RATINGS RECAP: 3/31/16

ABC
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Scandal
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 The Catch
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 14.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5
8:30 Life in Pieces
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
9:30 2 Broke Girls
Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 Rush Hour
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

NBC
8:00 You, Me, and the Apocalypse
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 The Blacklist (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5
10:00 Shades of Blue
Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

On Thursday night, CBS had a season finale and a series premiere after two weeks of basketball on Thursdays. First up, The Big Bang Theory was down half a million viewers and even in the demo. The one hour season finale of Life in Pieces was down 1.4 million viewers and three tenths in the demo for a season low. This wasn't a real positive end to the season but it certainly wasn't helped by its 9pm episode counting in the ratings as one. Still, I fully expect this to get a renewal. At 9:30pm, 2 Broke Girls was down eight tenths in viewers and even in the demo. Then the series premiere of Rush Hour premiered to pretty much DOA numbers. It was on par with many Elementary airings in this same slot but CBS has a ton of dramas and this doesn't seem to be a big priority for CBS. It probably would have had to surprise if it had a chance at a renewal and it didn't do that. On FOX, American Idol garnered some interest as it heads into its series finale week. It was up 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the demo.

On ABC, Grey's Anatomy was down a tenth in viewers but up a tenth in the demo and Scandal was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. But the demo rise couldn't help week two of The Catch, which fell eight tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. And every new ABC series this season has now at least bottomed out to a 1.0 demo. Yikes. Despite ABC's complete failure in launching anything new this season, this still looks like a one and done. Finally on NBC, the season finale of You, Me, and the Apocalypse was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. I'm sure we'll never see this again. The season finale of Shades of Blue was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo. It had a great run at the end of the season, staying above a 1.0 demo even as it followed repeats five weeks in a row.

WINNER OF THE NIGHT: Shades of Blue (NBC)
LOSER OF THE NIGHT: Rush Hour (CBS)