Primetime Ratings: ABC Wins With ‘Idol’

ABC got the top score in Sunday prime ratings, as American Idol led the net to a 1.1 score in viewers 18-49, per the Nielsen overnights, and a 5 share. Just off the pace was CBS at 1.0/4. 

ABC had a repeat of America’s Funniest Home Videos, then two hours of American Idol starting at 8 p.m. and rating a 1.5. Deception closed out prime at 0.7. Both shows lost a tenth of a point from last week. 

For CBS, 60 Minutes went up 114% to a 1.5 and Instinct grew 50% to 0.9 .6. NCIS: Los Angeles ticked up 13% to 0.9 and Madam Secretary increased 20% to 0.6. 

NBC, which had the live Jesus Christ Superstar a week ago, was at 0.7/3. Dateline did a 0.6 and Little Big Shots a 0.9. Genius Junior rated a 0.7 and drama Timeless a 0.6. All the shows were flat.  

Fox scored a 0.7/3 as well. Bob’s Burgers went up 33% to a 0.8, The Simpsons did a flat 0.9, Brooklyn Nine-Nine a level 0.8 and Family Guy a flat 0.9, then Last Man on Earth grew 17% to 0.7. 

Univision rated a 0.6/2 and Telemundo a 0.4/2. 

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.