Primetime Ratings: CBS Wins With Comedy Comeback

Thanks to robust comedies, CBS grabbed the top ratings among broadcasters Thursday, putting up a 1.8 in viewers 18-49, per the Nielsen overnights, and a 7 share. That beat the 1.2/4 rated by Fox.

CBS had Big Bang Theory up 19% to 3.1 and Young Sheldon up 53% to 2.6. Mom climbed 21% to 1.7 and Life in Pieces rose 18% to 1.3, before S.W.A.T. scored a flat 1.1.

Fox had the premiere of The Four: Battle For Stardom across prime at 1.2.

NBC did a 1.1/4. Superstore scored a flat 1.1 and The Good Place a level 1.0, then Will & Grace fell 22% to 1.4 and Great News increased 50% from its last airing to 0.6. Chicago Fire posted a 1.1, a 10% gain.

ABC was at 1.0/4. A couple repeated comedies led into the David Koresh two-hour special Truth and Lies: Waco at 1.1.

Univision did a 0.6/4 and Telemundo a 0.4/2.

The CW was at 0.2/1 with repeats of Supernatural and Arrow.

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.