/14

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 17.5 million, 18-49 demo: 5.2
8:30 The Millers
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 The Crazy Ones
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:30 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 

NBC
8:00 Winter Olympics
Viewers: 20.0 million, 18-49 demo: 6.0 

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:00 Rake
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

Thursday night had a special Winter Olympics night on NBC ahead of the regular opening ceremony on Friday night. It delivered a solid 20 million viewers and a 6.0 demo. That's well below what the Opening Ceremonies got in 2010 but I think things will perk up on Friday night. This was sort of a unique airing. Of the 20 million viewers, 14 million stuck around to watch Jay Leno's farewell to The Tonight Show for its most watched night since 1998. On ABC, The Taste was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. On FOX, American Idol was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo at 8pm. At 9pm, Rake was down nine tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for another series low. I can't see FOX sticking with this show in this slot for the rest of the season. There is just no interest.

Finally on CBS, the 8pm hour was barely affected by the Olympics. At 8pm, The Big Bang Theory was down 1.6 million viewers and even in the demo. Between Big Bang, American Idol, and the Olympics, over 40 million viewers were watching network TV at 8pm. At 8:30pm, The Millers was down eight tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It's still only at 50% retention but the 9pm hour was more troubling this week. First up, The Crazy Ones was down eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for a series low. I've been a supporter of this show and it's performance but this is a troubling showing and there is still a flow problem with this show and the rest of the Thursday lineup. At 9:30pm, Two and a Half Men was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo to tie a series low. I think this show could go back to being an anchor next season especially with the unique position CBS will be in on Thursdays now that it has eight NFL games to start off the season. It's regular Thursday lineup won't premiere until November next season. At 10pm, Elementary was down eight tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/5/14

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
8:30 Suburgatory
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
9:30 Super Fun Night
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Nashville
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 12.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

NBC
8:00 How to Raise an Olympian
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Chicago PD
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7 

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

On Wednesday night, Criminal Minds celebrated its 200th episode with a big increase from its series low two weeks ago. The CBS drama was up a strong 2.5 million viewers and six tenths in the demo. The viewer total is the best since the 2011-12 season finale. This is a nice rise for a show that's been looking weaker lately (though it still remains a strong veteran drama). The rise helped CSI, which was up 1.7 million viewers and four tenths in the demo from its series low two weeks ago.  Despite the CBS drama improvement, the competing crime dramas on NBC held up fairly well. Law & Order: SVU was down 1.4 million viewers but just two tenths in the demo. At 10pm, Chicago PD was down nine tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Chicago PD seems to be getting more compatible with SVU and more of a success each week, just like Chicago Fire did in its first season.

Over on ABC, The Middle started things off up six tenths in viewers and down a tenth in the demo from its last new airing. At 8:30pm, Suburgatory was up a million viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week when it had to follow a repeat of The Middle. It's not really a stronger option than the cancelled Back in the Game. At 9pm, Modern Family was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 9:30pm, Super Fun Night was up eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, but that's from following a repeat last week. This show will burn off its last couple episodes opposite the Olympics. At 10pm, Nashville was down a tenth in viewers and two tenths in the demo to tie a series low. What will ABC do with this show? It probably doesn't deserve a renewal but ABC has so many holes in their schedule. Still, it wouldn't shock me if this was a surprise cancellation in May. Finally on FOX, American Idol was up seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. The good news is it was up from last week for the first time this season and only down 15% year-to-year which is a big improvement from recent episodes.

CANCELLATION ALERT: The Michael J. Fox Show

NBC has finally pulled the plug on The Michael J. Fox Show. Just a week after cancelling Thursday companion Sean Saves the World, NBC announced that Fox will not return to its Thursday slot after the Olympics. They made try to air it elsewhere but it's effectively cancelled and any future airings will be burn-offs.

The Michael J. Fox Show received a stunning 22 episode commitment by NBC last spring in an effort to woo Fox back to TV. It had an underwhelming debut in September and then the wheels fell off really quickly as NBC's entire Thursday lineup tanked hard with fellow failed newbies Sean and Welcome to the Family. NBC would probably have cancelled it sooner but the 22 episode commitment made it hard. 15 of the episodes have aired and all have already been filmed. Maybe this will be an example to other networks to not commit 22 episodes to a show that hasn't even been made yet. While people love Fox, the critical response was muted at best and the show just wasn't all that appealing.

NBC announced that Hollywood Game Night will take the Thursday 9pm slot in place of Fox and Sean until April 3 while they haven't announced what will happen after that.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/4/14

ABC
8:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 The Goldbergs
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:30 Trophy Wife
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Killer Women
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 19.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 16.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
10:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 12.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 

NBC
8:00 Winter Gold: First Look at the Sochi Olympics
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

FOX
8:00 Dads
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4 

Well the Super Bowl lead-out slot did absolutely nothing to help New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine as both shows were down from their last regular airings. First up on FOX was Dads which was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It actually beat Brooklyn in the demo as this show hasn't quite gotten the credit it maybe deserves for the way it has held steady this season. At 9pm, New Girl was down three tenths in viewers and the demo to tie a series low. Brooklyn Nine-Nine aired in its new timeslot after New Girl and was down a rough 1.4 million viewers and half a demo point. An 8:30pm repeat did almost as well so maybe FOX would have been better off leaving it in its original timeslot. On NBC, an Olympics special did OK at 8pm while the two hour season finale of The Biggest Loser aired from 9-11pm. It was up nine tenths in viewers and half a demo point from last week's 8pm episode. However, it was down half a demo point from last year's finale so this show is still looking a little tired. NBC was definitely smart to keep it to one edition per year. 

Over on CBS, NCIS started things off down two tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo for its best demo since October 15. At 9pm, NCIS: Los Angeles was up four tenths in viewers and a strong four tenths in the demo for its best demo since the season premiere. Will next year finally be the year this show is on the move? At 10pm, Person of Interest was down a tenth in viewers but up a tenth in the demo for its best demo since November 26. On ABC, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returned after two weeks of repeats and it was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. After dropping rapidly for several weeks, this show has leveled off in the last two months. At 9pm, The Goldbergs was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Trophy Wife was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 10pm, Killer Women was down half a million viewers and even in the demo. It will burn off two more episodes during the Olympics then it's done.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/3/14

ABC 
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
8:30 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 10.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
9:30 Mom
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 Intelligence
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 Hollywood Game Night
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: 50 Years of Beautiful
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 

FOX 
8:00 Almost Human
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
9:00 The Following
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

It was a second straight stellar Monday for CBS as everything had just as big a week. At first it looked like How I Met Your Mother had taken a big dip while the others held, but then Mother was adjusted up a stunning half a demo point in the finals (which never happens) and everything made much more sense. Mother was down eight tenths in viewers and even in the demo. At 8:30pm, 2 Broke Girls was down nine tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Mike & Molly was the only show up from last week. It was down half a million viewers but up a tenth in the demo for a season high. Mike & Molly has performed admirably in its first season as an anchor show. At 9:30pm, Mom was down half a million viewers and even in the demo. Finally at 10pm, Intelligence was up eight tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It might seem like Intelligence is giving itself a chance with better performances in the last two weeks, but CBS has so many dramas - I just don't see that happening.

On FOX, Almost Human started things off down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. This show has performed well given the way FOX has treated it with the scheduling. The bigger problem for FOX was at 9pm where The Following was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a series low. While the drop isn't bad, it had a much bigger lead-in this week and got Super Bowl promotions so this has to be considered troubling. Over on ABC, The Bachelor was down three tenths in viewers but up a tenth in the demo for its best demo since the season premiere. At 10pm, Castle was up a million viewers and a tenth in the demo for its best performance since November 25. It may have benefited from no The Blacklist in the hour. Finally on NBC, Hollywood Game Night was down half a million viewers and even in the demo while a Sports Illustrated swimsuit special did not do well.

RATINGS RECAP: 2/2/14

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
8:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
8:00 The Good Wife (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3
9:00 The Mentalist (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
10:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC 
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 Movie: Little Fockers
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

FOX 
7:00 Super Bowl XXLVIII
Viewers: 112.2 million, 18-49 demo: 39.3
9:55 Super Bowl Postgame
Viewers: 65.8 million, 18-49 demo: 25.5
10:23 New Girl
Viewers: 26.3 million, 18-49 demo: 11.4
10:54 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 15.1 million, 18-49 demo: 6.9

Well the Super Bowl was a dud of a game thanks to complete domination from the Seahawks, but the high profile matchup in New York/New Jersey still set a record for all time viewership for the Super Bowl (and TV in general). It topped the 2011 Super Bowl between the Packers and Steelers and was up a healthy 3.5 million viewers from last year's game though it was more front-loaded thanks to the blowout nature (proving that point, the post-game was down nearly 30 million viewers from last year). FOX's post-Super Bowl shows New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine did well. They obviously hit series highs but New Girl held on to the end of the game much better than Elementary did last year. It benefited from being aired much earlier, but it also had a significantly lower lead-in from the post-game show. All in all, it was a successful showing for the FOX comedies, but the question is, will it help these low-rated shows in their regular Tuesday slots?

RATINGS RECAP: 2/1/14

ABC
8:00 Movie: Blades of Glory
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 20/20 Saturday
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 2 Broke Girls (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
8:30 Mom (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 48 Hours (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

NBC
8:00 Best of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX 
8:00 2014 NFL Honors
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 

FRESHMAN SCORECARD: February 2014

Here is the Freshman Scorecard for February with several new shows added! As always, these are ranked from best to worst chance for survival at each network. By the March scorecard, we can add About a Boy, Growing Up Fisher, Mind Games, and Mixology to the list!

Past February scorecards: 2013   2012   2011

ABC

The Goldbergs - There's no way ABC is not going to renew this show considering how weak their freshman class has been. All things considered, it's probably been the most consistent performer from ABC's newbies and it's sure to get a renewal. The question is, will they move it to Wednesdays?

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Another slam dunk renewal. These numbers would be noticeably disappointing and troublesome if any other new dramas were working but all of them are or were below the 1.0 demo threshold so a show that's getting above a 2.0 demo regularly is an easy call.

Trophy Wife - I don't think this one is going to get renewed even though ABC seems like they really wish they could. I think they're going to renew The Goldbergs and call it a day with their other new comedies, including the upcoming Mixology.

The Great Christmas Light Fight - This could come back for another December run. We'll see.

Super Fun Night/Once Upon a Time in Wonderland/Betrayal - No way these are coming back with short episode orders and terrible performances.

Killer Women - Yet the new Killer Women has an even worse chance than the trio listed above. It's getting its short eight episode order cut short by two, that's the final nail in the coffin.

Back in the Game/Lucky 7/The Assets - Cancelled.

CBS

The Crazy Ones - These comedies continue to be incredibly close and could easily go in any order. The Crazy Ones had the lowest demo of the three this week but I still think it has the best chance because the lead-in isn't crazy strong and CBS just seems to love it more than the other two.

Mom - I do think Mom is going to get renewed despite so-so numbers on Monday night. I think CBS has to realize that they're Monday lineup is a little low outside of How I Met Your Mother and at least they know they have a show that's not going to tank badly here. I also think both The Crazy Ones and The Millers would perform worse if they were in Mom's slot.

The Millers - This one could still get renewed too but it keeps coming back to retention for me. The issue that doomed $#*! My Dad Says, Rob, and How to Be a Gentleman will be a problem here too. I feel like CBS will think they can do better with a new sitcom.

Intelligence - After a very promising Tuesday preview, things have plummeted for this show on Monday with Hostages levels. With most of CBS' veteran dramas continuing to perform well, I don't see them bringing this one back.

Hostages - This is more dead than Intelligence but CBS did let it run its full 15 episode season.

We Are Men - Cancelled.

NBC

The Blacklist - Renewed.

Chicago PD - All this show probably needed to do was not fall flat on its face to get renewed. It has not so it's a near sure thing for renewal with NBC probably hoping it will grow like Chicago Fire did.

The Michael J. Fox Show - No way this one is coming back and maybe NBC will learn to stop handing out 22 episode orders without even seeing the quality.

Dracula - I don't see any reason this show comes back unless it's a financial decision because it's cheap and doing well overseas. The ratings here don't merit any type of return.

Welcome to the Family/Ironside/Sean Saves the World - Cancelled.

FOX

Sleepy Hollow - Renewed.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - The surest non-official renewal on any network now thanks to its stunning Golden Globes wins for Best Comedy Series and Best Lead Actor.

Almost Human - I think this show has overperformed after a weak start on Mondays, but FOX did not extend the episode order and has been airing episodes sporadically which doesn't help its case. However, Rake bombing may help matters.

Dads - It has continued to not crumble and die but I think this has one season show written all over it especially with FOX ending its freshman run in February.

Rake - A non-starter out of the gate on Thursday nights. With so many dramas around and so many more on deck and in development, there's no chance FOX brings back Rake.

Enlisted - Dying a slow death on Friday nights.

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: February 1, 2014

GOOD WEEK: "THE BLACKLIST"
The Blacklist had to face a major test in January. It had three straight weeks without The Voice as a lead-in, a fate that doomed Smash and hasn't been kind to Revolution. While it didn't set the world on fire, it held up quite well and even went up this week, its third week without The Voice, to a 2.5 demo and 10 million viewers. That may not sound incredible but you have to consider that this is a self-starting NBC show that's getting 10 million viewers - when's the last time NBC had any show do that with any regularity and no lead-in from The Voice? This show is what NBC has needed for a long time and its adding to their growing drama arsenal. I think they can be comfortable with moving this show next week and not see it collapse and die, Smash style, or barely hang on, Revolution style. 

BAD WEEK: "RAKE"
At one point, FOX seemed pretty excited about their new drama Rake. They were planning to give it the prime post-NFC Championship Game slot and they still gave it the post-American Idol slot on Thursdays. But then they replaced the Championship Game preview with the series premiere of The Following. It premiered out of a 3.4 demo American Idol to a measly 1.7 demo and then crumbled in week two to a 1.3. FOX had a new hit in Sleepy Hollow and decent numbers from Almost Human as well as plenty of dramas on deck. This show will be quickly forgotten but FOX shouldn't even let it keep having the diluted, but still significant, Idol lead-in.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/31/14

ABC 
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 The Neighbors
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 12.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Hollywood Game Night (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 

FOX 
8:00 Bones
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Enlisted
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:30 Raising Hope
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

Friday night was a good one for CBS. First up, Undercover Boss was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 9pm, Hawaii Five-0 was up six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for new Friday highs. Moving to Friday and a lower pressure timeslot has breathed new life into this show, it was a great move by CBS. At 10pm, Blue Bloods was up three tenths in viewers and the demo. The viewer total is the highest since the series premiere waaaayyyy back in September 2010. That's quite an impressive accomplishment for the veteran drama, which has been a model of consistency in its four years on the air. Over on NBC, a two hour Dateline NBC from 9-11pm was down 1.3 million viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's 8pm edition.

Over on ABC, Last Man Standing was up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while The Neighbors was up half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo in the 8pm hour. At 9pm, Shark Tank was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's series high. 20/20 closed out the night down 2.9 million viewers and two tenths in the demo as it may have been hurt by having Dateline NBC in the hour this week. Finally on FOX, Bones was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. It will return to Monday nights in March. At 9pm, Enlisted was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Last week provided a glimmer of hope but this show's not going anywhere. At 9:30pm, Raising Hope was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo.