Primetime Ratings: 'Red Widow' Has Weak Debut

'Celebrity Apprentice' returns to lowest-rated premiere

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/4/2013 11:35:03 AM

ABC's newest drama offering Red Widow struggled on Sunday, premiering to just a 1.4 rating with adults 18-49 from 9-11 p.m. and 6.9 million total viewers, according to Nielsen overnight numbers. That was 36% below what GCB debuted to in that time slot last March (Sunday at 10 p.m., where Red Widow will move to), as well as 666 Park Avenue last fall. The 1.4 rating also ties what the recently-pulled Zero Hour premiered to (in the final nationals) on Feb. 14, which was the network's lowest-rated in-season scripted debut ever. It should be noted that those shows only had one-hour premieres.

Red Widow's lead-in Once Upon a Time also was down 13% to a series-low 2.1 to help ABC finish in third on a low-rated Sunday with an overall 1.6 rating/4 share.

Fox and CBS tied for first in the demo, with CBS easily winning with total viewers. The Simpsons was up 15% to a 2.3 and The Cleveland Show, airing in the 8:30 p.m. slot, rose 6% to a 1.9. After a Family Guy repeat, Bob's Burgers drew a 1.7, down 11% from what American Dad drew in that space two weeks ago.

CBS meanwhile, saw Amazing Race rebound 26% to a 2.4 and The Good Wife rise 23% to a 1.6. The Mentalist was down 6% to a 1.5.

NBC's two-hour Celebrity Apprentice premiere was down 38% from last year to a 1.6, the show's lowest-rated ever for a Celebrity edition. At 8 p.m., Dateline NBC earned a 1.3, down from the 1.5 it earned on Jan. 6. NBC finished with a 1.3/4 to round out the night.