RATINGS RECAP: 10/13/15

ABC
8:00 The Muppets
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Fresh Off the Boat
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
10:00 Shark Tank (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7

CBS
8:00 NCIS
Viewers: 16.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans
Viewers: 12.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
10:00 Limitless
Viewers: 8.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

NBC
8:00 Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 The Voice
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
10:00 Chicago Fire
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

FOX
8:00 Grandfathered
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:30 The Grinder
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Scream Queens
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

On a night where the Democratic Presidential Debate and Baseball playoffs took over 20 million viewers to cable, the broadcast networks were a wasteland of disappointing numbers. NBC had its new lineup that will be in place for a couple weeks. Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris moved to 8pm. As expected, it didn't do much, but it was even in viewers and down just a tenth in the demo from last week's episode that aired at 10pm after a clip show of The Voice. So, things probably could have been worst. At 9pm, The Voice was pretty disappointing for a live Battle Rounds edition. It might do better when it returns to 8pm in a couple weeks. The season premiere of Chicago Fire followed at 10pm and could probably be considered a bit underwhelming, but it did dominate the hour for the broadcast networks.

On ABC, The Muppets took another terrible tumble. It was down six tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo. Last night was episode #4 and it has already fallen 4.7 million viewers and 1.6 demo points. Is this or Scream Queens the biggest disappointment of the fall? At 8:30pm, Fresh Off the Boat still built from its lead-in in the demo but it was down nine tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo. At 9pm, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. All three ABC shows hit series lows in total viewers. A Shark Tank repeat aired at 10pm but these pretty pitiful Tuesday numbers do not bode well for the debut of Wicked City at 10pm in two weeks.

If you thought things were bad for ABC, it was even worse for FOX where nothing topped a 1.0 demo. Grandfathered was down seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, The Grinder was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, and Scream Queens was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. It has gotten ugly on this night really fast for FOX and I didn't think they had a terrible situation here before the season. Finally on CBS, NCIS was down nine tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. Considering how some shows dropped, this wasn't that bad. At 9pm, NCIS: New Orleans hit a series low by falling 1.7 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. It will have to face The Voice weekly until early November so it doesn't get easier. At 10pm, Limitless was down 1.6 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. The lead-in and the Chicago Fire competition didn't help but this show has now dropped half a demo point since holding steady in week two.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: NCIS (CBS)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Scream Queens (FOX)