RATINGS RECAP: 1/30/15

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Cristela
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Blue Boods
Viewers: 11.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 Constantine
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Grimm
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 World's Funniest Fails
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Glee
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

Friday night had new episodes across the board. ABC was on top in the demo while CBS won the total viewer count. On ABC, Last Man Standing was up six tenths in viewers and even in the demo while Cristela was up  also up six tenths in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. This was a good showing for the comedies and Cristela has shown a little bit more strength since it hit a rough patch before Christmas. At 9pm, Shark Tank was down seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from its season high two weeks ago. At 10pm, 20/20 was up 1.2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo from last week, when it followed repeats. It handily beat Dateline NBC in the time period. Over on CBS, Undercover Boss was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a season low, Hawaii Five-0 was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo, and Blue Bloods was down eight tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

On NBC, Constantine started things out down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. I may be mistaken, but I don't think NBC has announced a replacement for this when it ends in a couple weeks. Hannibal won't return until summer. At 9pm, Grimm was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. Dateline NBC suffered from a stronger 20/20 as it was down 1.2 million viewers and a tenth in the demo. Finally on FOX, World's Funniest Fails was up a tenth in viewers and a tenth in the demo. A 1.1 demo is not anything to write home about, but FOX could do a whole lot worse on Friday nights than this so it could become a surprise renewal. At 9pm, Glee was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Last Man Standing (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Constantine (NBC)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/29/15

ABC
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Scandal
Viewers: 10.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 17.3 million, 18-49 demo: 4.5
8:30 Mom
Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:30 The McCarthys
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Backstrom
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

On the first night of February sweeps, ABC's TGIT lineup came back with a vengeance. At 8pm, Grey's Anatomy was up three tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo for its best number since the season premiere. Scandal also posted its best number since the season premiere. It was up four tenths in viewers and a strong half a demo point. This was its second best result ever (besides the season premiere). Looks like the time off did nothing to hurt the two veteran Shonda shows. At 10pm, How to Get Away with Murder was strong but it didn't get the bounce the other two shows got. It was down six tenths in viewers and even in the demo. This was the show that got to air reruns since its last episode and yet it couldn't come back with a big spike. That's got to be at least a little bit disappointing.

NBC had a nice uptick for its finale night. The season finale of The Biggest Loser was up nine tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a season high. The series finale of the critically beloved Parenthood had a pretty impressive jump. It was up 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the demo for its best performance since January 22, 2013. It might have jumped even more if it hadn't been against the return of ABC's lineup. It's a nice way to go out for a show that always had a loyal audience. Next week, The Blacklist and Allegiance come to NBC's Thursday night. As expected, FOX took a big hit. American Idol was down 1.3 million viewers and six tenths in the demo for a season low while week two of Backstrom took a big hit. It was down 2.7 million viewers and half a demo point from its season premiere. It could get even worse for this show next week against The Blacklist.

Amidst all the other results, it was CBS that had the top demo show as usual with The Big Bang Theory. It was down eight tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It was able to beat Empire for top scripted demo of the week so far, but The Blacklist's post-Super Bowl episode will surely take the cake. Mom was helped by a new lead-in as it rose seven tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo for a series high. At 9pm, Two and a Half Men was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It might see a spike in the weeks leading up to its final episode, but it has to face both Scandal and The Blacklist next week. At 9:30pm, The McCarthys was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. Elementary ended things on a down note for CBS as it fell six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Scandal (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Backstrom (FOX)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/28/15

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 The Goldbergs (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:30 Black-ish (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Black-ish (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:30 Black-ish (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
8:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Stalker
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 The Mysteries of Laura (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Chicago PD (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.9
9:00 Empire
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 4.3

Another Wednesday, another stellar outing from Empire. First up on FOX though, American Idol was down half a million viewers and a rough half a demo point despite limited competition. Not a good sign for things to come. But Empire was barely affected. It was up three tenths in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. While it finally slipped in the demo, the viewer total eclipsed American Idol for the first time and hit a series high. This show is the real deal. CBS was the only other network with new programming. The Mentalist was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo despite limited competition. At 9pm, Criminal Minds was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's series low. It probably should have gone up more without Law & Order: SVU competition but Empire is just dominating the hour. At 10pm, Stalker was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Empire (FOX)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Mentalist (CBS)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/27/15

ABC
8:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Marvel's Agent Carter
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Forever (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Marry Me
Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:30 About a Boy
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Chicago Fire (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
8:00 Masterchef Junior
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 New Girl (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:30 The Mindy Project (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

Another late January night and another night with very poor ratings. FOX's Masterchef Junior was tops of the night with a 1.7 demo, though that was down a tenth from last week. On NBC, Parks and Recreation was even in the demo at 8pm and down a tenth at 8:30pm. Marry Me was up a tenth in viewers and the demo from its series low two weeks ago while About a Boy was even in viewers and down a tenth in the demo to tie a series low. Over on ABC, Marvel's Agent Carter was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. It's now dipped below anything Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. got so it's looking like this will merely be a one time interim show unless things improve. Finally, CBS had a special airing of CSI and it hit a season high away from its Sunday night slot.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Masterchef Junior (FOX)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Marvel's Agent Carter (ABC)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/26/15

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Scorpion (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 Celebrity Apprentice
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 State of Affairs
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
8:00 Gotham
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Sleepy Hollow
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

Monday night had a mix of repeats and originals. Only The Bachelor seemed to take advantage of less competition. It was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo for a season high. On CBS, the annual Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials special was a pretty strong player, better than the last couple years. On NBC, Celebrity Apprentice was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while State of Affairs was down a tenth in viewers and the demo despite no new 10pm competition on CBS and ABC. Finally on FOX, Gotham was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo for a series low but Sleepy Hollow inched back up two tenths in viewers and the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: The Bachelor (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: State of Affairs (NBC)

WEEKLY RECAP: January 19-25, 2015

Here's my weekly recap for Week #18. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows)

TOP 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Empire (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 4.4    3rd week
2. American Idol (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 3.4    3rd week
3. American Idol (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.8    3rd week
4. Mom (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 2.4    9th week
5. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 9:00pm) - 2.3    4th week
6. 2 Broke Girls (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.2    2nd week
    Gotham (FOX, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.2    5th week
    Two and a Half Men (CBS, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.2    3rd week
9. The Bachelor (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.1    1st week
    Mike & Molly (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 2.1    1st week

TOP 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 9:00pm) - 12.1 million    10th week
2. American Idol (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 11.8 million    2nd week
3. Empire (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 11.1 million    3rd week
    Mom (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 11.1 million    9th week
5. American Idol (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 10.7 million    2nd week
6. Criminal Minds (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 10.3 million    6th week
7. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Monday 10:00pm) - 9.7 million    3rd week
8. The Mentalist (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 9.6 million    3rd week
9. Two and a Half Men (CBS, Thursday 9:00pm) - 9.3 million     2nd week
10. Mike & Molly (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 9.2 million    1st week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Mulaney (FOX, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.4    10th week
2. A to Z (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 0.6    12th week
3. Bad Judge (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.7    9th week
    Glee (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.7    3rd week
5. The Taste (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.8    6th week
6. Constantine (NBC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.9    8th week
    Revenge (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.9    8th week
8. World's Funniest Fails (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 1.0    1st week
    Resurrection (ABC, Sunday 9:00pm) - 1.0    5th week
10. State of Affairs (NBC, Monday 10:00pm) - 1.1    3rd week
     20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 1.1    5th week
     Galavant (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 1.1    2nd week
     60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:00pm) - 1.1    1st week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Mulaney (FOX, Sunday 7:00pm) - 1.0 million    10th week
2. Glee (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 1.8 million    3rd week
3. A to Z (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 2.1 million    11th week
4. Bob's Burgers (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 2.5 million    8th week
5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 2.8 million    6th week
6. Bad Judge (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.9 million    8th week
7. World's Funniest Fails (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 3.0 million    2nd week
8. The Taste (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 3.1 million    6th week
9. Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 3.2 million    3rd week
10. Parks and Recreation (NBC, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 3.3 million    2nd week
     The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday 8:00pm) - 3.3 million    2nd week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Mike & Molly (CBS)    2nd week
Tuesday - N/A
Wednesday - Empire (FOX)    3rd week
Thursday - Mom (CBS)    5th week
Friday - Dateline NBC (NBC)    2nd week
Sunday - Undercover Boss (CBS)    2nd week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Sleepy Hollow (FOX)    4th week
Tuesday - N/A
Wednesday - Criminal Minds (CBS)    1st week
Thursday - The Taste (ABC)    2nd week
Friday - 20/20 (ABC)    2nd week
Sunday - Mulaney (FOX)    4th week

TOP 5 EPISODES OF THE WEEK
1. Parks and Recreation #116 "Leslie & Ron"    2nd week
2. Mom #33 "Three Smiles and an Unpainted Ceiling"    4th week
3. Law & Order: SVU #355 "Padre Sandunguera"    3rd week
4. Criminal Minds #222 "Anonymous"    1st week
5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine #36 "Defense Rests"    5th week

RATINGS RECAP: 1/25/15

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 7.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:00 Galavant
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Resurrection
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
10:00 Revenge
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 CSI
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 CSI
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:00 Miss Universe Pageant
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

FOX
7:00 Mulaney
Viewers: 1.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
7:30 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
8:00 The Simpsons
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:30 Bob's Burgers
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

On the first Sunday without broadcast football (the Pro Bowl was on ESPN), it was tough sledding for the regular network shows. NBC was on top with a surprisingly strong result for the Miss Universe Pageant. I'm not sure why there was more interest this year, but there was. The FOX lineup looked especially weak and that's not a good sign for the rest of the spring. Mulaney tied series lows at 7pm, but that's not really worth noting. The 8-10pm lineup was troubled as everything except Bob's Burgers hit a season low. The Simpsons and Brooklyn Nine-Nine tied their second worst results ever (and it was easily Brooklyn's worse Sunday night showing). Family Guy hit an outright series low, but was still the top scripted show of the night at a 1.6 demo. This lineup was a rare bright spot in the fall lineup for FOX. Now, their lineup is looking a little stronger on nights like Wednesday and Thursday, but Sundays might fall apart.

There were two season, and quite likely series, finales on ABC. But first up, America's Funniest Home Videos was up a big 2.5 million viewers and eight tenths in the demo for a season high. It had a better lead-in from basketball and no major football competition (the Pro Bowl barely counts). At 8pm, Galavant was up a million viewers and two tenths in the demo for its season finale. I really doubt that was enough of a rebound for the show that had a surprise start and quick fade over its four weeks. The season finale of Resurrection followed and was up four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. This show premiered to a 3.8 demo in March and hit a 0.8 demo less than a year later. I don't see any scenario where this comes back. At 10pm, Revenge was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Finally on CBS, 60 Minutes wasn't much of a player without an NFL lead-in while a special Undercover Boss was solid at 8pm. Two episodes of CSI did OK with the regular 10pm hour doing better than 9pm. It really looks like CBS is in burn-off mode with this show but they're probably waiting to see how their midseason dramas do.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Undercover Boss (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Mulaney (FOX)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/24/15

ABC
8:00 Movie: Mirror/Mirror
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 20/20 Saturday
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

CBS
8:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 Stalker (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

NBC
8:00 US Figure Skating Championships
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

FOX
8:00 UFC Fight Night
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

RATINGS RECAP: 1/23/15

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 Cristela (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Constantine
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Grimm
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 World's Funniest Fails
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Glee
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

Friday night had a mix of repeats and new episodes. NBC was fully new starting with Constantine, which was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Grimm followed and was up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, Dateline NBC is having an impact on 20/20. It was up 1.2 million viewers and two tenths in the demo and won the hour. FOX was basically on par with week two of its Friday combo. Both World's Funniest Fails and Glee were down a couple tenths in viewers and even in the demo. On CBS, Undercover Boss was dead even with last week. Finally on ABC, 20/20 followed a night of repeats and was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. A Shark Tank repeat topped the night with a 1.5 demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Dateline NBC (NBC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: 20/20 (ABC)

PILOT REVIEW: Backstrom

BACKSTROM

Starring: Rainn Wilson Genevieve Angelson, Kristoffer Polaha, Page Kennedy, Beatrice Rosen, and Dennis Haysbert

Based on the novel series by Leif G.W. Persson
Created by Hart Henson
Teleplay and Television Story by Hart Henson, Directed by Mark Mylod

THE PREMISE: Backstrom is a new detective drama that brings Rainn Wilson back to TV. Wilson plays Everett Backstrom, an overweight, outspoken, grumpy detective. Many have compared his character to the title character on House and it seems appropriate. He works closely with Detective Nicole Gravely (Genevieve Angelson) and Detective John Almond (Dennis Haysbert). Rounding out the main cast are other co-workers.

THE GOOD: Backstrom left me with a very "meh" reaction, which means it's hard to separate things into good or bad categories for me because I didn't feel like anything was particularly good or particularly bad. I guess I'll start with the areas that I thought were slightly better than others. For starters, Rainn Wilson is solid in the lead role. He's enjoyable to watch and fully commits to the role just as he did for Dwight Schrute. In fact, all the performances are decent and the relationship between Wilson and Genevieve Angelson is interesting to watch as they have a funny back and forth at times.

THE BAD: This is just another by the book crime drama and there's nothing to really set it apart. The case of the week wasn't particularly appealing for a pilot and that's always a bit troubling for me with crime procedurals. It was a very run-of-the-mill story and not very engaging. I also feel like they tried to hammer home Backstrom's bad behavior a bit too much. We get it: he's not healthy, he's very offensive to all types of people, he's a grumpy mess. There were a few too many direct references and it seemed like the show was trying too hard to make him a "type" instead of just showing it naturally.

BOTTOM LINE: I didn't watch House so I can't really compare Backstrom to that, but I don't see this new character developing a cult following like Dr. House did. It's just such an average show and that's a big problem. It's not a great new drama, it doesn't have the potential to be a niche hit or a critical hit, and it's not laughably bad. It's just sort of there and that will make it short lived and pretty forgettable.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/22/15

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
8:30 Mom
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 9.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:30 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Bad Judge
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 A to Z
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 Backstrom
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

Thursday night had the series of premiere of Backstrom on FOX. First up though, American Idol was up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. It was up from last week on both nights this week... a good sign. It wasn't as good a sign for Backstrom, which got off to a ho-hum start. It wasn't a disaster but it wasn't that promising. With Scandal arriving next week and The Blacklist in two weeks to the 9pm hour, it seems pretty apparent that Backstrom is going to be struggling pretty badly in a couple weeks. For me to think it had a chance against those two powerhouses, it would have had to do much better against light competition with its series premiere. The CBS lineup had to go it again without a lead-in from The Big Bang Theory. Mom continued to shine as it was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Two and a Half Men was down a tenth in viewers but up a tenth in the demo at 9pm while The McCarthys was yanked at the last minute for a repeat of Big Bang at 9:30pm. It did slightly better and may have helped Elementary rise two tenths in viewers and the demo.

Over on ABC, the season finale of The Taste was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Despite the low numbers, I could see this coming back for another season because it's a cheap filler that skews fairly young. Finally on NBC, The Biggest Loser was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. The series finales of the comedies at 9pm were up slightly from last week and now they'll fade into obscurity after their short lived runs. This was also the last Thursday night of comedy on NBC for the foreseeable future... quite a whimper to go out on after decades of destination comedy viewing on this night. Their new drama lineup starts in two weeks. At 10pm, the penultimate episode of Parenthood was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It has a chance to rise next week for the finale but it also has to face the return of How to Get Away with Murder.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Mom (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Taste (ABC)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/21/15

ABC

8:00 The Middle (Repeat)

Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

8:30 The Goldbergs (Repeat)

Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)

Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

9:30 Black-ish (Repeat)

Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

10:00 Galavant (Repeat)

Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 The Mentalist

Viewers: 9.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

9:00 Criminal Minds

Viewers: 10.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0

10:00 Stalker

Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC

8:00 The Mysteries of Laura (Repeat)

Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

9:00 Law & Order: SVU

Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

10:00 Chicago PD

Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

FOX
8:00 American Idol

Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4

9:00 Empire

Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.4

Well, this is just getting crazy. Another week, another shocking rise from FOX's smash Empire. The hip hop drama was up another eight tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo to a stunning 4.4 demo. This is the biggest start a new series has had in years and it's only gaining momentum. This is reminding me of a stronger version of Scandal's meteoric rise in its second season. Earlier in the night for FOX, American Idol was up a strong nine tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo as well. It seems more likely that Empire is helping Idol, but Idol could be helping Empire at bit as well. The Empire effect had an impact on competing 9pm dramas on CBS and NBC. First on CBS, The Mentalist was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Stalker closed out the night up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. In between though (and against Empire), Criminal Minds was even in viewers but down two tenths in the demo to a new series low. It was the same story on NBC where Law & Order: SVU was up a tenth in viewers but down a tenth in the demo to tie a series low set back in November 2012. Chicago PD didn't take a hit at 10pm as it was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Empire (FOX)

LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Criminal Minds (CBS)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/20/15

ABC
8:00 Marvel's Agent Carter (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 ABC News: State of the Union
N/A
10:30 Black-ish (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 CBS News: State of the Union
N/A
10:30 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

NBC
8:00 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 NBC News: State of the Union
N/A
10:30 NBC News: State of the Union Analysis
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 Masterchef Junior
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 FOX News: State of the Union
N/A

RATINGS RECAP: 1/19/15

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 8.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
8:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 Scorpion
Viewers: 12.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 Celebrity Apprentice
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 State of Affairs
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX
8:00 Gotham
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Sleepy Hollow
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

Monday night had a full return to new programming and CBS and FOX took last week off. Everything on CBS came back down from two weeks ago. 2 Broke Girls was down two tenths in viewers and the demo while Mike & Molly was dead even with last week, when it followed a repeat. Mike & Molly has been doing better and better from a retention standpoint. At 9pm, Scorpion seemed to get no bounce from the extra airing on Sunday. It was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, NCIS: Los Angeles took the biggest hit. It was down a big 2.2 million viewers and half a demo point. It didn't have competition from Castle two weeks ago, could that have really made that big a difference?

FOX had a disappointing night with Gotham falling six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo to tie a series low. Sleepy Hollow hit an outright series low as it dropped three tenths in viewers and the demo. It's a little telling that FOX didn't give this a renewal last week and the FOX brass didn't sound overly supportive of the show's creative direction. ABC and NBC were on the upswing without competition from the college football championship. On ABC, The Bachelor was up 1.1 million viewers and three tenths in the demo from last week's series low while Castle was up eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's series low. On NBC, Celebrity Apprentice was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo while State of Affairs had a surprising rebound. It was up nine tenths in viewers and an odd four tenths in the demo. It's not a big enough rally, but interesting nonetheless.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Mike & Molly (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Sleepy Hollow (FOX)

WEEKLY RECAP: January 12-18, 2015

Here's my weekly recap for Week #17. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows)

TOP 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Empire (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 4.0    2nd week
2. Scorpion (CBS, Sunday 10:30pm) - 3.2    Special Airing
3. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 3.0    12th week
    American Idol (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 3.0    2nd week
5. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.8    9th week
6. American Idol (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.6    2nd week
7. Mom (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 2.4    8th week
8. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.3    5th week
    The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:30pm) - 2.3    3rd week
10. The Middle (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 2.2    2nd week
     Criminal Minds (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 2.2    3rd week
     Shark Tank (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.2    1st week

TOP 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 19.9 million    12th week
2. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 16.4 million    12th week
3. Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 12.7 million    8th week
4. Scorpion (CBS, Sunday 10:30pm) - 12.3 million    Special Airing
5. American Idol (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 10.9 million    1st week
6. Mom (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 10.8 million    8th week
7. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, Friday 9:00pm) - 10.6 million    2nd week
8. American Idol (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 10.4 million    1st week
9. Criminal Minds (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 10.3 million    5th week
    Empire (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 10.3 million    2nd week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. A to Z (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 0.5    11th week
2. State of Affairs (NBC, Monday 10:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
    Marry Me (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.7    3rd week
    Bad Judge (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.7    8th week
    Glee (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
    Dateline NBC (NBC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.7    1st week
7. Constantine (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.8    7th week
    Resurrection (ABC, Sunday 9:00pm) - 0.8    4th week
9. About a Boy (NBC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.9    6th week
    The Taste (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.9    5th week
    America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.9    3rd week
    Galavant (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 0.9    1st week
    Revenge (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.9    7th week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. A to Z (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 1.7 million    10th week
2. Glee (FOX, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.0 million    2nd week
3. Marry Me (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.2 million    3rd week
4. The Mindy Project (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 2.4 million    12th week
5. Bad Judge (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.7 million    7th week
6. About a Boy (NBC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 2.8 million    7th week
7. New Girl (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.9 million    12th week
8. Constantine (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 3.1 million    9th week
9. Parks and Recreation (NBC, Tuesday 8:30pm) - 3.3 million    1st week (New Season)
    The Taste (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 3.3 million    5th week
    World's Funniest Fails (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 3.3 million    1st week (NEW SHOW)
    Resurrection (ABC, Sunday 9:00pm) - 3.3 million    5th week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Mike & Molly (CBS)    1st week
Tuesday - NCIS (CBS)    2nd week
Wednesday - Empire (FOX)    2nd week
Thursday - Mom (CBS)    4th week
Friday - Shark Tank (ABC)    4th week
Sunday - Scorpion (CBS)    Special Airing

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - State of Affairs (NBC)    3rd week
Tuesday - Marry Me (NBC)    4th week
Wednesday - The Mysteries of Laura (NBC)    2nd week
Thursday - A to Z (NBC)    3rd week
Friday - Constantine (NBC)    4th week
Sunday - Galavant (ABC)    1st week

TOP 5 EPISODES OF THE WEEK
1. The Goldbergs #34 "The Daryl Dawkins Dance"    5th week
2. Parks and Recreation #114 "Ron & Jammy"    1st week (New Season)
3. The Middle #131 "The Quarry Story"    5th week
4. Modern Family #132 "The Big Guns"    5th week
5. Mom #32 "Nudes and a Six Day Cleanse"    3rd week

RATINGS RECAP: 1/18/15

ABC

7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos

Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

8:00 Galavant

Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

9:00 Resurrection

Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

10:00 Revenge

Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

CBS
7:00 AFC Championship Game
Viewers: 42.1 million, 18-49 demo: 13.9
10:08 NFL Postgame
Viewers: 19.4 million, 18-49 demo: 6.2
10:30 Scorpion
Viewers: 12.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
8:00 Movie: Bridesmaids
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
7:00 Mulaney
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
7:30 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Family Guy (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:30 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

Sunday night had CBS with the AFC Championship Game but the blow-out nature of the game sent in way behind last year's results. Therefore, the lead-out, Scorpion, didn't get as much of a bounce but it did post its best numbers since the series premiere. ABC got clobbered and was barely on the map. America's Funniest Home Videos was down two tenths in the demo, but it's 4.8 million viewers was tops for the night for ABC. Galavant has completely fallen apart. It tumbled another seven tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo. It has gone from promising to the burn-off it seemed it was going to be in just two weeks. Resurrection was the weakest of the night at a pitiful 0.8 demo. Revenge was actually up four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. NBC and FOX were mainly not competing.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Scorpion (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Galavant (ABC)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/17/15

ABC
8:00 Movie: Just Go With It
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:30 The Goldbergs (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

CBS
8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
10:00 48 Hours
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

NBC
8:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

FOX
8:00 Empire (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4
9:00 Empire (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

RATINGS RECAP: 1/16/15

ABC
8:00 Last Man Standing
Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Cristela
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

CBS
8:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 12.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 Constantine
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Grimm
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

FOX
8:00 World's Funniest Fails
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Glee
Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

Friday night had the series premiere of FOX's new unscripted show World's Funniest Fails. It didn't do much but it was at least on the map for a Friday unscripted premiere. After all, it beat Constatine in the hour and it easily beat its lead-out of Glee. It could have been worse. At 9pm, Glee was down three tenths in viewers and even in the demo from last week's two hour season premiere. CBS had 1.4 demos across the board. Undercover Boss was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, Hawaii Five-0 was down nine tenths in viewers and even in the demo, and Blue Bloods was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo.

NBC returned with a slight alteration to their lineup. Constantine moved to 8pm and was down two tenths in viewers and the demo from its last airing at 10pm. Grimm was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. Dateline NBC got whacked by airing against 20/20 and hit a season low. Finally on ABC, the comedies came back after last week's highs. Last Man Standing was down 1.7 million viewers and three tenths in the demo while Cristela was down 1.5 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. Despite the lead-in drop, Shark Tank roared back impressively. It was up nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for a season high. The viewer total is a series high. 20/20 closed things out down six tenths in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Shark Tank (ABC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Constantine (NBC)

RENEWAL ALERT: Empire, Gotham, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

At the Winter TCA tour, FOX handed out renewals to three shows: Empire and Gotham for a second season and Brooklyn Nine-Nine for a third season.

After two incredible weeks, FOX has given a very early renewal to Empire. The show premiered to a stunning 3.8 demo and then pulled off an even more incredible feat by rising to a 4.0 demo. It's still early but this show seems to have the makings of something special for FOX. Gotham is the only other new show FOX has been able to do anything with this year. The Batman origin story premiered to a strong 3.3 demo. It has come back a bit but still posted a 2.5 demo in its most recent episode and it gets a lot of online buzz and commentary. Brooklyn Nine-Nine has had a successful move to Sunday nights in its second season. The critically acclaimed comedy has been more stable and has proven to be surprisingly compatible with its animated lead-in, The Simpsons. It could dip some this spring as the FOX Sunday lineup usually does, but it will probably go up again in the fall if it keeps the same timeslot.

In a disastrous season for FOX, these three shows (along with the already renewed Masterchef Junior and sometimes the animated shows) have been the bright spots and FOX rewarded them accordingly.

QUICK HITS: January 16, 2015

As we'll begin to hear about pilot season and people will start predicting how things will go with the networks, here are three things I think each network should do next season.

ABC

1) Expand its family comedy universe
ABC finally has a coherent Wednesday lineup and it's no coincidence that they finally went with family comedies from top to bottom. They also have Last Man Standing plugging along and the promising Fresh Off the Boat coming in February. ABC has a trashcan full of edgier, non-family sitcoms that have failed in recent years. ABC's tentpole shows - The Middle and Modern Family are getting older and they should be thinking about the future for Wednesday and possibly another night. But that other night should be more family sitcoms, not shows like Selfie. Keep developing shows that fit the ABC brand and have for decades (ABC was king of the family sitcoms, and not just on TGIF, in the 1990s).

2) Get another Shondaland show
Shonda Rhimes is ABC's savior and her production company has churned out three huge hits for Thursday night. ABC doesn't need to worry about overexposure if they go back to the well and Shonda brings another totally different option. This is especially important since How to Get Away with Murder only does 16 episodes a year and Grey's Anatomy probably doesn't have a lot of years left. Maybe viewers will tire of her shows at some point but that's not happening anytime soon so ABC should stay in business with the hottest producer on TV.

3) Move Castle Already
ABC has had Castle on Monday nights with good lead-ins from Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor for years. With Castle looking weaker, it's time to develop a drama and put it on Mondays at 10pm (actually it's been time for quite awhile). Dancing and Bachelor aren't what they once were but they can still be a place for a new ABC drama. And Castle could certainly be used on Sundays or Tuesdays. It's time to make the move already.

CBS

1) Develop a new franchise-able drama
They are developing a new Criminal Minds spinoff and I have no problem with that even though the first one didn't work in 2010. But it's time to develop a new drama that is in the vein of NCIS, CSI, or Criminal Minds without having one of their names attached to it. Find a show that can be a future franchise, give it a great spot to launch in and see what happens. I feel like CBS either does spinoffs or less "big tent" shows whereas they used to be developing these hit procedurals year after year. They may not win awards, but they get viewers.

2) Find one more upscale show
As evidenced by Madam Secretary's renewal this past week, CBS is pleased with its Sunday night lineup. They might not get huge ratings and they skew old, but they find the coveted upscale viewers. I think it's time to find one more show to go with reliable 60 Minutes, the fresh Secretary, and critically adored The Good Wife. Maybe move Wife to 10pm and get a new drama for 9pm. It eems like a brand CBS would be happy to have on an important night of TV.

3) Try to get a full fall of Thursday Night Football
Yes, CBS has a lot of successful shows and they probably don't need Thursday Night Football. But since they have it, they should go for a full year and then launch a regular Thursday lineup in January. January is always a great time of year for CBS and they could get some strong season and series premieres there.

NBC

1) Keep trying with comedy
NBC has been having problems for comedies for years now and it's not for lack of trying. They've tried more niche shows, family sitcoms, and now (this spring) multi-camera sitcoms. However, very few shows have been all that good (in my opinion). NBC needs to keep trying with comedy and hope something works. After all, ABC was in trouble with comedy for years before they launched an all new night of it in 2009 and found two huge hits in The Middle and Modern Family and one modest success in Cougar Town. NBC can do it, but they can't give up.

2) Don't expand the Chicago franchise... yet
NBC is expressing an interest in expanding the Chicago Fire and Chicago PD franchise to include Chicago Med, and they're clearly planting seeds already. This might be a good option eventually but I wouldn't do it yet. They have a possible success in the medical genre with The Night Shift and they need to keep developing new ideas for now. This isn't the same situation as CBS because PD still hasn't really caught on. Just give it time and let these two shows do another year together.

3) Use limited shows effectively
NBC is the most innovative network right now with their limited shows, mini-series, and live events like their musicals. They have two promising shows in this family coming up: The Bible on Easter Sunday and the upcoming Neil Patrick Harris Variety Show. The trickiest thing to all this is scheduling. I love what they're doing with The Bible on Sundays and the Sunday option is great for limited series since they only ever have the spring open thanks to football. The Neil Patrick Harris show is a real opportunity for them but they need to be careful about where it goes. My suggestion would be Thurs at 8 if The Blacklist works or Sunday nights at 8 in the spring.

FOX

1) Embrace diversity
Networks that have gone for diversity this season in their programming have seen it pay off with new hits How to Get Away with Murder, Black-ish, and Empire. Years ago, FOX was a major appeal to minorities but it wasn't a wide enough target. Now that we live in a bigger melting pot and network's overall ratings are lower, it's not a bad demographic to target. And FOX seems like the network most poised to go that direction since they have the most building to do. I'm not saying they need to turn into BET, but finding a compatible show for Empire should be pretty high on the priority list.

2) Don't abandon pilot season
Ousted FOX boss Kevin Reilly famously declared that FOX was moving away from the pilot model but we have seen so many straight to series orders get cancelled before they air (Hieroglyph, Emerald City, Members Only). In fact, the biggest new success stories for FOX are two shows that did go through the typical pilot process: Gotham and Empire. There's a reason this model has worked for decades, no reason to change it.

3) Give Friday another shot
FOX basically threw Friday to the wolves this year with Utopia and repeats in the fall and a burnoff of Glee's final season and the cheap World's Funniest Fails this January. FOX only has a limited number hours on their schedule so they shouldn't give up on Friday. I know they have a lot to fix but they could go back to trying some genre shows here. It'd be a shame to see a network that only programs two hours a night anyway give up on a night entirely.

RATINGS RECAP: 1/15/15

ABC
8:00 The Taste
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 12.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
8:30 Mom
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 Two and a Half Men
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:30 The McCarthys
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Elementary
Viewers: 8.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo; 1.1
9:00 Bad Judge
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 A to Z
Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

Thursday night was a troubling night for the new season of American Idol. It was down a rough eight tenths in viewers and half a demo point from last week. This is awfully early for the show to be dipping into the mid 2s in the demo so that doesn't bode well as the season goes on. The CBS lineup did not have a new lead-in from The Big Bang Theory. The rest of the lineup held up OK but dropped across the board. Mom was down 1.5 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. That might look like a big drop but it's lead in was over two points down in the demo. Two and a Half Men was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, The McCarthys was down a million viewers and two tenths in the demo, and Elementary was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo.  The NBC lineup was also down across the board. The Biggest Loser and Parenthood were both down two tenths in the demo while the comedies, which end next week, were down a tenth in the demo. Finally on ABC, The Taste was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Mom (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: A to Z (NBC)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/14/15

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
8:30 The Goldbergs
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:30 Black-ish
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Forever (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Criminal Minds
Viewers: 10.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 Stalker
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 The Mysteries of Laura
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Chicago PD
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:00 Empire
Viewers: 10.3 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0

Wednesday night had a pretty shocking ratings result as Empire built on its huge premiere from last week. First up for FOX, American Idol was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's premiere. Then at 9pm, Empire followed up its incredibly strong debut by growing four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. When a show gets sampled as well as Empire did last week, a pretty decent drop almost always happens the next week. But viewers responded in a big way and tuned back in for more. We'll have to see what happens but this is looking like it could be a real hit for FOX, which desperately needs one. Over on ABC, everything was down. To start things off, The Middle was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while The Goldbergs was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. At 9pm, Modern Family was up a tenth in viewers but down two tenths in the demo. Empire seems to be the worst thing to happen to Black-ish as Black-ish was up three tenths in viewers but down another two tenths in the demo for a series low.

On CBS, The Mentalist started things off up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. The crime dramas returned at pretty normal levels. Criminal Minds was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo while Stalker was up six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Stalker's fate seems to be sealed when it didn't get a renewal alongside other freshmen dramas and it has its season ending early, but it's not doing that bad. Finally, NBC was left in the dust. At 8pm, The Mysteries of Laura was down a rough seven tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for a series low. It was holding up well for awhile, but this was a bad showing. If this becomes the new normal for this show, it's chances of renewal go way down. At 9pm, Law & Order: SVU took a hit from the return of Criminal Minds. It was down 1.1 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. Chicago PD didn't have as much of a drop as its lead-in. It was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Empire (FOX)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: The Mysteries of Laura (NBC)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/13/15

ABC
8:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 Marvel's Agent Carter
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Forever
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 19.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans
Viewers: 16.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Person of Interest
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

NBC
8:00 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
8:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Marry Me
Viewers: 2.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:30 About a Boy
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

FOX
8:00 Masterchef Junior
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:00 New Girl
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:30 The Mindy Project
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

Tuesday night had the return of Parks and Recreation for its final season on NBC. While it didn't set the world on fire, it was above most ratings last year and was one of the better comedy performances on NBC for the whole season. It's only airing for six more weeks so it may be able to go out on a decent night. The 9pm hour was much rougher, especially Marry Me at 9pm. It was up a tenth in viewers but down a tenth in the demo. Dead show walking now. About a Boy actually built from last week and the lead-in. It was up a tenth in viewers and the demo. Chicago Fire is getting screwed with these sitcom lead-ins. It was down a tenth in viewers and the demo for its worst performance since December 12, 2012. I can't imagine NBC is going to be OK with this kind of lead-in damage for one of their flagship shows, but we'll see. On CBS, it was another good week for NCIS, which was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. As usual, the veteran drama is being quite impressive in January. It wasn't quite as good a week for NCIS: New Orleans, which was just renewed for a second season. It easily won the 9pm hour, but it was down 1.3 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. Person of Interest closed things out up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo.

Over on ABC, a special Shark Tank airing was a better 8pm option than much of what ABC has aired here this season. It didn't help week two of Marvel's Agent Carter, though. That show fell 1.8 million viewers and four tenths in the demo from its two hour series premiere last week. It has already tied Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. low in the demo and it's probably not done dropping, so that's not a great sign. At 10pm, Forever was down a tenth in viewers and the demo, tying a series low. Finally on FOX, Masterchef Junior had another good week after its renewal announcement last week. It was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's third edition premiere. At 9pm, New Girl was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Hard to believe this show as losing to Marry Me in the demo at one point. The Mindy Project closed things out up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: NCIS (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Marry Me (NBC)

RATINGS RECAP: 1/12/15

ABC
8:00 The Bachelor
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:00 Castle
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
8:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Scorpion (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 Celebrity Apprentice
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 State of Affairs
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

FOX
8:00 Empire (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Sleepy Hollow (Repeat)
Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5

Against the College Football National Championship, which set an all time cable ratings record, on ESPN, the broadcast networks suffered greatly. On ABC, week two of The Bachelor was down 1.3 million viewers and four tenths in the demo for a series low in the demo. This franchise is looking like it's embarking on a down year. At 10pm, Castle was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo for a new series low. It's time to put something else in this slot, ABC has left Castle here too long. Over on CBS, only Mike & Molly was on and it continued to be a strong performer even when surrounded by repeats. It was broadcast TV's top show of the night and was down just four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week, when it had a new lead-in. Finally on NBC, week two of Celebrity Apprentice held up better than The Bachelor. It was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. The wheels have completely come off for State of Affairs, which was down nine tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo for another series low. This show is just airing out the string at this point.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Mike & Molly (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: State of Affairs (NBC)

WEEKLY RECAP: January 5-11, 2015

Here's my weekly recap for Week #16. Please note this only covers regularly scheduled shows (no sports, specials, repeats, or Saturday shows)

TOP 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Thursday 8:00pm) - 4.6    11th week
2. Empire (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 3.8    1st week (NEW SHOW)
3. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 3.6    5th week
4. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 3.2    11th week
    American Idol (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 3.2    1st week (New Season)
6. American Idol (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 3.1    1st week (New Season)
7. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.8    8th week
8. Mom (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 2.7    7th week
9. Gotham (FOX, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.5    4th week
    NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.5    4th week
    The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:30pm) - 2.5    2nd week

TOP 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 19.8 million    11th week
2. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Thursday 8:00pm) - 18.1 million    11th week
3. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 17.7 million    11th week
    60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 17.7 million    12th week
5. Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday, 10:00pm) - 12.9 million     7th week
6. Scorpion (CBS, Monday 9:00pm) - 12.3 million    9th week
    Mom (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 12.3 million    7th week
8. Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 9:00pm) - 12.1 million    11th week
9. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Monday 10:00pm) - 11.9 million    2nd week
10. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, Friday 9:00pm) - 11.5 million    1st week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Mulaney (FOX, Sunday 7:00pm) - 0.5    9th week
2. A to Z (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 0.6    10th week
3. Glee (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.7    1st week (New Season)
4. Marry Me (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.8    2nd week
    About a Boy (NBC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.8    5th week
    Bad Judge (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.8    7th week
    Resurrection (ABC, Sunday 9:00pm) - 0.8    3rd week
    Revenge (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.8    6th week
9. The Taste (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.9    4th week
10. State of Affairs (NBC, Monday 10:00pm) - 1.0    1st week
     The Mindy Project (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 1.0    9th week

BOTTOM 10 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Mulaney (FOX, Sunday 7:00pm) - 1.3 million    9th week
2. Marry Me (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.1 million    2nd week
    A to Z (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 2.1 million    9th week
4. The Mindy Project (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 2.2 million    11th week
5. Glee (FOX, Friday 8:00pm) - 2.3 million    1st week (New Season)
6. About a Boy (NBC, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 2.7 million    6th week
7. Resurrection (ABC, Sunday 9:00pm) - 3.1 million    4th week
8. New Girl (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 3.2 million    11th week
    The Taste (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 3.2 million    4th week
    Bad Judge (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 3.2 million    6th week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Celebrity Apprentice (NBC)    1st week (New Season)
Tuesday - NCIS: New Orleans (CBS)    2nd week
Wednesday - Empire (FOX)    1st week (NEW SHOW)
Thursday - Mom (CBS)    3rd week
Friday - Last Man Standing (ABC)    12nd week
Sunday - 60 Minutes (CBS)    1st week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - State of Affairs (NBC)    2nd week
Tuesday - Marry Me (NBC)    3rd week
Wednesday - The Mentalist (CBS)    1st week
Thursday - A to Z (NBC)    2nd week
Friday - Glee (FOX)    1st week (New Season)
Sunday - Resurrection (ABC)     4th week

TOP 5 EPISODES OF THE WEEK
1. Blue Bloods #100 "Baggage"    7th week
2. Marry Me #9 "Test Me"    2nd week
3. Empire #1 "Pilot"    1st week (NEW SHOW)
4. The Middle #130 "Pam Freakin' Staggs"    4th week
5. Law & Order: SVU #353 "Forgiving Rollins"    2nd week